Indium monochloride InCl and indium trichloride InCl3 have been applied as CVD precursors for In-containing films.
The volatile InCl obtained in situ by co-reaction of InMe3 with co-injected HCl in a hot wall reactor, was applied (together with PH3 as the phosphorus source) for the growth of epitaxial InP layers by a method combining OMVPE with hydride VPE. InP layers having excellent morphology and good electrical properties were obtained, the deposition rate was ~8 μm/h. Background n-type doping n=7×1015/cm3 and mobility μ=34 000 cm2/Vs were found by Hall measurements at 77 K. [491]
Kumagai et al. reported equilibrium calculations of hydride VPE of InN using either InCl or InCl3 as the precursor. They suggested that the higher Cl/In ratio precursor, InCl3, is preferred for deposition of InN since the thermodynamic driving force for the formation of InN is higher. Their results agree with the experimental observation that the growth rate of InN is lower with the use of InCl versus InCl3[492, 493]
InCl3 and NH3 were used for the epitaxial growth of InN by CVD (by open tube flow method) on single crystal (0001)-oriented sapphire substrates. Film growth rates were in the range 1-8 µm/h, the kinetic dependences of the process were studied.InN epitaxial layers were mosaic and n-type with electron concentration 2·1020–8·1021 cm−3 and mobilities 50-35 cm2/V·s, respectively. [494]
InCl3 has been used as catalyst for GaN nanowires growth by CVD from metallic Ga and
ammonia NH3(see chapter Ga as precursor for GaN, [[i]]
[i][i] J.C. Wang, S.Q. Feng and D.P. Yu, Applied Physics A: Materials Science & Processing, Volume 75, Number 6, 691-693, DOI: 10.1007/s00339-002-1455-z)
Indium trichloride InCl3, combined with CuCl, and H2S as co-reactants, was applied as precursor for ALD of CuInS2 infiltrate into the pores of nanostructured
TiO2 substrates (50 mm x 50 mm). Gas pulses of precursors were subsequently a supplied at 400°C, until the pores are completely filled with CuInS2, forming a nanometer-scale interpenetrating network between n-type TiO2 and p-type CuInS2 The achieved internal surface was about 500 times the geometrical area. (‘3D solar-cell concept’). Photovoltaic activity with a maximum monochromatic incident photon-to- current conversion efficiency of 80 % was
achieved in the CuInS2/ TiO2 cells created this way. [[i]]
[i] M. Nanu, J. Schoonman, A. Goossens, Advanced Materials, 2004 , Vol.16, Iss.5, p.453–456, Inorganic Nanocomposites of n- and p-Type Semiconductors: A New Type of Three-Dimensional Solar Cell
InCl3 , in combination with GaCl3, CuCl as Ga, Cu sources, and S2Cl2 and 6%H2 in Ar as reactive gases, was applied as precursor for the Copper indium gallium sulphide Cu(In,Ga)S2 thin films by CVD. The InCl3 and other precursors were liquid inside the furnace and were vaporized with argon carrier gas (50-150 sccm), S2Cl2 and 6%H2/Ar were supplied at 250sccm and 350sccm, respectively.The synthesized CIGS layers were characterized by SEM, EDX, XRD, and UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy.[[i],[ii]]
[i] Daniel W. Hewak, Kenton Knight, and Kevin C. C. Huang
http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/154071/1/Towards_deposition_of_copper_indium_gallium_sulphide_selenide_materials_by_chemical_vapour_deposition.pdf
[ii] K.C.C. Huang, K. Knight, D.W. Hewak, www.orc.soton.ac.uk/publications/46xx/4617.pdf, Deposition and Characterization of Copper Indium Gallium Sulphide Thin Films Fabricated by Chemical Vapour Deposition with Metal Chloride Precursors
Indium trichloride acetonitrile adduct InCl3(CH3CN), combined with CuCl(NCCH3)n as copper source (both dissolved in acetonitrile solvent MeCN), and hydrogen sulfide
H2S as sulfur source, was successfully applied as precursor for the growth of CuInS2 layers on GaP substrates by MOCVD. The precursor vapor generated by bubbling N2 through the sources dissolved in acetonitrile. The CuInS2 layers prepared by this technique
were characterized by XRD, EDAX, RBS, atomic absorption (AA), neutron activation analysis (NAA), targeting as well to understand the fundamental mechanism of the CVD growth of this material.[[i]]
[i] H.L. Hwang, C.Y. Sun, C.S. Fang, S.D. Chang, C.H. Cheng, M.H. Yang, H.H. Lin, H. Tuwan-Mu, J. Cryst. Growth, 1981, vol. 55, Iss.1, p.116-124, « Growth and process identification of CuInS2 on GaP by chemical vapor deposition »
Indium chloride InCl3, combined with tin chloride SnCl4, both dissolved in ethanol, was applied as precursor
for the growth of In,Sn)Ox (ITO) layers onto a glass substrate at 270 °C by spray CVD. The ITO films (120nm thick, 6.6 at. % Sn) were applied as anodes, having work function 4.7 V and lowest resistivity 3.7×10-4 Ω·cm. The OLED devices
prepared using ITO anode and tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq3) as active layer demonstrated luminance 6500 cd/m2 and turn-on threshold voltage 3.5 V. [[i]]
[i] Sh. Seki, M. Wakana, Y. Kasahara, Y. Seki, T. Kondo, M. Wang, T. Uchida, K. Haga, Yu. Sawada, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 46 (2007) pp. 6837-6841, « Fabrication of Organic Light-Emitting Devices with Indium–Tin-Oxide Anode Prepared by Spray Chemical Vapor Deposition »
InCl3·4H2O with 5 mol % SnCl2·2H2O) dissolved in water and and methanol (concentration 0.2 M) was used for the aerosol-assisted CVD of Sn-doped In2O3 (ITO) thin films on glass substrates, under positive and negative temperature gradient conditions. Layer thickness dependence of XRD peak height was used for evaluation of the film crystallinity. ITO films grow with the same crystallinity during the deposition in case of H2O solvent, in contrast the preferred orientation of ITO changes during the deposition in case of MeOH solvent. [495]
The suspension of indium chloride tetrahydrate InCl3.4H2O was applied as indum precursor for the growth of indium doped ZnO films by aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) at
atmospheric pressure on glass substrates. Addition of indium resulted in a reduction in resistivity, according to the electrical measurements (I–V) showed following the, an associated switch to c-axis preferred crystal orientation and was found by XRD.
The In-doped films displayed a greater rate of organic decomposition (oxidizing) of organic material on their surface (f.e. stearic acid under UV irradiation at 365 nm), attributed to the platelet surface structure having a larger surface area compared to
the undoped ZnO films, on which the active photocatalytic species may be produced with help of the UV generated electrons and holes. The reduction of the electron–hole pair recombination rate at the grain boundaries may also happen following the switch
to c-axis crystal orientation, due to an crystallinity improvement and related carrier scattering losses reduction, what leads to an increase in photocatalytic organic decomposition rate. [[i]]
[i] M.G. Nolan, J.A. Hamilton, S. O’Brien, G. Bruno, L. Pereira, E. Fortunato, R. Martins, I.M. Povey, M.E. Pemble, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chemistry, 2011, vol. 219, Iiss. 1, p.10-15, « The characterisation of aerosol assisted CVD conducting, photocatalytic indium doped zinc oxide films »