Emitter of hetero-junction solar cells created using pulsed rapid thermal annealing

In this paper, we use a pulsed rapid thermal processing (RTP) approach to create an emitter layer of hetero-junction solar cell. The process parameters and crystallization behaviour are studied. The structural, optical and electric properties of the crystallized films are also investigated. Both the depth of PN junction and the conductivity of the emitter layer increase with the number of RTP pulses increasing. Simulation results show that efficiencies of such solar cells can exceed 15% with a lower interface recombination rate, but the highest efficiency is 11.65% in our experiments.     

Thermal stability of ZnO thin film prepared by RF-magnetron sputtering evaluated by thermal desorption spectroscopy

Thermal stability of sputter deposited ZnO thin films was evaluated by thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). Desorption of Zn was mainly observed from the films deposited at low O₂/Ar gas ratio and low RF power. In contrast, O₂ desorption was mainly observed from the films deposited at high O₂/Ar gas ratio and high RF power. The amount of desorbed O₂ from the film increased with increasing the O₂/Ar gas flow ratio and the RF power. Furthermore, the desorption temperature of O₂ increased with increasing the RF power during the deposition. Thermal stability of the ZnO films was controlled not only by the O₂/Ar gas flow ratio, but also applied RF power to the target.     

Slow positron beam study of nitrogen implanted CZ-Si subjected to rapid thermal processing

In this experiment, nitrogen ions were implanted into CZ-silicon wafer at 100 keV at room temperature with the fluence of 5 × 10¹⁵ N₂⁺/cm², followed by rapid thermal processing (RTP) at different temperatures. The single detector Doppler broadening and coincidence Doppler broadening measurements on slow positron beam were carried out to characterize the defects in the as-implanted silicon and RTP-treated samples. It is found that both nitrogen-vacancy complexes (N-Vsi) and oxygen-vacancy complexes (O-Vsi) produced by nitrogen implantation diffuse back to the sample surface upon annealing. But the N-Vsi and the O-Vsi complete with each other and give a summed effect on positron annihilation characteristics. It is shown that the N-Vsi win out the O-Vsi in as-implanted sample and by RTP at 650 °C, 750 °C, which make the S-parameter increase; O-Vsi plays a dominant role after annealing above 850 °C, which makes the S parameter decrease.     

Structural and morphological properties of thin ZnO films grown by pulsed laser deposition

The pulsed laser deposition technique was used to produce zinc oxide thin films onto silicon and Corning glass substrates. Homogeneous surfaces exhibiting quite small Root Mean Square (RMS) roughness, consisting of shaped grains were obtained, their grain diameters being 40-90 nm at room temperature and at 650 °C growth respectively. Films were polycrystalline, even for growth at room temperature, with preferential crystallite orientation the (0 0 2) basal plane of wurtzite ZnO. Temperature increase caused evolution from grain to grain agglomeration structures, improving crystallinity. Compressive to tensile stresses transition with temperature was found while the lattice constant decreased.     

Effects of copper concentration on electro-optical and structural properties of chemically deposited nanosized (Zn-Cd)S:Cu films

Nanocrystalline (Zn-Cd)S films have been co-deposited on glass slide substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique at 70 °C for 75 min. Electroluminescent (EL), photoluminescent (PL) and structural characteristics of these films doped with Cu have been investigated. Cu doping has significant effects on the growth, structural and optical properties of the deposited (Zn-Cd)S films. EL studies show the essentiality of copper for EL emission. The effect of Cu concentration is examined on XRD, SEM, UV-vis spectroscopy, etc. The morphology of these films investigated with SEM and XRD is used to determine crystalline nature of the films. The optical absorption coefficient of the films has been found to increase with increase in Cu concentration. Voltage and frequency dependence shows the effectiveness of acceleration-collision mechanism. The trap-depth values are calculated from temperature dependence of EL brightness.     

Effect of annealing on properties of electrochemically deposited CdTe thin films

Thin films of CdTe have been deposited onto stainless steel and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrates from aqueous acidic bath using electrodeposition technique. The different preparative parameters, such as deposition time, bath temperature and pH of the bath have been optimized by photoelectrochemical (PEC) technique to get good quality photosensitive material. The deposited films are annealed at different temperature in presence of air. Annealing temperature is also optimized by PEC technique. The film annealed at 200 °C showed maximum photosensitivity. Different techniques have been used to characterize as deposited and also as annealed (at 200 °C) CdTe thin film. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the polycrystalline nature, and a significant increase in the XRD peak intensities is observed for the CdTe films after annealing. Optical absorption shows the presence of direct transition with band gap energy 1.64 eV and after annealing it decreases to 1.50 eV. Energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX) study for the as-deposited and annealed films showed nearly stoichiometric compound formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that spherically shaped grains are more uniformly distributed over the surface of the substrate for the CdTe film.     

