CdTe nanoparticles for the deposition of CdTe films using close spaced sublimation

In this work a nanostructured CdTe powder was applied as a source material for CdTe film deposition via Close Spaced Sublimation (CSS). Growth kinetics and the resulting film properties were studied and compared to the films deposited from a commercially available CdTe bulk powder as source. The nanostructured powder was synthesized by a solvothermal elemental reaction of Cd and Te in ethylene diamine leading to particles of around 100-500 nm in diameter with a specific surface area of 4.1 m2 g-1. An increase in the deposition rate by the factor of 1.7 was observed for the nanostructured powder as compared to the bulk material.