Nanoparticle precursor route to low-temperature spray deposition of CdTe thin films

• Published in: Applied physics letters 1995-10, Vol.67 (15), p.2176-2178
• Main Authors: Pehnt, Martin, Schulz, Douglas L., Curtis, Calvin J., Jones, Kim M., Ginley, David S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.115094

In this letter we report a nanoparticle-derived route to CdTe thin films. CdTe nanoparticles 39±8 Å in diameter, prepared by an organometallic route, were characterized by x-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. CdTe thin-film deposition was realized by spraying a nanoparticle/butanol colloid onto SnO2-coated glass substrates at variable susceptor temperatures. The resultant CdTe films were characterized by atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Smooth and dense CdTe thin films were obtained using growth temperatures ∼200 °C less than conventional spray pyrolysis. A growth temperature dependence upon CdTe grain size formation and crystallinity was observed by atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction. UV-Vis characterization revealed a transformation in the optical properties of the CdTe thin films as a function of growth temperature.