A Novel Sol-Gel Route To Pinhole-Free Iron Sulfide Thin Films

Authors

S. Kment, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
H. Kmentova, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A. Sarkar, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Rodney J. Soukup, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Natale J. Ianno, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
J. Krysa, Institute of Chemical Technology - ICT Prague
Z. Hubicka, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
J. Olejnicek, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
C. L. Exstrom, University of Nebraska at Kearney
S. A. Darveau, University of Nebraska at Kearney

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2011

Citation

2011 37th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), doi: 10.1109/PVSC.2011.6186193

Comments

Copyright IEEE (2011). Used by permission.

Abstract

The general purpose of the study is to fabricate and improve upon FeS₂ thin films which can be used as the photon absorber layer for a heterojunction or homojunction solar cell. This work deals with the preparation of the pyrite by an unconventional sol-gel approach. Thin pyrite films were prepared by sulfurizing the iron oxide films previously deposited through the sol-gel method using iron (III) chloride as a precursor. The structural, morphological, electronic and optical properties of the deposited films were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Hall effect and profilometry. The effects of annealing and sulfurization temperatures were studied. The work was also devoted to the research of sodium diffusion from the substrate due to the thermal treatment and its affect on the pyrite films functionality.