ZnO thin films grown at different plasma energies by the laser ablation of metallic Zn with a 532 nm wavelength

Abstract

In this work, structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films grown by laser ablation of a Zn metallic target on oxygen atmosphere using the 532 nm emission of the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser, are studied. Different mean kinetic energies of the plasma (Ek) at fixed ion density (Np) were used as control parameters. X-ray diffraction profiles show the presence of a width (002) peak together with a peak associated with the (101) reflection. Changes in Ek affect the crystallinity of the samples. An intense PL emission in the visible range of the spectra associated with a majority intrinsic donor defects can be observed. The films showed an unusual low electrical resistivity as compared to the commonly reported values for undoped ZnO thin films.