Substrate dependent properties of electrodeposited EuTe thin films

In electrodeposition, substrate besides providing mechanical support to the electrodeposit, affects significantly the structural and morphological properties of a film. Electrodeposition and characterization of EuTe thin films onto different substrates such as stainless steel (SS), titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), fluorine-doped tin oxide (F:SnO₂) covered glasses have been described. The deposition potentials have been estimated from the polarization curves. The reaction mechanism is proposed for the formation of EuTe electrodeposits. Preparative parameters such as deposition potential, current density, and deposition time are studied. The films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX) techniques. The electrodeposited EuTe films are polycrystalline on all the substrates with same cubic crystal structure. The SEM studies reveal that the surface morphology is different for the substrates studied. However, no cracks have been observed in the SEM micrographs. The AFM images show large spherical grains supporting the polycrystalline nature of the samples. The EDAX analysis shows that the EuTe films are nearly stoichiometric, slightly rich in tellurium.