Atomic force microscopy characterization of ZnTe epitaxial films

In this paper results of a characterization of the surfaces of ZnTe epitaxial thin films exhibiting the different thicknesses are presented. The results mentioned are obtained using the procedures enabling us to determine the values of the following quantities: mean grain size, grain size distribution, root-mean square values of the heights of the irregularities and the diagram describing the distribution of the directions of the normals. For the analysis of the grain structure a watershed algorithm is used. It is shown that the values of these quantities can describe the morphology of the ZnTe film surfaces in a sufficient way. Further, it is shown that the structure of the surfaces of the ZnTe films exhibit facets forming a grain structure. Moreover, it is presented that the ZnTe film surfaces exhibit a strong slope anisotropy and that the linear dimensions of the grains increase with increasing values of the thicknesses of the ZnTe films.