Effect of pH on the properties of ZnS thin films grown by chemical bath deposition

Zinc sulphide thin films have been deposited on glass substrates using the chemical bath deposition technique. The depositions were carried out in the pH range of 10 to 11.5. Structure of these films was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Optical properties were studied by spectrophotometric measurements. Influence of the increased pH value on structural and optical properties is described and discussed in terms of transmission improvement in the visible range. Transmission spectra indicate a high transmission coefficient (70%). The direct band gap energy is found to be about 3.67 eV for the films prepared at pH equal to 11.5.     

Optical study of zinc blend SnS and cubic In2S3:Al thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition

Multilayers of zinc blend SnS crystalline thin film have been deposited onto glass substrates by a chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The envelope method, based on the optical transmission spectrum taken at normal incidence, has been successfully applied to determine the layer thickness and to characterize optical properties of thin films having low surface roughness. Optical constants such as refractive index n, extinction coefficient k, as well as the real (??_r) and imaginary (??_i) parts of the dielectric constant were determined from transmittance spectrum using this method. Obtained low value of the extinction coefficient in the transparency domain is a good indication of film surface smoothness and homogeneity. To perform the heterojunction structure based on SnS absorber material, cubic In₂S₃:Al was deposited on SnO₂:F/glass as window layer using CBD with different aluminum content. Optical properties of these films were evaluated.     

Structural and optical properties of CdS thin films grown by chemical bath deposition

Cubic cadmium sulphide (CdS) thin films with (111) preferential orientation were prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique, using the reaction between NH₄OH, CdSO₄ and CS(NH₂)₂. The films properties have been investigated as a function of bath temperature and deposition time. Structural properties of the obtained films were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. The structural parameters such as crystallite size have been evaluated. The transmission spectra, recorded in the UV visible range reveal a relatively high transmission coefficient (70%) in the obtained films. The transmittance data analysis indicates that the optical band gap is closely related to the deposition conditions, a direct band gap ranging from 2.0 eV to 2.34 eV was deduced. The electrical characterization shows that CdS films' dark conductivities can be controlled either by the deposition time or the bath temperature.     

Effect of thermal annealing on properties of zinc selenide thin films deposited by chemical bath deposition

Zinc selenide films have been deposited on glass substrate by chemical bath deposition method. The resultant films were annealed up to 473 K temperature. The structural properties of zinc selenide thin films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction techniques. The X-ray diffraction spectra showed that zinc selenide thin films are polycrystalline and have a cubic structure. The most preferential orientation is along the (111) direction for all films. The lattice parameter, grain size, and microstrain were calculated and correlated with annealing temperature. The optical properties showed direct band gap values were found to be in the region of 2.69–2.81 eV. The electrical studies shows conductivity increases with increase in annealing temperature. The optoelectric and structural data are discussed from the point of applications based on achieving high performance devices.     

Some physical properties of Sn-doped CdO thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition

Undoped and Sn-doped CdO thin films were prepared by the chemical bath deposition method by means of a procedure that improves the deposition efficiency. All as-grown films were crystallized in the cubic structure of cadmium peroxide (CdO₂) and transformed into CdO with a cubic structure after an annealing process. The as-grown films have a high resistivity (> 10⁶ Ω cm) and an optical bandgap around 3.6 eV. Undoped CdO displays an optical bandgap around 2.32–2.54 eV and has an electrical conductivity of 8 × 10^− 4 Ω cm. The Sn incorporation into CdO produces a blue shift in the optical bandgap (from 2.55 to 2.84 eV) and a decrease in the electrical conductivity.The deposition procedure described here gives colloid-free surface thin films as indicated by the surface morphology analysis.     

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

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 1.01 eV-1.26 eV. The dark conductivities and photo conductivities of the SnS films all increase as the deposition temperature and the concentration ratio of Na₂S₂O₃/SnCl₂ increase.     

Physical properties of CdS thin films grown by chemical bath deposition with directly immersed ultrasonication module

Ultrasonical colloid chemistry deposition (UCCD) has been widely used to fabricate columnar-structured cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films with ultra-fine particles. In conventional UCCD, the ultrasonic source is installed outside the reaction bath. In this study, an ultrasonic homogenizer was used as the ultrasonic source and was immersed directly in the bulk solution. The advantages of the ultrasonic homogenizer include homogeneous deposition, fine mixing, and enhancement of the ion-by-ion reaction. We compared the physical properties of CdS thin films prepared with and without ultrasound by using an X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and 3D surface analyzer and UV-Vis-NIR measurements.     

