Search

We report on epitaxial growth of ZnO films on Si(111) substrates using an epitaxial GaN buffer layer. A rf magnetron sputtering process has been developed and utilized in growing epitaxial GaN buffers on Si, and then ZnO films on the GaN-buffered Si substrates. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that both the ZnO and GaN films are of a monocrystalline wurtzite structure with an epitaxial relationship of ZnO[0001]//GaN[0001]//Si[111] along the growth direction and ZnO[112_01]//GaN[112_0]//Si[11_0] along the in-plane direction. The successful growth of epitaxial ZnO/GaN films on Si demonstrates the feasibility and promise of integrating various functional devices on the same substrate.

Silver nanoslit arrays were anneal treated in vacuum, and the effects on the surface morphology of silver and the surface plasmon resonance characteristics were investigated. Optical transmission through nanoslit arrays shows a distinctive change in the spectral profiles after annealing: A clear blueshift of the transmission peaks and dips (20nm shift for an anneal temperature of 150°C). Scanning electron microscopy reveals a morphological change of silver: Increased grain sizes, and smooth and round surface profiles after the anneal treatment. The observed blueshift of transmission spectra correlates well with the geometrical and dimensional changes of silver islands defined between slits, which are found to alter the surface plasmon resonance conditions involving various mechanisms in different regimes.