Structural properties of polycrystalline silicon films formed by pulsed rapid thermal processing

A novel pulsed rapid thermal processing (PRTP) method has been used for realizing solid-phase crystallization of amorphous silicon films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition.The microstructure and surface morphology of the crystallized films were investigated using x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy.The results indicate that PRTP is a suitable post-crystallization technique for fabricating large-area polycrystalline silicon films with good structural quality,such as large grain size,small lattice microstrain and smooth surface morphology on low-cost glass substrates.     

Magnetic properties of iron nitride films prepared by oblique sputtering under different nitrogen gas flow ratios (N2/N2+Ar)

Iron nitride thin films were prepared on Si (100) substrates by oblique radio-frequency reactive magnetron oblique sputtering. Structures, phases and magnetic properties were investigated as a function of nitrogen gas flow ratio F_N(F_N=F_N2/(F_N2+F_Ar)×100%). When F_N is in the range of 2–7%, the iron nitride films show amorphous or nano-crystalline structures, which exhibit good soft magnetic properties. With 3%≤F_N≤6%, films show in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. Both intrinsic damping factor α_in and extrinsic damping factor α_ex of the iron nitride films increase with increasing F_N. The film deposited under F_N=6% with the resonance frequency f_r=3.3 GHz and full width at half-maximum Δf=3.6 GHz has great potential for high-frequency electromagnetic shielding applications.     

氧化法结合快速热处理制备VOx薄膜及其性质研究

采用磁控溅射法在单晶Si〈100〉基底上沉积金属钒(V)薄膜,在高纯氧环境下快速热处理制备具有相变特性的氧化钒(VOx)薄膜.利用X射线衍射仪、X射线光电子能谱和扫描电子显微镜对薄膜结晶结构、薄膜中V的价态与组分及表面微观形貌进行分析,应用四探针测试方法和太赫兹时域频谱技术对样品的电学和光学特性进行测试.结果表明:在一定范围的快速热处理保温温度和保温时间下,都可以制备出具有热致相变特性的氧化钒薄膜,相变前后薄膜的方块电阻变化超过两个数量级,薄膜成分主要由V2O5和VO2混合组成,薄膜中V整体价态不因热处理条件改变而不同.在快速热处理条件范围内,500℃ 25 s左右条件下(中温区)制备出的氧化钒薄膜相变特性最佳,并且对THz波有一定的调制作用.     

Preparation and characterization of ZnO thin films prepared by thermal oxidation of evaporated Zn thin films

In this paper, the experimental results regarding some structural, electrical and optical properties of ZnO thin films prepared by thermal oxidation of metallic Zn thin films are presented.Zn thin films (d=200–400 nm) were deposited by thermal evaporation under vacuum, onto unheated glass substrates, using the quasi-closed volume technique. In order to obtain ZnO films, zinc-coated glass substrates were isochronally heated in air in the 300–660 K temperature range, for thermal oxidation.X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies revealed that the ZnO films obtained present a randomly oriented hexagonal nanocrystalline structure. Depending on the heating temperature of the Zn films, the optical transmittance of the ZnO films in the visible wavelength range varied from 85% to 95%. The optical band gap of the ZnO films was found to be about 3.2 eV. By in situ studying of the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity during the oxidation process, the value of about 2×10⁻² Ω⁻¹ m⁻¹ was found for the conductivity of completely oxidized ZnO films.     

内蒙古草原拜仁达坝矿区地表土壤的X射线衍射和近红外光谱分析

在内蒙古草原拜仁达坝矿区上部的地表覆盖层中均匀采集土壤样品,用X射线衍射和近红外光谱技术对样品进行分析测试,旨在探讨草原矿区土壤成分来源及其与地下岩体的关系。结果表明,该土壤样品主要由石英、石墨、碳酸盐、角闪石、云母、绿泥石、蒙脱石、伊利石、块磷铝矿、硬水铝石、蓝铜矿、赤铁矿等组成,说明了地表土壤成分不仅来源于地表岩体风化产物,与地下岩体及其围岩蚀变作用更加密切相关。土壤中所含蓝铜矿和赤铁矿主要来源于矿体氧化带,可作为找矿标志;蚀变矿物组合主要为绿泥石-伊利石-蒙脱石,推测该区域大致经历了钾化→硅化、碳酸盐化→绢云英岩化→泥化的蚀变过程。通过分析蚀变矿物组合,可以还原围岩蚀变及物理风化过程,为深部找矿以及矿床成因研究提供了重要的参考信息,提高了找矿的成功率。X射线衍射和近红外光谱技术用于矿物、矿床研究方面,有着经济、快速的特点,能很好的鉴定矿区地表土壤中的矿物成分。尤其是近红外光谱分析技术对样品要求低,可以对样品进行快速批量的分析,具有其独特的优越性。随着近红外技术的发展,其在地质领域中将有越来越广泛的应用,并且能在找矿勘探中发挥重要的作用。     

