Oxygen incorporation in ZnTe thin films grown by plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition

•The ZnTe:NO thin films were grown on the Al2O3 substrate by using the PA-PLD.•The ZnTe:NO with N2:O2 (10:3) showed p-type semiconducting characteristics.•The ZnTe:O layer was enhanced optical transparency in the visible spectral region.•It can be used for optoelectronic devices or intermediate/defect band solar cells.

We studied oxygen incorporation into ZnTe thin films with nitrogen and oxygen plasma during a plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition (PA-PLD). It was shown that ZnTe:O layer formed with oxygen plasma exhibits an enhancement of optical transparency in visible spectral region due to the formation of amorphous TeOx. Especially, the ZnTe:NO deposited by PA-PLD under nitrogen and oxygen partial pressures with N2:O2 of 10:3 sccm showed p-type semiconducting characteristics and the formation of intermediate band at about 0.5–0.8 eV below the ZnTe band edge. These results for oxygen incorporation in ZnTe thin film such as the enhancement of optical transparency in visible spectral region and the intermediate band formation will be useful for optoelectronic devices or intermediate band solar cells.