Cd1-xHgxTe (0 ï‚£ x ï‚£ 0.5) Thin Films Deposited by a Liquid Phase Chemical Deposition Route

S.H. Mane

Electrochemical cell, C-V characteristics in dark, flat band potential, photoconductivity etc

Solar energy utilization will play a vital role in solving the world’s energy needs of the future. Fuel transport and storage problems are eliminated in a photovoltaic power system. But the development of the photovoltaic cells, such as silicon, is hampered by the present cost of the materials and fabrication. As an alternative for achieving this solar to electrical conversion, thin film semiconductor / liquid junction systems based on the photo electrochemical effect are of prime importance The basic materials are cheap and the actual material can easily be obtained from an aqueous alkaline medium (pH=10.5) by deposition of Cd2+, Hg2+ and Te2– ions. The temperature and time for deposition were optimized as 80 oC and 90 min, 70 ± 2 rpm, and pH equal to 10 ± 0.2 respectively. The layer surface was cleaned after every successive deposition by double distilled water. The deposits were adherent to the substrate support, uniform and smooth with color changing from white to blackish as Hg2+ concentration was varied from 0 to 0.5. The electrochemical detector cells were formed out of these series of films as the active photoelectrodes, an electrolyte and a counter electrode and were characterized through their electrical properties. The variation also suggests that the Vfb value for a cell with x = 0.1 is approximately 420 mV more negative than that of the CdTe. Vfb values for other cell structures are found to increase with Hg concentration up to 0.1 and then decreased on the higher side These electrochemical detectors exhibited a considerable amount of recombination and series resistance effects.

Volume 8 Issue 2, February-2023

Pages : 413 - 418