A study on dependence of the structural, optical and electrical properties of cadmium lead sulphide thin films on Cd/Pb ratio

Cadmium Lead Sulphide thin films with systematic variation in Cd/Pb ratio are prepared at 333K by CBD, adjusting the reagent-molarity, deposition time and pH. XRD exhibits crystalline-amorphous transition as Cd% exceeds Pb%. AFM shows agglomeration of crystallites of size ∼50±5 nm. EDAX assess the composition whereas XPS ascertains the ternary formation, with binding energies of Pb4f7/2 and 4f5/2, Cd3d5/2 and 3d3/2 and S2p at 137.03, 141.606, 404.667, 412.133 and 160.218 eV respectively. The optical absorption spectra reveal the variance in the direct allowed band gaps, from 1.57eV to 2.42 eV as Cd/Pb ratio increases from 0.2 to 2.7, suggesting possibility of band gap engineering in the n-type films.