Chemical vapor transport of zinc sulfide

Crystals of cubic zinc sulfide with different isotopic compositions have been grown by iodine vapor transport for basic research purposes (vibrational, electronic, and thermodynamic properties). The synthesis reaction in sulfur vapor was found to be controlled by solid-state diffusion of zinc atoms through a ZnS passivation layer. Crystals up to 5 mm in length were grown from small amounts of source material. The presence of argon reduced the nucleation density and favored the formation of facets.