CHARACTERIZATION OF CdTe THIN FILMS PREPARED BY STACKED LAYER METHOD

Nanocrystalline CdTe thin films (d=300nm- 500nm) deposited by thermal evaporation under vacuum using stacked layer method, onto glass substrates at room temperature were investigated. During the evaporation process, the substrate holder periodically passed, by rotational moving, over the CdTe evaporating source. The rotating frequency (ν = 20 – 210 rpm) of the substrate holder and source temperature (Tev = 900 – 1200K) during deposition have been considered as process parameters. The structural (surface morphology and film crystallinity), electrical (temperature dependence of conductivity) and optical (transmission and absorption spectra) properties of as deposited CdTe films are studied. The effect of heat treatment on the film structure is also investigated. The obtained results revealed an important influence of the above mentioned deposition parameters, especially the source temperature, on the film characteristics