Recent advances in glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy for characterization of layers/film used in the photovoltaic field

Glow Discharge - Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GD-OES) complements other surface/depth profile analysis techniques as Auger, SIMS, XPS for the characterization of thin and thick film/layers. Thanks to the Pulsed Rf Source, any material, conductive and non conductive, can be analyzed. Single or multiple layers from the nm to several 100 microns thickness can be sputtered in minutes on any type of substrates (rigid, flexible, glass, steel, Si...). Dynamic in terms of concentration is from ppm to 100%. O, N, H, Cl, F and Li can easily be analyzed in addition to any other elements. The practical benefits of Pulsed Rf GD-OES for fast Elemental Depth Profile of PV cells is presented below, illustrated by examples on CIGS.