Pb thin films were prepared by the ns pulsed laser deposition technique on Si (100) and polycrystalline Nb substrates for photocathode application. As the photoemission performances of a cathode are strongly affected by its surface characteristics, the Pb films were grown at different substrate temperatures with the aim of modifying the morphology and structure of thin films. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed a strong morphological change in the deposited films with the substrate temperature, and the formation of spherical grains at higher temperatures with the nucleation of large voids on the film surface. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that a preferred orientation of Pb (111)