Optical and structural characterization of chemically deposited CuCrSnS4 thin films

This study presents the fabrication of copper chromium tin sulfide (CuCrSnS4) films with different thicknesses using a chemical deposition procedure. The X-ray diffraction analysis exposed that the CuCrSnS4 samples exhibited a polycrystalline structure characterized by a single cubic phase. The structural analysis shows that the crystallite size (D) of these samples enlarged by enlarging the layer thickness, while the strain (epsilon(s)) and the dislocation density (delta) decreased. The EDX analysis of the CuCrSnS4 films revealed that these samples were created using a respect ratio nearly matching to the ingots. The transmittance and reflectance of CuCrSnS4 films were used to compute the linear optical properties, such as bandgap energy, extinction, and absorption coefficients. The CuCrSnS4 films have a direct energy gap (E-g), and as the sample thickness was increased, the E-g of the novel CuCrSnS4 films fell from 1.39 to 1.24 eV. Also, boosting the thickness of the CuCrSnS4 samples leads to enhancements in their optoelectrical parameters, including electrical conductivity, optical mobility, and optical conductivity. One notable consequence of the increase in thickness is the enhancement of the nonlinear optical characteristics, resulting in an elevation of their respective values. The CuCrSnS4 samples were p-type semiconductors through the utilization of the hot probe equipment. Ultimately, CuCrSnS4 films exhibit potential as p-type semiconductors suitable for use in diverse photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.