Deposition of AgGaTe₂ on sapphire substrates by closed space sublimation

Abstract

AgGaTe2 layers were grown on a‐plane sapphire substrates by a closed space sublimation method. Various samples were prepared with varied source temperature, holding time and temperature differential. The variation of source temperature was used primarily to improve the stoichiometry of the film. Grown films were evaluated by XRD measurements. AgGaTe2 layers were grown only at low source temperature (about 780 °C), and to have strong preference for the (103) orientation. By using the pole figure, it is possible to study the orientation of the film, and the substrate surface arrangement has resulted in this unique relationship. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Structural characterization of AgGaTe2 layers grown on a‐ and c‐sapphire substrates by a closed space sublimation method

“…The source temperature was raised to 780 ˚C and 800 ˚C for a-and c-plane sapphire, respectively. These values were optimal condition to grow the AgGaTe 2 layers on those substrates [17].…”

“…It was cleared that the layer grown on c-plane sapphire has inclusion of Ag 5 Te 3 in AgGaTe 2 . The lattice mismatch based on the arrangement of atoms were studied in past [17], and (103) AgGaTe 2 and a-plane sapphire exhibited about 3.4% of the lattice mismatch. Similaly, the lattice mismatch between (103) AgGaTe 2 and c-plane sapphire was about 7.7%, which was relatively large value.…”

“…The detail of the growth procedure was described in elsewhere [17]. The distance between the source and the substrate was set to 1 mm.…”

“…The CSS method has been widely used to grow CdTe films for solar cells [6][7][8]. The growth of fairly crystallized AgGaTe 2 layers by the CSS method have been successfully achieved in previously [16,17]. The substrate material and its surface orientation affected AgGaTe 2 growth, and (112) oriental layers were observed when Si (111) was used [16] while (103) oriental layers were observed when a-plane sapphire was used [17].…”