Symmetry-dependence of electronic grain boundary properties in polycrystalline CuInSe2 thin films

Abstract

The symmetry-dependence of electronic grain boundary (GB) properties in polycrystalline CuInSe2 thin films was investigated in a combined study applying scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and Kelvin probe force microscopy. We find that highly symmetric Σ3 GBs have a higher probability to be charge neutral than lower symmetric non-Σ3 GBs. This symmetry-dependence can help to explain the large variations of electronic properties found for GBs in Cu(In,Ga)Se2.