Another route to fabricate single-phase chalcogenides by post-selenization of Cu–In–Ga precursors sputter deposited from a single ternary target

• Published in: Solar energy materials and solar cells Vol. 93; no. 8; pp. 1351 - 1355
• Main Authors: Chen, G.S., Yang, J.C., Chan, Y.C., Yang, L.C., Huang, Welson
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chalcopyrite; CIGS; Cu–In–Ga; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Natural energy; Photovoltaic conversion; Selenization; Solar cells; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Sputtering; Solar cells; Cu–In–Ga; Chalcopyrite; Selenization; CIGS; Sputtering; Crystallinity; High temperature; Cu-In-Ga; Solar cell; Chalcogenides; Topography; Microstructure; Low temperature
• ISSN: 0927-0248; 1879-3398
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2009.02.014

Single-layered precursors comprising In and Cu 11(In,Ga) 9 were fabricated by one-step sputtering of a Cu–In–Ga ternary target, subsequently covered by an evaporated Se layer as the source of post-selenization, involving low-temperature (100 °C) homogenization and high-temperature (⩾450 °C) chalcogenization treatments. Initially it appears that the post-selenization process is inappropriate to fabricate device-quality CIGS absorber layers because the composite precursor is converted into (In,Ga) 2Se 3 and Cu 3Se 2 with segregated phases and roughened topography. However, adequately controlling the processing steps leads to a fully microstructure-homogenized precursor, offering a new route and chemical reaction process to fabricate Cu(In,Ga)Se (CIGS) absorber layer with sounding crystallinity.