Growth of ZnO thin films by ultraviolet pulsed-laser ablation: Study of plume dynamics

• DOI: 10.1063/1.2149498
• Publication Date: 2005-12-21T15:49:00Z
• Authors: A. Klini; A. Manousaki; D. Anglos; C. Fotakis
• Keywords: Nanosecond; Laser Ablation; Pulsed Laser Deposition

A comparative study is presented on the growth of ZnO thin films by ultraviolet pulsed-laser deposition using nanosecond and femtosecond pulses at 248nm. Different experimental parameters were examined including substrate temperature, oxygen ambient pressure, laser energy density target. At optimum conditions grown exhibited high optical transmittance a preferential orientation along c axis, both with irradiations. However, those produced ultrashort are composed smaller dimension crystallites, higher angular distribution roughness, suggesting different film mechanism. This was investigated studying plume dynamics ejected material accompanying ablation targets means spatially time-resolved emission spectroscopy in order to obtain information nature species their propagation velocities. Employing irradiation conditions, typically used experiments, lines assigned electronically excited neutral zinc atoms (Zn*) observed case pulses, while latter additionally gave rise attributable ions (Zn+*). The mean velocities measured suggest presence highly energetic Zn cations ablation, which likely be responsible for defect formation films, disturbing smooth crystallites that takes place under irradiation, giving mosaicity roughness.