1. Quasi-Rheotaxy a new technique to grow large grain thin films on low cost amorphous substrates
- Author
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G. Sberveglieri, A. Camanzi, N. Romeo, V. Canevari, and A. Tosi
- Subjects
Semiconductor thin films ,cadmium compounds ,copper compounds ,Sn ,Materials science ,large grain thin films ,melting point ,02 engineering and technology ,Vapour deposition ,01 natural sciences ,7. Clean energy ,quasirheotaxy ,0103 physical sciences ,Thin film ,Composite material ,Pb ,010302 applied physics ,low vapour pressure metallic elements ,thin film solar cells ,Tl ,columnar grains ,Metallurgy ,thin film growth ,crystalline grain ,low cost amorphous substrates ,CdTe ,solar photovoltaic conversion ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,CdS ,Cadmium telluride photovoltaics ,Amorphous solid ,quasimelted substrate ,II VI semiconductors ,Bi ,[PHYS.HIST]Physics [physics]/Physics archives ,Melting point ,Thin film solar cell ,semiconductor thin films ,vapour deposition ,stainless steel substrate ,0210 nano-technology ,CuGaInSe sub 2 - Abstract
A new technique of growing large crystalline grain thin films has been developed. This method, that we called Quasi-Rheotaxy, consists in the deposition of thin films on substrates kept at a temperature near their melting point. Several semiconductor thin films which are considered as promising materials for solar photovoltaic conversion such as CdS, CdTe and CuGaInSe2 have been grown by Quasi-Rheotaxy. Low melting point and low vapour pressure metallic elements, such as Sn, Pb, Bi and Tl, have been used as quasi-melted substrates. Stainless steel was used as a base substrate to support the thin layer of the quasi-melted elements which were evaporated in the same vacuum system in which the semiconductor films were prepared. Large crystalline and columnar grains with a size up to 10 μm have been obtained in films grown by Quasi-Rheotaxy. The large crystalline grain thin films, since they are grown on low cost substrates, could be used to build low cost thin film solar cells.
- Published
- 1981
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