Growth paths for the sulfurization of Cu-rich Cu/In thin films

In-situ energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction performed at the BESSY and HASY-LAB synchrotron facilities was used to observe sulfur pressure dependent growth paths for the formation of CuInS₂ thin films from Cu-rich metallic precursors. CuInS₂ can form directly from the intermetallic phases, through binary sulfides or via CuIn₅S₈. Particular attention is given to the latter reaction sequence, typical of rapid thermal processing (RTP), with complementary EDS and SEM analysis.