SEL deposition of cadmium chalcogenides and optimization for photovoltaic use

The stacked elemental layer (SEL) technique has been used to deposit thin f ilms of CdTe, CdSe and CdSeTe. The deposited films are then annealed in air at various temperatures in the range 50-150 degrees C for 60 minutes. The resultant films are then studied for their optoelectrical and structural pr operties in order to find the optimum conditions for their use in the field of photovoltaics. It is found that resulting films possess low values of r esistivity and the optical band gap lies in the range suitable for photovol taic use. Structural analysis indicates that films of CdSe and CdSeTe are a mixture of cubic and hexagonal phases whereas CdTe tends to crystallize in hexagonal structure.