Rachele Tosi Celli
PhD thesis title: Zn-IV-N2 films deposited by HiPIMS for photovoltaic applications
Academic Tutor: Carlo Spartaco Casari
Academic Supervisor: David Dellasega
Affiliate external company or research group: RSE SpA – Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico
PhD cycle: 40° (see all student profiles of the same cycle > LINK)
BSc: Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology, Politecnico di Milano
MSc: Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology, Politecnico di Milano
Thesis abstract
My research focuses on ternary zinc nitride thin films for photovoltaic applications. I deposit these materials by magnetron sputtering, a pvd technique, including its High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) variant, which produces a denser plasma with a significant fraction of metal ions. The novelty of my work is the use of these ions to control defects, doping, and crystallinity, thereby tuning the optoelectronic properties of the nitrides for device applications. Film growth is complemented by structural, optical, and electrical characterization, together with plasma simulations to investigate the underlying correlations.
Personal interest in my research theme
I chose this project because of my interest in semiconductor materials and in tailoring their properties for device applications. I am particularly motivated by the challenge of developing and understanding materials that remain relatively unexplored in the literature, where progress relies on combining fundamental characterization with critical interpretation of experimental results. I am also fascinated by plasma physics, as investigating plasma dynamics provides a deeper understanding of film growth mechanisms and their impact on the final properties of the materials.
