Elastic properties determination of CuInSe2 polycrystalline thin films via a dynamic method

Abstract

Developing and using a simulation program based on the spectrum angular model, we first determine reflectance functions and acoustic signatures for bulk as well as for different thickness of CuInSe2 films. For bulk material, it is found that the longitudinal and Rayleigh modes are excited at incidence angles of 23.4° and 47°, respectively. This result reveals the great difficulties to characterize CuInSe2 with a conventional scanning acoustic microscope that uses a lens half- opening angle of 50° and water as a coupling liquid. Hence, Freon is used as alternative coupling liquid. Consequently, the effect of thickness on reflection coefficient and acoustic signature variations are quantified for both bulk and thin material. It is shown that as the thickness increases: (i) the critical angle of mode excitation increases, (ii) the periods of acoustic signature curves decrease and (iii) the Rayleigh velocity, VR, mode shifts towards lower values. Hence, a velocity dispersion curve is established in terms of VR as a function of film thickness; it decreases initially from the velocity value of the glass substrate then saturates when it reaches that of CuInSe2. The importance of such curve lies in the possibility of velocity determination by just knowing the thickness, and vice versa. Moreover, elastic constants are straight forward deduced from such a velocity.