Electrodeposition Process for Optimizing Cu₂Se Films with Controlled Surface Morphology and Structural Properties.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Copper selenide (Cu2Se) is a promising material for microelectronic applications.
• Controlled synthesis of high-quality Cu2Se films is essential for device performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable method for synthesizing thick Cu2Se films.
• To investigate the effect of pH and electrochemical potential on Cu2Se film properties.

Main Methods:

• Potentiostatic electrochemical deposition in acidic aqueous solutions.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Main Results:

• Achieved deposition of up to 12.5 μm-thick Cu2Se films with low surface roughness (130 nm) at pH < 1.5.
• Identified optimal potential window for Cu2Se formation (-0.37 V to -1.3 V).
• Demonstrated that higher pH (>1.5) leads to increased roughness and reduced current efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Potentiostatic synthesis in acidic media offers a controlled and scalable route to high-quality Cu2Se films.
• Film morphology and quality are highly dependent on solution pH and applied potential.
• Optimized synthesis conditions enable fabrication of advanced microdevices.