Optical characterisation of CuInSe2 thin films prepared by two-stage process

Optical absorption spectra of CuInSe₂ chalcopyrite semiconductor films prepared using a two-stage technique were investigated. In addition to absorption measurements, energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) and X-ray diffraction measurements (XRD) were also performed. Direct bandgap energy values for the CuInSe₂ films were derived from the variation of (αhν)² with energy. All the measurements were performed on samples with various Cu/In ratios. It was determined from the absorption measurements that the materials have strong absorption at the fundamental band edge. The E_g values showed an increasing trend with decreasing Cu/In ratios. Received: 26 May 2000 / Accepted: 31 October 2000 / Published online: 10 January 2001     

Preparation and properties of SnS film grown by two-stage process

SnS films have been prepared by a novel two-stage process. It involved sputtering of Sn film on glass substrate and sulfurization of the thin metallic tin precursor layers in a vacuum furnace. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the SnS layers had orthorhombic structure and (0 4 0) preferential growth is more and more obvious with the increase of sulfurization time. The SnS film obtained by this work shows high optical absorption efficiency, and the film has a direct optical band gap of about 1.3 eV. The films show p-type conductivity and the resistivity of SnS film decreased obviously under illumination.     

Optical bandgap and electrical conductivity studies on near stoichiometric LiNbO3 crystals prepared by VTE process

Vapour transport equilibrium (VTE) technique was used to prepare near stoichiometric LiNbO₃ (NSLN) crystals. Simultaneous occurrence of reduction has been observed during the Li-enrichment that results in the weak absorption bands centred at 1.7, 2.6 and 3.7 eV in the absorption spectrum. Annealing in oxygen atmosphere resulted in decrease in the intensity of these bands. The indirect and direct band-gap energies for NSLN crystals evaluated from absorption studies are reported. The energy of the phonon involved in the indirect transition is ～85 meV (685 cm^?1). Near room temperature ac-conductivity measurements reveal lower conductivity for oxygen annealed NSLN crystal in comparison to as prepared NSLN and CLN specimens. The activation energies for ac-conductivity along the z-direction for NSLN and CLN crystals in the temperature range 500–1100 K are 1.03 eV and 0.96 eV, respectively.     

Structural,optical, and electrical properties of Cu2SnS3 thin films produced by sol gel method

Physics of the Solid State - The structural, optical, and electrical properties of p-type Cu2SnS3 thin films produced by the deposition of a dimethylsulfoxide-based sol gel solution using the...     

EBIC investigations of GaN layers prepared by epitaxial lateral overgrowth

GaN films prepared by lateral overgrowth are investigated by scanning electron microscopy in the electron beam induced current (EBIC) mode. A comparison of experimental and simulated dependences of induced current on beam energy has allowed us to determine not only the diffusion length, but also the donor concentration in different areas of a film. It has been found that the donor distribution is inhomogeneous and this inhomogeneity increases under fast neutron irradiation. This is indicative of the significant influence of structural defects on the rate of radiation defect accumulation. An anomalously slow signal decay outside the Schottky barrier has been found, which can be determined by charged defects formed at the merger boundary.     

Optical and electrical properties of SnS semiconductor crystals grown by physical vapor deposition technique

Tin sulfide (SnS) is a material of interest for use as an absorber in low cost solar cells. Single crystals of SnS were grown by the physical vapor deposition technique. The grown crystals were characterized to evaluate the composition, structure, morphology, electrical and optical properties using appropriate techniques. The composition analysis indicated that the crystals were nearly stoichiometric with Sn-to-S atomic percent ratio of 1.02. Study of their morphology revealed the layered type growth mechanism with low surface roughness. The grown crystals had orthorhombic structure with (0 4 0) orientation. They exhibited an indirect optical band gap of 1.06 eV and direct band gap of 1.21 eV with high absorption coefficient (up to 10³ cm⁻¹) above the fundamental absorption edge. The grown crystals were of p-type with an electrical resistivity of 120 Ω cm and carrier concentration 1.52×10¹⁵ cm⁻³. Analysis of optical absorption and diffuse reflectance spectra showed the presence of a wide absorption band in the wavelength range 300-1200 nm, which closely matches with a significant part of solar radiation spectrum. The obtained results were discussed to assess the suitability of the SnS crystal for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices.     

Optical and electrical properties of Ge-implanted SiO2 layers on n-Si and p-Si

Ge ions of 100 keV were implanted into a 120 nm-thick SiO₂ layer on n-Si at room temperature while those of 80 keV were into the same SiO₂ layer on p-Si. Samples were, subsequently, annealed at 500°C for 2 h to effectively induce radiative defects in the SiO₂. Maximum intensities of sharp violet photoluminescence (PL) from the SiO₂/n-Si and the SiO₂/p-Si samples were observed when the samples have been implanted with doses of 1×10¹⁶ and 5×10¹⁵ cm⁻², respectively. According to current–voltage (I–V) characteristics, the defect-related samples exhibit large leakage currents with electroluminescence (EL) at only reverse bias region regardless of the type of substrate. Nanocrystal-related samples obtained by an annealing at 1100°C for 4 h show the leakage at both the reverse and the forward region.     

