Chemical Fluctuation-Induced Nanodomains in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Films

Yanfa Yan; R. Noufi; K. M. Jones; K. Ramanathan; M. M. Al-Jassim; B. J. Stanbery

doi:10.1063/1.2053349

Chemical Fluctuation-Induced Nanodomains in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Films

Yanfa Yan, R. Noufi, K. M. Jones, K. Ramanathan, M. M. Al-Jassim, B. J. Stanbery

Materials Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

73 Scopus Citations

Abstract

The microstructure and chemistry of CuInSe2 single-crystals and Cu (In,Ga) Se2 thin films from high-efficiency devices are investigated by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy. We find strong chemical fluctuations at the nanoscale, which result in a lattice comprising a mixture of relatively Cu-poor and Cu-rich nanodomains in both cases. These nanodomains are crystallographically coherent, and no structural lattice defects are found at the interfaces between them. These nanodomains may interconnect, forming three-dimensional, interpenetrating Cu-poor and Cu-rich percolation networks. Such interconnected structures may play a role in the high device performance of Cu (In,Ga) Se2 thin-film photovoltaics.

Original language	American English
Article number	121904
Pages (from-to)	1-3
Number of pages	3
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	87
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2053349 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2053349
State	Published - 19 Sep 2005

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-520-38149

Access to Document

Cite this

@article{a58f7b469b9d4362bf05d27a02f8cd68,

title = "Chemical Fluctuation-Induced Nanodomains in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Films",

abstract = "The microstructure and chemistry of CuInSe2 single-crystals and Cu (In,Ga) Se2 thin films from high-efficiency devices are investigated by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy. We find strong chemical fluctuations at the nanoscale, which result in a lattice comprising a mixture of relatively Cu-poor and Cu-rich nanodomains in both cases. These nanodomains are crystallographically coherent, and no structural lattice defects are found at the interfaces between them. These nanodomains may interconnect, forming three-dimensional, interpenetrating Cu-poor and Cu-rich percolation networks. Such interconnected structures may play a role in the high device performance of Cu (In,Ga) Se2 thin-film photovoltaics.",

author = "Yanfa Yan and R. Noufi and Jones, {K. M.} and K. Ramanathan and Al-Jassim, {M. M.} and Stanbery, {B. J.}",

year = "2005",

month = sep,

day = "19",

doi = "10.1063/1.2053349",

language = "American English",

volume = "87",

pages = "1--3",

journal = "Applied Physics Letters",

issn = "0003-6951",

publisher = "American Institute of Physics",

number = "12",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Chemical Fluctuation-Induced Nanodomains in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Films

AU - Yan, Yanfa

AU - Noufi, R.

AU - Jones, K. M.

AU - Ramanathan, K.

AU - Al-Jassim, M. M.

AU - Stanbery, B. J.

PY - 2005/9/19

Y1 - 2005/9/19

N2 - The microstructure and chemistry of CuInSe2 single-crystals and Cu (In,Ga) Se2 thin films from high-efficiency devices are investigated by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy. We find strong chemical fluctuations at the nanoscale, which result in a lattice comprising a mixture of relatively Cu-poor and Cu-rich nanodomains in both cases. These nanodomains are crystallographically coherent, and no structural lattice defects are found at the interfaces between them. These nanodomains may interconnect, forming three-dimensional, interpenetrating Cu-poor and Cu-rich percolation networks. Such interconnected structures may play a role in the high device performance of Cu (In,Ga) Se2 thin-film photovoltaics.

AB - The microstructure and chemistry of CuInSe2 single-crystals and Cu (In,Ga) Se2 thin films from high-efficiency devices are investigated by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy. We find strong chemical fluctuations at the nanoscale, which result in a lattice comprising a mixture of relatively Cu-poor and Cu-rich nanodomains in both cases. These nanodomains are crystallographically coherent, and no structural lattice defects are found at the interfaces between them. These nanodomains may interconnect, forming three-dimensional, interpenetrating Cu-poor and Cu-rich percolation networks. Such interconnected structures may play a role in the high device performance of Cu (In,Ga) Se2 thin-film photovoltaics.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=28344448627&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1063/1.2053349

DO - 10.1063/1.2053349

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:28344448627

SN - 0003-6951

VL - 87

SP - 1

EP - 3

JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

IS - 12

M1 - 121904

ER -

Chemical Fluctuation-Induced Nanodomains in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Films

Abstract

NREL Publication Number

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this