Phase Evolution of Cubic ZnS Annealed in Mild Oxidizing Atmosphere

ZnS thin films are prepared by thermal evaporation of high-purity ZnS powder on quartz glass substrates. The samples were annealed in floating argon at temperatures from 300°C to 900°C. The effects of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical absorption. The results show that annealing below 500°C is beneficial to improve the quality of ZnS films. When the annealing temperature exceeds 500°C, ZnS is gradually oxidized into ZnSO₄, which has evident influences on the structural and optical properties of ZnS films.