Abstract: Using scanning probe microscopy we observe a growth mode transition in pulsed laser deposited (PLD) YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ films. By increasing the background oxygen pressure the generally observed 2D-nucleation and growth mode transforms into a spiral growth mode. Keeping the oxygen pressure at increased levels and reducing the target–substrate distance, the growth spirals disappear and 2D-nucleation and growth becomes the dominant growth mode again. We attribute the growth mode transition to a change in surface diffusivity of ∼2 orders of magnitude. Our experiments confirm that in PLD surface kinetics is strongly linked to plume dynamics.