Growth and characterization of PbTe films by magnetron sputtering

Thin films of PbTe were sputter deposited on Si (1 1 1) wafers and glass substrates. A constant power for different times and various power levels for a constant time were applied on PbTe target. Heated and unheated substrates were used. The substrate heating to a temperature of ∼673 K was performed in situ during sputtering. Structural analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM) were performed. The composition of the PbTe film was evaluated by Auger depth profile. At an appropriate combination of power and deposition time only (2 0 0) and its higher order peaks were observed in the PbTe film. PbTe films with different thicknesses in the range of 80–300 nm were deposited on the wafers. XRD data indicate that the (2 0 0) texture is influenced by the film thickness.