Polycrystalline tin sulfide (SnS) films were grown by sulfurization of Sn precursor at low temperatures of 120–220 °C. The p‐ type conductivity SnS film grown at 170 °C comprises densely packed 3–5‐μm‐diameter columnar grains, which is appropriate for use in photoabsorption layers of solar cells. The SnS film had an optical bandgap of about 1.3 eV. Using an appropriate SnS film, n ‐CdS/p ‐SnS heterojunction was fabricated on Mo‐coated soda‐lime glass substrates. These results are the first step toward realizing an optical device as a solar cell using a SnS film grown using sulfurization. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of bulk ZnSnP2 crystals grown by solution growth (SG) and normal freezing (NF) methods are described. The donor‐acceptor pair (DAP) transition, which possibly originates from the transition from Sn levels at Zn sites (SnZn) to Zn vacancy (VZn) levels, is observed in the crystals grown by the SG method. The PL spectra of the crystals grown by the NF method exhibit free‐to‐bound transitions. Ionization energies of the SnZn and VZn levels are estimated to be approximately 110 and 40–50 meV, respectively. These results are the first step toward realizing novel functions of optical devices using ZnSnP2. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Tin sulfide (SnS) films were grown by sulfurization using an inexpensive Sn sheet and S powder. The Sn sheet was sulfurized in a closed ampoule at a low temperature between 150 and 300 C. The resulting sulfurized films had a flat surface and large grains, and exhibited adhered very well to the substrate. These samples exhibited X-ray diffraction peaks corresponding to SnS and contained no extra phases. These results represent the first step toward realizing an optical device such as a solar cell using a SnS film grown by a sulfurization method.

Polycrystalline tin sulfide (SnS) films were grown by sulfurization of a Sn precursor at low temperatures of 120 -220 C. The SnS film grown at 170 C comprises densely packed 3 -5-mm-diameter columnar grains, which is appropriate for use in the photoabsorption layers of solar cells. The SnS film had an optical bandgap of approximately 1.3 eV and p-type conductivity. Using an appropriate SnS film, an n-CdS/p-SnS heterojunction was fabricated on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates. These results are the first step toward realizing an optical device as a solar cell using a SnS film grown by sulfurization.

The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the bulk ZnSnP 2 crystals grown by the solution growth (SG) and normal freezing (NF) methods are studied. The donor-acceptor pair transition, which possibly originates from the transition from the levels of Sn at Zn sites (Sn Zn ) to the Zn vacancy (V Zn ) levels, is observed using the crystals grown by SG method. The ionization energies of the Sn Zn and V Zn levels are estimated to be approximately 110 and 40 -50 meV, respectively. The PL spectra of the crystals grown by SG method exhibits free-to-bound transition. These results are the first step toward realizing the novel function or optical devices as a solar cell using ZnSnP 2 .