Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T04:09:10.626Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

X-ray diffraction studies on the effect of ball-milling speed on the structure of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 nanoparticles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2013

L. Fu
Affiliation:
School of Energy Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Y.Q. Guo*
Affiliation:
School of Energy Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
S. Zheng
Affiliation:
School of Energy Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
*
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) semiconductors were prepared by arc melting and the vacuum solid reaction. CIGS nanoparticles were synthesized by the mechanical alloy method. The influences of various ball-milling speeds on phase structures for CIGS nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystal structures and unit-cell parameters of CIGS nanoparticles were determined using TREOR program and the least squares method. A Rietveld structural refinement was used to determine the atomic occupations and atomic numbers of CIGS prepared under various ball-milling speeds. The least size of agglomerated CIGS nanoparticles should be around 200 nm. CIGS nanoparticles milled at various milling speeds with a tetragonal chalcopyrite structure were obtained according to XRD analyses. However, Ga content in CIGS depends on milling speeds. Based on the structural refinements, the unit-cell parameters are a = 5.693(8)–5.744(9) Å and c = 11.334(9)–11.524(4) Å with gallium content ranging from 0.3 to 0.5. The atomic occupations are corresponding to the 4a crystal site for Cu atoms, the 4b site for In and the 8d site for Se. Ga prefers to occupy the 4b crystal site.

Type
Technical Articles
Copyright
Copyright © International Centre for Diffraction Data 2013 

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

Ahna, S. J., Kim, K. H., Chun, Y. G., and Yoon, K. H. (2007). “Nucleation and growth of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 nanoparticles in low temperature colloidal process,” Thin Solid Films 515, 40364040.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benslim, N., Mehdaoui, S., Aissaoui, O., Benabdeslem, M., Bouasla, A., Bechiri, L., Otmani, A., and Portier, X. (2010). “XRD and TEM characterizations of the mechanically alloyed CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2 powders,” Journal of Alloys and Compounds 489, 437440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhojan, V., Subramaniam, V., Alatorre, J. A., and Asomaza, R. (2009). “Mechano-chemical Synthesis, Deposition and Structural Characterization of CIGS,” MRS Proceedings, 1210, 1210-Q03-10 doi: 10.1557/PROC-1210-Q03-10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chandramohan, M., Velumani, S., and Venkatachalam, T. (2010). “Experimental and theoretical investigations of structural and optical properties of CIGS thin films,” Mater. Sci. Eng. B 174, 205208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chun, Y.-G., Kim, K.-H., and Yoon, K.-H. (2005). “Synthesis of CuInGaSe2 nanoparticles by solvothermal route,” Thin Solid Films 480–481, 4649.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dhere, N. G. and Ghongadi, S. R. (2001). “CIGS2 Thin Film Solar Cells on Stainless Steel Foil,” MRS Proceedings, 668, H3.4 doi: 10.1557/PROC-668-H3.4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gu, S.-I., Shin, H.-S., Yeo, D.-H., Hong, Y.-W., and Nahm, S. (2011). “Synthesis of the single phase CIGS particle by solvothermal method for solar cell application,” Curr. Appl. Phys. 11, S99S102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kapur, V. K., Bansal, A., Le, P., and Asensio, O. I. (2003). “Non-vacuum processing of CuIn1−xGaxSe2 solar cells on rigid and flexible substrates using nanoparticle precursor inks,” Thin Solid Films 431, 5357.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, C. P. and Chuang, C. L. (2012). “Fabrication of CIGS nanoparticle-ink using ball milling technology for applied in CIGS thin films solar cell,” Powder Technol. 229, 7883.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, Y., Kong, D. Y., Li, J. W., Zhao, C., Chen, C. L., and Brugger, J. (2012). “Preparation of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film by solvothermal and spin-coating process,” Energy Proc. 16, 217222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olejnicek, J., Kamler, C. A., Mirasano, A., Martinez-Skinner, A. L., Ingersoll, M. A., Exstrom, C. L., Darveau, S. A., Huguenin-Love, J. L., Diaz, M., Ianno, N. J., and Soukup, R. J. (2010). “A non-vacuum process for preparing nanocrystalline CuIn1−xGaxSe2 materials involving an open-air solvothermal reaction,” Solar Cells 94, 811.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Philip, J., Dimitrios, H., Erwin, L., Stefan, P., Roland, W., Richard, M., Wiltraud, W., and Michael, P. (2011). “New world record efficiency for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells beyond 20%,” Prog. Photovolt. Res. Appl. 19, 894897.Google Scholar
Vidhya, B., Velumani, S., Arenas-Alatorre, J. A., Morales-Acevedo, A., Asomoza, R., and Chavez-Carvayar, J. A. (2010). “Structural studies of mechano-chemically synthesized CuIn1−xGaxSe2 nanoparticles,” Mater. Sci. Eng. B 174, 216221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar