Electrodeposition of electronic materials for applications in macroelectronic- and nanotechnology-based devices

Electrodeposition, otherwise known as electroplating, is a well-known industrial process for extraction, purification, and coating of metals for centuries. It was not until the late 1970s that the application of electrodeposition as a semiconductor growth technique was known for the first time [1–5]. The first family of semiconductors grown by this method at the time was the II–VI semiconductor family. This eventually led to the fabrication of one of the first high-efficiency CdTe-based solar cells in the early 1980s with cell efficiency greater than 10 % [6]. These initial results of electrodeposition of CdS/CdTe solar cell triggered serious research and development activities in electrodeposition of semiconductors in general. In 2002, Dharmadasa et al. published 18 % efficiency [7] (unconfirmed) for laboratory-scale CdS/CdTe-based solar cells using electrodeposited CdTe.