Chalcopyrite CuAlS2 nanocomposite thin films with unusual and promising peculiarities fabricated by two consecutive methods; powder metallurgy and thermal evaporation

Abstract

The current work is focused on fabricating bulk CuAlS2 samples by powder metallurgy technique (P/M) at a compacting pressure of 350 MPa, sintering time 2hr and different sintering temperatures (100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 °C). These bulk samples were used to prepare CuAlS2 thin films by vacuum thermal evaporation. The phases, morphology, and content of elements for the CuAlS2 thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided with EDS. Wear, friction, slurry erosion, and electrochemical corrosion measurements were achieved. XRD analysis of the CuAlS2 thin film revealed the formation of the CuAlS2 with the preferred orientation (008). It is observed that the wear rate decreased from 119.7 × 10−6 mm3/Nm at sintering temperature 250 °C to 58.3 × 10−6 mm3/Nm at sintering temperature 300 °C. Moreover, Mott–Schottky’s plot of the sample that sintered at 250 °C shows unusual property and transformed from n-type to p-type at the potential of ~0.1 V.