Electrochemically Deposited Iron Sulphide Material by Adjusting the Deposition Time for Photovoltaic Application

An electrochemical deposition technique was employed to synthesize FeS material. The Iron nitrate nonahydrate (Fe(NO3)2.9H2O) and sodium sulphate (NaSO4) are part of the electrochemical bath system. The films synthesized have a polycrystalline structure with diffraction peaks and a preferred orientation along the (111) diffraction plane. The significance of high peaks lies in their ability to provide a spacious surface area for efficient photovoltaic activities. By increasing the deposition time of FeS, the film thickness decreased from 108.98 to 100.87 nm. The FeS absorbance decreases as the wavelength approaches the VIS-IR region. The FeS material had the highest absorbance value at 30 s across the entire spectrum, averaging a maximum of 0.072 in the ultraviolet region. The films deposited had energy band gaps ranging from 2.12 to 1.58 eV. The energy band gap also decreased as the deposition time and film thickness decreased. The bandgap energy range found in this study is perfect for absorbing solar energy radiation above 1.58 eV, making it ideal for solar cell absorber layers.