Pulsed laser deposition and electrodeposition techniques in growing CdTe and CdxHg1-xTe thin films

Abstract

CdTe and CdxHg1-xTe (CMT) thin films were grown by a cathodic electrodeposition technique Also CdTe was deposited using a Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique. Optical and XPS analysis techniques have been used to characterize them. Important differences were found in adherence, composition, band gap, refractive index, absorption coefficient, really useful for these materials in solar cells. Variables like energy of the laser pulse and temperature of substrate are determinants to improve the structural and optical properties. The presence of Hg in CdTe films is able to control the bandgap although it carries some problems, like segregation and diffusion, found in XPS measurements, that have to be solved. PLD technique could be really of interest in order to avoid this kind of problems.