Effect of substrate temperature on microstructural and optical properties of ZnO films grown by pulsed laser deposition

ZnO thin films were deposited on n-Si (111) at various substrate temperatures by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the structure, morphology, and optical property of the ZnO thin films. An optimal crystallized ZnO thin film was obtained at the substrate temperature of 600°C. A blue shift was found in PL spectra due to size confinement effect as the grain sizes decreased. The surfaces of the ZnO thin films were more planar and compact as the substrate temperature increased.