Photoelectrochemical Study of Electrodeposited Polycrystalline CdSe in Ferro‐Ferricyanide System

Data on the photoelectrochemical corrosion in aqueous ferro‐ferricyanide system for the CdSe photoelectrode are presented. The CdSe photoelectrodes, obtained by electroplating on titanium substrates, were previously annealed at different temperatures. Photoelectrochemical evaluation of the resultant films indicated postdeposition heat‐treatment, and surface photoetching were necessary to maximize photovoltaic outputs and decrease the photocorrosion drastically. The selenium layer produced by photoetching on CdSe surface is a good hole conductor and inhibits the photocorrosion process in this electrolyte. The photocurrent vs. potential characteristics are described using Gärtner's equations. Values of the donor concentration, N D , and hole diffusion length, L P , were obtained for different selenium layer thicknesses.