The structure and semiconducting properties of cadmium selenide films

CdSe films about 1 μm thick were vacuum deposited on unheated glass substrates. Reflection electron diffraction studies showed the growth of a one-dimensional {00.1} texture orientation of the hexagonal phase. Films of lower resistivity were characterized by a larger grain size and better ordering, whilst films of higher resistivity contained amorphous regions and were less ordered. A study of the carrier type, the concentration, the Hall mobility and the variation in the bond length u along the hexagonal c axis of “as-deposited” and heat-treated films showed that the lower resistivity films incorporated a small cadmium excess, which increased with heat treatment, resulting in higher carrier concentrations and a further lowering of the resistivity. Large increases in the resistivities of films deposited at high rates were attributed to the depletion of the small individual grains.