Control of optical and electrical properties of ZnO nanocrystals by nanosecond-laser annealing

Effects of laser annealing on electrical and optical properties of Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals, which are expected as building blocks for optoelectronic devices, have been investigated in this study. In the case of fabricating p-n junction in single one-dimensional ZnO nanocrystal, phosphorus-ions implanted p-type ZnO nanocrystals were recrystallized and recovered in the optical properties by nanosecond-laser annealing using a KrF excimer laser. Antimony-doped p-type ZnO nanocrystals were synthesized by irradiating laminated structure which antimony thin film were deposited on ZnO nanocrystals with the laser beam. Additionally, it is possible to control the growth rate of ZnO nanowires by using laser annealing. Irradiating with pulsed laser a part of ZnO buffer layer deposited on the a-cut sapphire substrate, then ZnO nanowires were grown on the ZnO buffer layer by the nanoparticle assisted pulsed laser deposition method. As a result, the clear boundary of the laser annealed and non-laser annealed area was appeared. It was observed that ZnO nanowires were grown densely at non-laser annealed area, on the other hand, sparse ones were grown at the laser-annealed region. In this report, the possibility of laser annealing techniques to establish the stable and reliable fabrication process of ZnO nanowires-based LD and LED are discussed on the basis of experimental results.