Sergiu Levcenko

Phase-transition-driven growth of compound semiconductor crystals from ordered metastable nanorods

In polycrystalline semiconductors, grain boundaries are often sites with prevalence for electron-hole recombination and various strategies have been followed to minimize grain boundary areas. Generally, large grains or epitaxial films can be obtained at high temperatures. However, high growth temperatures limit the choice of substrate materials and can prove elusive for semiconductors comprising volatile elements such as kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4. Here we show that this limitation can be overcome by a transition of a matrix of densely packed metastable nanorods into large stable grains. Real-time analysis reveals that the grain growth is driven by a direct, isocompositional solid-state phase transition. Following this route, semiconductor films with a large-grained microstructure can be achieved within a few seconds at relatively low temperatures. Grain size as well as electrical and optical properties of the resulting films can be controlled via the heating rate. This synthesis route opens new possibilities for the fabrication of semiconductor crystals for photoelectric devices with tailored microstructures.

Polarized Raman scattering study of kesterite type Cu2ZnSnS4 single crystals

A non-destructive Raman spectroscopy has been widely used as a complimentary method to X-ray diffraction characterization of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films, yet our knowledge of the Raman active fundamental modes in this material is far from complete. Focusing on polarized Raman spectroscopy provides important information about the relationship between Raman modes and CZTS crystal structure. In this framework the zone–center optical phonons of CZTS, which is most usually examined in active layers of the CZTS based solar cells, are studied by polarized resonant and non-resonant Raman spectroscopy in the range from 60 to 500 cm−1 on an oriented single crystal. The phonon mode symmetry of 20 modes from the 27 possible vibrational modes of the kesterite structure is experimentally determined. From in-plane angular dependences of the phonon modes intensities Raman tensor elements are also derived. Whereas a strong intensity enhancement of the polar E and B symmetry modes is induced under resonance conditions, no mode intensity dependence on the incident and scattered light polarization configurations was found in these conditions. Finally, Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relations are applied to estimate the ratios of the static to high-frequency optic dielectric constants parallel and perpendicular to c-optical axis.

Defect study of Cu2ZnSn(SxSe1−x)4 thin film absorbers using photoluminescence and modulated surface photovoltage spectroscopy

Defect states in Cu2ZnSn(SxSe1� x)4 thin films with x ¼0.28, 0.36, and 1 were studied by combining photoluminescence (PL) and modulated surface photovoltage (SPV) spectroscopy. A single broad band emission in the PL spectra was observed and can be related to quasi-donor-acceptor pair transitions. The analysis of the temperature dependent quenching of the PL band (x ¼0.28, 0.36, and 1) and SPV (x ¼0.28) signals resulted in activation energies below 150meV for PL and about 90 and 300meV for SPV. Possible intrinsic point defects that might be associated with these observed activation energies are discussed. V C 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry study of Cu2ZnSnSe4 bulk crystals

Using spectroscopic ellipsometry we investigated and analyzed the pseudo-optical constants of Cu2ZnSnSe4 bulk crystals, grown by the Bridgman method, over 0.8–4.5 eV photon energy range. The structures found in the spectra of the complex pseudodielectric functions were associated to E0, E1A, and E1B interband transitions and were analyzed in frame of the Adachis model. The interband transition parameters such as strength, threshold energy, and broadening were evaluated by using the simulated annealing algorithm. In addition, the pseudo-complex refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, and normal-incidence reflectivity were derived over 0.8–4.5 eV photon energy range.

Time resolved photoluminescence on Cu(In, Ga)Se-2 absorbers: Distinguishing degradation and trap states

Recent reports have suggested that the long decay times in time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), often measured in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 absorbers, may be a result of detrapping from sub-bandgap defects. In this work, we show via temperature dependent measurements, that long lifetimes >50 ns can be observed that reflect the true minority carrier lifetime not related to deep trapping. Temperature dependent time resolved photoluminescence and steady state photoluminescence imaging measurements are used to analyze the effect of annealing in air and in a nitrogen atmosphere between 300 K and 350 K. We show that heating the Cu(In, Ga)Se2 absorber in air can irreversibly decrease the TRPL decay time, likely due to a deterioration of the absorber surface. Annealing in an oxygen-free environment yields a temperature dependence of the TRPL decay times in accordance with Schockley Read Hall recombination kinetics and weakly varying capture cross sections according to T0.6.

