Physical and electrical properties’ evaluation of SnS:Cu thin films

ABSTRACT

This paper reports successful fabrication of copper-doped tin sulphide (SnS:Cu) thin films using nebulized spray pyrolysis. Different Cu doping concentrations (2, 4, 6, and 8 wt-%) were employed to coat SnS:Cu thin films. The fabricated SnS:Cu thin films were structurally confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering analyses. Energy-dispersive X-ray result has proved Cu atom doping within the SnS matrix. Atomic force microscopy has identified topographical modifications on SnS:Cu thin films due to Cu doping concentration. UV-visible-NIR spectroscopy was used to derive the optical band gap in the range of 1.38–1.59 eV depending on Cu doping percentage. Hall Effect measurements were employed to analyze the electrical conductivity of SnS:Cu thin films. A p-n junction FTO/n–CdS/p–SnS:Cu/Al prototype device was constructed with photo response behaviour under dark and illumination circumstances.

KEYWORDS:

• SnS
• Cu
• doping
• AFM
• optical
• electrical
• p-n

Acknowledgements

Prof. H-SK is grateful to the Basic Science Research Programme and the Mid-career Researcher Programme through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2017R1D1A1A09000823) and the Ministry of Science and ICT (No. 2019R1A2C2086747). The authors express their sincere thanks to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through general research project under Grant Number R.G.P 2/38/40.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Programme and the Mid-career Researcher Programme through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education [grant number 2017R1D1A1A09000823] and the Ministry of Science and ICT [grant number 2019R1A2C2086747]. The authors express their sincere thanks to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University [grant Number R.G.P 2/38/40] for funding this work through general research project.