Effects of different annealing atmospheres on the surface and microstructural properties of ZnO thin films grown on p-Si (1Â 0Â 0) substrates

► Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the surfaces of the ZnO thin films annealed in a nitrogen atmosphere became very rough in contrast to those annealed in an oxygen atmosphere. ► High-resolution TEM images showed that many stacking faults and tilted grains could be observed in the ZnO thin films annealed in a nitrogen atmosphere in contrast to those annealed in an oxygen atmosphere.