Structural, morphology and optical properties of chemically deposited Sb2S3 thin films

Metal chalcogenide thin films prepared by chemical methods are currently attracting considerable attention, as they are relatively inexpensive, simple and convenient for large area deposition. Antimony sulphide (Sb2S3) films were deposited on glass substrate by chemical bath deposition from solution containing SbCl3 and Na2S2O3. Characterization of the films was carried out with X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Using these techniques, we have specified the effect of temperature and time deposition on the crystallinity structure of antimony sulphide films. Homogeneous films were found to be crystallized on orthorhombic structure, and indicate a direct band gap of 2.24 eV. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.