Room temperature electrosynthesis of ZnSe thin films

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2009-11, Vol.488 (1), p.157-162
• Main Authors: Gudage, Y.G., Deshpande, N.G., Sagade, Abhay A., Sharma, Ramphal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atomic force microscopy; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Cubic phase; Electrodeposition, electroplating; Electrosynthesis; Exact sciences and technology; Ii-vi semiconductors; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Physics; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; X-ray diffraction; ZnSe
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2008.11.036

In the present study, we report the room temperature electrosynthesis of Zinc selenide (ZnSe) thin films on stainless steel (SS) and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates. In addition, the influence of the substrate on the microstructural properties of ZnSe is plausibly explained. Voltammetric curves were recorded in order to characterize the electrochemical behaviour of Zn 2+/SeO 2 system. The as-deposited ZnSe thin films have been characterized for structural (X-ray diffraction (XRD)), surface morphological (scanning electron microscopy (SEM)), compositional (energy dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX)), surface topographical (atomic force microscopy (AFM)) and optical absorption analysis. Formation of cubic structure with preferential orientation along the (1 1 1) plane was confirmed from structural analysis. A significant observation seen from the SEM micrograph was the formation of porous layer on the FTO coated glass substrate. However, this is not seen in case of stainless steel substrate. Similar observation was predicted in case of AFM analysis for the films deposited on FTO. The optical band gap for ZnSe thin films was found to be 2.7 eV.