Fractal surface characterization of chalcogenide electrodeposits

Electrodeposited iron sulphide and zinc telluride thin films on tin conductive oxide substrates were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). CV analysis has allowed the determination of the potential region where selective deposition of Fe1−x S (x = 0.17) and ZnTe semiconductors occurs. The split island method has been applied to AFM images for the characterization of the fractal properties of Fe1−xS and ZnTe electrodeposits. Values of the fractal dimension of surfaces (2.3–2.5) account for a diffusion controlled growth model for all the samples investigated. The influence of preparative variables in determining the observed results has been discussed.