Laser Annealing to Form High-Temperature Phase of FeS₂

We fabricated single-phase pyrite thin films of FeS 2 by laser annealing of multi-phase FeS 2 films. Sputter-deposited FeS films followed by sulfurization in sulfur vapor at high temperatures were mainly composed of the high-temperature phase (pyrite) but contained a small amount of the low-temperature phase (marcasite) that likely grew when the samples were naturally cooled after the sulfurization. We applied the rapid cooling feature of laser annealing to preventing the marcasite phase formation. No trace of marcasite phase was observed in Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns of the laser-annealed samples. We analyzed temporal evolution of the sample temperature during the laser-annealing processes to confirm that the laser heating induced phase change of the small amount of marcasite to pyrite and the rapid cooling prevented marcasite regrowth.