Characterization of ZnO thin films deposited by laser ablation in reactive atmosphere

ZnO thin films have been deposited by laser ablation of Zn targets in oxygen reactive atmosphere. A KrF laser (λ = 248 nm, τFWHM = 20 ns) and a YAG laser (λ = 1.06 μm, τFWHM = 10 ns) were used as laser sources and Corning glass, silicon wafers and sapphire plaies were used as collectors, respectively. The crystalline structure, surface morphology, optical, piezoelectric and acoustical properties of the deposited films are comparable and, in certain conditions, superiors to that obtained by other techniques.