Abstract
In this contribution, our primary objective is to comprehensively examine the influence of sulfurization temperature on the optical properties of WS2 thin films deposited on quartz/sapphire substrates. We employed dc-magnetron sputtering for the deposition of WS2 thin films into the targeted substrates and then we prepared our samples at different sulfurization temperatures, 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C. The characterization of the samples was performed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, optical transmittance measurements were employed to further analyze the optical properties of the samples, with the Tauc plot method being utilized to determine the bandgap of each sample. The samples consist of flakes and films ranging in size from less than 30 nm to over 3 μm, with a uniform thickness of 10 nm. Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of the characteristic vibrational modes E12g and A1g at approximately 350 and 419 cm–1, respectively, confirming the formation of a layered structure in all samples. The bandgap values obtained for the samples were in the range of 1.87 to 1.95 eV. The experimental findings demonstrate that variations in sulfurization temperature and substrate choice significantly influence the size, morphology, and density of the films and flakes, thereby impacting the optical properties, particularly the bandgap.