Behavior Study of ZnO Thin Films Grown by PLD for Several Applications

• Published in: Crystallography reports Vol. 67; no. 7; pp. 1239 - 1245
• Main Authors: Kermiche, F., Taabouche, A., Bouabellou, A., Hanini, F., Bouachiba, Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.12.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Crystallization; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Diffraction patterns; Electrical properties; Excimer lasers; Excimers; Glass substrates; Grain size; Krypton fluoride lasers; Mathematical analysis; Morphology; Optical properties; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Piezoelectricity; Preferred orientation; Pulsed laser deposition; Pulsed lasers; Refractivity; Silicon substrates; Surface; Thickness measurement; Thin Films; Waveguides; Wurtzite; X-ray diffraction; Zinc oxide; Zinc oxides
• ISSN: 1063-7745; 1562-689X
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063774522070069

In this work, the effects of glass and Si polycrystalline substrates on structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of zinc oxide thin films (ZnO) deposited at 450°C by pulsed laser deposition technique (PLD) have been investigated. KrF excimer laser (248 nm, 25 ns, 5 Hz, 2 J/cm 2 ) was used as a source. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that ZnO thin films have been crystallized in hexagonal wurtzite-type structure with a preferred (002) orientation. Highly c-axis preferred orientation, which is critical for piezoelectric applications. The grain sizes calculated from X ray diffraction (XRD) patterns varies from 37 to 22 nm. All the films have a good surface morphology. Optical waveguiding properties of the films were characterized by using prism-coupling method. The distinct M-lines of the guided transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) modes of the ZnO films waveguide have been observed. In the aim to study the optical properties of the ZnO films, an accurate refractive index and thickness measurement apparatus was set up, which is called M-lines device. An evaluation of experimental uncertainty and calculation of the precision of the refractive index and thickness were developed on the ZnO films. The optical transmittance spectra showed good transparency in the visible region. Optical band gap calculated equal to 3.22 eV.