Characterization and optical properties of Cadmium Telluride nanopowders synthesized via hydrothermal method

Cadmium telluride nanopowders were synthesized through the hydrothermal method at different temperatures and reaction times. The prepared samples were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy (DR UV-vis). The XRD patterns revealed that the secondary phases almost disappeared in the sample synthesized at 180 ° C for 80h. SEM images showed that the average particle size of the prepared CdTe powders is about 85 nm. Investigation of optical properties confirmed that CdTe nanopowders synthesized by hydrothermal are ideal materials to be used as the absorber layer in fabricating optical devices such as solar cells.