ZnO nanosheet network formation by ZnTe oxidation in humid argon atmosphere annealing

The process of ZnTe film oxidation by humid argon annealing at different temperatures was analyzed. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction results indicate that the annealing mainly induces ZnO formation. However, the presence of a small amount of TeO ₂ was suggested by the simulation of Rutherford backscattering spectra. These spectra provided also information about the thickness and morphology of the annealed samples. It was concluded that the oxidation process is simultaneous with ZnTe sublimation; this leads to the degradation of the film surface and induces a net loss of material. The surface of the ZnO converted samples resulted in a network of nanosheets.