High temperature electrodeposition of CdS thin films on conductive glass substrates

We study the possibility of preparing thin CdS films on conductive glasses by high temperature molten salt electrocrystallization. The CdS films have been electrodeposited on ZnO or ITO coated glass substrates in solution of CdCl2 and Na2SO3 in fused LiCl–KCl eutectic. They consist only of hexagonal phase α-CdS irrespective of the crystal structure of the substrates (hexagonal for ZnO and cubic for ITO). CdS films deposited on ZnO coated glass consist of single platelets oriented with the (0001) face parallel to the substrate. They are yellow in colour and show good adhesion to the substrates at higher current density (>0.4 mA cm−2) and long deposition time (>30 min). The films of CdS deposited on ITO/glass are more dense under identical conditions which is explained by the lower resistivity of the ITO layers in comparison with ZnO layers.