Abstract

ZnO thin films were grown on confined Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) templates, with high coverage and sharp interface, by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at near room temperature (at 35 degrees C). Crystalline ZnO films, with c-axis orientation along surface normal, were formed on PMMA templates. With decreasing PMMA template thickness, from 80 nm (5R(g), R-g similar to 16 nm, the radius of gyration of PMMA) to 32 rim (2R(g)) and below (5 nm, 0.3R(g)), the photoluminescence (PL) of ALD grown ZnO films changes significantly. Pronounced deep level emission (DLE), corresponding to the oxygen vacancy related defect level (V-O(++)) of ZnO grown on 5R(g) PMMA, reduced noticeably for ZnO on 2R(g) PMMA and below. Furthermore, in the near-band-edge emission (NBE) of ZnO, the contribution of free-exciton (FX) with respect to its phonon replica (FX-2LO) increased with reduction of PMMA template thickness from 5R(g) to 2R(g) or below. The observed trend of the photoluminescence spectra indicates significant reduction of surface induced defects in the ZnO nanostructures, formed on the thinner PMMA templates (2R(g) and 0.3R(g)) and can be ascribed to the formation of smaller ZnO nanoparticles on 5R(g), PMMA, which is consistent with the results obtained from structure and surface morphology study.