Electrodeposition of CuInTe2 film from an acidic solution

Copper–indium–telluride films were electrochemically deposited from solutions containing CuCl2, InCl3, TeO2 and HCl. Although a flat and smooth film with closely stoichiometric composition was deposited at −660 mV vs. Ag/AgCl at 303 K from a solution of 2.5×10−4 mol dm−3 CuCl2, 1.0×10−2 mol dm−3 InCl3, 5.0×10−4 mol dm−3 TeO2 and 0.1 mol dm−3 HCl, a polycrystalline CuInTe2 film was not obtained. Increasing the temperature from 303 to 363 K allowed the deposition at lower overpotential of a polycrystalline CuInTe2 film with closely stoichiometric composition and increased indium content. The band gap of the polycrystalline CuInTe2 film electrodeposited at 363 K at −660 mV was 0.98 eV.