Effects of ambient pressure in pulsed laser deposition – morphology and composition study of epitaxial ZnSe film

A series of ZnSe films grown on 001.GaAs substrates under low ambient pressures -30 mTorr.has been investigated. The damage was easily observed when the film was grown at low gas pressures. ZnSe films are formed by three-dimensional growth. Island size varies with ambient pressure. Energy dispersive spectroscopy measurements on the films show a variation in the weight concentration ratios of Zn to Se due to scattering effects from the two species and their different evaporation pressures. A Se deficiency is observed when ambient growth pressures are -0.5 mTorr. These phenomena result from the interaction between the plume and the ambient gas, and are related to the motion of the plume in the PLD film growth. q1998 Elsevier Science B.V.