Properties of CdTe nanocrystalline thin films grown on different substrates by low temperature sputtering

CdTe nanocrystalline thin films have been prepared on glass, Si and Al2O3 substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at liquid nitrogen temperature. The crystal structure and morphology of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The XRD examinations revealed that CdTe films on glass and Si had a better crystal quality and higher preferential orientation along the (111) plane than the Al2O3. FESEM observations revealed a continuous and dense morphology of CdTe films on glass and Si substrates. Optical properties of nanocrystalline CdTe films deposited on glass substrates for different deposited times were studied.