THE INFLUENCE OF INDIUM SEEDS ON THE DEPOSITION OF ZN3P2 THIN-FILMS BY COEVAPORATION

Zn3P2 thin films have been obtained by co-evaporation of the elements on glass substrates pre-sensitized with an invisible deposit of indium. The influence of the equivalent thickness of the indium seeds on the film's growth rate has been investigated for different substrate temperatures. For each substrate temperature a critical thickness of indium seeds is observed below which the deposition of the compound is not achieved. A trend to saturation in the growth rate is observed for thicknesses much greater than the critical thickness. The films have an average grain size in the range 0.1-0.6 μm which increases with thickness, and a preferential orientation in the (220,004) direction. © 1990.