Growth of Al-doped ZnO films with tilted nano-columns on r-cut sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition

► 2 wt.% Al doped ZnO (AZO) thin film grown on r-cut sapphire under 33.3 Pa of O2 ► Tiled boundary along [1¯102¯]AZO observed as a result of internal lattice strain ► Tilted nano-column processed after sequential deposition under vacuum and 33.3 Pa of O2 ► Significantly reduced electrical resistivity observed for the films on r-cut sapphire