Iron sulphide formation in the ferric stearate Langmuir-Blodgett films

Ferric stearate (FeSt) Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films have been reacted chemically with H₂S gas for making iron sulphide within the organic matrix. Films, before and after the reaction with H₂S, have been analyzed with the X-ray reflectivity (XRR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. After sulphidation, more ‘pinhole’ defects form which changes the film morphology and the number of layers increases due to the rearrangement of the molecules. Formation of less ordered iron sulphide within the stearic acid multilayers after sulphidation increases the interfacial roughness that decreases the reflectivity. XPS analysis shows that polysulphide forms within the microenvironment of the FeSt LB films after reaction with H₂S whereas both mono and polysulphide are produced when the reaction occurs with FeSt in bulk.     

Spin-coating deposition of PbS and CdS thin films for solar cell application

In this work, we describe a simple spin-coating deposition technique for lead sulphide (PbS) and cadmium sulphide (CdS) films from a methanolic metal–thiourea complex. The characterization of the films by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques revealed that pure cubic phase PbS and CdS layers were formed via this method. As shown by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy results, both films were homogeneous and presented a smooth surface. Optical properties showed that the energy band gap of PbS and CdS films were around 1.65 and 2.5 eV, respectively. The PbS film is p-type in nature with an electrical conductivity of around 0.8 S/cm. The hole concentration and mobility were 2.35 × 10¹⁸ cm^?3 and 2.16 × 10^?3 cm²/V/s, respectively, as determined from Hall measurement. Both films were used to develop a thin film solar cell device of graphite/PbS/CdS/ITO/glass. Device characterization showed the power conversion efficiency of around 0.24 %. The corresponding open circuit voltage, short circuit current and fill factor were 0.570 V, 1.32 mA/cm² and 0.32, respectively.     

Observation of memory behaviour in cadmium sulphide nanorods doped ferroelectric liquid crystal mixture

In this study, cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanorods doped ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) sample cells have been prepared and studied. A memory effect has been observed in CdS nanorods (≤0.3?wt%) doped FLC mixture and confirmed by textures, dielectric and optical studies. The addition of nanorods increases the memory behaviour and efficiency. The occurrence of memory behaviour has been explained due to charge transfer from liquid crystal molecules to CdS nanorods and exists there for 5–15?min in 0.1–0.3?wt% CdS nanorods doped samples. An improvement in polarization, switching time, threshold voltage and rise time parameters has also been noticed in CdS nanorods doped FLC samples.     

Photoluminescence studies on nanostructured cadmium sulfide thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition method and annealed at different temperatures

Nanostructured cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films have been prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method and after post deposition annealing of the thin films at different temperatures, photoluminescence (PL) property has been studied. The effects of various photoexcitation wavelengths on the PL behaviour of different annealed films of CdS were studied by recording the PL spectra. The intensity of PL, the profile of the PL spectra and the effects of photoexcitation wavelength depend drastically on the temperature of the post deposition annealing of the thin films. The XRD patterns of the films show the presence of both the hexagonal and cubic phases (mixed phases). The emission peak arises from the surface defects of the CdS nanocrystalline thin films. Significant modification in the surface morphology of the CdS films upon annealing has been observed from the FESEM images. The morphology of the thin films is expected to influence the PL behaviour of the CdS thin films. The quantum size effect and size dependant PL have been observed.     

Preparation of chemically deposited thin films of CdS/PbS solar cell

The present paper reports the preparation of a solar cell which has a cross-sectional scheme: ITO/CdS/PbS, containing a commercially transparent conductive ITO; chemically deposited n-type CdS (340 nm) and absorbed layer of p-type PbS (1400 nm). The structural and optical properties of the constituent films are presented. X-ray diffraction showed that all of the thin films are polycrystalline. Using scanning electron microscopy, the present study revealed that the films have uniform surface morphology over the substrate. The solar cell was characterized by determining the open circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, and J–V under 40 mW/cm² solar radiation. The efficiency of the solar cells was 1.35%, which is much higher (0.041, 0.5 and 0.1–0.4%) and slightly smaller (1.65%) than some solar cells reported in the literature.     

