Electrical, optical, and scanning tunneling microscopic studies on layer type CdIn2S4-xSex (1.75 <= x <= 2.75)

The present paper deals with the microstructural parameters calculated from X-ray diffraction data, electrical and optical investigations, and scannin g tunneling microscopy (STM) studies on ZnIn2S4 IIIa layer type CdIn2S4-xSe x (1.75 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 2.75) quaternary chal cogenides. Microstructural parameters such as dislocation density, root-mea n-square strain, stacking fault probability, crystallite size anisotropy, a nd layer disorder parameters of these compounds have been calculated. The t emperature variation of electrical conductivity (25-400 degreesC) confirmed semiconducting behavior. The band gaps of all these compounds obtained fro m STM and optical measurements are in the range 1.57-1.77 eV and are compar able to each other irrespective of the technique used.