Ag3SbS3 thin films formed by annealing hydrothermally synthesized Ag3SbS3 nanoparticles

Abstract We report the growth of thin films of ternary metal chalcogenide Ag 3 SbS 3 . The growth involves two steps: (1) Ag 3 SbS 3 nanoparticles were synthesized using the hydrothermal method; (2) a post-annealing process transformed the Ag 3 SbS 3 nanoparticles into Ag 3 SbS 3 films. The best Ag 3 SbS 3 nanoparticles were obtained with the hydrothermal reaction temperature of 140 °C for 12 h. The formation of Ag 3 SbS 3 films is sensitive to the annealing temperature and the best films were produced at 440 °C. The XRD pattern reveals the Ag 3 SbS 3 single phase. The prepared Ag 3 SbS 3 film has a smooth, uniform surface with a medium particle size of ~200 nm. Optical absorption reveals an energy gap of 1.8 eV and a large absorption coefficient of 2.1×10 5 cm −1 at λ =400 nm. The large optical absorption suggests that Ag 3 SbS 3 films could be a potential solar cell material. Compared to the laser technique used formally, the present growth method is simpler, lower cost and able to produce high-quality Ag 3 SbS 3 films.