Brillouin scattering study on elastic and piezoelectric properties of laser irradiated ZnO single crystals

Brillouin light scattering technique can be successfully used to determine the whole set of elastic and piezoelectric constants of a ZnO single crystal irradiated by different laser energy densities, into a micron range (radiation layer thickness). It is found that the scattering intensity, the linewidth and the Brillouin scattering shift of acoustic phonons are all strongly dependent on laser energy density. Based on the sound propagation equations and these results, the directional dependences of the compressional and shear moduli of the irradiated ZnO sample in the (001) plane are investigated. It is found that under an appropriate laser condition, 248 nm KrF excimer laser irradiation can significantly improve the surface quality and increase the elastic properties of ZnO single crystal. This procedure has potential applications in the fabrication of ZnO-based surface acoustic wave and optic-electronic devices. (rapid communication)