We prepared SnS_x thin films on both soda-lime glass (SLG) and molybdenum(Mo)/SLG substrates by a two-step process using a Sn precursor followed by sulfur reaction in rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at different sulfurization temperatures (Ts = 200℃, 230℃, 250℃, and 300℃) and annealing times (t_s = 10 min and 30 min). The single SnS phase was dominant for 200℃≤T_s<250℃, while an additional phase of SnS₂ was appeared at T_s≥250℃ alongside SnS. The SnS grains in all the samples showed strong growth along the preferred [040] direction. The band-gap energy (E_g) of the films was estimated to be 1.24 eV.

We fabricated a tin sulfide (SnS) layer with Sn/Mo/glass layers followed by a RTP (rapid thermal processing), and studied the film growth and structural characteristics as a function of annealing temperature and time. The elemental sulfur (S) was cracked thermally and applied to form SnS polycrystalline film out of the Sn percursor at pre-determined pressures in the RTP tube. The sulfurization was done at the temperature from 200℃ to 500℃ for a time period of 10 to 40 min. At ≤ 300℃, 20 min., p-type SnS thin films was grown and showed the best composition of at.% of [S]/[Sn] . 1 and [111] preferred orientation as investigated from using XRD (X-ray diffraction) analysis and EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy), and optical absorption by a UV-VIS spectrometer. In this paper, we report the details of growth characteristics of single phase SnS thin film as a function of annealing temperature and time associated with the pressure and ambient gas in the RTP tube.