Orientation-dependent dielectric properties of Ba(Sn0.15Ti0.85)O3 thin films prepared by sol-gel method

The orientation-dependent dielectric properties of barium stannate titanate (Ba(Sn_0.15Ti_0.85)O₃, BTS) thin films grown on (1 0 0) LaAlO₃ single-crystal substrates through sol-gel process were investigated. The nonlinear dielectric properties of the BTS films were measured using an inter-digital capacitor (IDC). The results show that the in-plane dielectric properties of BTS films exhibited a strong sensitivity to orientation. The upward shift of Curie temperature (T_c) of the highly (1 0 0)-oriented BTS thin films is believed to be attributing to a tensile stress along the in-plane direction inside the film. A high tunability of 47.03% was obtained for the highly (1 0 0)-oriented BTS films, which is about three times larger than that of the BTS films with random orientation, measured at a frequency of 1 MHz and an applied electric field of 80 kV/cm. This work clearly reveals the highly promising potential of BTS films for application in tunable microwave devices.     

Structural and electrical characterization of the nickel silicide films formed at 850 °C by rapid thermal annealing of the Ni/Si(1 0 0) films

Nickel di-silicide formation induced by RTA process at 850 °C for 60 s in the Ni/Si(1 0 0) systems are investigated as a function of the initial Ni film thickness of 7-89 nm using XRD, RBS, SEM, X-SEM and AFM. Based on the XRD and RBS data, in the silicide films of 400-105 nm, NiSi and NiSi₂ silicide phases co-exist, indicating that Ni overlayer is completely transformed to NiSi and NiSi₂ silicide phases. SEM reveals that these films consist of large grains for co-existence of NiSi₂ and NiSi phases, separated from one another by holes, reflecting that NiSi₂ grows as islands in NiSi matrix. These films have low sheet resistance, ranging from 1.89 to 5.44 Ω/□ and good thermal stability. For thicknesses ≤ 80 nm RBS yields more Si-rich silicide phases compared to thicker films, whereas SEM reveals that Si-enriched silicide islands with visible holes grow in Si matrix. As the film thickness decreases from 400 to 35 nm, AFM reveals a ridge-like structure showing a general trend of decreasing average diameter and mean roughness values, while sheet resistance measurements exhibit a dramatic increase ranging from 1.89 to 53.73 Ω/□. This dramatic sheet resistance increase is generated by substantial grain boundary grooving, followed by island formation, resulting in a significant phase transformation from NiSi₂-rich to Si-rich silicide phases.     

Behavior of oxygen in zinc oxide films through thermal annealing and its effect on sheet resistance

Behavior of oxygen in sputtering deposited ZnO films through thermal annealing and its effect on sheet resistance of the films were investigated. The crystallinities of the ZnO film were improved by post-deposition annealing in vacuum. However, the sheet resistance of ZnO film was dramatically decreased after post-deposition annealing in vacuum at more than 300 °C, while O₂ desorbed from the film. The oxygen vacancies which acted as donors were formed by the thermal annealing in vacuum. The sheet resistance of the films was recovered by annealing in oxygen ambient. In this paper, ¹⁸O₂ gas as an oxygen isotope was used as the annealing ambient in order to distinguish from ¹⁶O, which was constituent atom of the ZnO films. SIMS analysis revealed that ¹⁸O diffused into the ZnO film from the top surface by ¹⁸O₂ annealing. Therefore oxygen vacancies formed by the post-deposition annealing in vacuum could be compensated by the annealing in oxygen ambient.     

A simple solution to systematic errors in density determination by X-ray reflectivity: The XRR-density evaluation (XRR-DE) method

X-ray reflectivity (XRR) is a non-destructive, accurate and fast technique for evaluating film density. Indeed, sample-goniometer alignment is a critical experimental factor and the overriding error source in XRR density determination. With commercial single-wavelength X-ray reflectometers, alignment is difficult to control and strongly depends on the operator. In the present work, the contribution of misalignment on density evaluation error is discussed, and a novel procedure (named XRR-density evaluation or XRR-DE method) to minimize the problem will be presented. The method allows to overcome the alignment step through the extrapolation of the correct density value from appropriate non-specular XRR data sets. This procedure is operator independent and suitable for commercial single-wavelength X-ray reflectometers. To test the XRR-DE method, single crystals of TiO₂ and SrTiO₃ were used. In both cases the determined densities differed from the nominal ones less than 5.5%. Thus, the XRR-DE method can be successfully applied to evaluate the density of thin films for which only optical reflectivity is today used. The advantage is that this method can be considered thickness independent.     

