Effect of annealing time and substrates nature on the physical properties of CuSbS₂ thin films

Abstract

In this study, the annealing time and substrates nature effects on the physical properties of CuSbS₂ thin films were investigated. CuSbS₂ thin films were prepared on various substrates via thermal evaporation technique. The as^_deposited films were annealed in air for 60 and 120 min at 250 °C. The atomic force microscope micrographs of as^_made and annealed thin films show that the surface morphology is affected by annealing time and substrate variation. X^_ray diffraction results show that crystallinity increased with annealing time. The microstructure parameters: crystallite size and dislocation density were calculated. The optical properties were obtained from the analysis of the experimental recorded transmittance and reflectance spectral data over the wavelength range 300–1800 nm. High absorption coefficients (10⁵–10⁶ cm⁻¹) are reached. Values of E_g are close to the theoretical optimum for efficient conversion of solar radiation into electrical power making the material suitable for photovoltaic applications.