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 SnSe2 materials. The analysis by Atomic Force Microscopy revealed grain size of 100-700 nm.