Single phase tin sulfide films prepared by one-bath electrodeposition

Single phase SnS films were potentiostatically electrodeposited on ITO-coated glass substrates in an aqueous solution containing 10 mM SnSO₄ and 50 mM Na₂S₂O₃ at a pH of 2.7 while varying the deposition potential, bath temperature, and stirring. Contrary to room temperature deposition, agitation using a magnetic stirrer in the electrodeposition process at 45 °C significantly promoted the deposition rate and enlarged the crystal size of the SnS compounds. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the SnS films, which had nearly stoichiometric compositions, were characterized. All of the synthesized SnS films were determined to be p-type semiconductor material by photoelectrochemical testing under illumination. The thicker samples obtained with stirring exhibited an optical band gap of ~1.02 eV, which is almost identical to the theoretical value. The p–n junction heterostructures of the ITO/SnS/ZnO/In were fabricated and their rectifying behaviors were characterized under dark condition.