Influence of the deposition parameters on the properties of orthorhombic SnS films by chemical bath deposition

• Published in: Thin solid films 2012-02, Vol.520 (9), p.3523-3527
• Main Authors: Gao, Chao, Shen, Honglie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical bath deposition; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition parameters; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Liquid phase epitaxy; deposition from liquid phases (melts, solutions, and surface layers on liquids); Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Other semiconductors; Photoconduction and photovoltaic effects; photodielectric effects; Physics; Stannous sulfide; Thin films
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2011.12.077

Orthorhombic stannous sulfide (SnS) films were prepared by chemical bath deposition in which stannous dichloride (SnCl2), ammonium citrate (C6H5O7(NH4)3) and sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) were used as tin source, chelating reagent and sulfur source, respectively. The influence of the deposition temperatures and the concentration ratios of Na2S2O3/SnCl2 on the morphologies, compositions and electrical and optical properties of the SnS films were investigated. The results show that the compactness of the SnS films gets worse when the deposition temperature increases, while the compactness of the films gets better when the concentration ratio of Na2S2O3/SnCl2 increases. The compositions of the films (the molar ratio of S/Sn ranges from 46.7:53.3 to 48.9:51.1) are all close to the stoichiometric ratio of SnS, and the molar ratio of S/Sn in the films increases as the deposition temperature and the concentration ratio of Na2S2O3/SnCl2 increase. The optical bandgaps of the SnS films are in the range of 1.01eV–1.26eV. The dark conductivities and photo conductivities of the SnS films all increase as the deposition temperature and the concentration ratio of Na2S2O3/SnCl2 increase. ► Orthorhombic SnS films were prepared by chemical bath deposition. ► Smooth and compact SnS films were obtained. ► Temperature and composition of the deposition solution influence the film properties. ► Mechanism linking deposition parameters and SnS film properties are discussed.