We have proposed the new PLD technique, called the ‘‘Eclipse PLD Method,’’ wherein the droplet problem (peculiar to the standard PLD technique) is almost completely removed. This method is characterizes by a simple placement of a shadow mask between the target and substrate. The present paper deals with traveling behavior of the ablated particles in the chamber and discloses the exclusive role of the shadow mask for elimination of the droplet particles. From comparison of the growth rates between the analysis and experiment, it was made clear that the neutral gas molecules serve as the dominant scatterer against the traveling ablated particles in the PLD, and consequently our eclipse‐method is basically supported by the intensive diffusion of growth species. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.