Photoetching of polycrystalline n‐CdS film electrodes in a photoelectrochemical cell: An electrolyte electroreflectance study

Photoelectrochemical etching (photoetching) of polycrystalline CdS electrodes has been investigated, by the first time, by electrolyte electroreflectance (EER) technique. EER is shown to be a very powerful tool for the “in situ” study of the potential distribution changes occurring at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface, even in the case of polycrystalline electrodes with scarce specular reflection. The EER study of the effect of photoetching on the photoelectrochemical behaviour of polycrystalline CdS electrodes allows a further insight into the origin and mechanisms involved in this interesting etching technique.

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