“EVOLUTION OF SURFACE MORPHOLOGY AND VARIATION OF ROUGHNESS IN THIN FILMS (BASED ON AFM ANALYSIS)”
Keywords:
ZnO thin film, S-doped ZnO, atomic force microscopy, AFM, surface morphology, surface roughness, nanostructure, granular structure, growth mechanism.Abstract
This article analyzes the surface morphology and roughness properties of pure ZnO and sulfur-doped ZnO thin films using atomic force microscopy (AFM). During the study, the samples were examined over a scanning area of 500 nm × 500 nm, and the effect of sulfur doping on the formation of the film surface was evaluated. The obtained 2D AFM images revealed significant morphological differences between the pure ZnO and S-doped ZnO thin films. The pure ZnO thin film was characterized by a relatively smooth, homogeneous, and low-roughness surface. This morphology indicates that the particles were arranged in a more ordered manner during film formation and that fewer surface irregularities were formed. In contrast, the S-doped ZnO thin film exhibited a rougher and more granular surface structure. AFM images showed an increased granular morphology, dense distribution of nanosized particles, and the formation of unevenly distributed peaks and valleys. These changes suggest that the incorporation of sulfur atoms into the ZnO structure affects the film growth mechanism, crystallization process, and surface energy distribution. The results demonstrate that sulfur doping is an effective approach for modifying the surface morphology of ZnO thin films and improving their potential functional properties for sensing, photocatalytic, and optoelectronic applications.
References
[1]. Boboev, A. Y., Yunusaliyev, N. Y., Makhmudov, K. A., Abdulkhaev, F. A., Tojiboyev, G. G., & G‘ofurjonova, M. O. (2025). Surface morphology and roughness of sulfur-doped ZnO thin films: Analysis based on atomic force microscopy. East European Journal of Physics, 3, 319–324. https://doi.org/10.26565/2312-4334-2025-3-30
[2] Lahouel, K., Boumaza, A., Djelloul, A., & Gasmi, M. (2025). Effect of sulfur-modified zinc oxide thin layers on structural, morphological, optical, and photocatalytic properties for environmental applications. Inorganic Chemistry Communications, 182, 115483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inoche.2025.115483
[3] Saoucha, S. A., Boudour, S., Bouchama, I., Ţălu, Ş., Messaoudi, M., Belgherbi, O., Lamiri, L., Bouznit, Y., Achour, D., & Patra, N. (2025). Structural, morphological, and optical characterization of ZnO, SZO, and ZnS coatings synthesized by sol-gel spin coating and annealing. Surfaces and Interfaces, 72, 107438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2025.107438
[4] Rini, A. S., Rati, Y., Umar, A. A., & Abdullah, N. A. (2020). Investigation of structural, morphological and optical properties of sulfur doped zinc oxide nanorod. International Journal of Nanoelectronics and Materials, 13(Special Issue), 21–32.
[5] Polydorou, E., Manginas, G., Chatzigiannakis, G., Georgiopoulou, Z., Verykios, A., Sakellis, E., Rizou, M. E., Psycharis, V., Palilis, L., Davazoglou, D., Soultati, A., & Vasilopoulou, M. (2025). Sulfur-doped ZnO as cathode interlayer for efficient inverted organic solar cells. Materials, 18(8), 1767. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18081767
[6] Elsayed, I. A., & Afify, A. S. (2022). Controlling the surface morphology of ZnO nano-thin film using the spin coating technique. Materials, 15(17), 6178. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15176178
[7] Kwoka, M., Lyson-Sypien, B., Kulis, A., Maslyk, M., Borysiewicz, M. A., Kaminska, E., & Szuber, J. (2018). Surface properties of nanostructured, porous ZnO thin films prepared by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering. Materials, 11(1), 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11010131
[8] Mirzaee, M., Zendehnam, A., & Miri, S. (2013). Surface statistical properties of ZnO thin films produced by magnetron sputtering at different rates. Scientia Iranica, 20(3), 786–790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scient.2013.05.014
[9] Ribut, S. H., Che Abdullah, C. A., & Mohd Yusoff, M. Z. (2019). Investigations of structural and optical properties of zinc oxide thin films growth on various substrates. Results in Physics, 13, 102146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinp.2019.02.082
[10] Ghanbari Shohany, B., & Khorsand Zak, A. (2020). Doped ZnO nanostructures with selected elements—Structural, morphology and optical properties: A review. Ceramics International, 46(5), 5507–5520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.11.051
