skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Annealing effect for SnS thin films prepared by high-vacuum evaporation

Abstract

Thin films of SnS are deposited onto molybdenum-coated soda lime glass substrates using the high-vacuum evaporation technique at a substrate temperature of 300 °C. The as-deposited SnS layers are then annealed in three different media: (1) H{sub 2}S, (2) argon, and (3) vacuum, for different periods and temperatures to study the changes in the microstructural properties of the layers and to prepare single-phase SnS photoabsorber films. It is found that annealing the layers in H{sub 2}S at 400 °C changes the stoichiometry of the as-deposited SnS films and leads to the formation of a dominant SnS{sub 2} phase. Annealing in an argon atmosphere for 1 h, however, causes no deviations in the composition of the SnS films, though the surface morphology of the annealed SnS layers changes significantly as a result of a 2 h annealing process. The crystalline structure, surface morphology, and photosensitivity of the as-deposited SnS films improves significantly as the result of annealing in vacuum, and the vacuum-annealed films are found to exhibit promising properties for fabricating complete solar cells based on these single-phase SnS photoabsorber layers.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Materials Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, Tallinn 19086 (Estonia)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22317934
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 6; Other Information: (c) 2014 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0734-2101
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ARGON; COATINGS; HYDROGEN SULFIDES; LAYERS; MICROSTRUCTURE; MOLYBDENUM; PHOTOSENSITIVITY; SODIUM CARBONATES; SOLAR CELLS; THIN FILMS; TIN SULFIDES

Citation Formats

Revathi, Naidu, Bereznev, Sergei, Loorits, Mihkel, Raudoja, Jaan, Lehner, Julia, Gurevits, Jelena, Traksmaa, Rainer, Mikli, Valdek, Mellikov, Enn, and Volobujeva, Olga. Annealing effect for SnS thin films prepared by high-vacuum evaporation. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1116/1.4896334.
Revathi, Naidu, Bereznev, Sergei, Loorits, Mihkel, Raudoja, Jaan, Lehner, Julia, Gurevits, Jelena, Traksmaa, Rainer, Mikli, Valdek, Mellikov, Enn, & Volobujeva, Olga. Annealing effect for SnS thin films prepared by high-vacuum evaporation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4896334
Revathi, Naidu, Bereznev, Sergei, Loorits, Mihkel, Raudoja, Jaan, Lehner, Julia, Gurevits, Jelena, Traksmaa, Rainer, Mikli, Valdek, Mellikov, Enn, and Volobujeva, Olga. 2014. "Annealing effect for SnS thin films prepared by high-vacuum evaporation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4896334.
@article{osti_22317934,
title = {Annealing effect for SnS thin films prepared by high-vacuum evaporation},
author = {Revathi, Naidu and Bereznev, Sergei and Loorits, Mihkel and Raudoja, Jaan and Lehner, Julia and Gurevits, Jelena and Traksmaa, Rainer and Mikli, Valdek and Mellikov, Enn and Volobujeva, Olga},
abstractNote = {Thin films of SnS are deposited onto molybdenum-coated soda lime glass substrates using the high-vacuum evaporation technique at a substrate temperature of 300 °C. The as-deposited SnS layers are then annealed in three different media: (1) H{sub 2}S, (2) argon, and (3) vacuum, for different periods and temperatures to study the changes in the microstructural properties of the layers and to prepare single-phase SnS photoabsorber films. It is found that annealing the layers in H{sub 2}S at 400 °C changes the stoichiometry of the as-deposited SnS films and leads to the formation of a dominant SnS{sub 2} phase. Annealing in an argon atmosphere for 1 h, however, causes no deviations in the composition of the SnS films, though the surface morphology of the annealed SnS layers changes significantly as a result of a 2 h annealing process. The crystalline structure, surface morphology, and photosensitivity of the as-deposited SnS films improves significantly as the result of annealing in vacuum, and the vacuum-annealed films are found to exhibit promising properties for fabricating complete solar cells based on these single-phase SnS photoabsorber layers.},
doi = {10.1116/1.4896334},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22317934}, journal = {Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films},
issn = {0734-2101},
number = 6,
volume = 32,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}