RBS-channeling study of radiation damage in Ar{sup +} implanted CuInSe{sub 2} crystals

Chalcopyrite solar cells are reported to have a high tolerance to irradiation by high energy electrons or ions, but the origin of this is not well understood. This work studies the evolution of damage in Ar{sup +}-bombarded CuInSe{sub 2} single crystal using Rutherford backscattering/channeling analysis. Ar{sup +} ions of 30 keV were implanted with doses in the range from 10{sup 12} to 3 × 10{sup 16} cm{sup −2} at room temperature. Implantation was found to create two layers of damage: (1) on the surface, caused by preferential sputtering of Se and Cu atoms; (2) at the layer of implanted Ar, possibly consisting of stacking faults and dislocation loops. The damage in the second layer was estimated to be less than 2% of the theoretical prediction suggesting efficient healing of primary implantation defects.