Characterization of deposition parameters in aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition of CuInS2 from a single-source precursor

Alloys of Cu(In:Ga)(S:Se)₂ have shown high potential as thin film photovoltaic absorbers due to their high absorption coefficients, near ideal band gaps, and good electrical properties. Efforts have been lead to create easily decomposing organometallic single-source precursors (SSP) to produce films at temperatures below 400°C. Along with that, the SSP (PPh₃)₂Cu(SEt)₂In(SEt)₂ has been shown to deposit CuInS₂ films with good optical, morphological, and electrical properties via aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). Presented here are studies aimed to understand how certain deposition parameters can be used to optimize the AACVD process. Parameters included in this study are temperature of the deposition zone, substrate location within the reactor, and concentration of the SSP in solution. Deposition control has produced films with four distinct morphologies, varying in density, adhesion, smoothness, and color.