Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pulsed and potentiostatic electrodeposition of CuInSe2 on gold-coated alumina substrates

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Applied Electrochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

CuInSe2 thin films were deposited on gold-coated alumina electrodes using constant and pulsed potential signals. In situ electrochemical measurements were recorded with an atomic force microscope to follow CuInSe2 electrodeposition. The electrodeposited films were characterized employing scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The best stoichiometry is attained for films deposited at pulsed potentials of −0.7 V. These films are also the most compact, showing a homogeneous morphology. In contrast, potentiostatic films presented minor variations in their chemical composition with the deposition potential. The morphology presented porous coral-like structures. X-ray and Raman spectroscopy analysis of as-deposited films by either technique reveal the presence of secondary phases such as Cu x Se and Se, especially at the most positive deposition potentials. After a thermal treatment at 500 °C in Se vapor, the crystallinity of the material is significantly enhanced and no secondary phases are present.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hibberd CJ, Chassaing E, Liu W et al (2010) Prog Photovolt Res Appl 18:434–452

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Paunovic M, Schlesinger M (2006) Fundamentals of electrochemical deposition. The electrochemical society series. Wiley, Hoboken, New Jersey

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Lincot D, Guillemoles JF, Taunier S et al (2004) Sol Energy 77(6):725–737

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Arnulf J-W (2011) Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 95(6):1509–1517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Whang TJ, Hsieh MT, Kao YC (2010) Appl Surf Sci 257(5):1457–1462

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hung P-K, Kuo T-W, Huang K-C et al (2012) Appl Surf Sci 258(18):7238–7243

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pandey RK, Sahu SN, Chanda S (1996) Handbook of semiconductor electrodeposition. Marcel Dekker, New York

    Google Scholar 

  8. Mishra KK, Rajeshwar K (1989) J Electroanal Chem 271(1–2):279–294

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Oliveira MCF, Azevedo M, Cunha A (2002) Thin Solid Films 405:129–134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kois J, Bereznev S, Mellikov E et al (2006) Thin Solid Films 511–512:420–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Ren T, Yu R, Zhong M et al (2011) Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 95(2):510–520

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Caballero-Briones F, Palacios-Padrós A, Sanz F (2011) Electrochim Acta 56(26):9556–9567

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hu SY, Lee WH, Chang SC et al (2011) J Electrochem Soc 158(5):B557–B561

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Valdés MH, Vázquez M (2011) Electrochim Acta 56(19):6866–6873

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Valdés M, Vázquez M (2012) J Solid State Electrochem 16:3825–3835

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kelley V, Serry M (2003) Electrochemical scanning probe microscopy manual version 5.30a. Veeco Instruments Inc. http://www.veeco.com/pdfs/user_Manuals/ElectroChemicalSPMB.pdf. Accessed 23 May 2003

  17. International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICCD): Powder Diffraction File Database (1998) Newtown Square, EEUU

  18. Samantilleke AP, Sahal M, Ortiz L et al (2011) Thin Solid Films 519(21):7272–7275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Calixto ME, Dobson KD, McCandless BE et al (2005) Growth mechanisms of electrodeposited CuInSe2 and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 determined by cyclic voltammetry. In: Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, pp 431–436

  20. Breathnach M, Ahmed S, Nakahara S et al (2006) ECS Trans 1(11):25–39

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Alvarez AE, Salinas DR (2010) Electrochim Acta 55(11):3714–3720

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Chandrasekar MS, Pushpavanam M (2008) Electrochim Acta 53(8):3313–3322

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. De Silva KTL, Priyantha WAA, Jayanetti JKDS et al (2001) Thin Solid Films 382(1–2):158–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Araujo J, Ortíz R, López-Rivera A et al (2007) J Solid State Electrochem 11(3):407–412

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sene C, Calixto ME, Dobson KD et al (2008) Thin Solid Films 516(8):2188–2194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Rincón C, Ramírez FJ (1992) J Appl Phys 72(9):4321–4324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Izquierdo-Roca V, Pérez-Rodríguez A, Romano-Rodríguez A et al (2007) J Appl Phys 101:103517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Ramdani O, Guillemoles JF, Lincot D et al (2007) Thin Solid Films 515(15 SPEC. ISS.):5909–5912

  29. Saucedo E, Ruiz CM, Chassaing E et al (2010) Thin Solid Films 518:3674–3679

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Park JH, Yang IS, Cho HY (1994) Appl Phys Solid Surf 58(2):125–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was partially supported by Spanish Government through MCINN grant MAT2009-14625-C03-03 and European Commission through NanoCIS project FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IRSES (ref. 269279). Financial support from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica and Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMdP) from Argentina are greatly acknowledged. The authors wish to thank BSc. Mariela Desimone for her assistance with GXRD measurements.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. División Electroquímica y Corrosión, INTEMA, Facultad de Ingeniería, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Juan B. Justo 4302, B7608FDQ, Mar del Plata, Argentina

    M. Valdés & M. Vázquez

  2. Departament de Física Aplicada – IDF, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain

    M. Mollar & B. Marí

Authors
  1. M. Valdés
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Mollar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Vázquez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. Marí
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to M. Valdés or M. Vázquez.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Valdés, M., Mollar, M., Vázquez, M. et al. Pulsed and potentiostatic electrodeposition of CuInSe2 on gold-coated alumina substrates. J Appl Electrochem 43, 619–628 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0549-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0549-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation