Preparation of Mo/Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin films by one-step sputtering

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy Technologies
• Thin Film Deposition

Background:

• Developing efficient absorber layers is crucial for advancing CIGS solar cell technology.
• Existing methods for CIGS layer fabrication can be complex and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore a simplified, one-step sputtering technique for preparing CIGS absorber layers.
• To assess the feasibility of this method for large-area CIGS solar cells.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a single quaternary target (Cu, In, Ga, Se) for one-step sputtering deposition.
• Performed in-situ and post-annealing using Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP).
• Characterized the resulting layers using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX).

Main Results:

• Successfully obtained CIGS absorber layers with the desired chalcopyrite crystal structure.
• Achieved very smooth layer surfaces due to the single-step sputtering process.
• Confirmed the composition and structural integrity of the deposited layers.

Conclusions:

• The one-step sputtering method is a viable and potentially economical route for CIGS absorber layer preparation.
• This technique offers a promising pathway for the scalable production of CIGS solar cells.