Studies of the Micro- and Nanostructure of Polycrystalline CdTe and CuInSe2 Using Atomic Force and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) have been used to study the micro‐ and nanostructure of CdTe and CuInSe₂ thin films used for photovoltaic cells. Topographic images are comparable with those reported previously using conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM)—to the limit of spatial resolution of the SEM technique. For higher magnifications, nanoscale structures and features have been observed for the first time with AFM and STM, and these observations have implications for the suitability and preparation of these semiconductors for high‐efficiency solar cell realization.