Improvement in crystal quality of ZnO film on Si substrate by using a homo-buffer layer

ZnO thin films without and with a homo-buffer layer have been prepared on Si(1 1 1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) under various conditions. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement indicates that the optical quality of ZnO thin film is dramatically improved by introducing oxygen into the growth chamber. The sample deposited at 60 Pa possesses the best optical properties among the oxygen pressure range studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the films directly deposited on Si are of polycrystalline ZnO structures. A low-temperature (500 °C) deposited ZnO buffer layer was used to enhance the crystal quality of the ZnO film. Compared to the film without the buffer layer, the film with the buffer layer exhibits aligned spotty reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) pattern and stronger near-band-edge emission (NBE) with a smaller full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 98 meV. The structural properties of ZnO buffer layers grown at different temperatures were investigated by RHEED patterns. It is suggested that the present characteristics of the ZnO epilayer may be raised further by elevating the growth temperature of buffer layer to 600 °C.