Comparison of the Properties of Tin Selenide Thin Films Synthesized by Electrodeposition

In this work we present a comparison of the properties of three tin selenide (SnSe) thin films synthesized by electrodeposition under air or nitrogen atmosphere. The films were synthesized at -0.7 V, -0.8 V, and -0.9 V vs. Ag/AgCl using a fluorine doped tin oxide conductive glass as working electrode, a silver chloride electrode as reference electrode, and a platinum mesh as counter electrode. After the electrodeposition, films were heated at 55°C for 30 minutes in air atmosphere. Films without and with thermal treatment were characterized by UV-Visible Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Raman Spectroscopy. Analyzing the results, it was found that the optimal conditions for the electrodeposition were at -0.8 V vs Ag/AgCl. Band gap values were in the range from 1.2 to 1.5 eV. Raman spectroscopy revealed characteristic vibrational modes of SnSe and SnSe 2 materials. The analysis by Atomic Force Microscopy revealed grain size of 100-700 nm.