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Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films
Research Guide
What is Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films?
Chalcogenide semiconductor thin films are thin layers of semiconductor materials containing chalcogen elements such as sulfur, selenium, or tellurium, deposited onto substrates for applications in photovoltaics, phase-change memory, and topological devices.
Research on chalcogenide semiconductor thin films encompasses 97,195 works. These materials include compounds like CdTe, MoS2, and In2Se3, often synthesized as nanocrystallites or epitaxial films. Key studies demonstrate their use in solar cells and catalysis, with papers like "Synthesis and characterization of nearly monodisperse CdE (E = sulfur, selenium, tellurium) semiconductor nanocrystallites" by Murray et al. (1993) achieving nearly monodisperse particles.
Research Sub-Topics
Pulsed Laser Deposition of Chalcogenide Thin Films
Researchers investigate the use of pulsed laser deposition techniques to fabricate high-quality chalcogenide semiconductor thin films with precise control over stoichiometry and microstructure. Studies focus on optimizing deposition parameters for applications in phase-change memory and infrared detectors.
Sputtering Techniques for Chalcogenide Thin Films
This area explores radio-frequency and reactive sputtering methods to deposit uniform chalcogenide thin films, emphasizing adhesion, density, and phase purity. Research examines film properties for photovoltaic absorbers and thermoelectric generators.
Thermal Evaporation of Chalcogenide Semiconductors
Scientists study vacuum thermal evaporation processes for chalcogenide thin films, analyzing evaporation rates, substrate effects, and post-annealing crystallization. Key applications include optical data storage and switching devices.
Electrical Transport in Chalcogenide Thin Films
Research characterizes charge carrier mobility, conductivity switching, and threshold phenomena in chalcogenide thin films under varying electric fields and temperatures. Investigations link microstructure to ovonic memory switching mechanisms.
Optical Properties of Chalcogenide Thin Films
This sub-topic examines refractive index, absorption coefficients, and photoinduced changes in chalcogenide thin films across IR and visible spectra. Studies explore nonlinear optics and photodarkening for photonic applications.
Why It Matters
Chalcogenide semiconductor thin films enable high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, such as CdTe-based devices detailed in "CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future" (2025 preprint), which discuss front contacts like indium tin oxide with band gaps of 3.55 to 3.75 eV and transparency exceeding visible to near-infrared regions. They support emerging photovoltaics, as in CuGa3Se5 absorbers paired with MgxZn1−xO contacts for photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical devices (Journal of Physics: Energy, 2021). In catalysis, "Identification of Active Edge Sites for Electrochemical H2 Evolution from MoS2 Nanocatalysts" by Jaramillo et al. (2007) identified edge sites on MoS2 films as active for hydrogen evolution, advancing non-precious metal catalysts. Recent news highlights efficiency records in emerging solar cell materials (2026) and UK semiconductor deposition systems funded by a £2.7m EPSRC grant (2025).
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Synthesis and characterization of nearly monodisperse CdE (E = sulfur, selenium, tellurium) semiconductor nanocrystallites" by Murray et al. (1993), as it provides foundational methods for monodisperse chalcogenide nanocrystallites central to thin-film synthesis.
Key Papers Explained
Murray et al. (1993) established synthesis of monodisperse CdE (E=S, Se, Te) nanocrystallites, building toward clusters in Alivisatos (1996) "Semiconductor Clusters, Nanocrystals, and Quantum Dots," which eliminates surface states for quantum dot properties. Jaramillo et al. (2007) "Identification of Active Edge Sites for Electrochemical H2 Evolution from MoS2 Nanocatalysts" applies this to catalytic edge sites in MoS2 thin films.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Preprints focus on phase transitions in PdTe2 films (Nature Materials, 2026), silicon-compatible α-In2Se3 ferroelectrics (2025), robust In2Te3 epitaxy (2025), and CdTe solar cells (2025). News covers efficiency records and £2.7m-funded deposition for chalcogenide innovation (2025).
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Semiconductor Clusters, Nanocrystals, and Quantum Dots | 1996 | Science | 11.3K | ✕ |
| 2 | Synthesis and characterization of nearly monodisperse CdE (E =... | 1993 | Journal of the America... | 9.1K | ✕ |
| 3 | Efficient planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells by vapo... | 2013 | Nature | 7.8K | ✕ |
| 4 | Band parameters for III–V compound semiconductors and their al... | 2001 | Journal of Applied Phy... | 7.1K | ✕ |
| 5 | Long-Range Balanced Electron- and Hole-Transport Lengths in Or... | 2013 | Science | 6.6K | ✓ |
| 6 | Interface engineering of highly efficient perovskite solar cells | 2014 | Science | 6.5K | ✕ |
| 7 | Compositional engineering of perovskite materials for high-per... | 2015 | Nature | 6.3K | ✕ |
| 8 | High-performance photovoltaic perovskite layers fabricated thr... | 2015 | Science | 6.1K | ✓ |
| 9 | Identification of Active Edge Sites for Electrochemical H <sub... | 2007 | Science | 5.8K | ✕ |
| 10 | Electron-hole diffusion lengths > 175 μm in solution-grown ... | 2015 | Science | 5.4K | ✓ |
In the News
Emerging solar cell material sets new efficiency record
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Emerging chalcogenide materials for thin film photovoltaic ...
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Next-generation electronics by co-design with ...
As Moore’s law approaches its limits, chalcogenides offer a promising route to next-generation computing and sensing, thanks to their topological, magnetoelectric, excitonic, and spintronic propert...
