Electrochemically growth and characterization of CuInTe₂ chalcopyrite thin films

Copper indium tellurite (CIT) chalcopyrite compounds were electrochemically grown from an aqueous electrolyte including water-soluble Cu, In, and Te molecular sources onto indium thin oxide-coated glass substrates. CuSO₄·5H₂O, InCl₃, and Na₂TeO₃ were used as copper, indium, and tellurium sources, respectively. Deposition mechanisms of the CIT thin films are explained by cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies. It is also noted that the effect of deposition potential on the electrical, optical, and structural facilities of the electrodeposited CIT thin films. Energy bandgap of the electrodeposited CIT films is in the range of 0.97–1.83 eV. Stoichiometry of the CIT films deposited at − 0.5, − 0.6, − 0.7, and − 0.8 V is near to CuInTe₂. We report that the produced CIT films is polycrystalline nature, and CuInTe₂ is a major chalcopyrite phase corresponding to (1 1 2), (2 0 4), and (1 1 6) directions at 2θ ~ 25°, 41°, and 49°, respectively. Hall-effect measurements show that the produced CIT thin films have p-type semiconducting conductivity with the acceptor concentration range of 2.8 × 10¹⁷ and 2.8 × 10¹⁸ cm⁻³. The variation of the mobility within 20.4–60.2 cm²/V s can be explained by the variation of Cu/In ratio within 2.19–0.59. The resistivity of the films is found to vary within 0.011–0.036 Ω cm, which is in good agreement with the literature data.