Structure control of thin films via droplet charge in aerosol-assisted vapor deposition process

Electrostatic Spray Assisted Vapor Deposition (ESAVD) and Electrostatic Assisted Aerosol Jet Deposition (EAAJD) are variants of chemical vapour deposition process. This paper reports for the first time the effect of aerosol droplet charge density on the growth of thin films produced by ESAVD and EAAJD methods. These include the deposition of binary (e.g. ZnS), and ternary (e.g. CuInS₂) sulphide films using ESAVD and EAAJD methods, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the charge density of aerosol droplets has a strong influence on the composition, crystallinity and morphology of ESAVD and EAAJD produced films. This fundamental study is essential for the precise structural control of thin films during deposition. Furthermore, it has been shown that films with preferred growth orientation can be achieved with appropriate control of charged droplet condition. The possible deposition mechanism involved is also presented.