EPITAXIAL ELECTRODEPOSITION OF CDTE-FILMS ON INP FROM AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS - ROLE OF A CHEMICALLY DEPOSITED CDS INTERMEDIATE LAYER

Epitaxial (111) CdTe films have been grown on ((1) over bar (1) over b ar (1) over bar) InP single crystals by one step electrodeposition in aqueous acidic solution, at a temperature of 85 degrees C, and a growt h rate of about 0.7 mu m h(-1). Reflexion high-energy electron diffrac tion and five-circle x-ray diffraction techniques have been used to ch aracterize the interface structure and epitaxial quality. The epitaxy of CdTe (fee a=6.49 Angstrom) takes place with a direct continuation o f the InP lattice (fee a=5.87 Angstrom), with no rotation of the respe ctive crystallographic directions. The epitaxy is markedly improved wh en the InP substrate is covered with a thin film (20-30 nm) of epitaxi al CdS grown by chemical bath deposition which acts as an interfacial buffer layer. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.