X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies on tin sulfide films grown by sulfurization process

Tin sulfide (SnS) thin films were grown by single zone sulfurization process using sputtered tin layers. Metallic tin (Sn) layers were grown on molybdenum (Mo) coated soda-lime glass substrates by DC magnetron sputtering. The sputtered Sn layers along with sulfur flakes were kept in a graphite box and sulfurized using a closed single zone quartz tube furnace at different temperatures that vary in the range of 200–350 °C for a fixed sulfurization time of 2 h. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies on these layers revealed approximately stoichiometric ratio of Sn/S at a sulfurization temperature of 350 °C. The X-ray diffraction studies revealed the presence of secondary phases such as SnS 2 and Sn2S3 at lower sulfurization temperatures that got suppressed with the rise of temperature. All the layers showed the (111) plane as preferential orientation with orthorhombic structure and its intensity increased with the increase of sulfurization temperature. The evaluated crystallite size of the layers was found to increase with the increase of sulfurization temperature.