Investigation of reactive magnetron sputter deposited ZnSe for solar cell application. Final subcontract report

Technical Report · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5330465

Stirn, R J; Nouhi, A

As a higher bandgap semiconductor with reasonable lattice constant, ZnSe is an attractive alternative to CdS for heterojunction solar cells. Previous attempts to deposit doped n-type polycrystalline ZnSe films usually produced film resistivities from 10/sup 5/ to 10/sup 8/ ohm-cm unless GaAs substrates were used. This report presents results of one year's research into depositing high-conductivity ZnSe on glass substrates by reactive magnetron sputter deposition, using pure metal sputter targets of Zn and In, Ga, and Al dopants. Using substrate temperatures as low as 150/sup 0/C and sputter parameters and H/sub 2/Se injection rates that maximize the Zn-to-Se ratio in the films, ZnSe bulk resistivities were reduced to as low as 40 ohm-cm. The most effective dopant to date was In, co-sputtered with Zn to In atomic concentrations of 3%. AES measurements show an average 45/52 ratio of Zn to Se; a low Zn content for such conducting films. Extended studies of dopants' effects are warranted, as are heterojunction studies using thin-film CuInSe/sub 2/ and CdTe substrates.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 5330465
• Report Number(s): SERI/STR-211-2750; ON: DE85016851
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
CHALCOGENIDES
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC SELENIDES