Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-dfsvx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T08:01:59.704Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Nucleation of Cu(In, Ga)Se2 on Molybdenum Substrates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

T. Schlenker
Affiliation:
Institute of Physical Electronics, University of Stuttgart Pfaffenwaldring 47, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
K. Orgassa
Affiliation:
Institute of Physical Electronics, University of Stuttgart Pfaffenwaldring 47, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
H. W. Schock
Affiliation:
Institute of Physical Electronics, University of Stuttgart Pfaffenwaldring 47, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
J. H. Werner
Affiliation:
Institute of Physical Electronics, University of Stuttgart Pfaffenwaldring 47, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Get access

Abstract

We investigate growth mechanisms of Cu(In, Ga)Se2 on Mo films on glass, as the typical back contact for Cu(In, Ga)Se2 solar cells. A thermal evaporation process deposits Cu(In, Ga)Se2of nominal 3 nm thickness at different rates R and substrate temperatures TSub. An ultrahigh resolution scanning electron microscope serves to investigate the nucleation behavior. The deposited Cu(In, Ga)Se2 forms three-dimensional isolated nuclei, known as Volmer-Weber growth mode. Deposition rate R and substrate temperature TSub control the areal density n of the Cu(In, Ga)Se2 nuclei. We observe a power law dependence between the island density n and the deposition rate R, and an exponential dependence of the island density n on substrate temperature TSub. The theory of homogeneous nucleation explains the Cu(In, Ga)Se2 cluster formation on polycrystalline Mo and the dependence of the island density on the growth conditions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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] Rau, U. and Schock, H. W., Appl. Phys. A 69, 131 (1999).Google Scholar
[2] Hanna, G., Jasenek, A., Rau, U. and Schock, H.W., phys. stat. sol. (a) 179, R7 (2000).Google Scholar
[3] Amarand, J. G. Family, F., Phys.Rev.B 50, 8781 (1994).Google Scholar
[4] Venables, J. A., Spiller, G. D. T. and Hanbücken, M., Rep. Prog. Phys. 47, 399 (1984).Google Scholar
[5] Venables, J. A., Surface Science 299/300, 798 (1994).Google Scholar
[6] Brune, H., Surf. Science Rep. 31, 121 (1998).Google Scholar
[7] Brune, H., Röder, H., Boragno, C. and Kern, K., Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 1955 (1994).Google Scholar