Electrodeposition Conditions Effect Sb2Se3 Thin-Film Properties

Sb2Se3 is presented as a promising light absorber material of low-cost and good photoelectrocatalytic activity. Among the different synthetic methods for this semiconductor, electrodeposition has gained attention. In this context, a study of the electrodeposition parameters is an important aspect for obtaining films with optimized photocatalytic characteristics. Thus, in this work, we studied the effect of precursor concentration, the total charge of deposition, the type of supporting electrolyte, bath temperature, and the deposition potential on obtaining antimony selenide thin films electrochemically and on the morphological, structural, and optoelectronic properties of these films. One of the most interesting observations was the huge impact of these parameters on the morphology. The Se-rich films showed a tendency to have a rod-like morphology and relatively better stability to photocorrosion. The thickness of the film is another parameter that hugely affected the photocatalytic properties. From the evaluation of the photocurrent values presented by the films, the optimized electrodeposition parameters were found.