Temperature-modulated nanostructures of ytterbium-doped Cobalt Selenide (Yb-CoSe) for photovoltaic applications

This research investigated the influence of temperature variation on the properties of ytterbium-doped cobalt Selenide (Yb-CoSe) nanostructures synthesized via the electrodeposition technique. The structural, optical, morphological, and elemental features of the synthesized films were investigated through X-ray diffractometry (XRD), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) respectively. XRD results showed prominent peaks with a cubic phase. Good absorbance values in the visible region and reduced band gap energies upon the introduction of ytterbium were obtained from the optical analysis. Morphological results gave nanoclusters of varying sizes spread throughout the substrate surface. The elemental constituents of the deposited films were evident from the EDX spectra. The synthesized films have significant potential to be used in solar cells and optical devices.