A Role of Growth Potential to Enhance the Physical and Electrical Properties of Electrodeposited Cadmium Sulfide Thin Films
Abstract
We report the growth of cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films via cost-effective cathodic electrodeposition using a three-electrode configuration in an aqueous electrolyte. The optimal growth potential of CdS was determined using cyclic voltammetry. The influence of growth potentials (-1.2 − -1.4 V) on the optical, structural, morphological, and compositional properties was examined by employing diverse characterization techniques. The results illustrated that the growth potentials significantly affected the crystallographic structure, orientation, and optical measurements. A hexagonal polycrystalline structure with a preferred (101) orientation was observed for the samples deposited at all potentials. The optical direct bandgap of the CdS samples was estimated to be in the range, 2.25 to 2.45 eV, with a transmittance of over 85% for the sample obtained at -1.2 V. CdS thin films obtained by electrodeposition demonstrate superior optical and electrical properties over a large area, thereby providing a promising buffer layer for the development of thin-film solar cell devices.