Visible photoassisted room-temperature oxidizing gas-sensing behavior of Sn2S3 semiconductor sheets through facile thermal annealing

Abstract

Well-crystallized Sn2S3 semiconductor thin films with a highly (111)-crystallographic orientation were grown using RF sputtering. The surface morphology of the Sn2S3 thin films exhibited a sheet-like feature. The Sn2S3 crystallites with a sheet-like surface had a sharp periphery with a thickness in a nanoscale size, and the crystallite size ranged from approximately 150 to 300 nm. Postannealing the as-synthesized Sn2S3 thin films further in ambient air at 400 °C engendered roughened and oxidized surfaces on the Sn2S3 thin films. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that the surfaces of the Sn2S3 thin films transformed into a SnO2 phase, and well-layered Sn2S3–SnO2 heterostructure thin films were thus formed. The Sn2S3–SnO2 heterostructure thin film exhibited a visible photoassisted room-temperature gas-sensing behavior toward low concentrations of NO2 gases (0.2–2.5 ppm). By contrast, the pure Sn2S3 thin film exhibited an unapparent room-temperature NO2 gas-sensing behavior under illumination. The suitable band alignment at the interface of the Sn2S3–SnO2 heterostructure thin film and rough surface features might explain the visible photoassisted room-temperature NO2 gas-sensing responses of the heterostructure thin film on exposure to NO2 gas at low concentrations in this work.