Structural, morphological and electrical properties of spray deposited CdIn2Se4 thin films

Semiconducting n-CdIn2Se4 thin films have been deposited on to the amorphous and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates using spray pyrolysis technique. The influence of solution concentration on to the photoelectrochemical, structural, morphological, compositional, thermal and electrical properties has been investigated. The PEC characterization shows that the short circuit current (Isc) and open circuit voltage (Voc) are at their optimum values (Isc = 1.04 mA and Voc = 409 mV) at the optimized precursor concentration (12.5 mM). The structural analysis shows the films are polycrystalline in nature having cubic crystal structure. The average crystallite size determined was in the range of 50–66 nm. Surface morphology and film composition have been analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis by X-rays, respectively. The addition of solution concentration induces a decrease in the electrical resistivity of CdIn2Se4 films up to 12.5 mM solution concentration. The type of semiconductor was examined from thermoelectric power measurement.

Research highlights▶ Synthesis of stoichiometric n-CdIn2Se4 films using economical SPT. ▶ Use of PEC method to optimize preparative parameters. ▶ Influence of solution concentration on physicochemical and PEC properties.