SEQUENTIAL SPUTTERING SELENIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR THE GROWTH OF CUINSE2 THIN-FILMS/

We have proposed a sequential sputtering/selenization technique and ap paratus for the growth of CuInSe2 (CIS)-based thin films. The apparatu s consists of a cylindrical rotating drum for holding substrates and t hree horizontally interconnected subchambers for Cu, In, and Se fluxes . The serious problem associated with hybrid sputtering of. metal targ et contamination by Se flux has been greatly reduced by the current ge ometric design. In this method, a very thin Cu/In stacked layer is fir st sputter-deposited, and then selenized with thermally evaporated Se vapor at each rotation of the drum. Polycrystalline CIS films for sola r cells were grown by sequentially repeating these steps, which preven ted the formation of the micron-sized voids usually observed in CIS-ba sed thin films grown by selenization.