Pulsed-laser deposited ZnO for device applications

The study investigates the growth by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) of ZnO thin films for the eventual incorporation into piezo-electric actuators and other sensors being developed at the University of Twente. All films are purely c-axis oriented, and results are presented which suggest the production of some of the highest quality ZnO thin films yet reported. These include films with rocking curve full-width half-maxima (FWHM) down to 1.2° and (002) 2θ peak FWHM (corrected) of 0.085°. Principally, X-ray diffraction analysis is detailed, and the shift in (002) peak position with changing deposition conditions is explored.