Thin Films Laboratory

Thin Films Laboratory hneieditor September 21, 2022
Lab Research Area: Advanced Materials
Main Areas of Research
  1. Tunable semiconductors for renewable hydrogen production (solar fuels)
  2. “Printable” solar absorbers for advanced/low-cost photovoltaics
  3. Transparent Conductive Flexible Composites for In-Mold Electronics
  4. Quantum dots/nanoparticles for photocatalysis and water remediation
Lab Principal Investigator

Nicolas M. Gaillard
Phone: (808) 956-2342
Email: ngaillar@hawaii.edu

TFL Research 1
TFL Research 2
TFL Research 3
Lab Equipment

Vacuum Deposition Chambers

  • CIGS Evaporation System: Varian 3125 diffusion-pumped multisource evaporator including five independently-controlled furnaces for elemental co-deposition of copper, indium, gallium, selenium and sodium. For fabrication of CuInSe2, Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and CuGaSe2 photovoltaic materials and devices.
  • Sputtering Deposition System: Perkin-Elmer 2400 cryo-pumped three-gun co-sputtering system. Can accommodate both 2” and 3” sputtering targets. Applications include: transparent conducting oxides; catalysts and other novel films.
  • Metal Thermal Evaporation System: NRC 3117 diffusion-pumped four-source thermal evaporator for depositing anti-reflective coatings, metallic films and contact grids.

Atmospheric-Based Depositions

  • Glove Box: Inert 2G glove box for storage and processing of air-sensitive chemicals. Moisture and oxygen levels controlled down to 0.5ppm and 2 ppm, respectively.
  • CdS Film Deposition: chemical bath system for heterogeneous deposition of various buffer materials, including CdS, In2S3 and Zn(O,S).
  • Spin Coaters: commercial (in air) and custom (in glove box) spin coaters for molecular ink processing. Coaters can accommodate samples up to 3” in diameter.
  • Furnaces: custom tube and vacuum furnaces for sample thermal treatment. Furnaces can be used to treat samples under oxygen, sulfur or selenium environment at temperatures up to 600 °C.

Testing Instrumentation

  • Semiconductor/Solar Cell Characterization Stations: including high-precision electronic measurement equipment, temperature-controlled probe chuck (down to 50K), solar simulator (1,000W Xe) and LED light sources. Measurement capabilities include:
    • temperature-dependent light/dark JV characterization (pA resolution)
    • temperature-dependent AC & DC conductivity measurement
    • temperature-dependent CV measurement
  • Electrochemical Test Station: including high-precision electronic measurement equipment and Plexiglas or glass fixtures for test- and reference-electrode mounting. Measurement capabilities include voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry (pA resolution), and long-term corrosion testing.
  • Quantum Efficiency System: PVMeas QE7 for measurement of photocollection in thin film devices in the 300 – 1200nm wavelength range.
  • UV-VIS Photospectrometer: Perkin-Elmer model Lambda 750 with integrating sphere: for optical transmission, reflection and absorption measurements of thin films in the 250-2,500 nm range.
  • Surface Profilometer: Tencor D-500 for thin-film thickness measurements.
  • Four-Point Probe Station: Signatone model S301-6: automated system for film resistivity measurements.

Advanced analytical methods at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

In addition to the HNEI equipment listed above, the UH campus boasts a wide range of sophisticated surface analysis techniques which are generally available on a recharge basis:

  • Advanced Confocal Microscope (Bio-Rad Micro-science Division)
  • Atomic Force Microscope (Nanoscope Instruments)
  • Scanning Tunneling Microscope (Nanoscope Instruments)
  • Scanning electron microscopes (FEI Helios NanoLab 660 Extreme High Resolution Dual Beam FIB)
  • Transmission electron microscopes (FEI Titan 300 keV)
  • X-ray diffractometers (Bruker D8 Advance and D8 Venture)
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