The effect of copper concentration on structural, optical and dielectric properties of Cu xZn 1 - XS thin films

Cu xZn 1 - xS (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1) thin films were deposited on glass substrates using Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method at room temperature and ambient pressure. The copper concentration (x) effect on the structural, morphological and optical properties of Cu xZn 1 - xS thin films was investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed that all the films exhibit polycrystalline nature and are covered well with glass substrates. The crystalline and surface properties of the films improved with increasing copper concentration. The energy bandgap values were changed from 2.07 to 3.67 eV depending on the copper concentration. The refractive index (n), optical static and high frequency dielectric constants (ε o, ε ∈) values were calculated by using the energy bandgap values as a function of the copper concentration. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.