PLD方法制备的纳米Fe/Al薄膜的结构及应力分析

 采用PLD方法制备了Fe/Al合金薄膜，研究了Fe/Al合金薄膜的物相、结构、应力等。研究表明薄膜的沉积速率随着衬底温度的升高而降低。原子力显微镜（AFM）图像显示，薄膜表面平整、致密且光滑，均方根粗糙度小于1 nm。等离子体发射谱（ICP）表明Fe/Al原子比为1∶1。X射线小角衍射（XRD）分析表明薄膜中的物相是Al_0.5Fe_0.5，Al_0.5Fe_0.5晶体具有简单立方结构(SC)，晶格常数为0.297 nm，平均晶粒尺寸为81.74 nm，平均微畸变为0.007 6。     

Influence of Al doping on microstructure,morphology, optical and photoluminescence properties of pyrolytic ZnO thin films prepared in an ambient atmosphere

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and aluminium (Al) doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films have been fabricated by spray pyrolysis technique in normal atmospheric condition. Samples of different Al-concentrations (0–5% Al) were deposited at 350 °C onto glass substrate to study the structural, morphological, optical and photoluminescence properties. X-ray diffraction study confirms that the films are polycrystalline having hexagonal structure. SEM images show that the films have rope and tube like morphology. Optical properties, such as transmittance, optical band gap, extinction coefficient, refractive index, optical conductivity, dielectric constants and electron energy loss functions were analyzed and discussed. Results show that the optical parameters have been changed significantly with Al-doping concentration. The photoluminescence spectra indicate that the PL peaks originated from deep level emissions (DLE) with different intensities for ZnO and Al-doped ZnO films.     

n型InP(100)衬底上电沉积氧化锌薄膜的

采用电化学沉积方法在n型InP(100)(1016)衬底上制备了氧化锌薄膜。探索线性扫描伏安法确定InP与0.1mol/LZn(NO3)2电解液的体系中沉积氧化锌的极化电势,在20℃溶液中,相对于甘汞电极(SCE)的极化电势为-1.1877V。扫描电镜照片显示:随着应用电势的降低,氧化锌薄膜变得紧密平滑;狭窄的X射线衍射峰也说明低电势下薄膜的结晶质量较好。光荧光表征发现低电势下制备的氧化锌薄膜具有良好的发光特性。     

Influence of heat treatment on structure and some physical properties of lithium boro-niobate glass

The glass composition (90?mol% Li₂B₄O₇–10?mol% Nb₂O₅) was prepared by the melt quenching technique. The quenched sample was heat treated at 480°C, 545°C and 630°C for 5?h and heat treated at 780°C with different time. The times were 5, 10, 15, 20, 28, and 36?h. The glass and glass ceramics were studied by differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dc conductivity as a function of temperature. Lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) and lithium diborate (Li₂B₄O₇) were the main phases in glass ceramic addition to traces from LiNb₃O₈. Crystallite size of the main phases determined from the X-ray diffraction peaks are in the range <100?nm. The fraction of crystalline (LiNbO₃) phase increases with increase the heat treatment temperature and time. The relation between physical properties and structure were studied.     

Characterization of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films prepared by evaporationfrom ternary compounds

Thin films of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ were fabricated by evaporation from ternary CuGaSe₂ and CuInSe₂ compounds for photovoltaic device applications and their properties were investigated. From XRF analysis, the Cu:(In+Ga):Se atomic ratio in all thin films was approximately 1:1:2. The Ga/(In+Ga) atomic ratio in the thin films changed linearly from 0 to 1.0 with increasing the [CGS]/([CGS]+[CIS]) mole ratio in the evaporating materials. However, for thin films prepared at the [CGS]/([CGS]+[CIS]) mole ratio above 0.4, the composition by EPMA analysis was not consistent with that by XRF analysis. The result of EPMA analysis showed that the surface of a thin film was Cu-rich. XRD studies demonstrated that the thin films prepared at the [CGS]/([CGS]+[CIS]) mole ratio under 0.2 had a chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ structure and the preferred orientation to the 112 plane. On the other hand, XRD patterns of the thin films produced at the [CGS]/([CGS]+[CIS]) mole ratio above 0.6 showed the diffraction lines from a chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ and a foreign phase. The separation of a peak was observed near 2θ=27°, indicative the graded Ga concentration in Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ thin film.