S.A. Mayén-Hernández

Optical, Electrical and Photocatalytic Properties of the Ternary Semiconductors , and

The effects of vacuum annealing at different temperatures on the optical, electrical and photocatalytic properties of polycrystalline and amorphous thin films of the ternary semiconductor alloys , and were investigated in stacks of binary semiconductors obtained by chemical bath deposition. The electrical properties were measured at room temperature using a four-contact probe in the Van der Pauw configuration. The energy band gap of the films varied from 2.30 to 2.85 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the semiconductor thin films was evaluated by the degradation of an aqueous methylene blue solution. The thin film of annealed under vacuum at 300°C exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity.

Synthesis of paramelaconite nanoparticles by laser ablation

Paramelaconite nanoparticles have been obtained by laser ablation from a copper target in propanol. Copper oxide nanoparticles were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. HR-TEM images demonstrated particle size in the range of 60–70 nm. It is observed that nanoparticle size depends on the wavelength and intensity of the laser. The results show that the stability of paramelaconite is affected by the high temperatures and oxidizing atmosphere, leading to a mixed phase of tenorite and paramelaconite.

Structural properties of Sn-doped CdTe thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition using powder as target

Undoped and Sn-doped CdTe thin films were grown by a pulsed laser deposition on glass substrates at 300 °C using a powder as target. CdTe films were grown using CdTe and Sn powders, varying the tin concentration in the range of 1–7 wt. %. The structural properties were analyzed as a function of the Sn amount in the target. The x-ray diffraction shows that the undoped CdTe film has a cubic phase, while Sn-doped CdTe films have a mixture of cubic and hexagonal phases. The compositional analysis showed that the undoped CdTe film has Te excess, while Sn-doped CdTe films have Te deficiencies.