Novel Thin-Film CuInSe2 Fabrication, Annual Subcontract Report, 1 May 1991 - 30 April 1992

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7023165· OSTI ID:7023165

Gabor, A.; Hermann, A.

This report describes work to form thin films of CuInSe{sub 2} (CIS) by annealing precursor films containing Cu, In, and Se in a rapid thermal processor. This involves two steps: (1) a precursor containing Cu, In, and Se is deposited on unheated substrates such that CIS does not form during this deposition step, and (2) the precursor is annealed in a rapid thermal processor to crystallize the CIS. Advantages of this process are that (1) no H{sub 2}Se is used; (2) concentration gradients can potentially be built into the film due to the rapid anneal; and (3) the precursor can potentially be deposited using scalable methods such as sputtering, solution growth, and electrodeposition. The deposition method used was three-source, elemental physical vapor deposition. At room temperature, such a method was considered to be a flexible way to deposit a precursor that would be fairly typical of precursors deposited by more scalable techniques. Precursors were made both by the stacked elemental layer approach, where one element at a time wsas evaporated, as well as by a co-evaporation method. Adhesion problems limited device performance, and the co-evaporated precursors displayed unintended segregation of Cu and I in a direction normal to the film plane. The best cell efficiency was 3.5%.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 7023165
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP-451-5014; ON: DE92016440
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ADHESION
ANNEALING
CHALCOGENIDES
CONVERSION
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS
COPPER SELENIDES
CuInSe2
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
HEAT TREATMENTS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS
INDIUM SELENIDES
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION
PROGRESS REPORT
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
fabrication
photovoltaics
solar cells
thin films