Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of ZnO Thin Films Grown at Various Plume-Substrate Angles by Pulsed Laser Deposition

ZnO thin films were grown at different plume-substrate (P-S) angles of 90$^{\circ}$ (on-axis PLD), 45$^{\circ}$ and 0$^{\circ}$ (off-axis PLD) using pulsed laser deposition. The x-ray diffraction pattern exhibiting a dominant (002) and a minor (101) peak of ZnO indicates all films were strongly c-axis oriented. By observing of (002) peak, the FWHMs of ZnO (002) peaks decreased and c-axis lattice constant approached the value of bulk ZnO as P-S angle decreased. Whereas the carrier concentration of ZnO thin film deposited at P-S angle of 90$^{\circ}$ was ~ 10$^{19}$ /cm$^{3}$, the Hall measurement of ZnO thin films deposited at P-S angles of 0$^{\circ}$ and 45$^{\circ}$ was impossible due to the decrease of the carrier concentration by the improvement of stoichiometry and crystalline quality. By decreasing P-S angle, the grain size of the films and the UV intensity investigated by photoluminescence (PL) increased and UV peak position showed red shift. The improvement of properties in ZnO thin films deposited by off-axis technique was due to the decrease of repulsive force between a substrate and the particle in plume and the relaxation of supersaturation.