Synthesis of cobalt-doped cadmium sulphide nanocrystals and their optical and magnetic properties

Cobalt-doped cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized with three different cobalt concentrations by aqueous chemical coprecipitation method. Dopant incorporation was recognised using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis with a shift in the diffraction peaks and compression in the lattice. The size and crystallinity of the cobalt-doped CdS NCs were studied by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The blue shift in the spectra and the band gap value of Co-doped CdS NCs was estimated using reflectance UV spectrophotometer. Variation in the luminescence properties was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. The change in the optical properties supports the Co incorporation in the CdS NCs. The BET measurement revealed that the powders had a relatively high specific surface area of 131.30, 106.93 and 102.04 m²/g for 2, 4 and 6% Co:CdS, respectively. Room temperature magnetisation was studied using vibrating sample magnetometer for both 4 and 6% cobalt-doped CdS NCs, which revealed a weak ferromagnetic signal and strong ferromagnetic hysteresis respectively.     

Facile and low cost chemosynthesis of nanostructured PbS with tunable optical properties

The present work reports on the chemosynthesis of nanocrystalline lead sulphide (PbS) thin films by a facile and cost-effective chemical bath deposition (CBD) method onto soda-lime glass substrates. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern shows the formation phase pure PbS with cubic crystal structure. Electronic structures and chemical states of PbS film have been performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images show the transition from granular-to-cubic-to-cubo-octahedra like surface morphology with the increase in the deposition time from 20 to 90 min. The UV–vis–NIR absorption spectra of PbS thin films are measured, and a classical Tauc approach was employed to estimate their band gap energies. The increase in band gap energy from 0.99 to 2.06 eV with the reduction in crystallite size evinces quantum size effect. This work demonstrates a simple and effective solution approach to deposit PbS nanostructured thin films having predominant quantum confinement. This approach would be helpful in nano-PbS sensitized oxide based solar cells, which are recently under intensive investigations.     

The electrical properties of evaporated films of cadmium sulphide

The electrical properties of vacuum evaporated layers of CdS on amorphous substrates have been investigated as a function of the various preparative parameters, i.e. evaporation rate, substrate temperature, thickness of the layers and purity of the source. The degree of preferential orientation of the crystallites which comprise the film has also been examined. It is shown that the resistivity of the films decreases with increasing thickness. This effect is associated with a corresponding increase in the density of free electrons, which it is suggested is associated with an increasing deviation from stoichiometry of the source as the evaporation proceeds. The variation of the Hall mobility with thickness can be explained in terms of surface scattering. A tentative model of the evaporation process is proposed which gives some insight into many of the experimental observations.     

Changes in the photoconductivity of sputtered films of cadmium sulphide resulting from sulphur dioxide chemisorption

The effect which SO₂ has on the photocurrent flowing parallel to the surface in sputtered thin films of cadmium sulphide is investigated. The photocurrent was observed to be inversely related to the partial pressure of SO₂ in a flowing N₂ environment. A theoretical model previously derived to characterize the CdSO₂ interaction is shown to properly characterize the CdSSO₂ interaction. The steady-state photocurrent is shown to be inversely related to the logarithm of the gas partial pressure as predicted by theory. These experimental data further substantiate the previously derived theoretical model and show that thin films can be used as gas detectors.     

The effect of annealing temperature on structural and optical properties of undoped and Cu doped CdS thin films

Cadmium sulphide (CdS) thin films were prepared chemical bath deposition technique. The films were doped with copper using the direct method consisting in the addition of a copper salt in the deposition bath of CdS. The doped films were annealed in air, at 250, 300 and 350 °C, for 1 h. The deposition films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX) and optical properties of CdS thin films before and after Cu doping. XRD analysis shows that the films are polycrystalline in nature with cubic crystalline structure. The various parameters such as crystallite size, micro strain and dislocation density were evaluated. SEM study shows that the total substrate surface is well covered by uniformly distributed spherical shaped grains. Optical transmittance study shows the presence of direct transition with band gap energy decrease 2.5–2.2 eV.     