介质环境对铜丝电爆炸制备纳米粉体的影响

为了探究介质环境对电爆炸制备纳米粉体的影响, 搭建了相应的电爆炸实验平台, 以铜丝为例分别在水和不同空气压力下开展了电爆炸制备纳米粉体实验.通过Rogoswki线圈和高压探头分别测试了电爆炸过程中的电流和电压波形图.通过电压、电流及能量沉积特征分析了电爆炸的基本过程以及介质环境在电爆炸过程中的作用.运用透射电子显微镜对爆炸产物进行了粒度分析.研究发现, 介质环境对于电爆炸过程的影响主要表现在汽化化阶段以后, 包括介质对蒸汽膨胀的抑制作用, 介质的电离对于铜丝表面击穿的影响以及其对高温金属蒸汽及等离子体的冷却作用.水中铜丝电爆炸能够制备局部均匀的小尺寸纳米粉体, 粒度多数集中在10–20 nm之间, 但粉体易积聚, 且整体粒度跨越较大.空气中制备的粉体分散良好, 符合对数正态分布, 基本上分布于20–100 nm之间, 平均粒度约为40 nm.     

Ferromagnetic spin-order in Mg-doped SnS2 nanoflowers prepared by hydrothermal method

Mg-doped SnS₂ nanoflowers were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The XRD and absorption spectra analyses reveal that the incorporated Mg atoms substitute for Sn atoms in SnS₂ lattice and red-shift the band-gap at low doping concentration (≤4 at%). With further doping, a transformation of Mg atoms from substitutional sites to interstitial sites occurs. The ferromagnetism of SnS₂ nanoflowers is enhanced non-monotonously with Mg doping and the largest saturation magnetization of 2.11×10⁻³ emu/g appears in 4 at% Mg-doped SnS₂. The holes created by Mg substituted incorporation may be the origin of the ferromagnetism. On the other hand, interstitial Mg atoms play a negative role in enhancing the ferromagnetism due to the holes compensation effect.     

Photocatalytic performance of Cu2O and Ag/Cu2O composite octahedra prepared by a propanetriol-reduced process

Cu₂O and Ag/Cu₂O composite octahedra were synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction of CuAc₂ with urea in H₂O–propanetriol binary solution by adjusting the quantity of AgNO₃ at 180 °C for 10 h. The influence of reaction temperature and time on the morphology and phase of the products was investigated, and a possible growth mechanism of Cu₂O octahedron was also proposed. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared Cu₂O and Ag/Cu₂O octahedra for the degradation of methyl orange aqueous solution were studied. The results show that they are effective photocatalysts for the degradation of methyl orange, and the photocatalytic ability of Ag/Cu₂O composite is stronger than that of Cu₂O octahedra, which are expected to be useful in the treatment of wastewaters.     

Optical and magnetic properties of InFeP layers prepared by Fe~+ implantation

InFeP layers are prepared by ion implantation of InP with 100-keV Fe＋ ions to a dose of 5 ×10^16 cm-2 and investigated by optical, magnetic, and ion beam analysis measurements. Photoluminescence measurements show a deep-level peak at 1.035 eV due to Fe in InP and two exciton-related luminescences at 1.426 eV and 1.376 eV in the implanted samples annealed at 400℃. Conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy reveals a doublet corresponding to Fe3＋ ions in the indium sites. Atomic force microscopy and magnetic force microscopy show that magnetic clusters are formed in the annealing process. The magnetization-field hysteresis loops show ferromagnetic properties persisting up to room temperature with a coercive field of 100 0e （10e = 79.5775 A-m-1）, saturation magnetization of 4.35 × 10-5 emu, and remnant magnetization of 4.4× 10 6 emu.     

Optical and electrical characterization of aluminium doped ZnO layers

Al doped ZnO (ZAO) thin films (with Al-doping levels 2 at.%) were deposited at different deposition parameters on silicon substrate by reactive magnetron sputtering for solar cell contacts, and samples were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Specific resistances were measured by the well known 4-pin method. Well visible columnar structure and in most cases voided other regions were observed at the grain boundaries by TEM. EELS measurements were carried out to characterize the grain boundaries, and the results show spacing voids between columnar grains at samples with high specific resistance, while no spacing voids were observed at highly conductive samples. SE measurements were evaluated by using the analytical expression suggested by Yoshikawa and Adachi [H. Yoshikawa, S. Adachi, Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 36 (1997) 6237], and the results show correlation between specific resistance and band gap energy and direct exciton strength parameter.     

