Electrodeposition of Cadmium Telluride Using Phosphine Telluride

Cadmium telluride is electrodeposited on a titanium cathode in a new process that employs tri‐n‐butylphosphine telluride and cadmium ion dissolved in propylene carbonate at about 100°C. Smooth gray films have been obtained with thicknesses up to 5.4 μm. The Te/Cd atomic ratio depends on applied potential and solution composition with values ranging between 0.63 and 1.1. X‐ray data indicate that the as‐deposited film is amorphous but becomes polycrystalline (cubic) upon annealing at 400°C. The as‐deposited film can be deposited as either p or n type, and heat‐treatment converts p to n. In photoelectrochemical cells, photocurrents up to 4.2 mA/cm 2 have been obtained for p‐type at −1200 mV vs. .