Electrodeposition of the Sb2Se3 thin films on various substrates from the tartaric electrolyte

The present contribution is devoted to the electrochemical deposition of Sb2Se3 thin films from tartrate electrolyte. The study was conducted by potentiodynamic, potentiostatic and galvanostatic methods carried out under different conditions at Pt, Cu and Ni electrodes. The kinetics and mechanism of the electroreduction of antimony and selenite ions in the tartaric acid were studied separately for the electrochemical deposition. Comparison of the obtained polarization curves showed that co-deposition occurs between electroreduction potentials of antimony and selenium, indicating depolarization electrode effect for antimony ions. The influence of electrolyte compo­sition, pH, current density, temperature, etc. has been studied. On the basis of cyclic polarization, X-ray phase and SEM-EDX analyses, it is found that Sb-Se thin films are deposited on Pt and Ni electrodes, but not on Cu electrode. Black, uniform, crystalline and shiny films of the stoichiometric composition of Sb2Se3 compound are deposited on Pt and Ni electrodes within the 338-348 K temperature interval, pH 1.85, current density of 2.5-3.0 A/dm2, and annealing temperature of 703 K. Experiments were carried out using the optimal electrolyte composition containing 0.05 M SbOCl + 0.05 M H2SeO3 + 0.007 M C4H6O6.