Structural Properties of Nanocrystalline PbS Thin Films Prepared by Chemical Bath Deposition Method

Nanocrystalline PbS thin films were prepared using chemical bath deposition method on glass substrates, together with lead acetate as a source of lead ions (Pb2+) and thiourea as a source of sulfide ions (S2-) with different molar concentrations. The structural properties of thin films were studied using X-ray diffraction. The patterns showed a polycrystalline structure, and the preferred orientation changed along (111) and (200) planes. The grain size of the thin films varied from 27 to 41 nm. The crystallites were under strain, which varied between 0.054 and 0.3. Scanning electron microscope images showed that all the films have uniform surface morphology over the entire glass substrate and that the films were of good quality.