CuInS2 thin films grown sequentially from binary sulfides as compared to layers evaporated directly from the elements
CuInS2 thin films have been obtained by rapid thermal annealing at 350 °C of binary sulfide precursors evaporated at a substrate temperature lower than 200 °C. The structure, morphology, and chemical and optical properties of these samples have been analysed and compared to CuInS2 layers prepared directly by evaporation from the elements onto 350 °C heated substrates. X-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showed similar structure and chemical characteristics for the CuInS2 samples prepared by sequential and direct routes. Some differences in the optical absorption can be related to morphological variations observed by atomic force microscopy.