Structural, optical and electrical characterization of CBD synthesized CdO thin films: influence of deposition time

Cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films were grown on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method for different deposition times using cadmium acetate as cationic precursor. The structural and optical characterization was carried out using XRD, TEM, and UV-Vis spectrophotometer measurements. Structural analyses with XRD confirmed cubic structure of the CdO. Average particle size estimated from Rietveld refinement method of XRD pattern corresponded well with TEM measurement. The optical band gap varied between 2.35 eV to 2.48 eV with deposition time and an increase in optical band gap with decreasing film thickness was observed. The AC electrical conduction behavior of the CdO film was investigated as a function of temperature as well as frequency. The conductivity measurements indicated localized conduction and hopping of carriers between localized states. The value of real part of dielectric constant was found to decrease with frequency and increase with temperature. The Nyquist plots at different temperatures showed the existence of both grains and grain boundaries contributing to conduction mechanism.