Characteristics of copper indium diselenide nanowires embedded in porous alumina templates

Vertically aligned nanowire arrays of copper indium diselenide (CuInSe₂ or CIS) of controllable diameter and length were fabricated by simultaneously electrodepositing Cu, In, and Se from an acid bath into the pores of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) formed on top of an aluminum sheet. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed a preferential [112] orientation and the energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) measurements indicated an overall composition close to stoichiometric CuInSe₂. Ohmic contact to CIS was formed by depositing a 100 nm thick of gold layer on top, and thus a Schottky diode device of the Au/CIS nanowires/Al configuration was obtained. Analysis of the current–voltage characteristics of these devices yielded diode ideality factor and reverse saturate current density values slightly higher than those reported in the literature for bulk CIS/Al junctions. Capacitance–voltage measurements were performed on the diodes to get the estimates of space charge density and the junction potential.