Growth mechanisms and their effects on the opto-electrical properties of CdS thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition

• Published in: Materials science in semiconductor processing Vol. 52; pp. 24 - 31
• Main Authors: Slonopas, Andre, Ryan, Herbert, Foley, Benjamin, Sun, Zeming, Sun, Keye, Globus, Tatiana, Norris, Pamela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Carrier density; CdS; Chemical bath deposition; Deposition; Deviation; Ellipsometry; Growth mechanisms; Materials science; Opto-electrical properties; Semiconductors; Sole; Spectroscopic ellipsometry; Stoichiometry; Thin films; Thin films; Opto-electrical properties; CdS; Chemical bath deposition; Spectroscopic ellipsometry; Growth mechanisms
• ISSN: 1369-8001; 1873-4081
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mssp.2016.05.011

Chemically deposited CdS exhibits high sensitivity in the opto-electrical performance to the growth mechanisms. Hence it is of a great interest to study the effects of growth mechanisms on the opto-electrical performance in such films. Studies were carried out by the means of spectroscopic ellipsometry, and coupled with structural, optical, and electrical characterization. A range of bath temperatures (55°C–95 °C) were used as the means to alter the growth mechanisms. Ion-by-ion process dominated deposition at lower bath temperatures throughout the length of the deposition. This mechanism produced films composed of single phase cubic crystals with corresponding opto-electrical properties inherent to such structures. Complex formations at higher bath temperatures supplement the sole ion-by-ion mechanisms with the cluster-by-cluster mechanism. This results in a mixed cubic/hexagonal structure, and deviation from stoichiometry. As a result, carrier concentrations and mobility increased nearly eight and four fold respectively. Resistivity decreased more than four times from 33.2 to 7.5Ωcm. A noticeable decrease of, ~0.2 was observed in the refractive index and an increase of ~0.07eV in the band gap is also reported. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis confirms deviation from stoichiometry in the cluster-by-cluster mechanisms, resulting in interstitially trapped Cd+2 and S−2 ions. The trapped ions act as donors in the film enhancing its electrical performance.