Rapid thermal annealing properties of ZnO films grown using methanol as oxidant

ZnO thin films were grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition using methanol as oxidant. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was performed in an ambient of one atmosphere oxygen at 900 degrees C for 60 s. The RTA properties of the films have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectra and Hall measurement. The grains of the film were well coalesced and the surface became denser after RTA. The full-width at half maximum of rocking curves was only 496 arcsec. The ZnO films were also proved to have good optical quality. The Hall mobility increased to 43.2 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) while the electron concentration decreased to 6.6 x 10(16) cm(-3). It is found that methanol is a potential oxidant for ZnO growth and the quality of ZnO film can be improved substantially through RTA.