Effect of substrate-tilting angle-dependent grain growth and columnar growth in ZnO film deposited using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method

The present work reports the result of substrate-tilt angle-dependent deposition of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) films using Radio Frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. The substrate angle and deposition rate played an important role in the formation of columnar growth direction and grain growth. The ZnO film surface roughness, morphology, crystallinity, and optical properties were studied using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD), and Ultraviolet–Visible Spectroscopy (Uv–Vis), respectively. The present study reveals that the glancing angle deposition is of paramount importance, which leads to the different growth orientations on ZnO film. This knowledge can apply to ZnO film fabrication to improve the film quality.