Vapor-pressure-mismatched materials, such as transition metal chalcogenides, have emerged as key electronic, photonic, and quantum materials. Hybrid pulsed laser deposition (hPLD) has become a preferred method for epitaxial or textured growth of these materials; however, unintentional carbon (C) incorporation remains a persistent concern, particularly when using organic chalcogen precursors as safer alternatives to toxic hydrides. The mechanisms governing C incorporation and its impact on film growth and properties in hPLD remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the influence of C-containing side products generated from organosulfur precursor pyrolysis on ZnS, BaTiS$_3$, and TiS$_2$ thin films grown by hPLD using tert-butyl disulfide (TBDS). Structural characterization via X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy, combined with secondary ion mass spectrometry, is used to systematically examine the effects of growth temperature and TBDS partial pressure on film morphology, crystallinity, and C incorporation. Optimal growth temperatures of 400°C, 500°C, and 700°C are identified for ZnS, TiS$_2$, and BaTiS$_3$, respectively. Growth above or below these temperatures leads to increased C incorporation at both the interface and within the film, correlating with degraded texture. In contrast, highly textured films exhibit minimal C content, comparable to films grown without TBDS. For TiS$_2$, C incorporation depends strongly on TBDS pressure, with 10$^{-1}$ Pa identified as the optimal pressure for minimizing contamination. At higher pressures, loss of preferential texture is observed, likely due to C graphitization poisoning the interface and bulk. These results provide new insight into process-induced C impurities in hPLD-grown chalcogenide thin films and have important implications for sulfide-based thin film technologies.
Demonstration of Si-doped Al-rich thin regrown Al(Ga)N films on AlN on sapphire templates with $\gt10^{15}/cm^3$ free carrier concentration using close-coupled showerhead MOCVD reactor
Direct growth of crystalline spinel GaON films: A wide-bandgap mixed-anion semiconductor
State Key Laboratory of Radio Frequency Heterogeneous Integration, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University（深圳大学物理与光电工程学院射频异构集成国家重点实验室）；Physics Department, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology（香港科技大学物理系）
Higher critical currents yet faster vortex creep in EuBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_y$ films containing coherent artificial pinning centers
University of Washington（华盛顿大学）；Seikei University（圣心女子大学）；Japan Fine Ceramics Center（日本精细陶瓷中心）；National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology（产业技术综合研究所）
