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Nucleation and Growth Behavior of Quaternary-Sputtered Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2012

Jason D. Myers ,
Jesse A. Frantz ,
Robel Y. Bekele ,
Vinh Q. Nguyen ,
Allan Bruce ,
Sergey V. Frolov ,
Michael Cyrus  and
Jas S. Sanghera
Jason D. Myers
Affiliation:
Optical Sciences Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
Jesse A. Frantz
Affiliation:
Optical Sciences Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
Robel Y. Bekele
Affiliation:
Optical Sciences Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC University Research Foundation, Greenbelt, MD
Vinh Q. Nguyen
Affiliation:
Optical Sciences Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
Allan Bruce
Affiliation:
Sunlight Photonics, South Plainfield, NJ
Sergey V. Frolov
Affiliation:
Sunlight Photonics, South Plainfield, NJ
Michael Cyrus
Affiliation:
Sunlight Photonics, South Plainfield, NJ
Jas S. Sanghera
Affiliation:
Optical Sciences Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
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Abstract

In the past two decades, the growing global demand for solar energy has spurred scientific interest in alternative technologies to conventional silicon. In particular, CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (CIGS) has emerged as a competitor. We have developed a scalable deposition technique using RF magnetron sputtering of quaternary CIGS. Notably, the resulting films do not require postselenization, reducing processing time and cost. We have fabricated devices above 10% efficiency using this approach, showing its promise as a production method for highperformance CIGS photovoltaics. However, the morphology of the sputtered CIGS layer is markedly different from conventional evaporated films; grain sizes vary through the thickness of the film, with numerous small grains dominating at the Mo/CIGS interface that then either terminate or grow in an inverted-pyramid fashion to form large, columnar grains at the CIGS/CdS interface.

To better understand the origin of this morphology, we have studied the growth behavior of the CIGS layer using a combination of atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy to observe initial nucleation and grain growth behavior of quaternary-sputtered CIGS. We also discuss the effects of interfacial layers at the Mo/CIGS interface, demonstrating a novel wetting layer that conformally coats the Mo surface.

Keywords

nucleation & growthphotovoltaicsputtering
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1447: Symposium V/W – Nanostructured and Advanced Materials for Solar-Cell Manufacturing , 2012 , mrss12-1447-v02-10
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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