Effect of thermal annealing on the structure of ZnSe/Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ nanocomposite films

The ZnSe/Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ nanocomposite films synthesized by laser evaporation followed by heat treatment are studied. X-ray diffraction and electron-microscopic investigations of the as-deposited films demonstrate the presence of ZnSe crystallites in an Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ amorphous matrix. Annealing changes the structures of ZnSe and Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$, increases the ZnSe crystallite size, and causes the appearance of the ZnSeO$_{4}$ phase. The presence of aluminum oxide layers decreases the phase transformation temperature of zinc selenide.