Tin(II)O-ethylxanthate [Sn(S2COEt)(2)] was prepared and used as a single-source precursor for the deposition of SnS thin films by a melt method. Polycrystalline, (111)-orientated, orthorhombic SnS films with controllable elemental stoichiometries (of between Sn1.3S and SnS) were reliably produced by selecting heating temperatures between 200 and 400 A degrees C. The direct optical band gaps of the SnS films ranged from 1.26 to 1.88 eV and were strongly influenced by its Sn/S ratio. The precursor [Sn(S2COEt)(2)] was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The as-prepared SnS films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffractometry, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy.