Defects in semipolar ZnO grown on (112) LaAlO3/(La,Sr)(Al,Ta)O3 substrate by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract

The microstructure of semipolar ZnO deposited on (112) LaAlO3/(La,Sr)(Al,Ta)O3 was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The ZnO shows an in-plane epitaxial relationship of with oxygen-face sense polarity. The misfit strain along and is relieved through the formation of misfit dislocations with the Burgers vectors and , respectively. The line defects in the semipolar ZnO are predominantly perfect dislocations, and the dislocation density decreases with increasing ZnO thickness as a result of dislocation reactions. Planar defects were observed to lie in the M-plane and extend along 〈0001〉, whereas basal stacking faults were rarely found.