Formation of Graphite-Copper/N-Silicon Schottky Photovoltaic Diodes Using Different Plasma Technologies

Žydrūnas Kavaliauskas, Vilius Dovydaitis, Romualdas Kėželis, Liutauras Marcinauskas, Vitas Valinčius, Arūnas Baltušnikas, Aleksandras Iljinas, Giedrius Gecevičius and Vytautas Čapas
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Žydrūnas Kavaliauskas: Plasma Processing Laboratory, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos Str. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, Lithuania
Vilius Dovydaitis: Department of Physics, Kaunas University of Technology, Studentų Str. 50, LT-44249 Kaunas, Lithuania
Romualdas Kėželis: Plasma Processing Laboratory, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos Str. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, Lithuania
Liutauras Marcinauskas: Plasma Processing Laboratory, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos Str. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, Lithuania
Vitas Valinčius: Plasma Processing Laboratory, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos Str. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, Lithuania
Arūnas Baltušnikas: Laboratory of Materials Research and Testing, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos Str. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, Lithuania
Aleksandras Iljinas: Department of Physics, Kaunas University of Technology, Studentų Str. 50, LT-44249 Kaunas, Lithuania
Giedrius Gecevičius: Department of Industrial Engineering and Robotics, Kaunas University of Applied Sciences, Pramones Ave. 20, LT-50468 Kaunas, Lithuania
Vytautas Čapas: Department of Industrial Engineering and Robotics, Kaunas University of Applied Sciences, Pramones Ave. 20, LT-50468 Kaunas, Lithuania

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: Plasma spraying and magnetron sputtering were used to form graphite–copper films on an n-type silicon surface. The main objective of this work was to compare the properties of the obtained graphite–copper Schottky photodiodes prepared using two different layer formation methods and to evaluate the influence of copper content on the surface morphology, phase structure, and photovoltaic characteristics of the graphite–copper films. Surface morphology analysis shows that the surface of the formed layers using either plasma spraying technology or the magnetron sputtering method consists of various sphere-shaped microstructures. The X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrated that the graphite–copper coatings formed by plasma spraying were crystalline phase. Meanwhile, the films deposited by magnetron sputtering were amorphous when the copper concentration was up to 9.7 at.%. The increase in copper content in the films led to the formation of Cu crystalline phase. Schottky diodes formed using magnetron sputtering technology had a maximum current density of 220 mA/cm 2 at 5 V. Meanwhile, the maximum electric current density of Schottky photodiodes formed using plasma spraying reached 3.8 mA/cm 2 . It was demonstrated that the efficiency of Schottky diodes formed using magnetron sputtering was up to 60 times higher than Schottky diodes formed using plasma spraying.

Keywords: plasma spraying; magnetron sputtering; copper; graphite; Schottky photodiodes; photovoltaic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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