| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1196643 | Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis | 2016 | 7 Pages |
•The effect of substrate temperature on physical properties of CZTS thin films has been studied.•The nanospherical architecture of CZTS employed for LPG sensing.•The CZTS thin film based sensor is exhibit 62 % sensitivity at LPG concentration of 1040 ppm.
In the present work, Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films deposited using the spray pyrolysis method are employed for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing. The structural, morphological, wettability and compositional properties of CZTS thin films are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurement and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. The XRD and FT-Raman spectroscopy studies show formation of single phase CZTS with kesterite structure. FE-SEM analysis reveals nanospherical architecture with pin-hole and crake free surface. Electrical measurement indicates that CZTS thin film exhibits p-type semiconducting behavior. The CZTS thin film shows highest selectivity toward LPG as compared to other gases (i.e. 62 % for LPG, 16 % for N2, 13 % for CO2 and 10 % for H2) with response and recovery time periods of 40 and 43 s, respectively at a concentration of 1040 ppm.
