Morphological and structural characterization of Pb:ZnS nanostructure films deposited by simple thermal evaporation

Abstract

ZnS nanostructure films were deposited by a thermal evaporation method. Two films were prepared; the first was zinc sulfide (undoped ZnS) and the second was Pb-doped zinc sulfide (Pb:ZnS). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) techniques were employed to investigate the element contents of the two films; they were found to be stoichiometric. Surface and growth evolution of films were explored by SEM images and found to have morphological development from spherical forms into nanostructure lookalike Taraxacum erythrospermum (Dandelion) with increasing the Pb from 0 wt.% to 12 wt.%. A structural study was performed using XRD patterns. The films have ZnS hexagonal structure (002) preferential orientation with various Pb percentages. In the doped sample, ZnS nanostructure and pores and nanowires (NWs) were formed with a mean diameter less than 50 nm; the undoped film had dense structure and was thin. This study illustrated the influence of Pb doped on the morphological modification of ZnS films.