TEM identification of secondary phases in non-stoichiometric polycrystalline CuInSe2 thin films

Author(s):  
J.P. Goral ◽  
M.M. Al-Jassim ◽  
D. Albin ◽  
J.R. Tuttle ◽  
R. Noufi

Polycrystalline thin films of CuInSe2 and CuGaSe2 are currently being developed as low-cost photovoltaic devices. These films are vacuum-deposited onto molybdenum metallized alumina substrates. The film composition may be varied by manipulation of the deposition parameters. For photovoltaic applications, the desired phase has a stoichiometry close to CuInSe2. This compound is a zincblende variant, the cations and anions occupying separate fcc sublattices. Under certain growth conditions, the Cu and In atoms adopt an ordered configuration within the cationic sublattice resulting in the tetragonal chalcopyrite structure. Even when the deposition parameters are manipulated to produce nominally stoichiometric films, powder x-ray traces often exhibit anomalous peaks indicative of the presence of impurity phases. The identification of these minority phases by x-ray diffraction alone is not possible in this materials system due to low peak intensity and overlap considerations. The formation of the secondary phases has a detrimental effect on the electrical and optical properties of the thin film device.

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 2426-2429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangjun Wang ◽  
Gang Cheng ◽  
Binbin Hu ◽  
Xiaoli Wang ◽  
Shaoming Wan ◽  
...  

In this paper, polycrystalline CuIn(SxSe1–x)2 thin films with tunable x and Eg (band gap) values were prepared by controlling the sulfurization temperature (T) of CuInSe2 thin films. X-ray diffraction indicated the CuIn(SxSe1–x)2 films exhibited a homogeneous chalcopyrite structure. When T increases from 150 to 500 °C, x increases from 0 to 1, and Eg increases from 0.96 to 1.43 eV. The relations between x and Eg and the sulfurization process of CuIn(SxSe1–x)2 thin films have been discussed. This work provides an easy and low-cost technique for preparing large area absorber layers of solar cell with tunable Eg.


Cerâmica ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 48 (305) ◽  
pp. 38-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. B. Bernardi ◽  
E. J. H. Lee ◽  
P. N. Lisboa-Filho ◽  
E. R. Leite ◽  
E. Longo ◽  
...  

The synthesis of TiO2 thin films was carried out by the Organometallic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) method. The influence of deposition parameters used during growth on the final structural characteristics was studied. A combination of the following experimental parameters was studied: temperature of the organometallic bath, deposition time, and temperature and substrate type. The high influence of those parameters on the final thin film microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy with electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction.


1988 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 311-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.A. Larsen ◽  
T.F. McNulty ◽  
R.P. Goehner ◽  
K.R. Crystal

AbstractThe use of conventional θ/2θ diffraction methods for the characterization of polycrystalline thin films is not in general a satisfactory technique due to the relatively deep penetration of x-ray photons in most materials. Glancing incidence diffraction (GID) can compensate for the penetration problems inherent in the θ/2θ geometry. Parallel beam geometry has been developed in conjunction with GID to eliminate the focusing aberrations encountered when performing these types of measurements. During the past yearwe developed a parallel beam attachment which we have successfully configured to a number of systems.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Martinschitz ◽  
Rostislav Daniel ◽  
Christian Mitterer ◽  
Keckes Jozef

AbstractA new X-ray diffraction technique to determine elastic moduli of polycrystalline thin films deposited on monocrystalline substrates is demonstrated. The technique is based on the combination of sin2ψ and X-ray diffraction wafer curvature techniques which are used to characterize X-ray elastic strains and macroscopic stress in thin film. The strain measurements must be performed for various hkl reflections. The stresses are determined from the substrate curvature applying the Stoney's equation. The stress and strain values are used to calculate hkl reflection dependent X-ray elastic moduli. The mechanical elastic moduli can be then extrapolated from X-ray elastic moduli considering film macroscopic elastic anisotropy. The derived approach shows for which reflection and corresponding value of the X-ray anisotropic factor Γ the X-ray elastic moduli are equal to their mechanical counterparts in the case of fibre textured cubic polycrystalline aggregates. The approach is independent of the crystal elastic anisotropy and depends on the fibre texture type, the texture sharpness, the amount of randomly oriented crystallites and on the supposed grain interaction model. The new method is demonstrated on a fiber textured Cu thin film deposited on monocrystalline Si(100) substrate. The advantage of the new technique remains in the fact that moduli are determined non-destructively, using a static diffraction experiment and represent volume averaged quantities.


