Light-temperature interference governing the inverse/combined photoadsorption and photodeposition of a-selenium films

Abstract Study of parameters governing the kinetics of the photodeposition of selenium (Selor process) and thus, that of the underlying phenomena — inverse and combined photoadsorption from colloid sols, has revealed the “compensation temperature” T * . If the temperature of the process is less than T * , the illumination enhances the rate of adsorption of selenium particles, through lowering the potential barrier of adsorption. When T > T * an inverse effect should take place (due to a prevailing influence of a decrease of the “light susceptibility” of selenium which serves as a preexponential factor). By means of mathematical approximations of experimental data, a general kinetics equation has been elaborated, describing the dependencies of the growth rate on temperature, light intensity and wavelength. This contains seven constants calculated starting from the experimental data.