High-Quality CdTe Films from Nanoparticle Precursors

Douglas L. Schulz; Martin Pehnt; Ed Urgiles; David W. Niles; Kim M. Jones; Calvin J. Curtis; David S. Ginley

doi:10.1109/PVSC.1996.564281

High-Quality CdTe Films from Nanoparticle Precursors

Douglas L. Schulz, Martin Pehnt, Ed Urgiles, David W. Niles, Kim M. Jones, Calvin J. Curtis, David S. Ginley

Materials, Chemical, and Computational Science

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

Abstract

In this paper we demonstrate that nanoparticulate precursors coupled with spray deposition offers an attractive route into electronic materials with improved smoothness, density, and lower processing temperatures. Employing a metathesis approach, cadmium iodide was reacted with sodium telluride in methanol solvent, resulting in the formation of soluble Nal and insoluble CdTe nanoparticles. After appropriate chemical workup, methanol-capped CdTe colloids were isolated. CdTe thin film formation was achieved by spray depositing the nanoparticle colloids (25-75 angstrom diameter) onto substrates at elevated temperatures (T = 280-440°C) with no further thermal treatment. These films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cubic CdTe phase formation was observed by XRD, with a contaminant oxide phase also detected. XPS analysis showed that CdTe films produced by this one-step method contained no Na or C and substantial O. AFM gave CdTe grain sizes of approx.0.1-0.3 μm for film sprayed at 400°C. A layer-by-layer film growth mechanism proposed for the one-step spray deposition of nanoparticle precursors will be discussed.

Original language	American English
Pages	929-932
Number of pages	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.1996.564281 https://doi.org/10.1109/pvsc.1996.564281
State	Published - 1996
Event	Proceedings of the 1996 25th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - Washington, DC, USA Duration: 13 May 1996 → 17 May 1996

Conference

Conference	Proceedings of the 1996 25th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
City	Washington, DC, USA
Period	13/05/96 → 17/05/96

NREL Publication Number

NREL/CP-22426

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title = "High-Quality CdTe Films from Nanoparticle Precursors",

abstract = "In this paper we demonstrate that nanoparticulate precursors coupled with spray deposition offers an attractive route into electronic materials with improved smoothness, density, and lower processing temperatures. Employing a metathesis approach, cadmium iodide was reacted with sodium telluride in methanol solvent, resulting in the formation of soluble Nal and insoluble CdTe nanoparticles. After appropriate chemical workup, methanol-capped CdTe colloids were isolated. CdTe thin film formation was achieved by spray depositing the nanoparticle colloids (25-75 angstrom diameter) onto substrates at elevated temperatures (T = 280-440°C) with no further thermal treatment. These films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cubic CdTe phase formation was observed by XRD, with a contaminant oxide phase also detected. XPS analysis showed that CdTe films produced by this one-step method contained no Na or C and substantial O. AFM gave CdTe grain sizes of approx.0.1-0.3 μm for film sprayed at 400°C. A layer-by-layer film growth mechanism proposed for the one-step spray deposition of nanoparticle precursors will be discussed.",

author = "Schulz, {Douglas L.} and Martin Pehnt and Ed Urgiles and Niles, {David W.} and Jones, {Kim M.} and Curtis, {Calvin J.} and Ginley, {David S.}",

year = "1996",

doi = "10.1109/PVSC.1996.564281",

language = "American English",

pages = "929--932",

note = "Proceedings of the 1996 25th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference ; Conference date: 13-05-1996 Through 17-05-1996",

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T1 - High-Quality CdTe Films from Nanoparticle Precursors

AU - Schulz, Douglas L.

AU - Pehnt, Martin

AU - Urgiles, Ed

AU - Niles, David W.

AU - Jones, Kim M.

AU - Curtis, Calvin J.

AU - Ginley, David S.

PY - 1996

Y1 - 1996

N2 - In this paper we demonstrate that nanoparticulate precursors coupled with spray deposition offers an attractive route into electronic materials with improved smoothness, density, and lower processing temperatures. Employing a metathesis approach, cadmium iodide was reacted with sodium telluride in methanol solvent, resulting in the formation of soluble Nal and insoluble CdTe nanoparticles. After appropriate chemical workup, methanol-capped CdTe colloids were isolated. CdTe thin film formation was achieved by spray depositing the nanoparticle colloids (25-75 angstrom diameter) onto substrates at elevated temperatures (T = 280-440°C) with no further thermal treatment. These films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cubic CdTe phase formation was observed by XRD, with a contaminant oxide phase also detected. XPS analysis showed that CdTe films produced by this one-step method contained no Na or C and substantial O. AFM gave CdTe grain sizes of approx.0.1-0.3 μm for film sprayed at 400°C. A layer-by-layer film growth mechanism proposed for the one-step spray deposition of nanoparticle precursors will be discussed.

AB - In this paper we demonstrate that nanoparticulate precursors coupled with spray deposition offers an attractive route into electronic materials with improved smoothness, density, and lower processing temperatures. Employing a metathesis approach, cadmium iodide was reacted with sodium telluride in methanol solvent, resulting in the formation of soluble Nal and insoluble CdTe nanoparticles. After appropriate chemical workup, methanol-capped CdTe colloids were isolated. CdTe thin film formation was achieved by spray depositing the nanoparticle colloids (25-75 angstrom diameter) onto substrates at elevated temperatures (T = 280-440°C) with no further thermal treatment. These films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cubic CdTe phase formation was observed by XRD, with a contaminant oxide phase also detected. XPS analysis showed that CdTe films produced by this one-step method contained no Na or C and substantial O. AFM gave CdTe grain sizes of approx.0.1-0.3 μm for film sprayed at 400°C. A layer-by-layer film growth mechanism proposed for the one-step spray deposition of nanoparticle precursors will be discussed.

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U2 - 10.1109/PVSC.1996.564281

DO - 10.1109/PVSC.1996.564281

M3 - Paper

AN - SCOPUS:0030380836

SP - 929

EP - 932

T2 - Proceedings of the 1996 25th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference

Y2 - 13 May 1996 through 17 May 1996

ER -

High-Quality CdTe Films from Nanoparticle Precursors

Abstract

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