Nanometer-scale electronic and microstructural properties of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se2

Sadewasser, Sascha; Abou‐Ras, Daniel; Azulay, Doron; Baier, Robert E.; Balberg, I.; Cahen, David; Cohen, Sidney R.; Gartsman, K.; Ganesan, K.; Kavalakkatt, Jaison; Li, W.; Millo, Oded; Rissom, T.; Rosenwaks, Y.; Schock, Hans‐Werner; Schwarzman, A.; Unold, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2010.12.227

Cited by 46 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…It is a consistent result from all SEM [24][25][26][27][28] and SPM measurements 29,30 applied (in combination with EBSD) on grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se) 2 thin films that most R3 (twin) boundaries do not exhibit substantial changes in the measured signals. Thus, most of these high-symmetrical types of grain boundaries are considered electrically inactive.…”

Section: Ebsd Combined With Other Scanning Microscopy Techniquessupporting

confidence: 68%

“…The EBIC signal is enhanced in the space-charge region of the p-n junction of the solar cell owing to field-driven charge carrier collection within this region. Such measurements at (random) grain boundaries in identical Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se) 2 thin films yielded increased and decreased EBIC signals [24][25][26][27] at different grain boundaries. Thus, it is not possible to draw unambiguous conclusions about the influence of grain boundaries on charge-carrier collection from these measurements.…”

Section: Ebsd Combined With Other Scanning Microscopy Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…While SPM techniques (e.g., KPFM, SSRM, and SCM) probe the top monolayers of samples, the signals acquired by the SEM methods EBIC and CL arise from processes within several 100 nm or even few micrometers within the studied material. Sadewasser et al 24 reported that even though various SEMs as well as scanning probe and tunneling techniques were applied on grain boundaries within absorber layers from identical growth processes, it was not possible to conclude on one consistent grain boundary model from all these results. Another issue is that EBIC measurements have so far been performed at room temperature, while all reported CL measurements in the literature have been conducted at very low temperatures of about 10 K (CL measurements at room temperature suffer from very low signals).…”

Section: Ebsd Combined With Other Scanning Microscopy Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Electron Backscatter Diffraction: An Important Tool for Analyses of Structure–Property Relationships in Thin-Film Solar Cells

Abou‐Ras

Kavalakkatt

Nichterwitz

et al. 2013

JOM

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The present work gives an overview of the application of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in the field of thin-film solar cells, which consist of stacks of polycrystalline layers on various rigid or flexible substrates. EBSD provides access to grain-size and local-orientation distributions, film textures, and grain-boundary types. By evaluation of the EBSD patterns within individual grains of the polycrystalline solar cell layers, microstrain distributions also can be obtained. These microstructural properties are of considerable interest for research and development of thin-film solar cells. Moreover, EBSD may be performed three-dimensionally, by alternating slicing of cross sections in a focused ion-beam machine and EBSD acquisition. To relate the microstructural properties to the electrical properties of individual layers as well as to the device performances of corresponding solar cells, EBSD can be combined with electron-beam-induced current and cathodoluminescence measurements and with various scanning-probe microscopy methods such as Kelvin-probe force, scanning spreading resistance, or scanning capacitance microscopy on identical specimen positions. Together with standard device characterization of thin-film solar cells, these scanning microscopy measurements provide the means for extensive analysis of structure-property relationships in solar-cell stacks with polycrystalline layers.

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Section: Ebsd Combined With Other Scanning Microscopy Techniquessupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Ebsd Combined With Other Scanning Microscopy Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Ebsd Combined With Other Scanning Microscopy Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Electron Backscatter Diffraction: An Important Tool for Analyses of Structure–Property Relationships in Thin-Film Solar Cells

Abou‐Ras

Kavalakkatt

Nichterwitz

et al. 2013

JOM

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“…Analyses of AE3 TBs by means of electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) [13,19,20] as well as scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy [21], both combined with electron backscatter diffraction on the identical sample positions, showed no sign of considerably reduced short-circuit currents or charge accumulations. Thus, TBs are considered not to affect substantially the device performance of the CuðIn; GaÞSe 2 thin-film solar cell.…”

Section: Prl 108 075502 (2012) P H Y S I C a L R E V I E W L E T T Ementioning

confidence: 99%

“…[10]) and in the volumes of CuðIn; GaÞSe 2 thin films (Refs. [11,12]), which is discussed in more detail elsewhere [13].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct Insight into Grain Boundary Reconstruction in PolycrystallineCu(In,Ga)Se2with Atomic Resolution

Abou‐Ras

Schaffer

et al. 2012

Phys. Rev. Lett.

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This work presents results from high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy on twin boundaries (TBs) and nontwin grain boundaries (GBs) in CuðIn; GaÞSe 2 thin films. It is shown that the atomic reconstruction is different for different symmetries of the grain boundaries. We are able to confirm the model proposed by Persson and Zunger [Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 266401 (2003)] for Se-Se-terminated AE3 f112g TBs, showing Cu depletion and In enrichment in the two atomic planes closest to the TB. On the contrary, Cu depletion without In enrichment is detected for a cation-Se-terminated TB. At nontwin GBs, always a strong anticorrelation of Cu and In signals is detected suggesting that the formation of In Cu or Cu In antisites within a very confined region of smaller than 1 nm is an essential element in the reconstruction of these GBs.

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The Role of Grain Boundaries in CZTS‐Based Thin‐Film Solar Cells

Clemens

2014

Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide‐Based Thin‐Film Solar Cells

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Nanometer-scale electronic and microstructural properties of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se2

Cited by 46 publications

References 31 publications

Electron Backscatter Diffraction: An Important Tool for Analyses of Structure–Property Relationships in Thin-Film Solar Cells

Electron Backscatter Diffraction: An Important Tool for Analyses of Structure–Property Relationships in Thin-Film Solar Cells

Direct Insight into Grain Boundary Reconstruction in PolycrystallineCu(In,Ga)Se2with Atomic Resolution

The Role of Grain Boundaries in CZTS‐Based Thin‐Film Solar Cells

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