Oxidation/reduction cycles and their reversible effect on the dipole formation at CuInSe2 surfaces

Abstract

The defect-electronic properties of {112} microfaceted surfaces of epitaxially grown ${\mathrm{CuInSe}}_{2}$ thin films are investigated by scanning tunneling spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy techniques after various surface treatments. The intrinsic ${\mathrm{CuInSe}}_{2}$ surface is found to be largely passivated in terms of electronic defect levels in the band-gap region. However, surface oxidation leads to an overall high density of defect levels in conjunction with a considerable net surface dipole, which persists even after oxide removal. Yet, a subsequent annealing under vacuum restores the initial condition. Such oxidation/reduction cycles are reversible for many times providing robust control of the surface and interface properties in these materials. Based on ab initio simulations, a mechanism where oxygen dissociatively adsorbs and subsequently diffuses to a subsurface site is proposed as the initial step of the observed dipole formation. Our results emphasize the relevance of oxidation-induced dipole effects at the thin film surface and provide a comprehensive understanding toward passivation strategies of these surfaces.