ALE growth of ZnS1−xSex thin films by substituting surface sulfur with elemental selenium

Polycrystalline ZnS1−xSex thin films were grown from ZnCl2, H2S and Se on soda lime substrates using the atomic layer epitaxy technique. The selenium was incorporated into the films by substituting sulfur atoms on the surface of the growing film with elemental selenium. ZnCl2 and H2S pulses were used in every cycle and selenium, which was used only in a certain fraction of the cycles, was always pulsed after H2S. Growth temperatures were 400 and 500°C. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements indicated that x in ZnS1−xSex can be varied between 0 and 0.8. Interplanar spacings evaluated from XRD data varied linearly as a function of x, thereby verifying the existence of the ZnS1−xSex solid solution.