On the preparation of iron pyrite from synthetic and natural targets by pulsed electron deposition

We report on the preparation of iron pyrite (FeS2) using pulsed electron ablation of two targets, namely, a mixture of sulfur and iron compound target, and a natural iron pyrite target. Thin films of around 50 nm in thickness have been deposited on glass substrates under Argon background gas at 3 mTorr, and at a substrate temperature of up to 450oc. The thin films have been analyzed chemically and examined structurally using x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and visible Raman spectroscopy. The morphology and thickness of the films have been assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and visible spectroscopic reflectance. The preliminary findings, using a synthetic target, show the presence of iron pyrite with increasing proportion as substrate temperature is increased from 150oc to 250oc. The data have not shown any evidence of pyrite in the deposited films from a natural target.