Characterization of β-In2−xAlxS3 thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis technique

Abstract

Indium sulfide (In 2 S 3 ) is a good window or buffer layer for photovoltaic application. In this work, b-In 2-x Al x S 3 thin films with different thicknesses (400, 442, 646 and 714 nm) are successfully synthesized on heated glass substrates using a chemical spray pyrolysis technique. The thin film thickness effect on the structural, optical and photoluminescence (PL) properties of b-In 2-x Al x S 3 material is studied. The X-ray diffraction patterns suggest the formation of b-In 2 S 3 cubic phase preferentially oriented towards (400) direction. The level of the residual dislocation seems to be reduced to 3.12 9 10 9 lines mm -2 for the optimum thickness (646 nm) for which the b-In 2-x Al x S 3 film crystallinity is the best one. In order to enhance the electrical properties, b-In 2-x Al x S 3 layers are annealed in air at 400°C for different annealing times (15, 30 and 45 min). The minimum resistivity, maximum Hall mobility and carrier concentration are found for b-In 2-x Al x S 3 films annealed for 30 min. All samples have high transmittance of about 75 % but the wide band gap (E g = 3.32 eV) is obtained for this optimum thickness. This result indicates good optical quality of b-In 2-x Al x S 3 layers. Defects-related PL properties are also discussed.

Investigation of the effect of S/In molar ratio on physical properties of sprayed In2S3 thin films

“…The low emission intensity is obtained for sample at S/In ¼ 3,5, which the crystallinity is the best one. The same result was reported by Ajili et al 50 In addition, the last peak at 2.55 eV is relative to the E g values estimated from Tauc formula in earlier work by Bouguila et al 44 3.4.2. Transmittance spectra.…”

In2S3 thin films with potential use as window layers in photovoltaic devices

“…It seems that the agglomerated grain sizes slightly decrease when the substrate temperature increases. According to the literature several morphologies as nanoflakes, nanosheets and cauliflowers-like can be expected for such In 2 S 3 thin films [22].…”