Epitaxial growth of ZnO film on Si(111) with CeO2(111) as buffer layer

ZnO(0 0 2) epitaxial films have been successfully grown on Si(1 1 1) with CeO2 as a buffer layer by pulsed laser deposition. In spite of large lattice mismatch between ZnO and CeO2, good film quality was achieved, as proven by Fourier filtered high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) image, due to reduction in interface strain by domain matching epitaxy. The epitaxial relationship of ZnO and CeO2 on the Si substrate was determined to be (0 0 2)[2 1 0](ZnO)parallel to(1 1 1)[1 1 2]CeO2 parallel to(1 1 1)[1 1 2](Si). The HRTEM images show low defect concentrations in both the deposited ZnO film and CeO2 layer. Ordered crack lines are observed on the surface of the ZnO film which are due to A-type and B-type stackings of CeO2 on Si(1 1 1). Sharp near-band edge emission at 3.253 eV was detected for the ZnO film through photoluminiscence measurement at room temperature.