Electrical and optical properties of AgInS2

Crystal sizes of AgInS₂ grown by a directional freezing depend on sulphur pressures at the preparation. The conductivity is only n-type and nominally undoped AgInS₂ has the resistivity of 25 Ω-cm and the Hall mobility of 64 cm²/V sec. Sulphur vacancies of AgInS₂ become electron-trapping levels in the forbidden band. It is obtained from the measurements of thermally stimulated current that the levels lie at E_T1 = 0·19±0·01 eV and E_T2 = 0·40±0·01 eV, and the concentrations depend on sulphur pressures at the crystal preparations. AuAgInS₂ contacts operate as a Schottky barrier diode and the barrier height is 0·97 eV. AgInS₂ has a dichroism because of its uniaxial lattice structure. The transition is direct for $\text{E}\text{⊥c}$ and indirect for $\text{E}\text{∥c}$, and the values for the energy gap are E_g^⊥ = 1·88±0·01 eV and E_g^∥ = 1·77±0·01 eV, respectively.