Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of Zinc Oxide Layers Produced by Pulsed Laser Deposition Method

Nanoscale Res Lett. 2017 Dec;12(1):253. doi: 10.1186/s11671-017-2033-9. Epub 2017 Apr 4.

Abstract

The structural, optical, and electrical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) layers manufactured at different process conditions were investigated. ZnO epitaxial layers were grown on silicon, glass, and ITO/glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The influence of power beam, substrate temperature, and deposition time on films properties was analysed. Morphological features of the film surface were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. A structural study shown planar orientation of films at low temperatures of substrate, but the columnar type of growth originated in temperature enhances. Electrical properties were determined in the temperature range 300-500 K. It was shown that the type of films conductivity is metallic and it is limited by charge transfer across grain boundaries.

Keywords: Conductive thin films; Photoconduction of ZnO; Pulse laser deposition; Thin film; Zinc oxide.