Comprehensive Structural and Stress Analysis Of Zno/Sic/Porous-Si/Si Multilayer Heterostructures Synthesized via Sequential Deposition Techniques

Abstract

This research explores the fabrication and structural characteristics of ZnO/SiC/porous-Si/Si multilayer heterostructures synthesized through a controlled multi-step deposition process. The study combines electrochemical porosification of monocrystalline Si substrates, solid-phase epitaxial growth of silicon carbide films, and magnetron sputtering of ZnO layers under varied oxygen partial pressures. Two samples of ZnO films were synthesized under distinct oxygen atmospheres: 0.06 Pa and 0.1 Pa. Comparative XRD analysis reveals that films deposited at lower pressure (0.06 Pa) exhibit enhanced crystallinity, indicated by reduced peak broadening and distinct polycrystalline features. Residual stress analysis confirms compressive biaxial stress in both samples (−0.511 GPa and −0.287 GPa), indicating high crystalline quality and structural integrity of the ZnO films. These findings highlight the effectiveness of buffer layering and deposition control for optimizing ZnO film properties on complex silicon-based architectures.

Keywords: ZnO thin film, porous silicon, silicon carbide, heterostructure, residual stress, structural characterization, X-ray diffraction.