Preparation and characteristics of ZnS thin films by intense pulsed ion beam

A new deposition system has been developed for the preparation of ZnS thin films by an intense pulsed ion beam (1 MeV, 80 ns). The maximum beam‐power density of ∼5 GW/cm2 is concentrated on ZnS, so that a high‐temperature plasma is easily produced. The plasma composed of Zn and S expands to be deposited onto a substrate kept at room temperature. Clear evidence has been obtained on the production of polycrystalline ZnS thin films with hexagonal structure. The deposition rate is estimated to be ∼108 A/s, which is several orders of magnitude higher than with any other method.