Single-Crystal Growth of Cl-Doped n-Type SnS Using SnCl 2 Self-Flux

• Published in: Inorganic chemistry 2018-06, Vol.57 (12), p.6769-6772
• Main Authors: Iguchi, Yuki, Inoue, Kazutoshi, Sugiyama, Taiki, Yanagi, Hiroshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0020-1669; 1520-510X
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b00646

SnS is a promising photovoltaic semiconductor owing to its suitable band gap energy and high optical absorption coefficient for highly efficient thin film solar cells. The most significant carnage is demonstration of n-type SnS. In this study, Cl-doped n-type single crystals were grown using SnCl self-flux method. The obtained crystal was lamellar, with length and width of a few millimeters and thickness ranging between 28 and 39 μm. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed the single crystals had an orthorhombic unit cell. Since the ionic radii of S and Cl are similar, Cl doping did not result in substantial change in lattice parameter. All the elements were homogeneously distributed on a cleaved surface; the Sn/(S + Cl) ratio was 1.00. The crystal was an n-type degenerate semiconductor with a carrier concentration of ∼3 × 10 cm . Hall mobility at 300 K was 252 cm V s and reached 363 cm V s at 142 K.