The mechanism of the oxygen-tuned morphology of Al-doped ZnO films prepared by pulsed-laser ablation

Al-doped ZnO thin film has been grown on fused quartz glass at a temperature of 300 °C by pulsed-laser deposition with oxygen pressures of 7, 15, 25, 35, 45, 60 and 65 Pa, respectively. Influence of oxygen pressure on the crystallization, the surface morphology, and the thickness of thin film has been studied. The mechanism of the oxygen-tuned morphology is discussed in terms of deposited particles with dynamics and thermodynamics. It is also confirmed that there exists a critical oxygen pressure for Al-doped ZnO thin film to achieve high quality and smooth surface at a given condition.