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An investigation on SnS layers for solar cells fabrication with CdS, SnS2 and ZnO window layers prepared by nebulizer spray method

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Abstract

The preparation of SnS, CdS, SnS2 and ZnO thin films by nebulizer spray method, and their characterization is reported. The size of crystallites, dislocation density, texture coefficient and strain were estimated using XRD data. SEM study revealed good surface morphology of films. Optical properties of deposited SnS, CdS, SnS2 and ZnO films were estimated using the optical absorption measurements. The calculated optical energy gaps of CdS, SnS2, ZnO and SnS films were, respectively, found as 2.45, 2.41, 3.2 and 1.45 eV. Hall effect measurements exhibited p-type conductivity for SnS and n-type conductivity for CdS, SnS2, ZnO thin films. The grown SnS thin films showed resistivity and carrier concentration as 0.0689 Ωcm and 1.04 × 1019 cm− 3, respectively. Heterojunction solar cells of FTO/CdS/SnS, FTO/SnS2/SnS, and FTO/ZnO/SnS were also fabricated and their properties studied. The fabricated FTO/ZnO/SnS heterojunction solar cell presented a superior performance with conversion efficiency (0.96%) greater than other structures.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their sincere thanks to the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India, for their financial assistance for the work support by the project number (DST-SERB) (SB/FTP/PS-131/2013). The author from KKU would like to express his gratitude to Research Center for Advanced Materials Science-King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, for support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PG & Research Department of Physics, Arul Anandar College, Karumathur, 625514, India

    A. M. S. Arulanantham & S. Valanarasu

  2. Millimeter-Wave Innovation Technology Research Center (MINT), Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul, 04620, South Korea

    A. Kathalingam

  3. Advanced Functional Materials and Optoelectronic Laboratory (AFMOL), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box. 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia

    Mohd. Shkir

  4. Division of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul, 04620, South Korea

    Hyun-Seok Kim

  5. Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia

    Mohd. Shkir

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  1. A. M. S. Arulanantham
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Correspondence to S. Valanarasu or A. Kathalingam.

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Arulanantham, A.M.S., Valanarasu, S., Kathalingam, A. et al. An investigation on SnS layers for solar cells fabrication with CdS, SnS2 and ZnO window layers prepared by nebulizer spray method. Appl. Phys. A 124, 776 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-018-2164-6

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