Unlike many other semiconductors, electro deposition of Si in aqueous medium is very difficult due to large cathodic potential of Si+4 compared to water (-0.83 vs NHE). Since last three decades many investigations have been carried out to electrodeposit silicon in non-aqueous medium such as molten salts and organic solvent. However, due to challenges such as higher temperature requirement in the case of molten salt and possibility of toxicity and contamination due to high vapor pressure of organic solvents, the room temperature ionic liquids are preferred as alternative to other non-aqueous media for electrodepositsion of silicon at room temperature. Hence, in the present investigation ionic liquids have been used for electrodeposition of silicon on suitable substrate at room temperature with special emphasis to study the influence of the presence of limited amount of water in the ionic liquid on the electrochemical deposition of Si carried out in limited dry argon environment on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) at room temperature. It is observed that the available effective potential window remains un-affected even in the presence of water. Thin film of Si has thus been successfully deposited on HOPG from the water contaminated ionic liquid at room temperature. Detail characterization of the Si thin film along with the mechanism of electrodeposition process will be discussed.

Electrodeposition of Si thin film on HOPG from SiCl4 in BMImTf2N at room temperature

254th National Meeting (2017)

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