Abstract

Aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition of SnS has been achieved on glass substrates from the single source precursor [Sn(SCH₂CH₂S)₂] at 400–550 °C. In the presence of H₂S the precursor produces films of SnS₂ at 350 °C, Sn₂S₃ at 400 °C and SnS at 500 °C. The tin sulfides were analysed by Raman (SnS₂ 312 and 215 cm⁻¹; Sn₂S₃ 307, 251, 234, 183, 87, 71, 60, 52 and 36 cm⁻¹ and SnS 288, 220, 189, 163 and 96 cm⁻¹), EDAX, SEM and band gap measurements (SnS 1.15 eV, SnS₂ 2.20 eV). Growth rates were of the order of 15 nm min⁻¹.