Annealing effect on the structural and optical properties of a Cd1−xZnxS thin film for photovoltaic applications

Herein is a report of a study on a Cd1−xZnxS thin film grown on an ITO substrate using a chemical bath deposition technique. The as-deposited films were annealed in air at 400 °C for 30 min. The composition, surface morphology and structural properties of the as-deposited and annealed Cd1−xZnxS thin films were studied using EDX, SEM and X-ray diffraction techniques. The annealed films have been observed to possess a crystalline nature with a hexagonal structure. The optical absorption spectra were recorded within the range of 350–800 nm. The band gap of the as-deposited thin films varied from 2.46 to 2.62 eV, whereas in the annealed film these varied from 2.42 to 2.59 eV. The decreased band gap of the films after annealing was due to the improved crystalline nature of the material.