AFM, XPS and RBS studies of the growth process of CdS thin films on ITO/glass substrates deposited using an ammonia-free chemical process

This paper deals with a detailed study of the growth stages of CdS thin films on ITO/glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD). The chemical and morphological characterization was done through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. On the other hand, optical transmission and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed in order to study the optical and structural properties of the films. The time, the chemistry, and morphology of the different stages that form the growth process by CBD were identified through these results. Furthermore, clear evidence was obtained of the formation of Cd(OH)₂ as the first chemical species adhered to the substrate surface which forms the first nucleation centers for a good CdS formation and growth. On the other hand, the ITO coating caused growth stages to occur earlier than in just glass substrates, with which we can obtain a determined thickness in a shorter deposition time. We were able to prove that CBD is a good technique for the manufacture of thin films of semiconductor materials, since the CdS film does not have any impurities. Completely formed films were transparent, uniform, with good adherence to the substrate, of a polycrystalline nature with a hexagonal structure. These results indicate that films obtained by CBD are good candidates to be applied in different optoelectronic devices.