Zinc oxide films were prepared using oblique angle deposition of Zn at four deposition angles of 0°, 30°, 45°, and 60°and subsequent annealing with the flow of oxygen. Structural characteristics of the films were obtained using atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy while their crystallography was investigated by x-ray diffraction analysis. The largest value of void fraction and the highest preferred orientation were obtained for the ZnO(101) diffraction line for the Zn film deposited at 45°. The former is explained in the published literature on the basis of rearrangement of atoms resulting from the diffusion or thermal vibration and the available crystallographic sites and surface energy on the substrate/growing film surface for relaxation of an adatom. Zn film anisotropy due to the bundling effect resulting from oblique angle deposition was examined by sheet resistivity measurements along x and y directions of the samples. Optical spectra of the samples were measured using both polarized light and unpolarized light from which optical constants were deduced. Both direct and indirect band gap energies were obtained and compared with the reported theoretical calculations. Our results are consistent with the experimental data in the literature; while they are larger than the theoretical reported values.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.