Abstract
Structural and microstructural properties of synthetic thin films of pyrite (FeS2−x), prepared by thermal sulfuration of iron layers, were investigated from Rietveld refinements of x-ray diffraction data, collected by step/scan mode. From this refinement lattice constant, a, and sulfur position parameter, u, nearest neighbor Fe–S and S–S bond distances and tetrahedral and octahedral bond angles have been determined. Moreover, sulfur deficit in the samples, surface and volume-weighted crystallite size and microstrains were also obtained. From these data, the influence of temperature and time of sulfuration and sulfur pressure on their structural and microstructural properties has been established. Stoichiometric pyrite thin films are obtained by sulfurating the iron films at low temperatures (Ts ∼ 600–700 K) during short times (ts ∼ 0.5–2 h). These experimental conditions yield films with the highest a, u, Fe–S bond distance, and microstrains, as well as S/Fe ratios about 2.00, i.e., null sulfur vacancies, the smallest S–S bond distances, and crystallite size. Finally, the possible influence of these structural and microstructural characteristics on some physical properties (optical absorption, electrical resistivity …) of the films is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. Ennaoui, S. Fiechter, Ch. Pettenkofer, N. Alonso-Vante, K. Büker, M. Bronold, Ch. Höpfner, and H. Tributsch, Solar Energy Mater. Solar Cell 29, 289 (1993).
S. S. Seehra, P. A. Montano, M. S. Seehra, and S. K. Sen, J. Mater. Sci. 14, 2761 (1979).
A. M. Karguppikar and A. G. Vedeshwar, Phys. Status Solidi A 95, 717 (1986).
G. Chatzitheodorou, S. Fiechter, Konenkamp, M. Kunst, W. Jaegermann, and H. Tributsch, Mater. Res. Bull. XXI, 1481 (1986).
G. Smestad, A. Da Silva, H. Tributsch, S. Fiechter, M. Kunst, N. Mezziani, and M. Birkholz, Solar Energy Mater. 18, 299 (1989).
A. K. Abass, Z. A. Ahmed, and R. M. Samuel Phys. Status Solidi A 120, 247 (1990).
C. de las Heras and C. Sánchez, Thin Solid Films 199, 259 (1991).
C. Höpfner, A. Ennaoui, D. Lichtenberger, M. Birkholz, G. Smestad, S. Fiechter, and H. Tributsch, Proc. 10th EEC PVSEC, Lisbon, 1991 (Kluwer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1991), p. 594.
G. Willeke, R. Dasbach, B. Sailer, and E. Bucher, Thin Solid Films 213, 271 (1992).
S. Bausch, B. Sailer, H. Keppner, G. Willeke, E. Bucher, and G. Frommeyer, Appl. Phys. Lett. 57, 25 (1990).
I. J. Ferrer and C. Sanchez, J. Appl. Phys. 70, 2641 (1991).
G. Pimenta and W. Kautek, Thin Solid Films 238, 213 (1994); G. Pimenta, W. Schröder, and W. Kautek, Ber. Bunsenges Phys. Chem. 95, 1470 (1991).
G. Smestad, A. Ennaoui, S. Fiechter, H. Tributsch, W. K. Höfmann, M. Birkholz, and W. Kautek, Solar Energy Mater. 20, 149 (1990).
R. W. G. Wyckoff, Crystal Structures (John Wiley & Sons Interscience Publishers, New York, 1963), Vol. 1.
E. H. Kraus and I.D. Scott, Z. Kristallogr. 44, 153 (1908).
R. Juza, W. Biltz, and K. Meisel, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 205, 273 (1932).
C. T. Anderson, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 59, 486 (1937).
F. G. Smith, Am. Mineral. 27, 1 (1942).
M. Birkholz, S. Fiechter, A. Hartmann, and H. Tributsch, Phys. Rev. B 43, 11 926 (1991).
S. Fiechter, M. Birkholz, A. Hartman, P. Dulski, M. Giersig, H. Tributsch, and R. J. D. Tilley, J. Mater. Res. 7, 1829 (1992).
A. Sakthivel and R. A. Young, User Guide to Programs DBWS-9006 and DBWS-9006PC for Rietveld Analysis of X-Ray and Neutron Powder Diffraction Patterns (School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1991).
G. Caglioti, A. Paoletti, and F. P. Ricci, Nucl. Instrum. 3, 223 (1958).
R. A. Young and D. B. Wiles, J. Appl. Crystallogr. 15, 430 (1982).
J. E. Post and D. L. Bish, in Modern Powder Diffraction, edited by D. L. Bish and J.E. Post (The Mineralogical Society of America, Washington, DC 1989), Chap. 9.
The Rietveld Method, International Union of Crystallography, edited by R. A. Young (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1993), 298 pp.
H. P. Klug and L. E. Alexander, in X-Ray Diffraction Procedures for Polycrystalline and Amorphous Materials (John Wiley Interscience, New York, 1974), pp. 618–708.
B. Warren and B. L. Averbach, J. Appl. Phys. 21, 595 (1950).
B. E. Warren and B. L. Averbach, J. Appl. Phys. 23, 1059 (1952).
S. Enzo, G. Fagherazzi, A. Benedetti, and S. Polizzi, J. Appl. Crystallogr. 21, 536 (1988).
S. L. Finklea, L. Cathey, and E. L. Amma, Acta Crystallogr. A 32, 529 (1976).
S. L. Stevens, M. L. de Lucia, and P. Coppens, Inorg. Chem. 19, 813 (1979).
P. Bayliss, Am. Mineral. 62, 1168 (1977).
G. Brostigen and A. Kjekshus, Acta Chem. Scand. 24, 2993 (1970).
G. Will, J. Lauterjung, H. Schmitz, and E. Hinze, in High Pressure in Science and Technology, edited by C. Homan, R. K. MacCrone, and E. Whalley (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 22, Elsevier Science Publishing, New York, 1984), p. 49.
R. S. B. Chrystall, Trans. Faraday Soc. 61, 1811 (1965).
R. S. Krishnan, Thermal Expansion of Crystals (Pergamon Press, New York, 1993).
I. J. Ferrer C. de las Heras, and C. Sanchez, J. Phys. Cond. Matt. (in press).
Y. Zeng and N. A. W. Holzwarth, Phys. Rev. B 50, 8214 (1994).
C. de las Heras, I.J. Ferrer, and C. Sanchez, unpublished.
C. de las Heras, I.J. Ferrer, and C. Sanchez, J. Appl. Phys. 74, 4551 (1993).
A. K. Abbas, Z. A. Ahmed, and R. E. Tahir, Phys. Status Solidi A 97, 243 (1986); G. Smestad, A. da Silva, H. Tributsch, S. Fiechter, M. Kunst, N. Mezziani, and M. Birkholz, Solar Energy Mater. 18, 299 (1989).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
de las Heras, C., de Vidales, J.L.M., Ferrer, I.J. et al. Structural and microstructural features of pyrite FeS2−x thin films obtained by thermal sulfuration of iron. Journal of Materials Research 11, 211–220 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1996.0026
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1996.0026