Baking impact of Fe composition on CdSe films for solar cell application

• Electrochemical synthesis of Cd1−XFeXSe thin films.
• Thin films exhibit nanorod-like nanostructure.
• Provides maximum 0.38% photo-conversion efficiency for Cd0.8Fe0.2Se films.

Cd1−XFeXSe thin films were electrodeposited onto fluorine doped tin oxide coated conducting glass (FTO) and stainless steel (SS) substrates at various bath compositions with X=0.1 to 0.5 in an aqueous electrolytic bath containing CdSO4, FeSO4 and SeO2. The effects of different compositions on physico-chemical properties of Cd1-XFeXSe thin films have been systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals the polycrystalline in nature of Cd1−XFeXS thin films. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) micrographs shows the variation in the nanostructure with varying compositions. The Cd1−XFeXSe thin films exhibited the water contact angles in hydrophilic range. Optical absorption measurements are used to estimate the band gap value of Cd1−XFeXSe thin films deposited at various bath compositions. The dramatic changes in surface morphology, as a consequence of different composition of Fe in CdSe matrix, significantly alter the conversion efficiency of Cd1−XFeXSe films.

The current density-applied voltage (J–V) plot of rods-like Cd0.8Fe0.2Se thin film in dark and in the light illumination with SEM imageFigure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide