저널

CuS (copper sulfide) thin films having the same thickness of 100nm were deposited on the glass substrates using by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. RF powers were applied as a process variable for the growth of CuS thin films. The structural and optical properties of CuS thin films deposited under different power conditions (40-100W) were studied. XRD analysis revealed that all CuS thin films had hexagonal crystal structure with the preferential growth of (110) planes. As the sputtering power increased, the relative intensity of the peak with respect to the (110) planes decreased. The peaks of the two bands (264cm^-1 and 474cm^-1) indicated in the Raman spectrum exactly matched the typical spectral values of the covellite (CuS). The size and shape of the grains constituting the surface of the CuS thin films deposited under the power condition ranging from 40W to 80W hardly changed. However, the spacing between crystal grains tended to increase in proportion to the increase in sputtering power. The maximum transmittance of CuS thin films grown at 40W to 80W ranged from 50 % to 51 % based on 580nm wavelength, and showed a relatively small decrease of 48% at 100W. The band gap energy of the CuS thin films decreased from 2.62eV (at 40W) to 2.56eV (at 100W) as the sputtering power increased.

Covellite;CuS thin film;RF magnetron sputtering;deposition power;solar cell;