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153236-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
A series of pyrite thin films were synthesized using a novel sequential evaporation

technique to study the effects of substrate temperature on deposition rate and micro-structure of

the deposited material. Pyrite was deposited in a monolayer-by-monolayer fashion using

sequential evaporation of Fe under high vacuum, followed by sulfidation at high S pressures

(typically >

A series of pyrite thin films were synthesized using a novel sequential evaporation

technique to study the effects of substrate temperature on deposition rate and micro-structure of

the deposited material. Pyrite was deposited in a monolayer-by-monolayer fashion using

sequential evaporation of Fe under high vacuum, followed by sulfidation at high S pressures

(typically > 1 mTorr to 1 Torr). Thin films were synthesized using two different growth processes; a

one-step process in which a constant growth temperature is maintained throughout growth, and a

three-step process in which an initial low temperature seed layer is deposited, followed by a high

temperature layer, and then finished with a low temperature capping layer. Analysis methods to

analyze the properties of the films included Glancing Angle X-Ray Diffraction (GAXRD),

Rutherford Back-scattering Spectroscopy (RBS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM),

Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS), 2-point IV measurements, and Hall effect

measurements. Our results show that crystallinity of the pyrite thin film improves and grain size

increases with increasing substrate temperature. The sticking coefficient of Fe was found to

increase with increasing growth temperature, indicating that the Fe incorporation into the growing

film is a thermally activated process.
ContributorsWertheim, Alex (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Singh, Rakesh (Committee member) / Bertoni, Mariana (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Description
Pyrite is a 0.95 eV bandgap semiconductor which is purported to have great potential in widespread, low–cost photovoltaic cells. A thorough material selection process was used in the design of a pyrite sequential vapor deposition chamber aimed at reducing and possibly eliminating contamination during thin film growth. The design process

Pyrite is a 0.95 eV bandgap semiconductor which is purported to have great potential in widespread, low–cost photovoltaic cells. A thorough material selection process was used in the design of a pyrite sequential vapor deposition chamber aimed at reducing and possibly eliminating contamination during thin film growth. The design process focused on identifying materials that do not produce volatile components when exposed to high temperatures and high sulfur pressures. Once the materials were identified and design was completed, the ultra–high vacuum growth system was constructed and tested.

Pyrite thin films were deposited using the upgraded sequential vapor deposition chamber by varying the substrate temperature from 250°C to 420°C during deposition, keeping sulfur pressure constant at 1 Torr. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) results showed that all contaminants in the films were reduced in concentration by orders of magnitude from those grown with the previous system. Characterization techniques of Rutherford Back–scattering Spectrometry (RBS), X–Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Optical Profilometry and UV/Vis/Near–IR Spectroscopy were performed on the deposited thin films. The results indicate that stoichiometric ratio of S:Fe, structural–quality (epitaxy), optical roughness and percentage of pyrite in the deposited thin films improve with increase in deposition temperature. A Tauc plot of the optical measurements indicates that the pyrite thin films have a bandgap of 0.94 eV.
ContributorsWalimbe, Aditya (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Alford, Terry (Committee member) / Singh, Rakesh (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
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Description
Measurements of the geometrical magnetoresistance of a conventional semiconductor, gallium arsenide (GaAs), and a more recently developed semiconductor, iron pyrite (FeS2) were measured in the Corbino disc geometry as a function of magnetic field to determine the carrier mobility (μm). These results were compared with measurements of the Hall mobility

Measurements of the geometrical magnetoresistance of a conventional semiconductor, gallium arsenide (GaAs), and a more recently developed semiconductor, iron pyrite (FeS2) were measured in the Corbino disc geometry as a function of magnetic field to determine the carrier mobility (μm). These results were compared with measurements of the Hall mobility (μH) made in the Van der Pauw configuration. The scattering coefficient (ξ), defined as the ratio between magnetoresistance and Hall mobility (μm/μH), was determined experimentally for GaAs and natural pyrite from 300 K to 4.2 K. The effect of contact resistance and heating on the measurement accuracy is discussed.
ContributorsRavi, Aditya (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Singh, Rakesh (Committee member) / Ferry, David K. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016