Studies of single-step electrodeposition of CuInSe2 thin films with sodium citrate as a complexing agent

The influences of various parameters in a single-step electrodeposition of CuInSe2 from aqueous solution containing CuCl2, InCl3, and SeO2, with sodium citrate as the complexing agent, are investigated. Co-deposition of CuInSe2 from a room temperature, aqueous bath of these electrolytes is accomplished by the aid of sodium citrate. In this work the optimum potential for deposition of CuInSe2 is found to be −0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl, the deposition time is 800 s, the concentration ratio of CuCl2, InCl3, and SeO2 is 9 mM:22 mM:22 mM in aqueous solution, and the annealing temperature is 225 °C. Under the optimum conditions, crystalline layers of CuInSe2 having the chalcopyrite structure can be successfully synthesized. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) were used to examine the electrochemistry, morphologies, structures, and compositions of CuInSe2 thin films deposited on ITO glass.