Effect of Sb addition on Sb_xSn_1‐xS thin films: The structural, morphological, and linear/nonlinear optical changes for optoelectronic applications

Abstract

The current paper reports the changes in the structural and optical properties of antimony-doped tin sulfide ternary (Sb x Sn 1-x S) (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) thin films synthesized by the thermal evaporation technique on a glass substrate. Structural characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy of the prepared sample revealed that the thin films are crystalline in nature. The nanoflake-like structure was found from the surface morphological analysis performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The concentration of the compositional elements was confirmed from the energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The linear and nonlinear optical parameters were calculated by using the transmission data obtained from UV-vis spectroscopy in the range of 800-1100 nm. The optical measurements showed an increase in transmittance and shifting of the absorption edge. The optical bandgap increased (1.239-1.378 eV) and the refractive index decreased with the increase of Sb concentration, satisfying the Moss rule. The nonlinear susceptibility and the nonlinear refractive index (n 2 ) decreased with Sb content. The changes in both linear and nonlinear parameters by varying the antimony doping concentration could be helpful for controlling the optical properties of Sb x Sn 1-x S thin films and could be a suitable candidate for many photonics and optoelectronic applications.

Optoelectrical properties of the ternary chalcogenide SnSb2S5 as a new absorber layer for photovoltaic application

“…On the other hand, a combinatorial synthesis of Sn-Sb-S compounds was done and showed the existence of SnSb 2 S 4 , Sn 2 Sb 2 S 5 , and Sn 3 Sb 2 S 6 phases [15][16][17]. The sulfosalt and pseudo-binary chalcogenide series (Sn x Sb y S z ) have shown better optoelectronic properties and thin film PV devices [18][19][20][21]. A high number of sulfosalt types materials under natural environmental conditions demonstrates thermodynamic stability and an air-abundant low cost for applications [22][23][24].…”