The Birnie Group solar class and website were created with much-appreciated support from the NSF

CRCD Program under grants 0203504 and 0509886. Continuing Support from the McLaren Endowment is also greatly appreciated!

MBEMolecularBeam EpitaxialGrowthof Semiconductors

Slides on these other topics might also be of interest (most collected during teaching years 2004 and 2005):
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/BandGapandDopingLecture.pdf Band Gap Engineering of Semiconductor Properties http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/MultijunctionLecture.pdf MultiJunction Solar Device Design http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/amorphousSi.pdf Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/TransparentConductors.pdf Transparent Conductors for Solar http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/ARCoatings.pdf AntiReflection Coatings for Solar http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/OrganicPV.pdf Organic PV http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/DSSC.pdf Dye Sensitized Solar Cells http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/MotorPrimerGaTech.pdf Working with Simple DC Motors for Student Solar Projects http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dbirnie/solarclass/2005ProjectResultsindex.htm Examples of Previous Years Student Solar Projects Note: in some cases it may be possible to design custom courses that expand on the above materials (send me email!)

Journal Publications of Some Recent Research: Other Birnie Group Research:

(best viewed through department home index: http://mse.rutgers.edu/dunbar_p_birnie_iii)

Sol-Gel Coating Quality and Defects Analysis (mostly Spin Coating): http://www.coatings.rutgers.edu Solar Research at Rutgers: Broader Overview http://www.solar.rutgers.edu Solar and Electric Vehicles System Projects (early stage emphasis) http://www.rave.rutgers.edu

Professor Dunbar P. Birnie, III (dunbar.birnie@rutgers.edu) Department of Materials Science and Engineering
http://mse.rutgers.edu/faculty/dunbar_p_birnie

Solar Cell Design and Processing

MBE Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Applications in Solar Cell Fabrication
Dunbar P. Birnie, III dunbar.birnie@rutgers.edu

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

www.MSE.Rutgers.edu

Outline
Basic overview of What is MBE? Atomistic level processes important in MBE Views in Commercial Systems Characterization during MBE growth. Application to Solar

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

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What is Epitaxy?
Epitaxy Epi and taxis
surface and arrangement

Basically deals with the ordered placement of atoms, carefully, on the surface of a substrate or template. Could be liquid sourced (Liquid Phase Epitaxy LPE), Vapor source VPE, or molecular source (MBE)
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
www.MSE.Rutgers.edu

What defines MBE in particular?

Thermal-driven molecular or atomic sources of precursor species. Crystalline substrate at (usually) elevated temperature. High vacuum lower contamination from unwanted species.
A versatile technique for growing thin epitaxial structures made of semiconductors, metals or insulators--defined by Dr. Morton B. Panish.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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Some attributes of MBE Chambers

Source: T. D. Brown, PhD Diss, GaTech 2003 attributed to A. S. Brown in Encyclopedia of Advanced Materials 1990.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

www.MSE.Rutgers.edu

 Critical Processes:
Impinging flux of adatoms Surface Diffusion Attachment at ledges or other aggregation and nucleation Thermal desorption Interdiffusion/mixing with the lattice
Source: T. D. Brown, PhD Diss, GaTech 2003 attributed to M. A. Herman, H. Sitter, Molecular Beam Epitaxy Fundamentals and Current Status, New York, New York: Springer-Verlag (1989).

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

www.MSE.Rutgers.edu

Physical Limitations
Lattice Strain Lattice Mismatch Very thin layers are OK, but as thickness rises then strain energy is too high and defects are generated: could be misfit dislocations or island growth Figures shows plan-view TEM of islands in AlInAs/AlGaAs epitaxy

Source: Fafard et al, Superlattices and Microstructures, 1999.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

www.MSE.Rutgers.edu

A commercial MBE system by VG Semicon

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

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Schematic illustration of MBE system interior

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

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Deposition Chamber with Sources for All Required Elements

Multiport source placement

Effusion cells, various, depending on nature of precursor, temps, composition.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
www.MSE.Rutgers.edu

Source: Veeco product literature

Source: J. R. Arthur, 2002 Surface Science

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

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Important Issues
Stoichiometry especially when mixing two different IIIs or Vs Doping and activation of dopants Vacuum level purity Lattice matching level needs to be close

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

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Diagnostics in MBE
Auger Electron Spectroscopy surface sensitive chemical probing Ellipsometry very precise optical thin film measurement of thickness and opt constants Laser interferometry RHEED reflection high-energy electron diffraction SAW and quartz-crystal microbalances running parallel to the actual substrate
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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Placement of RHEED: glancing angle

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

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Schematic Surface Coverage and RHEED

Source: J. R. Arthur, 2002 Surface Science

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

www.MSE.Rutgers.edu

RHEED Pattern Maps

Photo from http://www.k-space.com/

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

www.MSE.Rutgers.edu

RHEED versus Time

Photo from http://www.k-space.com/

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

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MBE and Solar Cells

Perfect Epitaxy is the Ideal Situation Defects are Recombination sites lower efficiency MBE may give high perfection in many cases but the deposition rate is problem (slow) Composition space that is typical is also that needed for multijunction solar cells. Can make a stack with different band gaps and reach higher solar energy capture efficiency
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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Band Gaps and Lattice Size

Important for many semiconductor growth methods such as MBE and CVD, when high crystal quality is required.

Source: http://web.tiscali.it/decartes/phd_html/ III-Vms-latgap.png

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

www.MSE.Rutgers.edu