TUNA-EBSD-CL correlative multi-microscopy study, on the example of Cu(In,Ga)S₂ solar cell absorber

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Multi-microscopy provides complementary data for complex materials but risks measurement interference.
• Characterization-induced sample contamination can compromise data integrity.
• Optimizing measurement sequences is essential for reliable multi-modal datasets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of measurement order on multi-microscopy dataset quality.
• To identify and mitigate characterization-induced sample contamination.
• To establish an optimized multi-microscopy workflow for semiconductor analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a multi-microscopy approach combining tunnelling current AFM (TUNA), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and cathodoluminescence (CL).
• Examined the effects of measurement sequence on a polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)S2 (CIGS) solar cell absorber.
• Analyzed characterization-induced surface contaminations like oxidation and hydrocarbon layers.

Main Results:

• The order of techniques significantly influences dataset quality due to surface contamination.
• An optimized TUNA-EBSD-CL sequence minimizes contamination, preserving sample integrity.
• Direct correlation between local electrical/opto-electronic properties and CIGS grain boundary microstructure was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The TUNA-EBSD-CL measurement order is optimal for minimizing surface sensitivity issues in multi-microscopy.
• This optimized workflow enables accurate correlation of properties with microstructure in CIGS absorbers.
• The methodology offers a framework for similar AFM-SEM-based multi-microscopy studies on diverse semiconductor materials.