SEM characterization of CdTe growth on CdTe(111) by close-spaced sublimation

A close-spaced sublimation (CSS) reactor is used to explore the growth of CdTe thin films on CdTe(111) substrates in order to determine the parameters required for high quality smooth film growth. Growth rates below 1 mu m/h were targeted based on a preliminary sublimation study of the substrate material. The CSS technique is of interest due to its low cost and the potential for producing high quality films at higher growth rates compared to molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Films were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the film thickness was determined using an alpha-step IQ profilometer. The initial quality of the films was determined by the electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) technique.