TY - JOUR
T1 - Face-to-face annealed sputtered BaSi2
T2 - Investigations on surface homogeneity, film properties, and annealing mechanisms
AU - Tian, Yilei
AU - Zeman, Miro
AU - Isabella, Olindo
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Regarded as a promising candidate for absorber material in photovoltaic applications, BaSi2 confronts the challenge of high-quality material synthesis via low-cost processes. Here, we fabricated BaSi2 thin films through the industrially applicable sputtering technique with the face-to-face annealing (FTFA) approach. The employment of the FTFA approach leads to an improvement of the sputtered BaSi2 from perspectives of surface homogeneity and crystal quality. Various covers are applied in the FTFA, including BaSi2, glass, and Si, which causes alterations in the film's electrical and optical properties. These impacts of the FTFA method on sputtered BaSi2 films stem from two aspects, i.e., heat redistributions caused by the variation of thermal networks, and interfacial interactions within the confined space between the cover and the film. The FTFA approach provides a facile strategy for minimizing the impacts of BaSi2 surface oxidation during high-temperature processes. These results and findings can push forward the material development of BaSi2 and its photovoltaic applications.
AB - Regarded as a promising candidate for absorber material in photovoltaic applications, BaSi2 confronts the challenge of high-quality material synthesis via low-cost processes. Here, we fabricated BaSi2 thin films through the industrially applicable sputtering technique with the face-to-face annealing (FTFA) approach. The employment of the FTFA approach leads to an improvement of the sputtered BaSi2 from perspectives of surface homogeneity and crystal quality. Various covers are applied in the FTFA, including BaSi2, glass, and Si, which causes alterations in the film's electrical and optical properties. These impacts of the FTFA method on sputtered BaSi2 films stem from two aspects, i.e., heat redistributions caused by the variation of thermal networks, and interfacial interactions within the confined space between the cover and the film. The FTFA approach provides a facile strategy for minimizing the impacts of BaSi2 surface oxidation during high-temperature processes. These results and findings can push forward the material development of BaSi2 and its photovoltaic applications.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099140696&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.4.125403
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.4.125403
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85099140696
SN - 2475-9953
VL - 4
SP - 125403-1 - 125403-10
JO - Physical Review Materials
JF - Physical Review Materials
IS - 12
M1 - 125403
ER -