Highly photosensitive CdSe coatings by screen printing and sintering technique

CdSe powder precipitated from a chemical bath was screen printed on glass substrates using ZnCl2 as flux, with flux to powder ratio (FPR) varying in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 by weight, and propylene glycol as binder. After a subsequent sintering in air for 1 h at 450 degrees C, the screen printed coatings showed a photocurrent to darkcurrent ratio of similar to 10(8) under tungsten halogen illumination of 2000 W m(-2). X-ray diffraction studies showed that sintering causes the conversion of the ZnCl2 flux into hexagonal phase ZnO which would hh the void among the CdSe particles. The optimum FPR and the sintering temperature to achieve maximum photosensitivity in the coatings are presented. The coatings may be used in the development of highly photosensitive light dependent resistors. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.