Abstract
Nanostructured PbS powder and thin films of high quality and controlled thickness have been prepared from lead acetate and thiourea dissolved in ethanol by a simple dip technique. The structural properties of the powder and the films were identified by XRD. Crystallite sizes of 52.3 and 8.2 nm for both the powder and the films were obtained, respectively. The grain size of the films was measured by SEM and found to be in the range of 13-70 nm. The direct optical band gap of the films was determined from optical transmittance measurements to be 2.53 eV. The band is shifted from the IR to the visible region on the account of quantum confinement in the nanostructured films with a small crystallite size. Such films, with a band gap lying in the visible region, are suitable for use as solar absorbers rather than IR applications.