Deposition of CuInSe₂ by the hybrid sputtering-and-evaporation method

The initial results of experiments characterizing CuInSe₂ deposition by a hybrid sputtering-and-evaporation technique are presented. The method yields films with compositions and structural properties comparable with those commonly accepted for polycrystalline CuInSe₂ over a large composition range at growth temperatures up to 450°C. Film compositions are uniform to within ±1 atomic percent, and nonuniformities can be directly related to the deposition geometry. The Se flux is shown to play a major role in determining both the Se and the In contents of the films at elevated temperatures. The substrate properties strongly affect the film composition. Layers deposited on sputtered Mo surfaces exhibit a lower In content than films on glass at all temperatures examined. Cu, In, and Se diffusion into the column boundaries of the Mo substrates is observed at all growth temperatures.