Semiconductor research breakthrough is a first for UK
The deposition system was funded by a £2.7m grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC –Strategic Equipment Programme), reinforcing the UK’s commitment to advancing se...
Solar-Absorbing Materials | Materials Science | NLR
MgxZn1− xO Contact to CuGa3Se5Absorber for Photovoltaic and Photoelectrochemical Devices ,*Journal of Physics: Energy*(2021) Wide Band Gap Chalcogenide Semiconductors ,*Chemical Reviews*(2020).
Code & Tools
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**Solcore**was born as a modular set of tools, written (almost) entirely in Python 3, to address some of the task we had to solve more. With time, ...
## Repository files navigation # SemiPy Framework This is the main repository for the open source SemiPy data analysis framework. SemiPy is meant...
ViennaPS is a header-only C++ library for topography simulation in microelectronic fabrication processes. It models the evolution of 2D and 3D surf...
Recent Preprints
Research articles | Nature Materials
Controllable and scalable phase transition of transition metal chalcogenides is challenging. Using in situ microscopic analysis, a non-stoichiometric phase transition from PdTe2to PdTe is observed ...
2D ferroelectric narrow-bandgap semiconductor Wurtzite’ type α -In 2 Se 3 and its silicon-compatible growth
2D van der Waals ferroelectrics, particularly _α_-In2Se3, have emerged as an attractive building block for next-generation information storage technologies due to their moderate band gap and robust...
Robust Material Properties in Epitaxial In$_2$Te$_3$ Thin Films Across Varying Thicknesses
Abstract: Sesqui-chalcogenides serve as a critical bridge between traditional semiconductors and quantum materials, offering significant potential in applications such as thermoelectrics, phase cha...
CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future
in detail the most widespread materials for fr ont contact. 2.1.1. Indium Tin Oxide The most diffused type of TCO in the family of In 2 O 3 (IO) based thin films is the indium tin oxide (ITO). Its b...
Solar-Absorbing Materials | Materials Science | NLR
MgxZn1− xO Contact to CuGa3Se5Absorber for Photovoltaic and Photoelectrochemical Devices ,*Journal of Physics: Energy*(2021) Wide Band Gap Chalcogenide Semiconductors ,*Chemical Reviews*(2020).
Latest Developments
Recent research in chalcogenide semiconductor thin films includes advances in optoelectronic applications of antimony chalcogenide films (October 2025), development of ultra-thin layered chalcogenide materials with unique properties such as topologies and high carrier mobilities (December 2024), and novel growth techniques like hybrid pulsed laser deposition using organosulfur precursors to improve film crystallinity (May 2024). Additionally, high-throughput screening identified 2D layered phase-change chalcogenides with high thermal stability for embedded memory applications, and studies on scalable fabrication methods for metal chalcogenide semiconductors for photovoltaics and electronics are ongoing (sciopen.com, mrs.org, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, nature.com, rsc.org) as of February 2026.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of chalcogenide semiconductors used in thin films?
Examples include CdE (E = sulfur, selenium, tellurium) nanocrystallites, as synthesized nearly monodisperse in "Synthesis and characterization of nearly monodisperse CdE (E = sulfur, selenium, tellurium) semiconductor nanocrystallites" by Murray et al. (1993). MoS2 nanocatalysts feature active edge sites for H2 evolution per Jaramillo et al. (2007). Recent preprints cover In2Se3, In2Te3, and PdTe2 films.
How are chalcogenide semiconductor thin films synthesized?
Synthesis methods produce nearly monodisperse CdE nanocrystallites, as described by Murray et al. (1993). Epitaxial growth maintains robust properties across thicknesses in In2Te3 films (2025 preprint). Non-stoichiometric phase transitions from PdTe2 to PdTe occur scalably, observed via in situ microscopy (Nature Materials, 2026 preprint).
What applications do chalcogenide thin films have in photovoltaics?
CdTe thin films serve as absorbers in solar cells with ITO contacts (band gap 3.55-3.75 eV), per "CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future" (2025). CuGa3Se5 absorbers pair with MgxZn1−xO for photovoltaic devices (Journal of Physics: Energy, 2021). Emerging materials set new efficiency records (news, 2026).
What are the active sites in chalcogenide catalysts?
In MoS2 nanocatalysts, edge sites are active for electrochemical H2 evolution, identified by Jaramillo et al. (2007) using surface-sensitive methods. These sites enable catalysis without precious metals.
What is the current state of 2D chalcogenide thin films?
2D α-In2Se3 exhibits ferroelectricity in wurtzite structure, compatible with silicon growth (2025 preprint). In2Te3 epitaxial films show consistent properties for thermoelectrics and topological insulators (2025 preprint). Phase engineering in PdTe2 films provides scalable heterostructures (2026 preprint).
Open Research Questions
- ? How can controllable phase transitions in transition metal chalcogenides like PdTe2 be scaled for heterostructure devices?
- ? What stabilizes wurtzite α-In2Se3 for silicon-compatible 2D ferroelectric applications?
- ? How do properties of epitaxial In2Te3 thin films remain robust across varying thicknesses for thermoelectric and topological uses?
- ? What front contact optimizations improve CdTe thin-film solar cell performance?
Recent Trends
Preprints from the last 6 months emphasize scalable phase engineering in PdTe2 to PdTe (Nature Materials, 2026), wurtzite α-In2Se3 for 2D ferroelectrics , robust In2Te3 thin films (2025), and CdTe solar cells with ITO contacts (2025).
2025News reports emerging chalcogenide PV materials , new solar efficiency records (2026), and UK £2.7m EPSRC-funded deposition systems (2025).
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