• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.54-62
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• 2007

In this paper, we report the research highlight on the preparation and characterization of Indium-free $Cu_2ZnSnSe_4$ and Indium-reduced $CulnZnSe_2$ thin films in order to seek the viability of these absorber materials to be applied in thin film solar cells. The films of $Cu_2ZnSnSe_4\;and\;CulnZnSe_2$ were prepared using mixed binary chalcogenides powders. It was observed that Cu concentration was a function of substrate temperature as well as CuSe mole ratio in the target. Under an optimized condition, $Cu_2ZnSnSe_4\;and\;CulnZnSe_2$ thin films grew with strong [112]. [220/204] and [312/116] reflections. Both $Cu_2ZnSnSe_4\;and\;CulnZnSe_2$ films were found to exhibit a high absorption coefficient of $104^4cm^{-1}\;Cu_2ZnSnSe_4$ film showed a band gap of 1.5eV which closes to the optimum band gap of an ideal solar absorber for a solar cell. On the other side, an increase of optical band gap from 1.0 to 1.25eV was found to be proportional with an increase of Zn concentration in the $CulnZnSe_2$ film. All films in this study revealed a p-type semiconductor characteristic.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2016

Recently, $Bi_2Te_3$-based alloys are the best thermoelectric materials near to room temperature, so it has been researched to achieve increased figure of merit(ZT). Ternary compounds such as Bi-Te-Se and Bi-Sb-Te have higher thermoelectric property than binary compound Bi-Te and Sb-Te, respectively. Compared to DC plating method, pulsed electrodeposition is able to control parameters including average current density, and on/off pulse time etc. Thereby the morphology and properties of the films can be improved. In this study, we electrodeposited n-type ternary Cu-doped $Bi_2(Te-Se)_3$ thin film by modified pulse technique at room temperature. To further enhance thermoelectric properties of $Bi_2(Te-Se)_3$ thin film, we optimized Cu doping concentration in $Bi_2(Te-Se)_3$ thin film and correlated it to electrical and thermoelectric properties. Thus, the crystal, electrical, and thermoelectric properties of electrodeposited $Bi_2(Te-Se)_3$ thin film were characterized the XRD, SEM, EDS, Seebeck measurement, and Hall effect measurement, respectively. As a result, the thermoelectric properties of Cu-doped $Bi_2(Te-Se)_3$ thin films were observed that the Seebeck coefficient is $-101.2{\mu}V/K$ and the power factor is $1412.6{\mu}W/mK^2$ at 10 mg of Cu weight. The power factor of Cu-doped $Bi_2(Te-Se)_3$ thin film is 1.4 times higher than undoped $Bi_2(Te-Se)_3$ thin film.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2010

A stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for $ZnIn_2Se_4$ single crystal thin films was prepared from horizontal electric furnace. To obtain the single crystal thin films, $ZnIn_2Se_4$ mixed crystal was deposited on thoroughly etched semi-insulating GaAs(100) substrate by the Hot Wall Epitaxy (HWE) system. The source and substrate temperatures were $630^{\circ}C$ and $400^{\circ}C$, respectively. The crystalline structure of the single crystal thin films was investigated by the photoluminescence and double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXD). The carrier density and mobility of $ZnIn_2Se_4$ single crystal thin films measured from Hall effect by van der Pauw method are $9.41{\times}10^{16}cm^{-3}$ and $292cm^2/v{\cdot}s$ at 293 K, respectively. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $ZnIn_2Se_4$ obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $Eg(T)=1.8622eV-(5.23{\times}10^{-4}eV/K)T^2/(T+775.5K)$.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.13-16
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• 2003

