Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T05:43:50.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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
Get access

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Repins, I., Contreras, M.A., Egaas, B., DeHart, C., Scharf, J., Perkins, C.L., To, B., and Noufi, R., Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl. 16, 235 (2008).Google Scholar
2. Jackson, P., Hariskos, D., Lotter, E., Paetel, S., Wuerz, R., Menner, R., Wischmann, W., and Powalla, M., Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl. (n.d.).Google Scholar
3. Gabor, A.M., Tuttle, J.R., Albin, D.S., Contreras, M.A., Noufi, R., and Hermann, A.M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 65, 198 (1994).Google Scholar
4. Dhere, N.G., Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 91, 1376 (2007).Google Scholar
5. Chen, G.S., Yang, J.C., Chan, Y.C., Yang, L.C., and Huang, W., Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 93, 1351 (2009).Google Scholar
6. Shi, J.H., Li, Z.Q., Zhang, D.W., Liu, Q.Q., Sun, Z., and Huang, S.M., Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl. 19, 160 (2011).Google Scholar
7. Frantz, J.A., Bekele, R.Y., Nguyen, V.Q., Sanghera, J.S., Bruce, A., Frolov, S.V., Cyrus, M., and Aggarwal, I.D., Thin Solid Films 519, 7763 (2011).Google Scholar
8. Scofield, J.H., Duda, A., Albin, D., Ballard, B.L., and Predecki, P.K., Thin Solid Films 260, 26 (1995).Google Scholar
9. Schlenker, T., Schock, H.W., and Werner, J.H., J. Cryst. Growth 259, 47 (2003).Google Scholar
10. Schlenker, T., Valero, M.L., Schock, H., and Werner, J., J. Cryst. Growth 264, 178 (2004).Google Scholar