Synthesis and Characterization of Chemically Deposited Nanocrystalline CdSe Thin Film

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline CdSe thin solid films are reported in this article. Chemical bath deposition, a direct low-cost technique that involves a cadmium salt solution, a complexing agent, and a chalcogen (selenium) source, was used to prepare thin films of CdSe at a temperature 70°C (343 K) in a water bath. Commercially available microscope glass slides (7.5 cm × 2.5 cm × 2 mm) were used as substrates to deposit CdSe films. The characteristics of the prepared thin films were investigated in detail by measuring their optical properties, structural morphology and chemical composition. The films were characterized through x-ray diffraction (XRD), which indicates that the film is polycrystalline in nature. Absorption spectra of thin films have been recorded using a spectrophotometer. The spherical shaped clusters and the presence of elemental constituents were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis. The optical properties were revealed by ultraviolet (UV)–visible absorbance spectra and the bandgap energy was estimated.