Electrical Conduction In Solution Grown Thin Films Of

Tetrasulfurtetranitride (S4N4)
H.K.Sharma+ and Himanshu Sharma*

+Department of Chemistry, J.N.R.M Port Blair-744104 (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)

*Chemical Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology, Warangal-506004 (A.P.)

E.mail: himanshusharma014@hotmail.com

Abstract. Current transport mechanism in thin films of Tetrasulfurtetranitride (S4N4)have been studied under normal
and different illuminating conditions. It is found that at low field the film exhibits ohmic behaviour and the high field
region is dominated by Richardson-Schottky (RS) mechanism.
Keywords: Tetrasulfurtetranitride, Richardson-Schottky, Ohmic behaviour.
PACS: 82.35.Cd, 81.40.Wx

INTRODUCTION of the films under different illuminating conditions

Polymers have been studied extensively with a
view to access their suitability for application to
electronic devices[1]. Polymers like Polyvinylidene
fluoride-chlorotrifluoroethylene, Polyimide have been
found attractive in electronics and microelectronics
applications[2-3] because of better stability, enhanced
conductivity and to exhibit a number of dielectric
relaxations[4]. Recently conduction in thin films of
inorganic heterocyclics like cyclohexathiazenium
chloride (S6N4)2+Cl2-, complex of Fe(II) with
cyclodichlorophosphazene trimer PN(Cl2)3 have been
studied[5]. In view of this tetrasulfurtetranitride (S4N4)
has been prepared and studied for its electrical
conduction with sodium and mercury light.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Tetrasulfurtetranitride (S4N4) was prepared by
the reaction of dry ammonia and sulfur
monochloride (S2Cl2) in carbon tetrachloride as
described by Gohering[6]. The film of
tetrasulfurtetranitride (S4N4) was deposited on to
an ultrasonically cleaned glass slide in benzene
solution maintained at 300K using isothermal
immersion technique. The film was vacuum dried
for about 24 h to remove any residual solvent.
Illumination of the films were done with the help
of 60W sodium lamp (44.19 W/cm2) and 80W
(58.89 W/cm2) mercury lamp and I-V characteristics
have been measured.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Figure1. shows the I-V characteristics of
tetrasulfurtetranitride (S4N4) film under normal and
illuminating conditions. Films were illuminated with
sodium and mercury light of intensities 44.19 W/cm2
and 58.89 W/cm2, respectively. It is seen from these
curves that magnitude of current depends on the type
of illumination.
The log I vs log V plots (Fig. 1) are mostly linear in
low fields for all the three films under study. Normal,
sodium and mercury light illuminated films show
three types of conduction. The calculated slope in
low field region for normal and sodium illuminated
thin film is ~1 while for mecury illuminated thin film
is 0.73. In the intermediate field region, normal and
sodium illuminated film has slope 0.87 and 1.22
respectively indicating the curvature in this region
whereas mercury illuminated thin film has slope ~1
indicating linearity in the intermediate field region.
Thin films illuminated under normal, sodium light and
mercury light have slopes of 1.39, 1.05 and 0.845
respectively, in high field region. The linearity for all
illuminating conditions in the lower voltage region is
due to independence of velocity of charge carriers on
applied field indicating ohmic region while curvature
is observed in intermediate and high field region
suggesting non ohmic region.