Cu doped SnS thin films deposited by the spray method: characterization and numerical simulation using SCAPS-1D

In this work, the SnS thin film was deposited on the glass substrate by spray technique at 350 °C. The impact of Cu doping on physical properties of the SnS thin film was investigated using a variable doping concentration [Cu/Sn] from 1 to 5%. XRD revealed that films of polycrystalline nature have orthorhombic crystal structures with a preferential orientation along the (111) plane given that peak intensity decreases with increasing Cu doping concentration. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy measurements reveal the dependence of surface roughness and morphology because of copper doping. The optical properties were studied by measuring the transmission characteristics which were used to find the optical band gap energy. The Hall effect measurement results confirm the p type of all samples and that their resistivity is strongly dependent on Cu concentration. The influence of the dopant rate on the PV parameters of simulated SnS-based solar cell was studied using the SCAPS-1D software.