Synthesis and Characterization of Chemically Deposited Copper Sulphide Thin Films

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume VI, Issue V, May 2021|ISSN 2454-6194

Synthesis and Characterization of Chemically Deposited Copper Sulphide Thin Films

Olayiwola Olanike Grace*, Akande Ademola, Aremu Olaosebikan Akanni, and Ojumoola Olajesu Theophilus.
Physics department, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, P.M.B 22, U.I post office, Ibadan, Nigeria
*Correspondence Author’s

Abstract: Thin films of Copper Sulphide (CuS) were grown on glass substrates by the Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) technique at room temperature (300C). Copper Chloride and Thiourea were used as sources for Copper and Sulphur ions respectively. The optical characterization was done by using a UV- VIS spectrophotometer in the wavelength range of 180 nm – 1100 nm. The transmittance of the films was determined directly from the spectrophotometer. Other properties such as absorbance and band gap were calculated. A band gap energy range between 3.00 eV to 3.41 eV was obtained and these results suggest that the films can suitably be used in the fabrication of solar cells.

Keywords: Chemical Bath Method, Copper Sulphide, Growth, Optical Characterization, Thin films.

I.INTRODUCTION

A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer (monolayer) to several micrometers in thickness [1]. Thin films of transitional metal chalcogenides have received much attention due to their wide range of application in semiconducting devices such as in photovoltaic, optoelectronic devices, radiation detectors, and solar cell convertors. Among them Copper Sulfide (CuS) chalcogenides have been of much interest to researchers because they fulfill a number of the requirements for several modern electronic and optoelectronic devices such as LED’s, photodiodes, blue green lasers etc. CuS is one of the direct band gap semiconductors with a wide gap which make them interesting for photovoltaic cells [2]. CuS thin films have also been of great interest in research because when they are doped they offer good window material properties [3] [4] [5]. Materials which include CuS, SnS and CuSnS are performing well with some of their binary and ternary combinations. CuS thin films are widely used as an absorber material in opto-electronics [6] [ 7].

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