AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition
    Advanced Surface Engineering Friday Sessions
       Session SE+EN-FrM

Paper SE+EN-FrM5
Generation of Cu2S Nanoparticles via Cluster Beam Deposition for Bulk Heterojunction Photovoltaics

Friday, November 1, 2013, 9:40 am, Room 203 C

Session: Surface Engineering for Energy Conversion and Harvesting
Presenter: M.W. Majeski, University of Illinois at Chicago
Authors: M.W. Majeski, University of Illinois at Chicago
I. Bolotin, University of Illinois at Chicago
L. Hanley, University of Illinois at Chicago
Correspondent: Click to Email
Hybrid inorganic-organic based nanocomposite films are prepared by cluster beam deposition for photovoltaic applications (F.D. Pleticha, et al., J. Phys. Chem. C 116: 2012, 21693). Semiconducting copper(I) sulfide (Cu2S) nanoparticles are co-deposited into an organic matrix, pentacene, to create a bulk heterojunction where p-type Cu2S is expected to behave as an electron acceptor and pentacene behaves as a donor. Generation of Cu2S nanoparticles are achieved by pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering of a Cu target with argon while forming compound clusters via introduction of reactive hydrogen sulfide gas. Reactive sputtering occurs in a gas aggregation source in which Cu2S nanoclusters are allowed to nucleate and grow for subsequent deposition onto a substrate. Pulsing the DC power at 20 kHz allows for stable process parameters with an absence of arcing and has been shown previously to improve the quality of the deposited films. Finally, Cu2S-pentacene nanocomposite films are also prepared with low energy acetylene ion assisted deposition. Film properties and nanoparticle stoichiometry are analyzed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission microscopy. Photovoltaic properties of these Cu2S-pentacene nanocomposite films will be discussed.