Effect of Prolonged Annealing on the Morphology and Optical Properties of ZnO Films Produced via Magnetron Sputtering

The authors describe the effect the duration of annealing has on the structural and optical properties of ZnO films formed from Zn films obtained via magnetron sputtering with subsequent oxidation in air. Thermal oxidation in air is performed for 7 and 24 h in a programmable muffle furnace at T = 750°C. A change in the structure of the film’s surface is found that depends on the period of annealing of the Zn film and the substrate material. The change is apparent in the optical properties of the films.