Combined electron backscatter diffraction and cathodoluminescence measurements on CuInS2/Mo/glass stacks and CuInS2 thin-film solar cells

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements in a scanning electron microscope were performed on cross sections of CuInS2 thin films and ZnO/CdS/CuInS2/Mo/glass thin-film solar cells. The CuInS2 layers analyzed for the present study were grown by a rapid thermal process. The regions of the CuInS2 layers emitting high CL intensity of band-band luminescence are situated near the top surface (or close to the interface with ZnO/CdS). This can be attributed to an enhanced crystal quality of the thin films in this region. The phenomenon may be related to the recrystallization via solid-state reactions with CuxS phases, which is assumed to run from the top to the bottom of the growing CuInS2 layer. The distribution of CL intensities is independent of the sample temperature, the acceleration voltage of the electron beam, and of whether or not the ZnO/CdS window layers are present. When comparing CL images and EBSD maps on identical sample positions, pronounced intragrain CL contrast is found for individual grains. Also, it is shown that at random grain boundaries, the decreases in CL intensities are substantially larger than at Sigma 3 grain boundaries.