Morphology control of chemically deposited nanostructured PbS thin films

PbS thin films were grown on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD) using lead nitrate, thiourea and sodium hydroxide in aqueous solutions during different deposition times (30-150 min.). The microstructure and morphology of the films were investigated using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results indicate that deposition time is an important parameter in determining the dominant mechanism of deposition and consequently the characteristics of the film. The active deposition mechanism changes from cluster to ion-by-ion mechanism during the deposition reaction. Therefore, film properties such as shape, size, roughness and preferred orientation change completely.