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Title: Study of the recombination process at crystallite boundaries in CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) films by microwave photoconductivity

Journal Article · · Semiconductors
;  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Chang-Gung University, Department of Electronic Engineering and Green Technology Research Center (China)
  2. Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics (Russian Federation)

The loss kinetics of photogenerated charge carriers in thin polycrystalline chalcopyrite CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) films has been studied by microwave photoconductivity (at 36 GHz). The films were synthesized using the ampoule method and three variants of physical vapor deposition with subsequent selenization: magnetron sputtering, thermal deposition, and modified thermal deposition with intermetallic precursors. The photoconductivity was excited by 8-ns nitrogen laser pulses with maximum intensity of 4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} photons/cm per pulse. Measurements were performed in the temperature range 148-293 K. The photoresponse amplitude is found to depend linearly on the sizes of coherent-scattering regions in the film grains, which were calculated from X-ray diffraction data. The photoresponse decay obeys hyperbolic law. The photoresponse half-decay time increases with a decrease in both temperature and light intensity. It is shown that the recombination of free holes with trapped electrons is very efficient near the crystallite boundaries.

OSTI ID:
22105549
Journal Information:
Semiconductors, Vol. 47, Issue 3; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7826
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English