Impact of the Se evaporation rate on the microstructure and texture of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films for solar cells

Coevaporated Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 layers on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates were produced by a three-stage process using various Se overpressure conditions during the three stages. Cross-sections of these samples were analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in a scanning electron microscope in order to reveal the microstructures in the Cu(in,Ga)Se-2 layers. In addition, the preferential orientations of these Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 layers were studied by plan-view EBSD measurements. It was found that Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 exhibits a texture in 110 orientation for Se/(Cu+In+Ga) atomic flux ratios R which are sufficiently large (>= 4). In one Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 layer produced with approximately R=4, a large density of(near) Sigma 3 (twin) boundaries were detected which are oriented preferentially perpendicular to the substrate. By comparison of the local textures of neighboring grains and the theoretically possible changes in orientation by twinning, it is possible to retrace how the twinning occurred. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.