Lateral features of Cu(In0.7Ga0.3)Se2-heterodiodes in the μm-scale by confocal luminescence and focused light beam induced currents

Polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se, films (CIGSe) show substantial local variations of properties not only in regime of 10-100 nm but also in the scale length of few microns. We have analyzed optoelectronic properties of CIGSe heterodiodes by confocal luminescence and focused light beam induced currents (LBIC) versus temperature and excitation level with < 1 mu m lateral resolution and we observe a strong dependence of the size of local patterns on excitation flux and a considerable dependence of the yield and the spectral shape of luminescence and of microscopic LBI currents on temperature. From experiments we derive activation energies for rates of non-radiative recombination of (2-7) meV and for minority carrier mobilities of about (60-70) meV. These energies are compared with local variations of band edges resulting from potential fluctuations which are formulated after an approach from literature and which has been fitted to experimental shifts of PL peaks and squeezing of PL spectra versus excitation flux. We estimate tunnel barriers for radiative transitions of trapped electrons of about (30-70) meV. Correlating our different results we attribute the activation energy for minority transport in CIGSe reflecting local variations of the conduction band edge mainly to spatial fluctuations of the optical band gap as a consequence of spatially varying elemental composition, and to variations of splitting of the quasi-Fermi levels introduced by spatially varying defect densities. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.