Evaluation of zinc self-diffusion at the interface between homoepitaxial ZnO thin films and (0001) ZnO substrates

Isotopic ZnO thin films were deposited on the c-plane of ZnO single crystals by pulsed laser deposition. The isotopic abundance of Zn in the films was determined with a secondary ion mass spectrometry before and after the films was diffusion annealed. The diffusion profiles across the film/substrate interface behaved smooth features. The zinc diffusion coefficient (DZn) was obtained by analyzing the slope of the profile in the annealed sample. The temperature dependence of DZn was determined to be DZn(cm2/s)=8.0×104exp(−417[kJ/mol])/RT, where R and T are gas constant and temperature. The zinc ion diffusion coefficients were of the same order as that in a ZnO single crystal. A comparison of the experimental and theoretical values indicated that the zinc ions diffused in the thin film and the single crystal through a vacancy mechanism.

► Isotopic ZnO thin films were deposited on the c-plane of ZnO single crystals by pulsed laser deposition.
► Zinc diffusion profiles across the film/substrate interface behaved smooth features.
► The diffusion coefficients of Zn in thin film were in good agreement with those in single-crystal.
► The zinc ions diffused across the interface between the thin film and the single crystal via a vacancy mechanism.