Growth, microstructure, optical and electrical properties of sprayed CuInSe2 polycrystalline films

Abstract Polycrystalline thin films of CuInSe 2 have been prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis technique as a function of Cu/In ratio. Incremental growth of the various ratios followed at different substrate temperatures ranging from 548 to 623 K. Characterizations by means of compositional analysis, X-ray diffraction and spectrophotometry measurements have been carried out. Voigt profile method has been used to determine the microstructure parameter (crystallite/domain size and macrostrain). The effect of Cu/In ratio as well as substrate temperature on the optical features (absorption coefficient and band gap) of these films has been investigated. The films of different Cu/In ratios (0.9–1.1) displayed a band gap from 0.92 to 1.025 eV for direct transition. The dark resistivity measurements at room temperature of Cu-rich samples show about five orders of magnitude higher than that of In-rich samples.