Optical and electrical characterization of CdS-Glycine thin films with ammonia free buffer grown at different temperatures for solar cells applications

In this work we report the fabrication and electro-optical characterization of CdS thin films using glycine as complexing agent with ammonia and ammonia free buffer by the Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) method. The CdS thin films were grown at different temperatures of 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C in a thermal water bath. The morphology of these films was determined using atomic force microscopy; the resultant films were homogeneous, well adhered to the substrate, and specularly reflecting with a varying color depending on the deposition temperature. Transmittance and reflectance measurements of thermally treated CdS films were carried to study the effect of the ammonia buffer on its optical properties and bandgap. The crystallinity of the CdS thin films was determined by means of X Ray diffraction measurements. Therefore, for this study, an ammonia-free complexing agent has been taken for the deposition of CdS. Among different methods, which are being used for the preparation of CdS films, Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) is the most attractive due to its low cost, easy to handle and large possibilities regarding doping and deposition on various substrates. In particular it can be used to easily obtain field effect devices by depositing CdS thin films over a SiO₂/Si substrate. Heterostructures with interesting physical properties can be imagined, realized and tested in this way. Structures CdS/PbS also were realized and have shown good solar cell characteristics.