X-ray studies on optical and structural properties of ZnO nanostructured thin films

X-ray absorption near-edge fine Structure (XANES) studies have been carried out oil nanostructured ZnO thin films prepared by atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD). Films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical luminescence spectroscopy exciting with laser light (PL) or X-ray (XEOL). According to XRD measurements, all the APCVD samples reveal a highly (002) oriented crystalline structure. The samples have different thickness (less than 1 mu m) and show significant shifts of the PL and XEOL bands in the visible region. Zn K-edge XANES spectra were recorded using synchrotron radiation at BM08 of ESRF (France), by detecting photoluminescence yield (PLY) and X-ray fluorescence yield (FLY). The differences between the PLY- and FLY-XANES confirm the possibility of studying the local environment in the luminescence centres and to correlate the Structural and optical properties of ZnO nanostructured samples. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.