Structure and Physical Properties of Undoped ZnO and Vanadium Doped ZnO Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Undoped ZnO films were deposited using pulsed laser deposition technique on Si and glass substrates in different O₂ partial pressures (ranging from 10⁻⁵ mbar to 3 mbar) and substrate temperatures. When the substrate temperature is 500 °C and O₂ partial pressure (pp) ∼ 3 mbar, randomly oriented ZnO hexagons were observed on glass substrate, whereas, dense ZnO hexagonal rod like structures (diameter ranging from 200–500 nm) were observed on Si substrate. The photoluminescence (PL) characterization of ZnO film grown on Si exhibited an intense defect free narrow excitonic emission in the UV region (Full width half maximum (FWHM) ∼ 11.26 nm) as compared to broad emission (FWHM ∼ 57.06 nm) from that grown on glass. The parent film emission was found to shift from UV to blue region on doping ZnO with Vanadium.