Characterisation of ZnS : Mn thin films by Rietveld refinement of Bragg-Brentano X-ray diffraction patterns

In this work, we investigate ZnS:Mn polycrystalline thin films deposited on to glass substrates coated by tin or bismuth buffer layers, by using X-ray diffraction in the conventional Bragg-Brentano geometry. The ZnS:Mn thin fi lms were deposited via radio frequency magnetron sputtering from a ZnS:Mn t arget (0.1% atomic Mn) and the buffer layers by thermal vacuum evaporation. A suitable algorithm were introduced in the Rietveld routine for powder di ffraction data in order to model the X-ray diffraction patterns of the mult ilayers. The experimental results reveal that the microstructure and the cr ystalline phase of the ZnS films depend decisively on the structural and mi crostructural properties of the buffer layers. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S. A. All rights reserved.