Revisiting sulfurization: Tailoring Sb2S3 thin films in custom-designed borosilicate cells
Solid State Sciences, cilt.181, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 181
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2026.108445
- Dergi Adı: Solid State Sciences
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Absorber layer, Antimony trisulfide, Borosilicate cell, Sulfurization, Thermal evaporation
- Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In this study, Sb2S3 thin films were coated on glass substrates by the thermal evaporation method and then annealed in a sulfur atmosphere. The structural and compositional factors limiting the high-quality synthesis of Sb2S3 thin films for photovoltaic applications are still not fully eliminated, and these factors are the motivation of current research. In response to current challenges, an alternative sulfurization strategy is introduced as a promising route for improving material formation. A unique borosilicate sulfurization cell was designed instead of conventional tube furnaces and used for the sulfurization process. The sulfurization process showed that the optical band gap values decreased from 2.34 eV to 1.72 eV and the S/Sb ratio could be controlled to achieve stoichiometric films. With the sulfurization performed in the designed borosilicate cell, it was also observed that crystallization started even in a small volume and at temperatures as low as 200 °C. A pure crystalline stibnite-Sb2S3 phase was successfully obtained without any secondary phase formation. By changing the sulfurization temperature, it was concluded that the sulfurization temperature is decisive on surface morphology and particle size. Elemental analysis evaluations showed that the problem of sulfur loss, which is frequently emphasized in the literature, can be prevented by heat treatments in the designed borosilicate cell. As an alternative to conventional tube furnace systems, the low-cost sulfurization cell proposed in this study produced outputs that support reproducibility in material synthesis, balance the sulfur vapor in the reaction medium, and improve stoichiometric control and crystalline quality.