Mn-doped $ZnGa_{2}O_{4}$:$Mn^{2+}$ (M=S, Se) thin film phosphors have been grown using a pulsed laser deposition technique under various growth conditions. The structural characterization carr~ed out on a series of $ZnGa_{2}O_{4}$:$Mn^{2+}$ (M=S, Se) films grown on MgO(l00) substrates usmg Zn-rich ceramic targets. Oxygen pressure was varied from 50 to 200 mTorr and Zn/Ga ratio was the function of oxygen pressure. XRD patterns showed that the lattice constants of the $ZnGa_{2}O_{4}$:$Mn^{2+}$ (M=S, Se) thin film decrease with the substitution of sulfur and selenium for the oxygen in the $ZnGa_2O_4$. Measurements of photoluminescence (PL) properties of $ZnGa_{2}O_{4}$:$Mn^{2+}$ (M=S, Se) thin films have indicated that MgO(100) is one of the most promised substrates for the growth of high quality $ZnGa_2O_{4-x}M_{x}$:$Mn^{2+}$ (M=S, Se) thin films. In particular, the incorporation of Sulfur or Selenium into $ZnGa_2O_4$ lattice could induce a remarkable increase in the intensity of PL. The increasing of green emission intensity was observed with $ZnGa_2O_{3.925}Se_{0.075}:$Mn^{2+}$ and $ZnGa_2O_{3.925}S_{0.05}$:$Mn^{2+}$ films, whose brightness was increased by a factor of 3.1 and 1.4 in comparison with that of $ZnGa_{2}O_{4}$:$Mn^{2+}$ films, respectively. These phosphors may promise for application to the flat panel displays.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.59-70
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• 2003

A stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films was prepared from horizontal electric furnace. Using extrapolation method of X-ray diffraction patterns for the polycrystal $CuGaSe_2$, it was found tetragonal structure whose lattice constant $a_0$ and $c_0$ were $5.615{\AA}$ and $11.025{\AA}$, respectively. To obtain the single crystal thin films, $CuGaSe_2$ mixed crystal was deposited on thoroughly etched semi-insulating GaAs(100) substrate by the hot wall epitaxy (HWE) system. The source and substrate temperatures were $610^{\circ}C$ and $450^{\circ}C$, respectively. The crystalline structure of the single crystal thin films was investigated by the photoluminescence and double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXD). The carrier density and mobility of $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films measured with Hall effect by van der Pauw method are $5.01\times10^{17}cm^{-3}$ and $245cm^2/V{\cdot}s$ at 293K. respectively. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CuGaSe_2$ obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g$(T)=1.7998 eV-($8.7489\times10^{-4}$ eV/K)$T^2$/(T+335K). After the as-grown $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films was annealed in Cu-, Se-, and Ga-atmospheres, the origin of point defects of $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films has been investigated by the photoluminescence(PL) at 10 K. The native defects of $V_{CU},\;V_{Se},\;Cu_{int}$ and $Se_{int}$ obtained by PL measurements were classified as a donors or acceptors type. And we concluded that the heat-treatment in the Cu-atmosphere converted $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films to an optical n-type. Also, we confirmed that Ga in $CuGaSe_2$/GaAs did not form the native defects because Ga in $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films existed in the form of stable bonds.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.147-149
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• 2006

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.75-79
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• 2015

Recently, $Cu_2ZnSn(S_xSe_{1-x})_4$ (CZTSSe) has been received a tremendous attraction as light absorber material in thin film solar cells (TFSCs), because of its earth abundance, inexpensive and non-toxic constituents and versatile material characteristics. Kesterite CZTSSe thin films were synthesized by sulfo-selenization of sputtered Cu/Sn/Zn stacked metallic precursors. The sulfo-selenization of Cu/Sn/Zn stacked metallic precursor thin films has been carried out in a graphite box using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) technique. Annealing process was done under sulfur and selenium vapor pressure using Ar gas at $520^{\circ}C$ for 10 min. The effect of tuning Se/(S+Se) precursor composition ratio on the properties of CZTSSe films has been investigated. The XRD, Raman, FE-SEM and XRF results indicate that the properties of sulfo-selenized CZTSSe thin films strongly depends on the Se/(S+Se) composition ratio. In particular, the CZTSSe TFSCs with Se/(S+Se) = 0.37 exhibits the best power conversion efficiency of 4.83% with $V_{oc}$ of 467 mV, $J_{sc}$ of $18.962mA/cm^2$ and FF of 54%. The systematic changes observed with increasing Se/(S+Se) ratio have been discussed in detail.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2010

