Antimony telluride (Sb2Te3) is binary p-type compound of narrow band gap (0.3 eV) semiconductor, which has application in solar cell to make low resistive ohmic contact. Sb2Te3 acts as a diffusion barrier and may improve the ohmic contact due to top doping on CdTe surface. We have synthesized antimony telluride thin films by electrodeposition technique and studied their various properties. Three-electrode system was employed for the electrodeposition of Sb2Te3 thin films on fluorine tin oxide coated glass substrates. Sb2O3 and TeO2 were used as an ionic source for Sb and Te ions, whereas tartaric acid was used as complexing agent and also supportive electrolyte. The electrochemical parameters were optimized by slow scan cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiment. The effects of deposition potential on morphology, structure, and composition have been studied. Various properties of Sb2Te3 film were studied by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Prominent (015) peak of Sb2Te3 was attributed at 2θ = 28.36° for as-deposited and heat treated samples. After heat treatment, crystallinity of the film was improved. The electrical properties of as-deposited and annealed films were studied by two probe method. Growth potential dependent I-V characteristics of FTO/Sb2Te3/Au diode were studied and found to be Schottky barrier diode. Compact, uniform, and void free films surface morphology is observed by AFM. The effect of deposition potentials on morphology, structure, and composition of Sb2Te3 thin films were studied.

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