Deposition of chalcogenide thin films by solution growth technique on polymer surfaces

Abstract

Chemical methods for deposition of thin films of Bi2S3, Bi2Se3, CdS and CdSe, T1S and T1Se, ZnS, ZnSe, NiS and NiSe, Sb2 Se 3, CoS, CoSe on polymer substrates have been developed. Polymer substrates have been activated by oxidation with KMnO4 solution and K2S208 with Ag + followed by washing with NH:-NH2, H2 SO4. Sulphides and selenides have been deposited with the use of triethanolamine, thiourea, thioacetamide, selenosulphate and metal salts in alkaline medium. Polymer substrates are polyacrylates, polystyrene, polyesters, polyolefins, polycarbonates. Semiconductor chalcogenide thin films have received major attention in recent years because of their application in device fabrications [1]. A chemical process for the preparation of thin films offers the advantages of economy, convenience and the ability to deposit large areas. Various chalcogenide thin films, for example Bi2S 3 [2], Bi2Se 3 [3], [CdS] and CdSe [4], T1S [5], T1Se [6], ZnS [7], ZnSe [8], [NiS] and NiSe [9], Sb2 Se3 [10], CoS [11], CoSe [12] have been prepared by solution growth technique. Pramanik et al. [12] found that triethanolamine is a potential complexing agent for deposition of thin films. All these films were deposited on glass substrate. This letter describes the deposition of thin films of chalcogenides on polymer substrates. Deposition of chalcogenide thin films on polymer substrates by a solution growth technique has not been reported previously. We describe here the technique for deposition of metal chalcogenide thin films by a solution growth technique on polymer substrates