eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Materials Science and Engineering 2333-4673 2017-01-03 4 2 20 25 10.12691/ajmse-4-2-1 AJMSE2016421 article K. Talla KharounaTalla@gmail.com, bdngom@gmail.com 1 2 O. Sakho 2 P. D. Tall 2 C. B. Ndao 2 E. H. O. Gueye 2 M. B. Gaye 2 J. K. Dangbegnon 2 B. D. Ngom KharounaTalla@gmail.com, bdngom@gmail.com 2 J. R. Botha 2 A. C. Beye 2 Groupe de physique du Solide et Sciences des Matériaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), B.P. 25114 Dakar-Fann Dakar (Sénégal) The influence of growth parameters on the structural, morphological and optical properties of MgxZn1-xO grown on sapphire substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition is studied. Pure oxygen gas is used as oxidant, bis-methyl-cyclopentadienyl magnesium ((MeCp)2Mg) and diethyl zinc are used as Mg and Zn source, respectively. The growth temperature between and 320°C and 620°C, the VI/II (O/Mg, Zn) ratio ranging from 60 to 960 and the growth rate from 0.5 to 3.3 ?m/h, are systematically varied to determine their effects upon the above mentioned physical properties. Structural, morphological and optical properties of the thin films are characterized by means of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Photoluminescence (PL). Experimental results indicate that the growth conditions are essential for engineering the growth of MgxZn1-xO. The optimum substrate temperature is found to be 420°C for the growth of MgxZn1-xO with a solid composition x below 30%, composition above which a phase segregation has been previously observed. With increasing temperature, strong parasitic reaction between (MeCp)2Mg and oxygen is found to occur before they rich the substrate. http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajmse/4/2/1/ajmse-4-2-1.pdf MgZnO ternary alloys MOCVD bis-methyl-cyclopentadienyl magnesium ((MeCp)2Mg) Columnar growth