Electrosynthesis of cadmium selenide films on a selenium-modified gold surface

A two-step method for the growth of CdSe films is described that is based o n the initial chemical modification of a polycrystalline gold surface with a selenium overlayer. In the second step, this overlayer is cathodically st ripped as Se2- in a Se(IV)-free electrolyte medium (0.1 M Na2SO4) that is d osed with the requisite amount of Cd2+ ions. Unlike the classical cathodic route, this new approach does not suffer from problems with excess Se admix ed with CdSe. The two-step approach is validated using a combination of vol tammetry, microgravimetry, and photoelectrochemical experiments. (C) 1999 E lsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.