Structural,electrical and optical properties of copper selenide thin films deposited by chemical bath deposition technique

A low cost chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique has been used for the preparation of Cu_2–xSe thin films on glass substrates. Structural, electrical and optical properties of these films were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study of the Cu_2–xSe films annealed at 523 K suggests a cubic structure with a lattice constant of 5.697 Å. Chemical composition was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It reveals that absorbed oxygen in the film decreases remarkably on annealing above 423 K. The Cu/Se ratio was observed to be the same in as-deposited and annealed films. Both as-deposited and annealed films show very low resistivity in the range of (0.04–0.15) × 10^–5 -m. Transmittance and Reflectance were found in the range of 5–50% and 2–20% respectively. Optical absorption of the films results from free carrier absorption in the near infrared region with absorption coefficient of 10⁸ m^–1. The band gap for direct transition, E_g.dir varies in the range of 2.0–2.3 eV and that for indirect transition E_g.indir is in the range of 1.25–1.5 eV.     

A study on the structural and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline CuS thin films grown by chemical bath deposition technique

We report a chemical route for the deposition of nanocrystalline thin films of CuS, using aqueous solutions of Cu(CH₃COO)₂, SC(NH₂)₂ and N(CH₂CH₂OH)₃ [triethanolamine, i.e. TEA] in proper concentrations and ratios. The films were structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and optical analysis [both photo luminescence (PL) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis)]. Optical studies showed a large blue shift in the band gap energy of the films due to quantum confinement effect exerted by the nanocrystals. From both XRD and FESEM analyses, formation of CuS nanocrystals with sizes within 10-15 nm was evident. A study on the mechanical properties was carried out using nanoindentation and nanoscratch techniques, which showed good mechanical stability and high adherence of the films with the bottom substrate. Such study on the mechanical properties of the CuS thin films is being reported here for the first time. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements were also carried out for the films, which showed p-type conductivity.     

Chemical bath deposition of SnS thin films on ZnS and CdS substrates

We illustrate that Tin sulfide (SnS) thin films of 110–500 nm in thickness may be deposited on ZnS and CdS substrates to simulate the requirement in developing window-buffer/SnS solar cells in the superstrate configuration. In the chemical bath deposition reported here, tin chloride and thiosulfate are the major constituents and the deposition is made at 25 °C. In a single deposition, film thickness of 110–170 nm is achieved and in two more successive depositions, the film thickness is 450–500 nm. The thicker films are composed of vertically stacked flakes, 100 nm across and 10–20 nm in thickness. The Sn/S elemental ratio is ~1 for the films 110–170 nm in thickness, but it slightly increases for thicker films. The crystalline structure is orthorhombic, similar to the mineral herzenbergite, and with crystallite diameters 13 nm (110–170 films) and 16 nm (450–500 nm films). The Raman bands at 94, 172 and 218 cm^?1 further confirm the SnS composition of the films. The optical band gap of SnS is 1.4–1.5 eV for the thinner films, but is 1.28–1.39 eV for the thicker films, the decrease being ascribed to the increase in the crystallite diameter. Uniform pin-hole free SnS thin films were successfully grown on two different substrates and can be applied in solar cell structures.     

化学水浴中氨浓度对沉积ZnS薄膜的影响

用化学水浴法在玻璃衬底上沉积ZnS薄膜。采用XRD、SEM、nkd-薄膜分析系统对薄膜的形貌、结构和光学性能进行了分析，结果表明：当氨浓度〈1．50mol／L，可获得白点较少、平整性较好的非晶ZnS薄膜，在红移方向上很长的波段内透过率较好，可达95％以上，禁带宽度为3．81eV，折射率随波长的增加而减小，从2．32变化到1．92。有关化学水浴ZnS薄膜折射率的报道极少；当氨浓度〉1．50mol／L时，薄膜白点增多，易龟裂和剥落，结构是立方闪锌矿。     

Effects of aluminium doping on zinc oxide transparent thin films grown by filtered vacuum arc deposition

Thin n-type ZnO films doped with different atomic concentrations of aluminium were grown by filtered vacuum arc deposition (FVAD) on glass substrates. The films were deposited using an oxygen working pressure of 2.0 mTorr with an arc current running at two 100 ms pulses s⁻¹. Structural, optical and electrical properties were investigated to understand the effect of Al doping on ZnO films. The best values were found for an ideal aluminium percentage between 4 and 6 at.%.     

