Quaternary lithium thiostannate spinels represent a promising class of non-toxic, moisture-stable semiconductor absorbers for photovoltaic applications. Here, we report the first successful deposition of nanocrystalline Li1.66CuSn3.33S8 spinel films via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). We demonstrate that the crystal structures of the PLD target govern the structures and optoelectronic properties of the resulting films. PL emission is centered at 836 nm ( ̴ 1.5 eV), consistent with band edge or shallow defect mediated radiative recombination. Photoconductivity measurements confirm carrier mobility. This makes Li1.66CuSn3.33S8 films deposited by the PLD method candidates for a photoabsorbing material.
Landová et al. (Fri,) studied this question.