Composition dependent structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of CdS:Co window layer grown by Chemical Bath Deposition

Abstract CdS as an n–type layer plays an important role in the fabrication of solar cells. Cd1-xCoxS thin-films with variable Co doping levels (x= 0 to 0.06) were deposited on glass and indium tin oxide-coated (ITO) glass substrates by simple and inexpensive chemical bath deposition. The effects of Co doping on the structural, optical, morphological, elemental, and vibrational properties of CdS films were systematically examined. XRD results revealed that Co concentrations increase and the crystallite size of the film decreases from 20.4 to 13.6 nm due to the incorporation Co in Cd sites. The optical bandgap was reduced from 2.44 to 2.32 eV due to the incorporation of Co, which was found with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Urbach energy, refractive index and extinction coefficient of all deposited films was estimated, and the results were discussed. The intensity of PL peaks was reduced by increasing the Co concentration in the red region. The resistivity and carrier concentration were measured from Hall measurement system and the film current density was increased from 7 to 26 mA/cm2 by cobalt doping.