CdS thin films growth by ammonia free chemical bath deposition technique

Cadmium Sulfide CdS thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition technique using ethanolamine as complexing agent instead of commonly used ammonia to avoid its toxicity and volatility during film preparation. In order to investigate the film growth mechanism samples were prepared with different deposition times. A set of substrates were dropped in the same bath and each 30 minutes a sample is withdrawn from the bath, by this way all the obtained films were grown in the same condition. The films structure was analyzed by X rays diffraction. In early stage of growth the obtained films are amorphous, with increasing the deposition time, the films exhibits a pure hexagonal structure with (101) preferential orientation. The film surface morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy. From these observations we concluded that the early growth stage starts in the 3D Volmer-Weber mode, followed by a transition to the Stransky-Krastanov mode with increasing deposition time. The critical thickness of this transition is 120 nm. CdS quantum dots were formed at end of the film growth. The optical transmittance characterization in the UV-Visible range shows that the prepared films have a high transparency ranging from 60 to 80% for photons having wavelength greater than 600 nm.     

Optical and structural properties of Mg doped ZnO thin films by chemical bath deposition method

The chemical bath deposition method has often been employed to successfully deposit pure and Mg doped ZnO thin films on a glass substrate. The impact of Mg creates a strained stress in ZnO films affecting its structural and optical properties. XRD patterns revealed that all thin films possess a polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure and Mg doped ZnO thin films (002) plane peak position is shifted towards a lower angle due to Mg doping. From the SEM image, it is understood that the Mg doped ZnO thin films are uniformly coated and are seen as dense rods like pillers deposited over the film. The energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the presence of Mg in doped ZnO thin films. The transmittance spectra exhibit that it is possible for Mg doping to enhance ZnO thin films. The optical energy gap of the films was assessed by applying Tauc’s law and it is observed to show an increasing tendency with an improvement in Mg doping concentrations. The optical constants such as reflectance, index of refraction, extinction coefficient and optical conductivity are determined by using transmission at normal incidence of light by using wavelength range of 200–800 nm. In PL spectra, the band edge emission shifted to the blue with increasing amount of Mg doping.     

Optical properties of nanocrystalline ZnS:Mn thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition method

Nanocrystalline ZnS:Mn thin films were fabricated by a chemical bath deposition route on glass, silicon, and quartz substrates using a weak acidic bath, in which citrate ions acts as a nontoxic complexing agent for zinc ions and thioacetamide acts as a source of sulfide ions at 60 °C. The composition of films were characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering, and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction pattern and transmission electron microscopy image confirm that the films have nanocrystalline nature. The band gap energy of ZnS:Mn films is blue-shifted by about 0.3 eV with respect to the bulk value (3.67 eV), probably due to the quantum size effect as expected from the nanocrystalline nature of the ZnS:Mn thin films. The dispersion and optical constants of the films were determined. These parameters changed with the deposition time.     

化学水浴法制备ZnS薄膜光学性能

利用薄膜分析系统测量不同沉积时间制备的ZnS薄膜透射谱,通过分析薄膜透射谱,来确定ZnS薄膜光学常数和禁带宽度.实验结果表明,在线性生长阶段,薄膜的沉积速率大约为1 nm/min,具有很好的线性关系,沉积0.5 h的ZnS薄膜在可见光范围内光透过率为82%左右.     

Effect of Zn doping on optical properties and photoconductivity of SnS2 nanocrystalline thin films

Zn-doped SnS₂ thin films have been deposited simply by spray pyrolysis technique. The doping level was changed from [Zn/Sn] = 0 to 7·5 at%. The films were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), photoluminescence and UV-Vis spectroscopy. XRD patterns of the films with different zinc contents show that all samples have polycrystalline structure with Berndtite dominant phase and preferred orientation of (001) growth plane. Zn insertion causes a significant decrease in grain size. Optical bandgap of the films have been calculated for different dopant concentrations and they lie in the region of 2·3–2·7 eV. Surprisingly, regardless of doping level, the luminescent properties of films are related to the fundamental bandgap energy and deep levels inside the bandgap. Photoconductivity of the films have been measured under visible light. Sensitivity to the light increases by zinc incorporation, which was a large amount for SnS₂:Zn of 7·5%.     

Chemical bath deposition of different phases of copper selenide thin films by controlling bath parameters

In the preparation of copper selenide thin films using chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique, it is observed that the pH of the final reacting mixture is the major factor controlling the composition of the film. Thin films of cubic Cu_2−xSe and tetragonal Cu₃Se₂, of band gaps 2.20 and 2.83 eV, respectively, have been prepared using the CBD technique by adjusting the bath parameters like pH, temperature and the ratio between copper and selenium atoms in the reaction bath. X-ray diffraction analysis is used as the major tool for identification of these phases. The results have been confirmed using XPS, ICP and absorption studies.