$CuInSe_2$ (CIS) thin films were electrodeposited on Mo-coated glass substrates in acidic solutions containing $Cu^{2+}$, $In^{3+}$, and $Se^{4+}$ ions, depending on deposition parameters such as deposition potential (-0.4 to -0.8 V[SCE]) and pH (1.7 to 1.9). The influences of PH and deposition potential on the atomic composition of Cu, In, and Se in the deposited films were observed. The best chemical composition, approaching 1:1:2 atomic ratio for the elements, was achieved at -0.5 V (SCE) and pH 1.8. The as-deposited films showed low crystallinity and were annealed at 300 to $500^{\circ}C$ for 30 min to improve crystallization. The surface morphologies, microstructures, and crystallographic structures of the annealed films as well as the as-deposited films were analyzed with AFM, SEM, and XRD. The defects of spherical particles appeared on the surfaces of CIS thin films in the as-deposited state and decreased in size and number with increasing annealing temperatures. Additionally, the crystallization to chalcopyrite structure and surface roughness (Ra) of the as-deposited thin films were improved with the annealing process.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.298-305
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• 1995

Copper-indium diselenide, $CuInSe_2$, thin films have been fabricated by selenizing Cu/In stacked layers with different sputtered Cu/(Cu+ln) mole ratios at 450.deg. C for 1hr on alumina substrates. The selenium source was selenium vapor. Microstructure, crystallization, and composition of the selenized $CuInSe_2$ films were examined by using scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Electrical resistivity and hall effects were also measured to investigate the electrical properties. As the sputtered Cu/(Cu+In) mole ratio of In/Cu layer increased, the amounts of void and CuSe phase in the selenized films increased but the composition of $CuInSe_2$ phase was the same regardless of the sputtered mole ratio. Comparing the electrical properties of $CuInSe_2$ thin film before and after the chemical etching, it was seen that the electrical resistivity, carrier concentration, and carrier mobility of the selenized films were affected by the amount of CuSe phase which seemed to increase primarily the hole concentration of the selenized films.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.352-356
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• 2003

A stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal am films was prepared from horizontal electric furnace. Using extrapolation method of X-ray diffraction patterns for the polycrystal $CuGaSe_2$, it was found tetragonal structure whose lattice constant $a_0$ and $c_0$ were $5.615\;{\AA}\;and\;11.025\;{\AA}$, respectively. To obtain the single crystal thin films, $CuGaSe_2$ mixed crystal was deposited on thoroughly etched semi-insulating GaAs(100) substrate by the hot wall epitaxy (HWE) system. The source and substrate temperatures were $610^{\circ}C$ and $450^{\circ}C$, respectively, The crystalline structure of the single crystal thin films was investigated by the photoluminescence and double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXD). The carrier density and mobility of $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films measured with Hall effect by van der Pauw method are $9.24{\times}10^{16}\;cm^{-3}$ and $295\;cm^2/V{\cdot}s$ at 293 K, respectively. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CuGaSe_2$ obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g(T)\;:\;1.7998\;eV\;-\;(8.7489\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;eV/K)T^2(T\;+\;335\;K)$. After the as-grown $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films was annealed in Cu-, Se-, and Ga-atmospheres, the origin of point defects of $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films has been investigated by the photoluminescence(PL) at 10 K. The native defects of $V_{CU}$, $V_{Se}$, $CU_{int}$, and $Se_{int}$, obtained by PL measurements were classified as a donors or accepters type. And we concluded that the heat-treatment in the Cu-atmosphere converted $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films to an optical n-type. Also, we confirmed that Ga in $CuGaSe_2/GaAs$ did not form the native defects because Ga in $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films existed in the form of stable bonds.