Effect of oxygen partial pressure on the behavior of dual ion beam sputtered ZnO thin films

Undoped ZnO thin films were grown on p-type Si (1 0 0) substrates at different oxygen partial pressure by dual ion beam sputtering deposition system at a constant growth temperature of 400 °C. The crystallinity, surface morphology, optical, elemental and electrical properties of these ZnO thin films was studied. The minimum value of full-width at half-maximum of the θ-rocking curve obtained from x-ray diffraction of the ZnO (0 0 2) plane, was reported to be 0.1865°from ZnO film grown at 50% of (O ₂/(O₂ + Ar))%. Crystalline property of ZnO films was observed to degrade with the increase in oxygen partial pressure. Photoluminescence measurements demonstrated sharp near-band-edge emission at ∼381 nm at room temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study revealed presence of oxygen interstitials and vacancies as point defects in ZnO films. Electrical resistivity of ZnO was found to increase with the increase in oxygen partial pressure.