Investigation of the factors influencing nanostructure array growth by PLD towards reproducible wafer-scale growth

The growth of catalyst-free ZnO nanostructure arrays on silicon (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition was investigated. Without an underlayer, randomly oriented, micron-scale structures were obtained. Introduction of a c-axis oriented ZnO underlayer resulted in denser arrays of vertically oriented nanostructures with either tapering, vertical-walled or broadening forms, depending on background Ar pressure. Nanostructure pitch seemed to be determined by underlayer grain size while nanostructure widths could be narrowed from ∼100-500 to ∼10-50 nm by a 50°C increase in growth temperature. A dimpled underlayer topography correlated with the moth-eye type arrays while a more granular surface was linked to vertically walled nanocolumns. Between-wafer reproducibility was demonstrated for both moth-eye and vertical nanocolumn arrays. Broadening nanostructures proved difficult to replicate, however. Full 2 inch wafer coverage was obtained by rastering the target with the laser beam.