Structural and topographical studies of SILAR-grown highly oriented PbS thin films

Lead sulfide thin films were grown on soda lime glass by the successive ion ic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) , atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) wer e applied to study the structural and topographical development of the PbS thin films. Utilization of triethanolamine complexed lead acetate and thioa cetamide as precursors resulted in polycrystalline cubic highly (100) orien ted PbS thin films. According to XRD, the (100) orientation was detected in very early stages of the growth. The increase in X-ray peak intensity as w ell as the increase in surface roughness was rapid up to a nominal thicknes s of 75 nm. As the PbS thin film grew thicker the evolution of crystallinit y and rms-roughness was much less pronounced. The result was a rough PbS th in film consisting of separate particles. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al l rights reserved.