Optical properties of nanocrystalline ZnS films prepared by high pressure magnetron sputtering

Nanocryatalline ZnS films with different thickness (10-40 nm) were deposite d onto quartz and NaCl substrates by magnetron sputtering of a ZnS target i n argon plasma. All the films showed a zinc blende structure and the photol uminescence peak positions depended on the surface to volume ratio of the f ilms. The optical absorption in these films could be explained by the combi ned effects of phonon and inhomogeneity broadening along with optical loss due to light scattering at the nanocrystallites. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.