ZnS thin films were prepared by spray pyrolysis technique using aqueous solutions of zinc chloride and thiourea. The films were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, EDX, UV-VIS and FTIR measurements. The phase composition, structural, optical and morphological properties of sprayed films are controlled by Zn/S molar ratio in the solution and the substrate temperature. Highly (001) orientated ZnS films with wurtzite structure and bandgap value of 3.67 eV could be grown at temperatures close to 500⁰C using Zn:S molar ratio of 1:2. At Zn:S of 1:1, wurtzite structure of the films is not clearly pronounced and bandgap value decreases to 3.58 eV. The use of Zn-rich (Zn/S>1) solution results in the formation of ZnO phase in addition to ZnS. The grain size in sprayed film decreases by increasing the Zn amount in spray solution.
The amount of residues originated from precursors decreases with increasing the deposition temperature. Chlorine content becomes negligible at growth temperatures of 500⁰C, whereas, carbon and nitrogen containing residues are still present in the film according to EDX and FTIR analyses. The type of carrier gas (air or nitrogen) has insignificant effect on the structure and chemical purity of the films.

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