In situ growth of CdTe nanostructures from a novel electrodeposition bath: tuning of electrical properties and reuse of ionic liquid

Abstract

We report a one-pot, surfactant-free and catalyst-free electrochemical synthesis of CdTe spindle like nanostructures directly on the substrate from a single ionic liquid electrolytic bath. The growth mechanism of CdTe nanostructures is revealed by investigating the structural growth in different deposition time domains. The physical dimensions of CdTe nanostructures were varied by changing the Te : Cd ratio in the bath and maintaining 1 : 1 stoichiometry of Te : Cd in the growing thin film. Maintaining the stoichiometry is necessary for its use in the solar photovoltaic devices. A simple configuration Cu:FTO:p-CdTe:Cu was utilized to study the impact of CdTe structures on the electrical properties of the diode. The I–V measurements and admittance spectroscopy revealed that the electrical properties of the diode improve systematically by increasing the diameter and length of the CdTe nanostructures. We also show efficient reuse and optimized use of the ionic liquid for the electrodeposition of CdTe nanostructures.