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Thin films of lead sulphide (PbS) were grown on the Si (100) and glass substrates using the simple chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The prepared films had the cubic structure at room temperature, and the thickness was 350 nm at a 120 min deposition time. In this work, the effect of low-dose rate gamma irradiation on the structural and optical characteristics of the prepared thin films was investigated. The PbS thin films were exposed at the National SSDL (Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory) using gamma beam emitted from Co-60 source, the average energy of the photon beam was 1.25 MeV. Here, four different doses (1, 2, 3 and 4 kGy) were used and the dose rate was about 380 mGy/min. The changes on the optical and structural properties of the PbS films due to the gamma irradiation were evaluated. The results showed that the intensity of photoluminescence PL and the grain size decreased with increasing the radiation dose. This could be related to the changes in the crystalline structural during the experiment. In addition, the band gap obtained by the UV transmittance spectrum was confirmed with the results of XRD. These results could indicate the potential application for PbS film in microelectronic field. • Effect of low-dose rate gamma irradiation on PbS thin films, prepared using the simple chemical bath deposition (CBD) method, was studied. • The grain size of the studied film decreased about 3 nm with increasing the gamma irradiation dose from 0 to 4 kGy, and the intensity of the PL spectra (at 425 nm) decreased with increasing the irradiation dose. • The low dose rate gamma irradiation process did not improve the optical properties of prepared films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of low-dose rate gamma rays irradiation on ZnO thin films of different thicknesses has been studied. Preferentially oriented (002) ZnO thin films have been deposited on Si (100) and glass substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. ZnO films with c-axis-oriented Würtzite structure were obtained at room temperature. ZnO films with thickness of 200 nm and 600 nm were prepared and studied. The prepared films were irradiated using1.25-MeV gamma beam emitted from Cobalt sources (Co-60) with two different doses (2and 4 kGy) and the effect of the gamma irradiation on the optical and structural properties of the ZnO films was examined. The photoluminescence PL intensity was found to increase with the increasing of the irradiation dose in both thin and thick films. This finding allows improving the scintillation output signal of the material while keeping grain size unchanged if low dose rate irradiation is used, as X-ray diffraction patterns showed. Raman spectrum correlates with XRD results. The band gap extracted by UV transmittance spectrum was also identified. • Effect of low-dose rate gamma rays irradiation on ZnO thin films was studied. • ZnO thin films with different thicknesses were used. • Photoluminescence intensity increased with the increase of the irradiation dose for all films. • Improving the scintillation output signal of the material while keeping grain size unchanged. • The band gap extracted by UV transmittance spectrum was also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]