Induction of superconductivity of a La<Subscript>2</Subscript>CuO<Subscript>4</Subscript> thin film chemically oxidized by NaClO

High-quality, c-axis-oriented La₂CuO₄ thin films have been fabricated by the pulsed laser ablation technique. Superconductivity has been successfully induced in the films after chemical oxidation using sodium hypochlorite solution as oxidizing agent. The structural properties, surface morphology, and electrical resistivity before and after oxidation are compared. In addition, the oxidation mechanism is discussed. PACS 68.55.Jk; 74.76.Bz; 82.40.-g     

Photoelectric properties of pure and aluminium doped CdS films

Photoelectric properties of pure and Al doped vacuum deposited CdS films have been studied to explore the possibility of their application in photoactivated liquid crystal light valves. The effect of heat treatment in oxygen atmosphere, rate of deposition and the extent of Al doping, etc. on the resistivity, photo-response spectral characteristics, rise and decay time of photo-current, etc. have been investigated. It has been found that in contrast to pure CdS films, the properties of Al-doped films significantly depend on both the rate of deposition and the extent of Al doping. The dark resistivity in all cases was found to increase with heat treatment in oxygen. Unlike pure CdS films, Al doped films show photo-conductivity which is enhanced by heat treatment. Al doped films deposited at higher rates show better photo response even at lower light levels. At various light levels the rise and decay time of Al-doped films were found to be fairly constant and lower than that for pure CdS films. All these properties have been explained in terms of the presence of trapping levels due to doping. These trapping levels are also indicated by TSC, optical absorption and EPR studies.     

Photoconducting nanocrystalline lead sulphide thin films obtained by chemical bath deposition

A chemical bath deposition method of preparing photoconducting nanocrystalline lead sulphide (PbS) thin films at room temperature (RT) is described. The aqueous bath of lead acetate, thiourea, and ammonium hydroxide produce films of about 100?nm thicknesses in 45?minutes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies show that these films are nanocrystalline cubic PbS with 10?nm crystallite size. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) revealed that the films consist of spherical grains of sizes 100 to 200?nm. The transmission spectra of the films show onset of absorption edge around 850?nm and the bandgap is around 1.65?eV. The films are p-type with dark conductivity of 2.5×10^?3?S/cm and mobility of 0.07?cm²/V?s. The photosensitivity is 6–7 for an illumination of 80?mW/cm² from a halogen lamp (50?W, 12?V). Transient photoconductivity measurements reveal short and long life times of minority carriers. Thermoelectric and photothermoelectric studies show that photoconductivity in these films is mainly due to photogenerated majority carriers.     

Simplistic surface active agents mediated morphological tweaking of CdS thin films for photoelectrochemical solar cell performance

This study reports on the formation of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanostructures with controlled morphology synthesized via a simple chemical route in surface active agent environment. The effect of organic surface active agents (surfactants) as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on structural, morphological, optical and photoelectrochemical properties of CdS thin films have been studied. Our results reveal that the organic surfactants play key roles in tweaking the surface morphology. A compact spongy ball like morphology was observed for the CdS samples grown without organic surfactants. The cauliflower's with nanopetals from the CTAB, whereas crowded star fish like morphology is observed in PEG-mediated growth. Water hyacinth like morphology is tweaked using SDS. Considering the importance of these nanostructures, the growth mechanism has been discussed in details. Additionally, the samples are photoelectrochemically (PEC) active and having a compact surface with a nanoporous structure twig helps in improved photoelectrochemical performance compared to that of CdS deposits from surfactant free solution. This is a simplistic way to tune the morphology using surfactants, which can be applied to other energy conversion applications.     

Preparation and characterization of graphene/CdS nanocomposites

Graphene-based nanocomposites are emerging as a new class of materials that hold promise for many applications. In this paper, we present a facile approach for the preparation of graphene/CdS nanocomposites through simple reflux processes, in which thiourea (CS(NH₂)₂) and thioacetamide (C₂H₅NS) act as a sulphide source, respectively. The samples were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and thermogravimetry analysis. It was shown that in the nanocomposites, the CdS nanoparticles were densely and uniformly deposited on the graphene sheets, and the sulphide source used has a great influence on the morphology, structure and property of the graphene/CdS nanocomposites. The good distribution of CdS nanoparticles on graphene sheets guarantees the efficient optoelectronic properties of graphene/CdS and would be promising for practical applications in future nanotechnology.     

Reactively evaporated copper sulphide films

Thin films of covellite (CuS) have been prepared for the first time. The films were prepared by reactively evaporating copper and sulphur. X-Ray diffraction measurements indicate that the grains are oriented with (001) planes perpendicular to the substrate surface. Optical studies show that CuS is a semiconductor, contrary to what has been reported earlier. The films have a resistivity of ～10^?4 Ω cm and show p-type conductivity.     

