Heavy ion elastic recoil detection analysis of AlxOy/Pt/AlxOy multilayer selective solar absorber

An AlxOy/Pt/AlxOy multilayer solar absorber for use in solar-thermal applications has been deposited onto copper substrate by electron beam (e-beam) vacuum evaporation at room temperature. Different samples were annealed at different temperatures in air and characterized by spectrophotometry, emissometry, heavy ion elastic recoil detection analysis (HI-ERDA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The AlxOy/Pt/AlxOy multilayer solar absorbers heated up to 500 °C were found to exhibit good spectral selectivity (α/ɛ) of 0.951/0.08. However, beyond 500 °C the spectral selectivity decreased to 0.846/0.11, possibly due to thermally activated atomic interdiffusion profiles. HI-ERDA has been used to study depth-dependent atomic concentration profiles. These measurements revealed outward diffusion of the copper substrate towards the surface and therefore, the decrease in the constituents of the coating. The decrease in the intensity of Pt grains and formation of CuO and Cu2O phases at 700 °C were confirmed by XRD and EDS.