Abstract: In one example embodiment, a method includes depositing one or more thin-film layers onto a substrate. More particularly, at least one of the thin-film layers comprises at least one electropositive material and at least one of the thin-film layers comprises at least one chalcogen material suitable for forming a chalcogenide material with the electropositive material. The method further includes annealing the one or more deposited thin-film layers at an average heating rate of or exceeding 1 degree Celsius per second. The method may also include cooling the annealed one or more thin-film layers at an average cooling rate of or exceeding 0.1 degrees Celsius per second.

Abstract: In particular embodiments, a method is described for fabricating a photovoltaic cell and includes providing a substrate; depositing a bottom contact layer over the substrate; masking one or more portions of the bottom contact layer; depositing one or more photovoltaic absorber layers over the bottom contact layer; and depositing a top contact layer over the one or more photovoltaic absorber layers, wherein the one or more portions of the bottom contact layer are left exposed after depositing the one or more photovoltaic absorber layers and the top contact layer as a result of the masking thereby leaving the one or more portions of the bottom contact layer suitable for use as electrical contacts.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a method includes sputtering one or more absorber layers over a substrate. In a particular embodiment, the substrate is pre-heated to a substrate temperature of at least approximately 300 degrees Celsius prior to the sputtering and during the sputtering of each of one or more of the absorber layers, and the sputtering of at least one of the absorber layers is performed in a sputtering atmosphere having a pressure of at least 0.5 Pascals. Additionally, in a particular embodiment, the sputtering of at least one of the absorber layers comprises sputtering from a sputter target that comprises a chalcogenide alloy that comprises copper (Cu) and one or more of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), or tellurium (Te).

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a sputter target structure for depositing semiconducting chalcogenide films is described. The sputter target includes a target body comprising at least one chalcogenide alloy having a chalcogenide alloy purity of at least approximately 2N7, gaseous impurities less than 500 ppm for oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), and hydrogen (H) individually, and a carbon (C) impurity less than 500 ppm. In a particular embodiment, the chalcogens of the at least one chalcogenide alloy comprises at least 20 atomic percent of the target body composition, and the chalcogenide alloy has a density of at least 95% of the theoretical density for the chalcogenide alloy.