On the structural changes during thermal oxidation of evaporated Zn thin films

Metallic Zn thin films (d = 200 nm–500 nm) were deposited in vacuum onto unheated glass substrate by quasi-closed volume technique at a source temperature of 723 K. Sets of samples simultaneously deposited on horizontally and vertically arranged substrates were prepared. The as-deposited Zn films were heated under ambient atmosphere at various temperatures ranged between 300 K and 650 K. By XRD and AFM techniques, the microstructural characteristics and their changes during Zn films heating were investigated. The influence of the deposition conditions on the structural changes during the oxidation process is also discussed.