SURFACE SELF-ORDERING IN OBLIQUELY DEPOSITED As2S3 FILMS

The surface morphology of 250-3000 nm thick As2S3 films vacuum deposited within 70-80° scale of vapor incidence angles is studied by AFM. It is observed that the surface relief of obliquely deposited films (ODF) shows quasi-regular grating-like structure, with the spatial frequency of quasi-gratings being in the 500-6000 mm range, and relief depth of up to 60 nm. The influence of the film thickness and the type of the substrate on the surface morphology is demonstrated. The most probable explanation for the observed surface effect is the near-surface stress that plays significant role in the self-organized ordering of nanostructures at the mesoscopic length scales (from several nanometers to hundreds of nanometers).