Sensors & Transducers, Vol. 27, Special Issue, May 2014, pp. 319-325 319 S S S e e e n n n s s s o o o r r r s s s & & & T T T r r r a a a n n n s s s d d d u u u c c c e e e r r r s s s © 2014 by IFSA Publishing, S. L. http://www.sensorsportal.com Characterization of Silver Sulphide Thin Films Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis Using a New Precursor Silver Chloride 1 Kamel SAHRAOUI, 1 Noureddine BENRAMDANE, 1 Mohamed KHADRAOUI, 1 Redouane MILOUA, 2 Christian MATHIEU 1 Laboratoire d’Elaboration et de Caractérisation des Matériaux, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi Bel-Abbes, Algeria 2 Centre de calcul et de modélisation de Lens, Université d'Artois, Faculté Jean Perrin, Rue Jean Souvraz, Sp.18, 62307 Lens Cedex France 1 Tel.: 00213551554040 E-mail: sahraouikamel68@yahoo.fr Received: 23 November 2013 /Accepted: 12 January 2014 /Published: 26 May 2014 Abstract: Silver sulphide is a semiconductor widely used as an infrared sensor and as an absorber material for solar cells. In this work, we report the preparation of Ag 2 S thin films from a new precursor using chemical spray pyrolysis technique. The thin films having various [CS(NH 2 ) 2 ]/[AgCl] were grown at different substrate temperatures and characterized using X-Ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, transmission T(λ) and reflectivity R(λ) measurements. The diffraction patterns showed that the sample having x =[CS(NH2)2]/[AgCl]=5 ratio at the substrate temperature Ts =200 °C has the best crystallinity and exhibits a monoclinic structure preferentially oriented in the direction of (-112) lattice plan . The optical properties have been investigated using spectrophotometric measurements in the wavelength range 200-2500 nm. The obtained values of the band gap energy were in the order of 1 eV. The refractive index n and the extinction coefficient k were determined from the absolute values of the measured transmittance and reflectance. The conductivity at room temperature was 32×10 – 3 (Ω cm) -1 , and the films were n type. Copyright © 2014 IFSA Publishing, S. L. Keywords: Silver sulphide, Silver chloride, Ag 2 s thin films, Acanthite, Sprays pyrolysis. 1. Introduction Silver sulphide (Ag 2 S) is an II-IV binary semiconductor, and a chalcogenide which belongs to the category of inorganic compounds with technologically important properties. Ag 2 S thin films are very promising functional material for many applications in different electronic components and devices such as ion selective membranes [1], IR detectors [2], Photoconducting cells [3], thermopower cells [4], laser recording media [5], etc. Moreover, its optical band gap (≈1 eV) is in the desired interval to be used as solar absorber material for solar cells fabrication [6]. There are many reports on different techniques used for the preparation as well as characterization of silver sulphide thin films [7-14]. Nevertheless, the influence of the precursor in the starting solution has not yet been studied. Indeed the deposition parameters have a direct influence on the growth of Ag 2 S thin films. This paper reports preparation and characterization of Ag 2 S thin films with silver chloride used as the precursor solution for the first time. AgCl can be used with other chlorides in the Article number P_SI_522