Synthesis, structure, and optical properties of nanopowders CdS: xAl (x=0, 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20%) via the sol–gel technique

Abstract

The nanocrystalline Al-doped CdS semiconductors were produced accurately by the sol-gel calcination process. The aluminum was added with different percent’s (0, 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt%) to the synthesized CdS. Both FT-Raman analysis and UV–VIS-NIR absorption measurements were utilized to characterize the studied semiconductors' structural and optical characteristics. The detected X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the prepared CdS present a polycrystalline structure, and Al-doping does not significantly impact this range. Optical bandgaps were determined for undoped and Al-doped CdS, showing a significant change with the percentage of Al-dopants. With increasing Al-doping up to (20 percent), the optical bandgap for CdS (2.38 eV) grows to reach (2.47 eV) and the allowed transitions were found to be direct for the investigated samples. The blue shift may be the reason for the optical bandgap variations. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) micrographs were performed to establish the Al-doped CdS nanostructure to identify the morphological characteristics.