The Electrodeposition of Crystalline Gallium Antimonide Using Electrochemical Liquid-Liquid Solid Deposition (ec-LLS)

The growth of crystalline III-V semiconductor material from aqueous solutions has maintained a challenging task in the field of semiconductor electrodeposition. Electrochemical liquid-liquid solid deposition (ec-LLS) is a method in which an applied potential is used to grow crystalline semiconductors from a liquid metal electrode/solvent.¹ In this study crystalline gallium antimonide (c-GaSb) films were electrodeposited from both Sb­₂O₃ and SbCl₃ precursors in aqueous electrolyte via ec-LLS at mild temperatures (40^o-90^oC) and ambient pressure. The electrodeposition of c-GaSb films has been previously attempted^2,3 but the deposits contained large amounts of excess antimony and required post-deposition annealing steps. However, in the present study c-GaSb films with stoichiometric amounts of Ga and Sb were obtained without any post-deposition annealing. In addition, the growth conditions were varied and the effects on the grain size, texture and composition of the resultant films were examined using X-ray diffraction, energy‑dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the temperature, precursor concentration and pH were the most significant parameters that influenced the crystalline quality and composition of the as‑grown films.      

References:

(1)    Fahrenkrug, E.; Gu, J.; Maldonado, S. J. Am. Chem. Soc.,2013, 135, 330-339

(2)    McChesney, J et al., Optical Materials, 1996, 6, 63-67

(3)    Musiani, M et al., J. Appl. Electrochem., 1989, 20, 868-873