Chemically deposited ammonia-free cadmium hydroxide thin films

• Monoclinic cadmium hydroxide thin films by an ammonia-free chemical bath deposition
• Infrared absorption bands were used for detecting the presence of Cd(OH)2 films.
• Cadmium oxide thin films by thermal treatment of cadmium hydroxide films
• Optimization of synthesis of Cd(OH)2 to be used as precursor for CdTe thin films

Polycrystalline thin films of cadmium hydroxide Cd(OH)2 with high purity and good adhesion to the substrate were synthesized by an ammonia free chemical bath deposition method. The as-deposited films have a monoclinic crystalline structure with lattice constants a = 6.5768 Å, b = 10.2704 Å, c = 3.4125 Å, α = 90.00°, β = 120.16°, γ = 90.00°, and crystallite size 26.1 ± 0.9 nm. The cubic phase of cadmium oxide with lattice constants a = 4.7155 Å and crystallite size of 10.9 ± 0.9 nm was obtained by heating the as-deposited films at 220 °C. The absorption bands in the 3500–3600 cm− 1 range observed in the infrared spectra of the as-deposited films were used to detect the presence Cd(OH)2 compound. The possible ways to optimize the synthesis of Cd(OH)2 to be used as precursor for production of chalcogenide films is discussed.