• Katerski, Atanas
• Acik, Ilona Oja
• Polivtseva, Svetlana
• Mere, Arvo
• Mikli, Valdek
• Krunks, Malle

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Tin sulfide films were deposited by spray pyrolysis method using aqueous solutions containing tin chloride (SnCl<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>) and L‐cysteine (HO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>CCH(NH<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>)CH<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>SH) as a novel source of sulfur instead of commonly used thiourea. L‐cysteine prevents SnCl<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> from hydrolysis due to a complex formation as confirmed by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy studies. The solution that contained SnCl<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> (Sn) and L‐cysteine (S) at molar ratios of Sn:S=1:1, 1:2 and 1:4 was sprayed onto glass substrates at varied temperatures between 200 °C and 370 °C. Films were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) and UV‐Vis spectroscopy. Accord‐ ing to XRD, spray of the 1:1 solution results in films that are composed of SnS as a main crystalline phase. An unidentified crystalline phase was present independent of the growth temperature. Single phase SnS films with bandgap value of 1.7 eV could be grown using the 1:2 solution at deposition temperature of 370 °C. Films grown from 1:4 solutions are amorphous using deposition temperatures below 370 °C, and composed of a mixture of SnS and Sn<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>S<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> phases when grown at 370 °C. EDX study shows that SnS films contain high amount of carbon and oxygen containing residues independent of the deposition temperature and precursors' molar ratio in the spray solution. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)</jats:p>

Topics

• Deposition
• amorphous
• Carbon
• scanning electron microscopy
• x-ray diffraction
• Oxygen
• crystalline phase
• glass
• glass
• Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
• tin
• infrared spectroscopy
• spray pyrolysis