Orientation changes in the crystal films of ZnO on AlN/a-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> templates as a result of the thermal influence
Consideration is given to a method of forming binary AlN and ZnO films with non-polar and semi-polar orientations on sapphire by thermochemical and thermal method. Their characterization is performed by diffraction and microscopic methods. It is shown that the annealing of sapphire substrates with terrace-step nanostructure surface in a reducing atmosphere at a high temperature of 1.650 °C allows to receive a continuous non-polar AlN single crystal film with a hexagonal wurtzite type structure. Also presented are the results of after-growth annealing (1200 ° C) of a polycrystalline ZnO film thickness of about 1 micron deposited onto the surface of the template (11 0) AlN/a-Al2O3. The analysis of the X-ray diffraction pole figures shows the formation of the semi-polar textured ZnO films as a result of after-growth annealing. This method of forming the non-polar and semi-polar AlN and ZnO films can be widely used in piezoelectronics and optoelectronics.