ELECTRODEPOSITION OF PBTE THIN-FILMS

Lead telluride (PbTe) thin films were electrodeposited potentiostatica lly on SnO2 and Cu substrates from aqueous alkaline solutions of Pb(CH 3COO)(2), disodium salt of ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and T eO2. Film deposition reactions were studied with cyclic voltammetry. T he films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ene rgy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherfo rd backscattering spectrometry (RBS), elastic recoil detection analysi s (ERDA), deuteron induced reactions and profilometry. Potential range s where PbTe films with constant composition were achieved were -0.70 to -0.90 V versus SCE on SnO2 substrates and -0.80 to -0.95 V versus S CE on Cu substrates when the concentration of PbEDTA(2-) was 0.1 M. Th e corresponding potential ranges were -0.75 to -0.95 and -0.85 to -0.9 5 V versus SCE when the PbEDTA(2-) concentration was 0.05 M. The conce ntration of TeO32- was 0.001 M in both cases. The films were smooth, d ense and crystalline having the cubic PbTe structure but they containe d an excess of telluriurn. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights r eserved.