Nano-structural variations of ZnO:N thin films as a function of deposition angle and annealing conditions: XRD, AFM, FESEM and EDS analyses

Highlights: • Oblique angle deposition and annealing process provided conditions for fabrication of differently shaped ZnO:N films. • ZnO:N nano-bowls with concentration of 80% are produced for the first time and reported by the method used in this work. • By varying the stoichiometry of annealing gas (N₂ and O₂) different shapes of ZnO:N are obtained. • Nano-columns, pyramids, nano-rods and nanobowls are produced. • Detailed analyses are carried out by XRD, AFM and FESEM.