The influence of precursor temperature on strontium sulphide doped silver for optoelectronic application

This research aims at the study of strontium sulphide doped silver using 0.1 mol of strontium chloride hexahydrate (SrCl2.6H2O), Thioacetamide (C2H5NS), and 0.01 mol of silver nitrate (AgNO3) as the cationic, anionic, and dopant concentrations via electrochemical deposition technique. The film had a strong peak at (111) and (211) which corresponds to 2theta values of 26.69° and 51.77° for undoped SrS and doped SrS respectively, and a flawless crystalline peak with a cubic phase that is indexed at orientations (111), (112), (200), and (211). SrS/Ag of deposited different precursor temperatures (room, 35, 40, and 45)o correspond to 2theta values of 26.69°, 33.79°, 37.60°, and 51.77° respectively. The crystal lattice is shown by the rise in peak intensity with higher 2theta degree values; the appearance of an unindexed peak is caused by the substrate utilized for the deposition. Clove-like material with precipitate is visible in the SrS material's micrograph; the big nano grain on the surface of the substrate exhibits photon absorption but lacks any signs of pinholes. At the introduction of dopant and heating the precursor at 35 °C, 40 °C, and 45 °C there is a drastic change in the micrograph of the films, for the films at 35 °C the nanoparticle clave together with a melted wax with a sharp large white precipitate which is very visible on the surface of the film and the material deposited at 40 °C and 45 °C there is no visible precipitate on the film which show that as the precursor temperature increases it eliminate lattice strain and improve the photovoltaic properties of the deposited material. The energy band gap of strontium sulphide (SrS) and strontium sulphide doped silver (SrS/Ag) at different precursor temperatures of 35 °C, 40 °C, 45 °C is 1.50–2.35 eV. [Display omitted] •Successfully deposited strontium sulfide (SrS) and strontium sulfide doped (SrS/Ag) Via electrochemical deposition technique.•The film had a strong peak at (111) and (211) which corresponds to 2theta values of 26.69° and 51.77° for undoped SrS and doped SrS respectively.•Clove-like material with precipitate is visible in the SrS material's micrograph.•At the introduction of dopant and heating of the precursor at 35 °C, 40 °C, 45 °C there is a drastic change in the micrograph of the films.•Strontium sulphide (SrS) has an energy bandgap of 1.50 eV, and strontium sulphide doped silver (SrS/Ag) has a range of 1.55 eV–2.35 eV.