Electrochemical layer by layer growth and characterization of copper sulfur thin films on Ag(1 1 1)

Copper sulfide (CuS) thin films were grown on a single crystal Ag(1 1 1) substrate by Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition (ECALD) method, i.e., by alternated surface limited deposition of copper and sulfur. A detailed investigation of deposition of Cu on S allowed to find the best conditions for copper deposition. The electrochemical characterization of deposits obtained with different deposition cycles suggests a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio between Cu and S corresponding to Cu monosulfide. The compositional analysis was performed by X-rays Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and the morphological was investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for deposits formed with 20 ECALD cycles.