Effects of deposition temperature on the structural and morphological properties of thin ZnO films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

• Published in: Optics and laser technology Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 247 - 251
• Main Authors: Khandelwal, Rakhi, Singh, Amit Pratap, Kapoor, Avinashi, Grigorescu, Sorin, Miglietta, Paola, Stankova, Nadya Evgenieva, Perrone, Alessio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Laser-assisted deposition; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Physics; Pulsed laser deposition; Si substrate; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; ZnO thin films; ZnO thin films; 68.55.−a; Pulsed laser deposition; Si substrate; 81.15.−z; 81.16.Mk; Grain size; Refractive index measurement; Atomic force microscopy; Scanning electron microscopy; Roughness; 68.55.-a; 81.15.-z; 81.16.Mk; Binary compounds; Zinc Oxides; XRD; Experimental study; Ellipsometry; ZnO thin films; Si substrate; Pulsed laser deposition; Thin films; II-VI semiconductors; Temperature effects; Optical properties
• ISSN: 0030-3992; 1879-2545
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2007.04.011

ZnO thin films were grown on Si(1 0 0) substrates using pulsed laser deposition in O 2 gas ambient (10 Pa) and at different substrate temperatures (25, 150, 300 and 400 °C). The influence of the substrate temperature on the structural and morphological properties of the films was investigated using XRD, AFM and SEM. At substrate temperature of T=150 °C, a good quality ZnO film was fabricated that exhibits an average grain size of 15.1 nm with an average RMS roughness of 3.4 nm. The refractive index and the thickness of the thin films determined by the ellipsometry data are also presented and discussed.