Growth and structural analysis of metalorganic chemical vapor deposited (11(2)over-bar0) MgxZn1-xO (0 < x < 0.33) films on (01(1)over-bar2) R-plane Al2O3 substrates

MgxZn1-xO (00.33) thin films were grown on R-plane (01 (1) over bar2) sapphire substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. It was found that a thin ZnO buffer layer with a minimum thickness of similar to50 Angstrom is needed to achieve wurtzite-type MgxZn1-xO films on R-plane sapphire. The x-ray Deltaomega(11 (2) over bar0) rocking curve and Delta2theta(11 (2) over bar0) full width at half maximum for Mg0.18Zn0.82O film were measured to be 0.275degrees and 0.18degrees, respectively, indicating strong mosaicity and strain in the films. In-plane reflections show the lower lattice mismatch along the c axis of the MgxZn1-xO films on R-plane sapphire. Optical transmission spectra indicate the good quality of the films. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.