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Title: Bandgap profiling in CIGS solar cells via valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy

Abstract

A robust, reproducible method for the extraction of relative bandgap trends from scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) based electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is described. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by profiling the bandgap through a CuIn1-xGaxSe2 solar cell that possesses intentional Ga/(In.Ga) composition variation. The EELSdetermined bandgap profile is compared to the nominal profile calculated from compositional data collected via STEM-based energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The EELS based profile is found to closely track the calculated bandgap trends, with only a small, fixed offset difference. This method, which is particularly advantageous for relatively narrow bandgap materials and/or STEM systems with modest resolution capabilities (i.e., >100 meV), compromises absolute accuracy to provide a straightforward route for the correlation of local electronic structure trends with nanoscale chemical and physical structure/microstructure within semiconductor materials and devices.

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
  2. Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  3. The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, and Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1540143
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1766326
Grant/Contract Number:  
EE0007141
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 123; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; 14 SOLAR ENERGY; Physics; STEM; EELS; bandgap; semiconductors; metal oxides; Cherenkov radiation; valence electron energy loss spectroscopy; semiconductor materials; energy dispersive x-ray spectroscropy; scanning electron microscopy; solar cells; transition metal chalcogenides; x-rays; STEM, EELS, Bandgap, semiconductors

Citation Formats

Deitz, Julia I., Karki, Shankar, Marsillac, Sylvain X., Grassman, Tyler J., and McComb, David W. Bandgap profiling in CIGS solar cells via valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5011658.
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Deitz, Julia I., Karki, Shankar, Marsillac, Sylvain X., Grassman, Tyler J., & McComb, David W. Bandgap profiling in CIGS solar cells via valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5011658
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Deitz, Julia I., Karki, Shankar, Marsillac, Sylvain X., Grassman, Tyler J., and McComb, David W. Wed . "Bandgap profiling in CIGS solar cells via valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5011658. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1540143.
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@article{osti_1540143,
title = {Bandgap profiling in CIGS solar cells via valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy},
author = {Deitz, Julia I. and Karki, Shankar and Marsillac, Sylvain X. and Grassman, Tyler J. and McComb, David W.},
abstractNote = {A robust, reproducible method for the extraction of relative bandgap trends from scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) based electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is described. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by profiling the bandgap through a CuIn1-xGaxSe2 solar cell that possesses intentional Ga/(In.Ga) composition variation. The EELSdetermined bandgap profile is compared to the nominal profile calculated from compositional data collected via STEM-based energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The EELS based profile is found to closely track the calculated bandgap trends, with only a small, fixed offset difference. This method, which is particularly advantageous for relatively narrow bandgap materials and/or STEM systems with modest resolution capabilities (i.e., >100 meV), compromises absolute accuracy to provide a straightforward route for the correlation of local electronic structure trends with nanoscale chemical and physical structure/microstructure within semiconductor materials and devices.},
doi = {10.1063/1.5011658},
journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
number = 11,
volume = 123,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5011658
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Direct Nanoscale Characterization of Deep Levels in AgCuInGaSe 2 Using Electron Energy‐Loss Spectroscopy in the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope
    journal, August 2019

    • Deitz, Julia I.; Paul, Pran K.; Farshchi, Rouin
    • Advanced Energy Materials, Vol. 9, Issue 35
    • DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201901612

    Manipulating acoustic and plasmonic modes in gold nanostars
    journal, January 2019

    • Chatterjee, Sharmistha; Ricciardi, Loredana; Deitz, Julia I.
    • Nanoscale Advances, Vol. 1, Issue 7
    • DOI: 10.1039/c9na00301k

    Heterodimeric Plasmonic Nanogaps for Biosensing
    journal, December 2018

    • Chatterjee, Sharmistha; Ricciardi, Loredana; Deitz, Julia
    • Micromachines, Vol. 9, Issue 12
    • DOI: 10.3390/mi9120664

    Manipulating Acoustic and Plasmonic Modes in Gold Nanostars
    text, January 2019

    Heterodimeric Plasmonic Nanogaps for Biosensing
    journal, December 2018

    • Chatterjee, Sharmistha; Ricciardi, Loredana; Deitz, Julia
    • Micromachines, Vol. 9, Issue 12
    • DOI: 10.3390/mi9120664
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