Electronic and structural characterisation of Cu3BiS3 thin films for the absorber layer of sustainable photovoltaics

Yakushev, Michael, Maiello, Pietro, Raadik, Taavi, Shaw, Martin, Edwards, Paul, Krustok, Jüri, Mudryi, Alexandre, Forbes, Ian and Martin, Robert (2014) Electronic and structural characterisation of Cu3BiS3 thin films for the absorber layer of sustainable photovoltaics. Thin Solid Films, 562. pp. 195-199. ISSN 0040-6090

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Abstract

Thin films of p-type Cu3BiS3 with an orthorhombic wittichenite structure, a semiconductor with high potential for thin film solar cell absorber layers, were synthesised by thermal annealing of Cu and Bi precursors, magnetron sputtered on Mo/glass substrate, with a layer of thermo-evaporated S. The elemental composition, structural and electronic properties are studied. The Raman spectrum shows four modes with the dominant peak at 292 cm−1. Photoreflectance spectra demonstrate two band gaps EgX and EgY, associated with the X and Y valence sub-bands, and their evolution with temperature. Fitting the temperature dependencies of the band-gaps gives values of 1.24 and 1.53 eV for EgX and EgY at 0 K as well as the average phonon energy. Photoluminescence spectra at 5 K reveal two bright and broad emission bands at 0.84 and 0.99 eV, which quench with an activation energy of 40 meV. The photocurrent excitation measurements demonstrate a photoresponse and suggest a direct allowed nature of the band gap.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Funding information: This work was supported by the EPSRC Materials in Engineering (4.5.01), SUPERGEN programme “Photovoltaics for the 21st Century”, KTF, BCFR (F11MC-021), RFBR grants 11-03-00063, 13-03-96032, 12-U3-1006, and 14-02-00080 and Estonian Science Foundation Grant G-8282.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Thin films; Solar cells; Semiconductors; Electronic structure; Raman spectroscopy; Photoreflectance; Photoluminescence; CU-SB; SEMICONDUCTORS; CHALCOPYRITE; DEPENDENCE; AGINS2; BANDS
Subjects:	H600 Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Department:	Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering
Depositing User:	Paul Burns
Date Deposited:	18 Sep 2014 14:29
Last Modified:	19 May 2022 12:15
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/17615

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