SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF (CdSe)1-X(ZnS)x MIXED POLYCRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTORS BY CO-PRECIPITATION METHOD

Abstract

The polycrystalline (CdSe)1-x (ZnS)x semiconductor powder with (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) has been prepared by controlled co-precipitation method from an alkaline medium using thiourea as a sulphide ion source. Pellets are made out of these powders under 10 tonnes/sq.cm pressure and are sintered at 800°C for 2 hours in nitrogen atmosphere. X-ray studies have indicated that the compounds are polycrystalline in nature with mixed hexagonal structure of CdSe with x = 0-0.3 and cubic structure of ZnS with x = 1. The chemical homogeneity of the samples was observed from the EDAX and also noted that the atomic contents present were as per the constituents taken in the solution. Lattice parameters (a and c) of all the compounds are determined from the X-ray data and are found to decrease with the increase in ZnS content. It is also observed that the grain size decreases with the increase in x from 0-0.6 and later it remained almost the same till x reaches 0.9. Optical studies indicated that the energy gap was as high as 5.2 eV and remained almost same throughout the composition range x = 0-1. Scanning electron micrographs have shown platelet like structure in CdSe and mixed compounds where as a mixed Cubic and Hexagonal structure in ZnS. The results are explained based on different phases present in the compounds.