不同衬底和CdCl2退火对磁控溅射CdS薄膜性能的影响

在科宁7059玻璃, FTO, ITO, AZO四种衬底上磁控溅射CdS薄膜, 并在CdCl₂+干燥空气380 ℃退火, 分别研究了不同衬底和退火工艺对CdS薄膜形貌、结构和光学性能的影响. 扫描电子显微镜形貌表明: 不同衬底原位溅射CdS薄膜的形貌不同, 退火后相应CdS薄膜的晶粒度和表面粗糙度明显增大. XRD衍射图谱表明: 不同衬底原位溅射和退火CdS薄膜均为六角相和立方相的混相结构, 退火前后科宁7059玻璃, FTO, AZO衬底上CdS薄膜有 H(002)/C(111) 最强衍射峰, ITO衬底原位溅射CdS薄膜没有明显的最强衍射峰, 退火后出现 H(002)/(111) 最强衍射峰. 紫外-可见分光光度计分析表明: AZO, FTO, ITO, 科宁7059玻璃衬底CdS薄膜的可见光平均透过率依次减小, 退火后相应衬底CdS薄膜的可见光平均透过率增大, 光学吸收系数降低; 退火显著增大了不同衬底CdS薄膜的光学带隙. 分析得出: 上述结果是由于不同衬底类型和退火工艺对CdS多晶薄膜的形貌、结构和带尾态掺杂浓度改变的结果. 关键词： CdS薄膜 磁控溅射 退火再结晶 带尾态     

Electric properties of chemically deposited lithium doped cadmium sulphide films

Electrical properties of chemically deposited CdS and lithium doped CdS films have been investigated by using techniques of Photo-thermoelectric and Photo-Hall effects. Dark electron densities are independent of temperature between 100 and 330°K because of shallow donors and quasi-intrinsic behaviour is apparent above 330°K. Electron density and mobility in these films have been measured as a function of temperature under strong photoexcitation. The electron mobility is found to be thermally activated with energies 0.2 and 0.22 eV for CdS:Li and CdS films respectively. The Hall mobility and electron density in these films have also been measured as a function of temperature under strong photoexcitation and found that both the free carrier density and mobility are reduced by the adsorption of oxygen, former by larger factor than the latter. The resulting very high electron density and very low electron mobility in the temperature region studied also indicate that most of the photoconductivity in chemically deposited films is caused by an increase in electron density due to photoexcitation.     

Effect of CdS modification on photoelectric properties of TiO2/PbS quantum dots bulk heterojunction

TiO₂/PbS(CdS) quantum dots (QDs) bulk heterojunction has been fabricated by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method via alternate deposition of PbS and CdS QDs. In comparison with TiO₂/PbS heterojunction, the incident photon to current conversion efficiency was increased almost 50% in the visible region. Meantime, the short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage were enhanced 200% and 35% respectively. The influence mechanism of CdS is related to reduction of trap state density at TiO₂/PbS interface and PbS QDs surface by the discussion of the dark current density–voltage curves, the transient photocurrent response curves and the electrochemical impedance spectra spectroscopy (EIS).     

Asymmetric effect of (000$\bar{1}$) and (0001) facets on surface and interface properties of CdS single crystal

A different effect of (0001) and (000[`1]\bar{1}) crystal facets of the cadmium sulfide (CdS) wurtzite structure terminated with Cd and S atoms, respectively, was observed in respect to the properties of the crystal surface and interface with metal or organic semiconductor contacts. In addition to the different surface morphology, a bare CdS single crystal showed different features in photoluminescence from the Cd- and S-terminated surfaces. Different adhesive behavior of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) films in respect to the Cd- and S-terminated facets of the crystal has also been found. Photovoltaic properties of hybrid CdS/PEDOT:PSS heterojunctions have been shown to be sensitive in respect to the crystal facet used. Thin films of aluminum (Al) equally deposited onto the opposite crystal facets revealed much smaller sheet resistance on the sulfur facet than on the cadmium one, which has been assigned to the difference in both chemical interaction with the surface atoms and surface morphology. Current–voltage characteristics of an apparently symmetric Al/CdS/Al structure with Al electrodes deposited onto the opposite crystal facets showed asymmetric behavior depending on the bias direction applied to the Cd or S-terminated facet, with the barrier for electrons at the Al/S-terminated interface, respectively.