Optical properties of ZnO thin films grown on glass substrates using catalytically generated high-temperature H2O

The optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) films grown by chemical vapor deposition using high-temperature H2O generated by H2–O2 reactions on Pt nanoparticles were measured. High-energy ZnO precursors formed by the reaction between dimethylzinc gas molecules and H2O molecules were supplied to the substrate surface. ZnO films were grown on glass substrates at substrate temperatures in the range 573–873 K. X-ray diffraction patterns from films grown at temperatures above 673 K exhibited intense (0002) peaks. Most films had visible and infrared transparencies of higher than 90%. Photoluminescence spectra obtained at 17.8 K exhibited strong emission peaks between 3.355 and 3.3604 eV, which were attributed to the neutral donor-bound exciton Dox. The lowest full width at half maximum of Dox emission was 6.3 meV.