Fabrication of CdTe thin films grown by the two-step electrodeposition technique on Ni foils

In this paper, a two-step electrodeposition technique is adopted to prepare CdTe thin films on Ni foils from acidic solutions by a rapid and convenient electrodeposition method. In the first step, a Te-rich CdTe layer was deposited at −0.3 V on a Ni foil substrate. Then on surface of this film, a second layer of CdTe was deposited at −0.6 V. The two-step CdTe thin films show higher short-circuit current densities, suggesting potential application in solar cells, and the crystallinity of this film is also enhanced, as suggested by the sharpening of the corresponding CdTe peaks. The major change of the two-step film lies in the broader and stronger absorption intensity in the visible region, indicating that the CdTe thin film prepared by the two-step electrodeposition technique on Ni foils can extend the absorption active range of sunlight and improve the photovoltaic performance to visible light. The preliminary material growth and assessment results are presented.