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Effect of thickness on the optoelectronic properties of electrodeposited nanostructured SnS films

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Abstract

The present study focuses on the effect of film thickness on the physical properties of tin mono-sulfide (SnS) nanostructures deposited through an electrodeposition technique. The SnS films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which confirmed the formation of polycrystalline orthorhombic SnS thin films. The crystallite size and lattice parameters were estimated from the XRD patterns. The effect of the deposition voltage on the surface morphology of the deposited films was evaluated by field emission electron microscopy (FESEM). The FESEM images revealed that the nanostructures possess plate-like and bulky pyramid morphologies. Also, optical plots of the thin films were considered, which determined the direct band gap energies of the samples as 1.42–1.50 eV. Finally, Mott–Schottky measurements indicated that the samples have p-type conductivity and the carrier concentrations of the SnS films improve with the increase of their thicknesses.

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Acknowledgements

F. Jamali-Sheini and R. Yousefi gratefully acknowledge Islamic Azad University, the Ahvaz and Masjed-Soleiman Branches, respectively, for their financial support of this research work. F. Jamali-Sheini also appreciates Advanced Surface Engineering and Nano Materials Research Center, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran, for instrumentational support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Young Researchers and Elite Club, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

    Farhad Niknia & Mohsen Cheraghizade

  2. Advanced Surface Engineering and Nano Materials Research Center, Department of Physics, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

    Farid Jamali-Sheini

  3. Department of Physics, Masjed-Soleiman Branch, Islamic Azad University (I.A.U), Masjed-Soleiman, Iran

    Ramin Yousefi

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  1. Farhad Niknia
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  2. Farid Jamali-Sheini
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Correspondence to Farid Jamali-Sheini.

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Niknia, F., Jamali-Sheini, F., Yousefi, R. et al. Effect of thickness on the optoelectronic properties of electrodeposited nanostructured SnS films. Opt Quant Electron 50, 339 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-018-1598-6

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