| Abstract | Thin films of lanthanum monosulfide (LaS) have been successfully deposited on Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The values of deposition parameters (chamber pressure, substrate temperature, substrate-to-target separation, laser energy, repetition rate, and spot size on the target) leading to a successful growth of films in their cubic rocksalt structure are identified. The films are golden yellow in appearance with a mirror-like surface morphology and possess a sheet resistance around 0.1Ω∕square. X-ray diffraction analysis of thick films (several microns) leads to a lattice constant of 5.863(7)Å, which is close to the bulk LaS value. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals the films to be comprised of nanocrystalline regions separated by amorphous ones. The root-mean-square variation of film surface roughness measured over a 1μm×1μm area is found to be 1.74nm by atomic force microscopy. These films have potential for semiconductor, vacuum microelectronics, and optoelectronics applications. |
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