Effect of electric field upon the ZnO growth on sapphire (0 0 0 1) by atomic layer epitaxy method

This paper investigates the effect of electric field upon the atomic layer-controlled growth of ZnO on the (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates. The results indicated, for the first time, that electric field could make remarkable growth difference for the ZnO films with this method. With a proper electric field, higher quality of epitaxial films has been obtained. Comprehensive analyses revealed that electric field-induced increase of the hydroxyl packing density on the substrate surface could account for the results.