A novel method to grow polycrystalline HgSe thin film

The preparation of HgSe thin film by chemical bath deposition technique is presented. An aqueous alkaline medium consisting of Hg+2 Se-2 ions and ammonium citrate as complexing agent was used. The substrate used to deposit film was conducting (SnO2 coated) glass slides. The preparative parameters like ion concentrations, temperature, pH of the solution and stirring rate have been optimised. The growth of film was by ion method. The deposited films are dark red, uniform, well adherent to substrate and diffusely reflecting. XRD study confirms polycrystalline nature in FCC structure (zinc blende), with lattice constant a = 6.079 Angstrom and grain size = 303 Angstrom. The number of atoms per unit cell was found close to 8. The study of optical absorption spectrum in the wavelength range 900-2100nm shows direct as well as indirect optical transitions. The film shows n type of conductivity with room temperature d.c. resistivity of the order of 10(3) Ohm cm. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.