Quasi continuous electrodeposition of CdTe thin films

✍ Scribed by D.A. Fiedler; H.P. Fritz

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 820 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0013-4686
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-4686(95)00092-s

✦ Synopsis

Thin CdTe films of 4-6cm* each were quasi-continuously deposited in a series of up to 10 experiments onto CdS/ITO/glass substrates at 85°C in a membrane cell housing a four electrode assembly. The Cd and Te split anodic currents were regulated by an automatic current control unit connected to a potentiostat. The analytic compartment with the less noble Cd electrode was separated by a cation exchange membrane from the catholytic compartment containing the other electrodes. Anolyte and catholyte were aqueous solutions of triethanolamine and different amounts of [Cd(TEA)]*' and TeO:-. Depositions were carried out for 45-90min at a potential of -1OSOmV vs. see (45°C). Asdeposited layers contained finely grained polycrystalline cubic and hexagonal CdTe. Thermal annealing at 400°C in air and subsequent etching in K,Cr,O,/H,SO, and N,H, H,O yielded cubic CdTe with a Te-rich surface according to x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering investigations. Au/CdTe/CdS/ITO test structures exhibited weak photoactivity.