Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 November 2013
CuInS2, CuIn3S5 and CuIn5S8 films were grown by thermal evaporation using oblique angle deposition technique. During the deposition, the substrate temperature was maintained at Ts = 150 °C and the deposition angle was fixed at α = 0° and 85°. The powders and thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). From the XRD data of powders, we calculated the lattice parameters of the structure for the different compounds. XRD patterns of thin films revealed that all samples deposited at α = 0° were polycrystalline. Indeed, CuInS2 and CuIn3S5 films had a chalcopyrite structure with preferred orientation along (1 1 2) while CuIn5S8 films exhibit a spinel structure with preferred orientation along (3 1 1). However, CuIn2n+1S3n+2 with n = 0, 1 and 2 films deposited at α = 85° were amorphous in nature. The surface and cross-section of the films were observed by AFM and SEM. The oblique angle deposition films showed an inclined columnar structure, with columns tilting in the direction of the incident flux. The surface roughness of the different films deposited, respectively, at α = 0° and 85° was determined by two methods (AFM and spectrophotometric analysis). The obtained values show an increase of the surface roughness by increasing the deposition angle α.