A comparative study of Cu-related plasmonic effects in electrochemically nanostructured CuInSe₂ and CuGaSe₂ crystals

We study the differences in electrochemical nanostructuring of CuInSe₂ and CuGaSe₂ crystals. To make the crystals suitable for electrochemical nanostructuring, they are subjected to thermal treatment either in vacuum or in Zn vapors. It is shown that thermal treatment of CuInSe₂ crystals in vacuum at 600-700 degrees Celsius is an appropriate procedure for the consequent electrochemical treatment, while treatment in Zn vapors at temperatures higher than 700 degrees Celsius is necessary to make CuGaSe₂ crystals suitable for electrochemical nanostructuring. The possibility of luminescence enhancement via thin Cu film deposition onto nanostructured CuInSe₂ and CuGaSe₂ surfaces is explored. (authors)