Cubic CdS thin films studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry

CdS polycrystalline films were grown onto glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD) and characterized by spectroellipsometry, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples showed the presence of a CdS cubic phase (β-CdS) and of Cd₂SiO₄ as interfacial material. Using electron diffraction it was possible to index the films as cubic CdS. From effective dielectric function measurements and from reported optical data for the dielectric function of cubic CdS crystals, grown by vapour phase epitaxy, it was possible to fit the experimental data to an effective medium approximation, and to deduce the film thickness, the void fraction and the field screening.