MRS Advances ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (23-24) ◽  
pp. 1215-1223
Author(s):  
R.R. Phiri ◽  
O.P. Oladijo ◽  
E.T. Akinlabi

AbstractControl and manipulation of residual stresses in thin films is a key for attaining coatings with high mechanical and tribological performance. It is therefore imperative to have reliable residual stress measurements methods to further understand the dynamics involved. The sin2ψ method of X-ray diffraction was used to investigate the residual stresses on the tungsten carbide cobalt thin films deposited on a mild steel surface to understand the how the deposition parameters influence the generation of residual stresses within the substrate surface. X-ray spectra of the surface revealed an amorphous phase of the thin film therefore the stress measured was of the substrate surface and the effects of sputtering parameters on residual stress were analysed. Compressive stresses were identified within all samples studied. The results reveal that as the sputtering parameters are varied, the residual stresses also change. Optimum deposition parameters in terms of residual stresses were suggested.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1107 ◽  
pp. 678-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lam Mui Li ◽  
Azmizam Manie Mani ◽  
Saafie Salleh ◽  
Afishah Alias

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) has attracted much attention because of its high optical transmittance approximately ~80 % with a wide band gap of (3.3 eV at 300 K) and a relatively low cost material. ZnO thin films were deposited on plastic substrate using RF powered magnetron sputtering method. The target used is ZnO disk with 99.99 % purity. The sputtering processes are carried out with argon gas that flow from 10-15 sccm. Argon is used to sputter the ZnO target because the ability of argon that can remove ZnO layer effectively by sputtering with argon plasma bombardment. The deposited ZnO thin films are characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and UV-Vis Spectrometer. The analysis of X-ray diffraction show that good crystalline quality occurs at nominal thickness of 400 nm. The optical studies showed that all the thin films have high average transmittance of approximately 80 % and the estimated value of optical band gap is within 3.1 eV-3.3 eV range.


2012 ◽  
Vol 510-511 ◽  
pp. 156-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.H. Tariq ◽  
M. Anis-ur-Rehman

Polycrystalline thin films of Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) have been extensively studied for application as a window layer in CdTe/CdS and CIGS/CdS thin film solar cells. Higher efficiency of solar cells is possible by a better conductivity of a window layer, which can be achieved by doping these films with suitable elements. CdS thin films were deposited on properly cleaned glass substrate by thermal evaporation technique under vacuum2×10-5mbar. Films were structurally characterized by using X-ray diffraction. The X-ray diffraction spectra showed that the thin films were polycrystalline in nature. Aluminum was doped chemically in as deposited and annealed thin films by immersing films in AlNO33.9H2O solutions respectively. Comparison between the effects of different doping ratios on the structural and optical properties of the films was investigated. Higher doping ratios have improved the electrical properties by decreasing the resistivity of the films and slightly changed the bandgap energy Eg. The grain size, strain, and dislocation density were calculated for as-deposited and annealed films.


2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (01n02) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. ZHU ◽  
W. J. JIE ◽  
X. H. WEI ◽  
W. F. QIN ◽  
Y. ZHANG ◽  
...  

Ba ( Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8) O 3 (BZT) and 2 mol% Mn additional doped BZT ( Mn -BZT) thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition technique under the same growth conditions on LaAlO 3 substrates with the bottom electrodes of LaNiO 3. The microstructure of the films was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the mode of θ–2θ scan and Φ-scan. The results indicated that BZT film was (001)-oriented_with an in-plane relationship of BZT[100]//LNO[100]//LAO[100]. The Mn -BZT film exhibited higher dielectric constant of 225 at zero electric field, larger dielectric tunability of 59.4%, and lower dielectric loss of 1.8% under an applied electric field of 720 kV/cm. The figure of merit for BZT thin film increased from 19.8 to 33 by Mn doping. The enhanced dielectric behavior by Mn doping could be mainly attributed to the decrease of oxygen vacancies and the reorientation of the dipolar defect complex of [Formula: see text].


Author(s):  
S.M. Patil ◽  
P.H. Pawar

Nanocrystalline thin films of cadmium sulphide were prepared by chemical bath deposition technique onto glass substrate at 60 °C. The deposition parameters were optimized to obtain good quality of nanocrystalline thin films such as, time, precursor concentration, temperature of deposition and pH of the solution. The studies on crystal structure, composition, surface morphology, electrical conductivity and photoconductivity of the films were carried out by using different analytical technique. Characterization includes X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Electrical and photoconductivity. The response and recovery time of the thin film were measured and presented.


2016 ◽  
Vol vol1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Billal Allouche ◽  
Yaovi Gagou ◽  
M. El Marssi

By pulsed laser deposition, lead potassium niobate Pb2KNb5O15 was grown on (001) oriented Gd3Ga5O12 substrate using a platinum buffer layer. The PKN thin films were characterized by X-Ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The dependence of their structural properties as a function of the deposition parameters was studied. It has been found that the out of plane orientation of PKN film depends on the oxygen pressure used during the growth. Indeed, PKN thin film is oriented [001] for low pressure and is oriented [530] for high pressure. For these two orientations, the crystalline quality of PKN film was determined using omega scans.


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