Effect of annealing on pulsed laser deposited zirconium oxide thin films

Zirconium oxide thin films were deposited using pulsed laser ablation from a ceramic ZrO₂ target on unheated substrates. Subsequently, the films were annealed in air in the temperature range 400-800 °C. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical spectroscopy to investigate the variation of the structural, chemical, and optical properties upon annealing. As-deposited films were amorphous and had a large surface density of ablated particles. Annealing resulted in the growth of monoclinic nano-crystalline, uniform, and transparent films that were slightly sub-stoichiometric. The annealed films were compact and had high values of the refractive index. Extinction coefficients were small, and may be related to the presence of defects. The films exhibited the presence of an indirect band gap, related to defects, and a direct band gap, related to fundamental absorption.