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Unique Growth and Study on the Unprecedented Effects of Fe Doping Cu2AlSnS4 Material Fabricated by Single Vacuum System

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Abstract

This study utilized the vacuum thermal evaporation method to successfully grow Cu2AlSnS4 (CATS) and Cu2AlxFe1−xSnS4 films on glass substrates, with a focus on the impact of doping on the structural, morphological, optical, and dielectric characteristics of the deposited films. The obtained samples were identified and measured using XRD, SEM, EDX, AFM, and UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy. X-Ray diffraction analysis confirmed a single phase of CATS with a crystalline nature and average crystallite size of 16.60–42.19 nm. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscopy analysis showed a non-spherical agglomeration formation and surface roughness, respectively. According to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy examination, iron (Fe) was detected for doped samples in the CATS structure. Optical testing revealed that the band gap, the refractive index and extinction coefficient significantly changed as more iron was added. These results suggest that Fe doping in the Fe-cationic site of the CATS thin film can be systematically regulated to achieve desirable characteristics as an absorber for solar cells.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Deanship of Scientific Research at Umm Al-Qura University for supporting this work by Grant Code: (22UQU4331172DSR01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Applied Science, Umm AL-Qura University, 24382, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    A. Timoumi, O. H. Alsalmi & Ahmed M. Saeedi

  2. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

    S. N. Alamri

  3. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science, Umm Al-Qura University, 21955, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Saleh A. Ahmed

  4. Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516, Egypt

    Saleh A. Ahmed

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  1. A. Timoumi
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Timoumi, A., Alamri, S.N., Alsalmi, O.H. et al. Unique Growth and Study on the Unprecedented Effects of Fe Doping Cu2AlSnS4 Material Fabricated by Single Vacuum System. J Inorg Organomet Polym 33, 3146–3156 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-023-02729-2

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