Investigation of Crystallographic Structure and Functional Group of Silar-Deposited Thallium Cuprous Sulphide Thin Films

This study synthesized and characterized thallium cuprous sulphide (TCS) thin films. TCS thin films were prepared using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique from the aqueous solution of thallium chloride (TlCl), copper (II) chloride dihydrate (CuCl2.2H2O), thiourea, and trisodiumcitrate (TSC), while ammonia (NH3), triethanolamine (TEA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) were used as pH adjuster and complexing agents respectively. A detailed characterization of the TCS thin film was investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD results showed prominent peaks around (130), (110), (200), (211) orientation planes corresponding to 23.180, 26.720, 37.920 and 51.640. Other lesser peaks appeared around (101), (310), (301) for 33.880, 61.820, 65.840 lattice planes respectively which revealed the growth of a crystalline (carlinite) thallium sulphide (Tl2S) in the fabricated films. FTIR results revealed further that the deposited TCS films can be attached to the Ti-OH lattice vibrations mainly by their OH groups and that C-OH group is undominant, which implies the presence of impurity in the deposited thin film.