Deposition and characterization of polycrystalline ZnS films prepared using a chemical bath deposition technique in an aqueous/ethanolic solution

Abstract

Polycrystalline zinc sulfide (ZnS) films were prepared on glass substrates using a chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique in an aqueous/ethanolic solution. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrical conductivity measurement. The XRD studies revealed that the deposited films have a polycrystalline structure, which correlated with SEM results. The films have the hexagonal structure of ZnS as determined by XRD. The electrical measurements of the samples are performed using a dc four-probe technique on rectangular-shaped samples. The influences of various parameters such as temperature and solvent polarity (ethanol/water volume ratio) on the properties of the films were studied in detail.