13 research outputs found
Modeling, synthesis, and characterization of thin film copper oxide for solar cells
The modeling, growth, and characterization of
Copper Oxide thin films for solar cell applications are
reported. Cu_2O has several attractive properties which
include its direct band gap (Eg=2.17 eV) for use in photoelectrolysis
of water and use in tandem multi-junction
cells. Detailed balance calculations predict efficiencies on
the order of 20% while Cu_2O cells have yet to even pass
2% efficiency. The device physics model reveals that
defects, particularly at the heterojunction interface, are the
main reason for lowered efficiencies. Epitaxial Cu_2O (100)
thin films on MgO are fabricated using RF Oxygen plasma
MBE. The films are quite smooth and showed mobilites in
the range of 10-100 cm^2/V*sec and carrier concentrations
in the range of 10^(14)-10^(17). Finally, the epitaxial growth of
Cu_2O on a MgO template is demonstrated
Epitaxial growth of Cu_2O and ZnO/Cu_2O thin films on MgO by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy
We report the epitaxial growth of Cu_2O (0 0 1) and m-plane (1 0 1ÂŻ 0) ZnO/Cu_2O thin films on both bulk MgO (0 0 1) and biaxially textured thin films of MgO (0 0 1) via plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Cube on cube epitaxial growth of Cu_2O thin films on both bulk MgO (0 0 1) and biaxially textured thin films of MgO (0 0 1) was observed and confirmed via X-ray diffraction and reflection high energy electron diffraction measurements. In addition, epitaxial m-plane ZnO growth via plasma-assisted MBE was conducted on both MgO substrates and Cu_2O/MgO substrates. The ability to grow oriented, high-quality n-ZnO/p-Cu_2O heterostructures enables improved thin film morphology and may have important implications for optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices