Optical, Electrical and Photovoltaic Analysis of Iron Disilicide

The photovoltaics industry is enjoying the highest level of growth in its relatively short history due, partly, to the so called looming energy crisis. However, the technology has yet to reach parity with fossil fuels that will allow it to be instituted as a major contributor to global energy demand. As a result of this, research and development into improving technologies is also enjoying similar growth. Much of this research focuses on the development of improved materials, be it from a photo-efficiency, cost or availability point of view (usually a combination of all three). This work will report on characterisation work that has been performed on a potentially exciting material, iron disilicide, which has the possibility of fulfilling the above requirements. The materials properties have been investigated as a function of synthesis method. The effects of intrinsic material parameters, such as atomic composition, as well as post deposition processing such as thermal treatment have been investigated. Its ability to form rectifying junctions required for photovoltaic power generation is reported.