Thickness effect on the physical properties of evaporated SnS films

SnS films with different thicknesses have been deposited on glass substrates at a constant substrate temperature of 300 S C. The physical properties of the films were investigated using energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, van der Pauw method, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements at room temperature. The deposited films exhibit only SnS phase with different orientations. We show that the electrical resistivity, activation energy, and optical bandgap of the films depend strongly on the preferred orientation of the SnS films. The electrical resistivity of films decreased with the increase of film thickness. The optical and electrical data of the SnS film are well interpreted with the composition, crystal, and surface structure data. (c) 2006 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.2398816] All rights reserved.