Microwave-assisted rapid synthesis of tetragonal Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles for solar photovoltaics

A simple and rapid process for the synthesis of Cu₂SnS₃ (CTS) nanoparticles by microwave heating of metal–organic precursor solution is described. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirm the formation of tetragonal CTS. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates the presence of Cu, Sn, S in +1, +4, ?2 oxidation states, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy divulges the formation of crystalline tetragonal CTS nanoparticles with sizes ranging 2–25 nm. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the 300–2,400 nm wavelength range suggests a band gap of 1.1 eV. Pellets of CTS nanoparticles show p-type conduction and the carrier transport in temperature range of 250–425 K is thermally activated with activation energy of 0.16 eV. Thin film solar cell (TFSC) with architecture: graphite/Cu₂SnS₃/ZnO/ITO/SLG is fabricated by drop-casting dispersion of CTS nanoparticles which delivered a power conversion efficiency of 0.135 % with open circuit voltage, short circuit current and fill factor of 220 mV, 1.54 mA cm^?2, 0.40, respectively.     

Photoluminescence of chemical solution-derived amorphous ZnO layers prepared by low-temperature process

Growth characteristic and optical properties of the amorphous ZnO thin films prepared on soda-lime–silica glass substrates by chemical solution process at 100 and 200 °C were investigated by using X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning probe microscope, ultraviolet spectrophotometer, and photoluminescence. The films exhibited an amorphous pattern even when finally heat treated at 100–200 °C for 60 min. The photoluminescence spectrum of amorphous ZnO films shows a strong near-band-edge emission, while the visible emission is nearly quenched.     

射频磁控溅射法制备SnS_2薄膜结构和光学特性的研究

采用射频磁控溅射法溅射SnS_2靶,在玻璃基片上以不同射频功率和氩气压强制备一系列薄膜样品,研究了不同工艺条件对薄膜特性的影响。利用X射线衍射(XRD)和拉曼光谱(Raman)对薄膜样品的晶体结构和物相进行表征分析。利用X射线能量色散谱(EDS)、紫外-可见-近红外分光光度计(UV-Vis-NIR)对SnS_2薄膜的化学组分、光学特性等进行测试,计算或分析了SnS_2薄膜样品的组分原子比、光学常数和光学带隙。结果表明:制备SnS_2薄膜的最佳工艺条件为射频功率60 W、氩气压强0.5 Pa。在该条件下,所制备的SnS_2薄膜沿(001)晶面择优取向生长,可见光透过率和折射率较高,消光系数较小,直接带隙为2.81 e V。在此基础上,进一步制备了n-SnS_2/p-Si异质结器件。器件具有良好的整流特性及弱光伏特性,反向光电流随光照强度的增加而增大。器件的光电导机制是由SnS_2禁带中陷阱中心的指数分布所控制。     

Optical and electrical properties of Y2O3 thin films prepared by ion beam assisted deposition

Y₂O₃ thin films were deposited by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) and the effects of fabrication parameters such as substrate temperature and ion energy on the structure, optical and electrical properties of the films were investigated. The results show that the deposited Y₂O₃ films had less optical absorption, larger refractive index, and better film crystallinity with the increase of substrate temperature or ion energy. The as-deposited Y₂O₃ films without ion-beam bombardment had larger relative dielectric constant (?_r) and the ?_r decreased with time even over by 40%, while the ?_r of films prepared with high ion energy had less changes, only less than 3%. Also, with the increase of ion energy, the electrical breakdown strength and the figure of merit increased.     

Optical properties of alumina membranes prepared by anodic oxidation process

The luminescence property of anodic alumina membranes (AAMs) with ordered nanopore arrays prepared by electrochemically anodizing aluminum in oxalic acid solutions have been investigated. Photoluminescence emission (PL) measurement shows that a blue PL band occurs in the wavelength ranges of 300-600 nm. The PL intensity and peak position of AAMs depend markedly on the excitation wavelength. A new peak located at 518 nm can be observed under a monitoring wavelength at 429 nm in the photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra. Convincing evidences have been presented that the PLE would be associated with the residual aluminum ions in the membrane. The PLE and PL of AAMs, as a function of anodizing times, have been discussed. It is found that the oxalic impurities incorporated in the AAMs would have important influences on the optical properties of AAMs in the initial stage of anodization. The PL and PLE spectra obtained show that there are three optical centers, of which the first is originated from the F⁺ centers in AAMs, the second is correlated with the oxalic impurities incorporated in the AAMs, and the third is associated with the excess aluminum ions in the membrane.