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On X-Ray Diffraction Study of Microstructure of ZnO Thin Nanocrystalline Films with Strong Preferred Grain Orientation

  • Symposium: Neutron and X-Ray Studies of Advanced Materials V
  • Published:
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Abstract

Textures, stresses, and strains, as well as the overall so-called real structure, are crucial for properties of thin films deposited by different methods and can have both positive and negative effects depending on the film and its application. They were studied by a combination of different X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques for several ZnO films. The films prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on MgO and sapphire single-crystalline substrates and amorphous-fused silica showed different kinds of strong preferred orientation and also different stresses that could be estimated only from the analysis of quite narrow, nonzero intensity regions of diffraction spots. XRD line broadening was analyzed by a combination of different asymmetric scans. Fiber (0001) texture and tensile residual stresses were found on fused silica, while domains with local epitaxy and huge compressive stress were detected on MgO substrate, and surprisingly, very strong local epitaxy but not parallel to the (0001) sapphire substrate was observed. No residual stress was detected there. Some methodological aspects of the XRD studies of thin nanocrystalline films with strong preferred orientation are discussed.

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Notes

  1. This is even more strictly fulfilled for the parallel beam while in the parafocusing geometry instrumental aberrations result in nonzero contributions also from slightly inclined planes.

  2. In this article, 4-index notation is used for hexagonal planes, but 3-index notation for the diffraction lines is used commonly in powder diffraction.

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Acknowledgments

The work is supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic under the numbers P108/11/1539 and P108/11/0958.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, 121 16, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    R. Kužel (Associate Professor)

  2. Department of Low Temperature Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, 121 16, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    J. Čížek (Associate Professor)

  3. Department of Analysis of Functional Materials, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, 182 21, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    M. Novotný (Associated Scientist)

Authors
  1. R. Kužel
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  2. J. Čížek
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  3. M. Novotný
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Correspondence to R. Kužel.

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Manuscript submitted April 16, 2012.

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Kužel, R., Čížek, J. & Novotný, M. On X-Ray Diffraction Study of Microstructure of ZnO Thin Nanocrystalline Films with Strong Preferred Grain Orientation. Metall Mater Trans A 44, 45–57 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-012-1432-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-012-1432-x

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