Effect of annealing temperatures on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of Cu2Sb thin films

Abstract

The Cu2Sb thin films were successfully synthesized by the chemical bath deposition method to form an as-prepared thin film and annealed at 300, 400, and 500 °C. The X-ray diffraction results of the Cu2Sb thin films were found with the CuSb2O6 phase for the as-prepared, 300 °C, and 400 °C films and exhibited crystallinity. Then, the thin film became amorphous after annealing at 500 °C. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to examine surface morphologies. Linear optical, dispersion, optoelectrical, and nonlinear optical properties were evaluated. Furthermore, the energy bandgap (Eg), Urbach energy (Eu), and electrical properties were determined. It can be suggested that the optimum annealing temperature for our synthesized mixed-phase thin films should not exceed 400 °C. Finally, the majority of the carriers in the Cu2Sb thin film exhibited p-type conductivity. Thus, the distinctive parameters investigated for our thin-film materials show a further promising optical system in optoelectronic and nonlinear optical devices and a new absorber layer for solar cell applications.