Impact of Temperature on the Structural and Optical Properties of Silver Sulfide Films Prepared by Chemical Bath Deposition

Abstract

Transparent semiconducting silver sulfide (Ag₂S) thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition technique on glass substrates. The effect of different deposition temperatures (10, 20, and 30°C) on the structural and optical properties of silver sulfide films was studied. The XRD spectra showed that the structure of the films was monoclinic and polycrystalline, and the predominant growth of crystals was at the plane (022). The intensity of the peaks increases with increasing preparation temperature, becoming narrower and clearer. The best-structured films with the least crystalline defects were that prepared at 30°C. UV-VIS spectroscopic scanning showed that all films had a minimum transmittance and maximum absorbance at the ultraviolet field within the range 300–350 nm. The transmittance decreased and absorbance increased with increasing wavelength and temperature. The energy gap values changed within the range 2.105–2.242 eV, which clearly increased with increasing preparation temperature.