Investigation on electrochemical deposition of Sb2Se3 thin films in aqueous acidic medium

Abstract

• Thin films of Sb 2 Se 3 have been synthesized by electro-deposition method. • Bath pH and applied potential have a sizable effect on the films quality. • Annealing process is required to control the crystallization of Sb2Se3 thin films. • The suitable band gap of 1.23 eV for the solar cells is reached. Antimony selenide (Sb 2 Se 3 ) thin films were deposited on tin oxide coated glass substrates by potentiostatic electrodeposition from an acidic aqueous bath for 30 min followed by the annealing process in a tube furnace at 350 °C for 10 min under nitrogen atmosphere. The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of the bath solution's pH and the applied potential on the structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of Sb 2 Se 3 thin films. The optimal deposition conditions and bath acidity were identified to produce good quality Sb 2 Se 3 films suitable for applications in terms of composition, crystallinity, morphology and band gap.