"

Cookies ussage consent

Our site saves small pieces of text information (cookies) on your device in order to deliver better content and for statistical purposes. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. By browsing our site without changing the browser settings you grant us permission to store that information on your device.

I agree, do not show this message again.

Crystal order in Cu2S thin films obtained by spray pyrolysis

L. A. ISAC1,* , A. DUTA1, A. KRIZAb2, M. NANU1,3, J. SCHOONMAN3

Affiliation

  1. The Centre: Product Design for Sustainable Development, Transilvania University of Brasov, Iuliu Maniu 50, Romania
  2. Inorganic Chemistry Department, Bucharest University, Dumbrava Rosie 23, Romania
  3. Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 136, The Netherlands

Abstract

Thin films of Cu2S (chalcocite) were obtained onto TCO (SnO2:F) glass, by Spray Pyrolysis Deposition (SPD). As precursors, aqueous and water:ethanol:glyceryne solutions of copper(II) chloride and thiourea with molar ratio Cu:S = 1:3 have been used. The substrate temperature was maintained at 235 °C, respectively at 285 °C. The structural and the morphological characterisation of the films has been carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The deposited Cu2S thin films may have tetragonal or monoclinic crystal structure built around two or three preferred orientation (hkl) planes, the (111) plane being the common one. The porous morphology and smaller crystallite sizes suggest that crystal germination is the limiting step in the films deposition, at 235°C, from precursor solution containing water or mixtures of water:ethanol:glycerine solvents. Increasing the substrate temperature at 285°C, the deposition of dense films with large crystallites/aggregates is favoured, suggesting that crystal growth is the limiting step when water:alcohol mixtures are used as solvents..

Keywords

Chalcocite, Thin films, Spray pyrolysis deposition, Crystal structure, Morphology.

Submitted at: Nov. 14, 2006
Accepted at: May 15, 2007

Citation

L. A. ISAC, A. DUTA, A. KRIZAb, M. NANU, J. SCHOONMAN, Crystal order in Cu2S thin films obtained by spray pyrolysis, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 9, Iss. 5, pp. 1265-1268 (2007)