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Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of SnS:Ag Thin Films

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Abstract

The effect of silver concentration was investigated for doped tin sulfide thin films for which y = [Ag]/[Sn] = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 at.%. Structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties were studied by use of x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, spectrophotometry, and thermally stimulated current (TSC) spectroscopy. XRD analysis confirmed previous results, i.e. formation of a rocksalt structure with (111) and (200) as preferred orientations. Crystal quality was enhanced when the doping ratio was y = 4 at.%. Addition of silver to the deposited solution did not affect the crystal structure, because no secondary phases related to silver were observed, but it assisted grain growth up to the optimum ratio of 4 at.%. Below 6 at.% interference fringes were observed in transmission and reflection spectra, indicating good surface homogeneity. The optical bandgap energy decreased and the grain size increased when the doping level was y = 4 at.%. The envelope method was applied to the thin film doped at 4 at.%, and dispersion constants were determined by use of the Wemple and Spitzer–Fan models. TSC measurements indicated that the electrical properties at ambient temperature were governed by traps located in the bandgap. From Arrhenius plots, the activation energies of the trap levels were estimated to be approximately 0.28 eV and 1.3 eV.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Meriem Reghima, Anis Akkari & Najoua Kamoun-Turki

  2. IES l’institut d’électronique, Université Montpellier 2, 860 rue de Saint Priest; Bâtiment 5, 34097, Montpellier, France

    Meriem Reghima & Cathy Guasch

  3. Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Zarzouna, 7021, Tunis, Tunisia

    Meriem Reghima

Authors
  1. Meriem Reghima
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  2. Anis Akkari
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  3. Cathy Guasch
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  4. Najoua Kamoun-Turki
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Correspondence to Meriem Reghima.

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Reghima, M., Akkari, A., Guasch, C. et al. Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of SnS:Ag Thin Films. J. Electron. Mater. 44, 4392–4399 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-3971-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-3971-6

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