Detailed photoluminescence studies of thin film Cu₂S for determination of quasi-Fermi level splitting and defect levels

We have studied chalcocite (Cu₂S) layers prepared by physical vapor deposition with varying deposition parameters by calibrated spectral photoluminescence (PL) and by confocal PL with lateral resolution of Δ x≈0.9 μm. Calibrated PL experiments as a function of temperature T and excitation fluxes were performed to obtain the absolute PL-yield and to calculate the splitting of the quasi-Fermi levels (QFLs) μ=Ef,n−Ef,p at an excitation flux equivalent to the AM 1.5 spectrum and the absorption coefficient α(ℏω), both in the temperature range of 20 K≤T≤400 K. The PL-spectra reveal two peaks at E#1=1.17 eV and E#2=1.3 eV. The samples show a QFL-splitting of μ>700 meV associated with a pseudo band gap of Eg=1.25 eV. The high-energy peak shows an unexpected temperature behavior, namely, an increase of PL-yield with rising temperature at variance with the behavior of QFL-splitting that decreases with rising T.