Impact of DC Magnetron Sputtering Modes on the Crystalline Size and Intrinsic Strain of CdS Thin Films

This study investigates the properties of CdS thin films, obtained by DC magnetron sputtering, specifically focusing on their elastic properties and structural parameters. The analysis of the XRD patterns indicates a uniform thickness for the hexagonal crystal structure CdS layers. The average crystallite size of the CdS nanostructured thin films is estimated to be 28 nm using the Scherrer equation. The lattice strain is calculated for FTO/CdS sample using the Williamson-Hall equation and the uniform deformation model. The uniform deformation model analysis suggests an average strain of $4.04 \times 10^{-3}$. The strain analysis using the modified Williamson-Hall equation and the size-strain plot method yields consistent results. The average strain obtained from the Williamson-Hall plot is $0.92 \times 10^{-3}$, while the size-strain plot method gives a particle size of 67 nm. The different analysis methods employed in the study exhibit good consistency and correlation.