Substrate dependent hierarchical structures of RF sputtered ZnS films

• Published in: Applied surface science 2018-05, Vol.440, p.1181-1195
• Main Authors: Chalana, S.R., Mahadevan Pillai, V.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Enhanced nucleation; Hierarchical structures; Metal pre-coated quartz substrates; Re-emission effect; Shadowing effect; Substrate surface profile
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.01.286

[Display omitted] •Effect of substrates on the structural, morphological and optical properties of RF sputtered ZnS films were studied.•Structural studies show the suitability of quartz substrate for growing highly crystalline ZnS films.•Hierarchical structures of ZnS were fabricated on metal pre-coated quartz substrates.•A mechanism for the growth of hierarchical structures over metal pre-coated quartz substrate is presented. RF magnetron sputtering technique was employed to fabricate ZnS nanostructures with special emphasis given to study the effect of substrates (quartz, glass and quartz substrate pre-coated with Au, Ag, Cu and Pt) on the structure, surface evolution and optical properties. Type of substrate has a significant influence on the crystalline phase, film morphology, thickness and surface roughness. The present study elucidates the suitability of quartz substrate for the deposition of stable and highly crystalline ZnS films. We found that the role of metal layer on quartz substrate is substantial in the preparation of hierarchical ZnS structures and these structures are of great importance due to its high specific area and potential applications in various fields. A mechanism for morphological evolution of ZnS structures is also presented based on the roughness of substrates and primary nonlocal effects in sputtering. Furthermore, the findings suggest that a controlled growth of hierarchical ZnS structures may be achieved with an ordinary RF sputtering technique by changing the substrate type.