Orientation-distribution mapping of polycrystalline materials by Raman microspectroscopy

Raman microspectroscopy provides the means to obtain local orientations on polycrystalline materials at the submicrometer level. The present work demonstrates how orientation-distribution maps composed of Raman intensity distributions can be acquired on large areas of several hundreds of square micrometers. A polycrystalline CuInSe2 thin film was used as a model system. The orientation distributions are evidenced by corresponding measurements using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) on the same identical specimen positions. The quantitative, local orientation information obtained by means of EBSD was used to calculate the theoretical Raman intensities for specific grain orientations, which agree well with the experimental values. The presented approach establishes new horizons for Raman microspectroscopy as a tool for quantitative, microstructural analysis at submicrometer resolution.

X-ray diffraction investigation on Cu2ZnSiSe4 single and polycrystalline crystals

Abstract Cu2ZnSiSe4 belong to the adamantine family of quaternary chalcogenides crystallizing in the wurtzstannite structure. Recent ab-initio calculations show, that the lowest energy structure of Cu2ZnSiSe4 is the wurtzkesterite type structure in contrast to wurtzstannite type, usually obtained in experiments. To clarify this issue a structural study on single crystals of Cu2ZnSiSe4 was performed for the first time. The structural characterization of the single crystals was carried out by X-ray diffraction at two different temperatures – room temperature and 150 K. The XRD data analysis shows, that Cu2ZnSiSe4 single crystals adopt the orthorhombic wurtzstannite type structure (space group Pmn21) and lattice parameters a = 7.809 Å, b = 6.778 Å, c = 6.447 Å at 150 K, and lattice parameters a = 7.821 Å, b = 6.734 Å, c = 6.453 Å at room temperature were derived. The structural parameters were confirmed for the polycrystalline Cu2ZnSiSe4 bulk sample.

Mechanisms of charge transfer and electronic properties of Cu 2 ZnGeS 4 from investigations of the high-field magnetotransport

Recent development of the thin film solar cells, based on quaternary compounds, has been focused on the Ge contain compounds and their solid solutions. However, for effective utilization of Cu2ZnGeS4, deeper investigations of its transport properties are required. In the present manuscript, we investigate resistivity, ρ (T), magnetoresistance and Hall effect in p-type Cu2ZnGeS4 single crystals in pulsed magnetic fields up to 20 T. The dependence of ρ (T) in zero magnetic field is described by the Mott type of the variable-range hopping (VRH) charge transfer mechanism within a broad temperature interval of ~100–200 K. Magnetoresistance contains the positive and negative components, which are interpreted by the common reasons of doped semiconductors. On the other hand, a joint analysis of the resistivity and magnetoresistance data has yielded series of important electronic parameters and permitted specification of the Cu2ZnGeS4 conductivity mechanisms outside the temperature intervals of the Mott VRH conduction. The Hall coefficient is negative, exhibiting an exponential dependence on temperature, which is quite close to that of ρ(T). This is typical of the Hall effect in the domain of the VRH charge transfer.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry study of Cu2ZnSnS4 bulk poly-crystals

The linear optical properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 bulk poly-crystals have been investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry in the range of 1.2–4.6 eV at room temperature. The characteristic features identified in the optical spectra are explained by using the Adachi analytical model for the interband transitions at the corresponding critical points in the Brillouin zone. The experimental data have been modeled over the entire spectral range taking into account the lowest E0 transition near the fundamental absorption edge and E1A and E1B higher energy interband transitions. In addition, the spectral dependences of the refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, and normal-incidence reflectivity values have been accurately determined and are provided since they are essential data for the design of Cu2ZnSnS4 based optoelectronic devices.

Investigations of the main loss mechanisms in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells spray-coated from water-ethanol based ink: Reducing the density of defects to reach efficiencies close to 10%

In order to comprehend the main limitations occurring in our 8.6% CZTSSe devices spray-coated from a water/ethanol ink, we have employed temperature dependent admittance spectroscopy and capacitance-voltage profiling. This technique has revealed a large density of charge carriers in the dark (1016-1017 cm-3) and two main defect levels: One fairly close to the middle of the band-gap, and another one much shallower (130 eV from the valence band maximum). A controlled tuning of the Sn content in the sprayed ink appears to offer an efficient leverage on the density of these defects: By adding only a few percent of Sn, the density of charge carriers in the dark can be reduced by more than one order of magnitude. This improvement of our process has led us to the fabrication of devices showing efficiencies close to 10% under AM1.5G.