Oriented [1Â 1Â 1] ZnSe electrodeposits grown on polycrystalline CdSe substrates

Cathodic electrodeposition of cubic blend ZnSe from aqueous, acidic sulfate solutions on polycrystalline, CdSe(1 1 1) substrates, is described. The structural and morphological properties of the deposited films are discussed in terms of electrolytic growth conditions. It is shown that ZnSe crystallites of well-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD) response, adopting a strict [1 1 1] preferred orientation, can be obtained due to the substrate texture under low supersaturation growth conditions. The (1 1 1)||(1 1 1) orientation relationship is investigated with respect to underlayers of varying crystallinity and various overlayer thicknesses. The nucleation and growth of ZnSe is discussed in terms of XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).