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This study systematically investigates the impact of source-to-substrate distance (SSD) during thermal evaporation on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of CdTe, CdSe, and Sb$_2$S$_3$ thin films. Findings reveal that while SSD primarily influences film thickness and exhibits marginal effects on optical band gap, the low band gap energies (<2 eV) and high absorption coefficients of CdTe and CdSe films, coupled with their low transmittance, position them as promising absorber materials for thin-film solar cells. The research demonstrates that SSD is a critical parameter for tuning the optoelectronic characteristics of these chalcogenide thin films.
CdTe and CdSe thin films, tunable via source-to-substrate distance, exhibit promising optoelectronic properties for thin-film solar cell absorber layers, rivaling established materials.
In this work, cadmium telluride (CdTe), cadmium selenide (CdSe), and antimony sulfide (Sb\(_2\)S\(_3\)) thin films were deposited using the thermal evaporation technique by varying the source-to-substrate distance (SSD) from 15 to 24 cm (15, 18, 21, and 24 cm). The influence of the SSD on the structural, compositional, optical and electrical properties of the deposited films was systematically investigated. XRD analysis revealed the polycrystalline nature of the CdTe and CdSe thin films, whereas the Sb$_2$S$_3$ thin films exhibited an amorphous nature. EDX spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the constituent elements in the deposited films. Optical analysis revealed a marginal variation in the optical band gap with increasing SSD, while the film thickness, determined using the envelope method, decreased with increasing SSD. The optical band gap energies of CdTe and CdSe were found to be below 2 eV, whereas Sb$_2$S$_3$ exhibited a relatively higher band gap. The relatively low band gap energies and high absorption coefficients of the CdTe and CdSe films make them promising candidates for absorber layer applications in thin film solar cells (TFSCs). The films exhibited relatively low optical transmittance, which is desirable for efficient light absorption in absorber layers. Electrical characterization confirmed the semiconducting nature of all the deposited thin films. Overall, the results demonstrate that the optical and electrical properties of CdTe, CdSe and Sb$_2$S$_3$ thin films can be effectively modified by varying the SSD. The findings indicate that, in addition to the well established CdTe absorber, CdSe thin films show potential for application as absorber materials in TFSCs.