Control of morphology and orientation of ZnO thin films grown on SiO2/Si substrates

ZnO is a wide bandgap semiconductor possessing unique electrical, mechanical, and optical properties. Piezoelectric ZnO film has a high electro-mechanical coupling coefficient, which makes it a promising material for high frequency and low loss surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices in RF/microwave applications. High quality piezoelectric ZnO films grown on Si substrates also pave the way for integration of SAW devices with Si IC technology. In this work ZnO films are grown on SiO2/Si substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The growth process is optimized to obtain highly oriented ZnO films with a smooth surface morphology. The structural properties of the films are investigated using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and scanning probe microscopy. To obtain ZnO films with both good crystallinity and smooth surfaces, we have developed a two-step growth technique. A high temperature (450-500 degreesC) buffer layer is initially deposited, which provides a highly crystalline template for the subsequent growth of a low temperature (300-330 degreesC) layer. High quality ZnO thin films have been achieved, which are needed for fabrication of low-loss SAW devices. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.