Structural, Optical, and Optoelectrical Studies of Spray Pyrolyzed CuGaSnS₄ Thin Films

Abstract

We deposited CuGaSnS4 thin films on soda-lima glass substrates via a spray pyrolysis process. The X-ray diffraction of CuGaSnS4 films established the formation of an orthorhombic single phase. In addition, the structural parameters of the CuGaSnS4 films were estimated by Debye-Scherer’s formulas, which showed that an enhancement in crystallite size (D) values occurred by increasing the thickness of the investigated films. The EDAX pattern of CuGaSnS4 films confirms a stoichiometric composition. The optical results revealed that the CuGaSnS4 films possessed a direct optical energy gap (Eg). The Eg values were reduced from 1.50 to 1.38 eV with the increase in thickness. Also, there was an observed increase in the linear refractive index and the linear absorption coefficient values occurred due to the increased thickness. Finally, the optoelectrical constants of the sprayed CuGaSnS4 films such as the optical conductivity (σopt) and the optical free carrier concentration to effective mass (N_opt/m^* ) were enlarged with increasing film thickness. The nonlinear optical study showed that the increase in film thickness enhanced the nonlinear optical constants of CuGaSnS4 films. The hot-probe procedure shows that the sprayed CuGaSnS4 films expose p-type conductivity.