Microstructural characterization of textured ZnS thin films

During thin film growth texture formation is controlled by several kinetic parameters that determine the grain structural evolution. For highly textured thin films, i.e. only one strong peak can be obtained from X-ray diffraction pattern, it is impossible to separate the effect of grain size and residual strains based on peak broadening. We propose an original method for evaluating residual strains, eliminating their contribution in peak breadth and determining the domain size. A two-axes diffractometer with a Ge monochromator and a K_α1,2 doublet was used for this study. The measurements of 2θ scans were carried out in the grazing geometry for the incident beam. ZnS thin films as-deposited and annealed were studied. Structural analysis was carried out using a one-axis diffractometer for a θ-2θ scan in the standard symmetric geometry. Surface morphology was explored by atomic force microscopy. The specification of the proposed method and its application in microstructural characterization are introduced.