Study of Antimony Sulphide Thin Film Grown from Non-Toxic Solutions

Abstract

Sb2S3 is an earth abundant and cost effective absorber material having an optical bandgap of 1.7 eV and a high absorption coefficient ~104 cm-1. In this work, it is attempted to prepare these films by a simple, cost-effective non-toxic solution based method, such as spin coating. Antimony chloride, thiourea were used as precursor source for Sb and S, respectively and 2- methoxyethanol was used as solvent in the deposition process. The effect of drying temperature and post-deposition heat treatment temperature on the as-deposited films prepared at room temperature was studied. The phase, surface morphology and optical properties of the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and UVvisible spectroscopy, respectively. When the as-deposited films were dried at 150 ˚C followed by sulfurization at 250 ˚C (less than the crystallization temperature of Sb2S3), Sb9.5S18 single phase was obtained. Samples grown at all other conditions were amorphous in nature as revealed by a broad hump in the XRD patterns.