Optimisation of deposition voltage of zirconium-doped chromium telluride via typical three-electrode cell electrochemical deposition technique

Abstract

ABSTRACT The electrochemical deposition approach has been used to successfully produce CrTe and Zr/CrTe materials. The surface morphology of the films has shown a stone-like micro-grain. When the deposition voltage rises to 14 V, the stone-like nano grain transforms into a white well-pack precipitate and spreads. The surface of the doped CrTe material displayed uniform nano-grain deposition. The films are polycrystalline with hexagonal phases. The film had two strong peaks: one at orientation (112), which corresponds to a 2theta value of 32.72°, and others at orientations (111), (112), (121), and (200), which correspond to 2theta values of 21.57°, 32.72°, 46.65°, and 60.58°. The crystal lattice is indicated by a peak intensity reduction that occurs at higher 2theta degree values; an unindexed peak results from the substrate utilised for the deposition. The energy bandgap of the synthesised Zr/CrTe created at different deposition voltages ranges from 1.15 to 1.43 eV, while its energy band gap of the pristine CrTe is 1.62 eV, demonstrating that the energy bandgap decreases as the voltage rises.