STUDIES ON THE ELECTRODEPOSITION OF CDS FILMS

Thin films of Cds have been electrodeposited from an acidic bath using CdSO4, Na2S2O3 and EDTA at pH 5 to 6 on to the stainless steel and fl uorine-tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates. The structural, optica l and photoelectrochemical properties of these films have been studied . An X-ray diffraction study revealed that CdS films deposited at 70 d egrees C are polycrystalline with a single hexagonal phase. The optica l absorption studies showed that the bandgap of CdS is 2.42 eV. In ord er to increase the conductivity, the as-deposited films were annealed in a nitrogen atmosphere. CdS films deposited on to stainless steel su bstsates showed better I-sc and V-oc as compared to FTO coated glass s ubstrates. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.