Effect of Argon Gas Flow Rate on Crystal Structure, Morphology, and Optical Properties of CIGS Film for Photodetector Applications

Authors

Nurul Lathi’i Fatul Chamidah, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, IndonesiaFollow
Fadilah Wulan Cahyani, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, IndonesiaFollow
I Gusti Ayu Isnaini Fatha Ramadhani, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, IndonesiaFollow
Erma Surya Yuliana, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, IndonesiaFollow
Nasikhudin Nasikhudin, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, IndonesiaFollow
Safwan Abd. Aziz, Laser Center, Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Bahru, MalaysiaFollow
Nandang Mufti, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia; Center of Advanced Material for Renewable Energy, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, 65145, IndonesiaFollow

Abstract

CIGS material can be used as a material for photodetector applications. The deposition of CIGS thin films remains challenging. Generally, argon is used as a gas to bombard the CIGS material through the sputtering method. This study fabricated photodetectors by varying the argon gas flow rate (50-80 sccm) to investigate its effect on device performance. XRD, SEM, UV-Vis, and photoresponse tests were characterized. Structural analysis using XRD showed a weak (112) diffraction peak, indicating that the resulting film was not fully crystalline, but rather consisted of a nanocrystalline phase, even partly amorphous, with small crystallite sizes. According to the SEM analysis, the thin film thickness increased from 1.005 μm to 1.283 μm with increasing argon gas flow rate. The UV-VIS characterization analysis exhibited a maximum absorbance at a wavelength of 234 nm and a band gap decreasing from 2.43 to 2.30 eV. The photoresponse analysis revealed that thicker absorber layers responded more slowly to light exposure, indicating a reduction in charge carrier mobility. The current and voltage response times were found to range from 3.01 to 5.01 seconds and 2.18 to 4.35 seconds, respectively. Therefore, it can be stated that argon gas flow rate significantly plays a role in the performance of CIGS thin film-based photodetectors.

Recommended Citation

Chamidah, Nurul Lathi’i Fatul; Cahyani, Fadilah Wulan; Ramadhani, I Gusti Ayu Isnaini Fatha; Yuliana, Erma Surya; Nasikhudin, Nasikhudin; Aziz, Safwan Abd.; and Mufti, Nandang (2025) "Effect of Argon Gas Flow Rate on Crystal Structure, Morphology, and Optical Properties of CIGS Film for Photodetector Applications," Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST): Vol. 9: No. 2, Article 13.
Available at: https://citeus.um.ac.id/jmest/vol9/iss2/13