Properties of Electron-Beam Irradiated CuInSe2 Layers by Multi-Step Sputtering Method

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thin Film Technology
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Conventional Copper Indium Selenide (CIS) thin films for photovoltaic devices are typically produced via co-evaporation or metal deposition followed by selenium treatment.
• Alternative deposition methods are sought to streamline the manufacturing process and potentially reduce costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel method for depositing CIS thin films using DC and RF magnetron sputtering from binary selenide targets.
• To explore the efficacy of electron beam annealing for crystallizing CIS precursors without external selenium supply.

Main Methods:

• Deposition of Copper Indium Selenide (CIS) thin films by DC and RF magnetron sputtering utilizing binary Cu2Se and In2Se3 targets.
• Crystallization of stacked Cu2Se/In2Se3 precursors using a novel electron beam annealing technique.
• Analysis of surface morphology, cross-sectional structure, and compositional ratios of the resulting CIS films.

Main Results:

• Successfully deposited CIS thin films without the need for additional selenium during the process.
• Demonstrated that electron beam annealing can effectively crystallize sputtered Cu-In-Se precursors.
• Confirmed the feasibility of achieving desired film characteristics through this selenium-free method.

Conclusions:

• Electron beam annealing is a viable and rapid method for crystallizing sputtered Copper Indium Selenide (CIS) precursors.
• This selenium-free approach offers a promising alternative for the fabrication of CIS thin films for photovoltaic applications.