Depth-profiling analysis of MOCVD-grown triple junction solar cells by SIMS

Dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (d‐SIMS) has been applied to the analysis of the multilayered structure of GaInP/Ga(In)As/Ge concentration photovoltaic devices fabricated by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). Within the arsenal of techniques required to characterize such devices, SIMS represents the most powerful one due to the complete atomic/molecular information provided, its excellent sensitivity and reproducibility. Under Ar+ sputtering, the sample oxidation state is preserved, allowing for the location of interlayer oxides that may appear during the fabrication. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.