Fabrication of 3D macroporous structures of II-VI and III-V semiconductors using electrochemical deposition

Close-packed three-dimensional (3D) arrays of silica spheres assembled on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate surface have been prepared using sedimentation in the solution. Both galvanostatic and potentiostatic electrochemical depositions have been tested to infiltrate six different semiconductors, ZnSe, PbSe, CdSe, CdS, CdTe, and GaAs, onto the 3D silica arrays. The detailed studies of deposition parameters such as current density, deposition time, concentrations of electrolytes, solvents, and temperatures were performed to ensure the quality of resulting semiconductor films on the arrays. Followed by the removal of the silica arrays, 3D macroporous structures made from those semiconductors were obtained, and the structures exhibited 3D periodicity and uniformity. Clear diffraction peaks at ∼1350 nm of CdSe and CdS macroporous films were observed.