Structural and Optical Properties of ZnS:Mn Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Abstract

ABSTRACTHigh-quality manganese-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Mn) thin films have been deposited on various substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Effects of back-filled Ar pressure and substrate temperature on the structural as well as optical properties of ZnS:Mn films were studied. Structural properties of these films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Photoluminescence (PL) and optical transmittance were used to characterize the optical properties of these films. Our results reveal that ZnS:Mn films were polycrystalline with a mixed phase structure consisting of both wurtzite and zinc-blende structure. The ratio of these two structures was strongly depended on the change of substrate temperature. Low substrate temperature facilitated the formation of zinc-blende structure while the wurtzite phase became dominant at high substrate temperature. ZnS:Mn films with preferred wurtzite structure were obtained at a substrate temperature as low as 450°C. An orange-yellow emission band was observed at ∼590 nm. As the substrate temperature increased, the peak of this PL band shifted to a shorter wavelength. Furthermore, shifts in the absorption edge and the energy gap due to the change in substrate temperature were also observed. The variation in these optical properties will be correlated to their structural change.