Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T18:01:42.791Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of Location of Sodium Precursor on the Morphological and Device Properties of CIGS Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

Neelkanth G. Dhere ,
Ashwani Kaul  and
Helio Moutinho
Neelkanth G. Dhere
Affiliation:
Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922, USA.
Ashwani Kaul
Affiliation:
Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922, USA.
Helio Moutinho
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden CO, USA.
Get access

Abstract

Sodium plays an important role in the development of device quality CIGS (Cu-In-Ga-Se) and CIGSeS (Cu-In-Ga-Se-S) chalcopyrite thin film solar cells. In this study the effect of location of sodium precursor on the device properties of CIGS solar cells was studied. Reduction in the surface roughness and improvement in the crystallinity and morphology of the absorber films was observed with increase in sodium quantity from 0 Å to 40 Å and to 80 Å NaF. It was found that absorber films with 40 Å and 80 Å NaF in the front of the metallic precursors formed better devices compared to those with sodium at the back. Higher open circuit voltages and short circuit current values were achieved for devices made with these absorber films as well.

Keywords

thin filmsputteringorganometallic
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1538: Symposium C – Compound Semiconductors: Thin-Film Photovoltaics, LEDs and Smart Energy Controls , 2013 , pp. 51 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Contreras, M.A., Egaas, B., Dippo, P., Webb, J., Granata, J., Ramnathan, K., Asher, S., Swartzlander, A. and Noufi, R., “On the Role of Na and Modifications to Cu(ln, Ga)Se2 Absorber Materials Using Thin-MF (M=Na, K, Cs) Precursor Layers, ” conference proceedings of 26th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Anaheim, IEEE Press, Piscataway, pp. 359–362, 1997.Google Scholar
Braunger, D., Zweigart, S. and Schock, H.W., “The Influence of Na and Ga on the Incorporation of the Chalcogen in Polycrystalline Cu(In, Ga)(S, Se)2 Thin-Films for photovoltaic Applications,” Proceedings of 2nd World Conference on Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion, Vienna, pp. 1113, 1998.Google Scholar
Wei, S.H., Zhang, S.B. and Zunger, A., “Effects of Na on the Electrical and Structural Properties of CuInSe2 ,” Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 85, pp. 7214–7218, 1999.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hadagali, V. V., “Study of the effects of sodium and absorber microstructure for the development of CuIn1-xGaxSe2-ySy thin film solar cells using an alternative selenium precursor,” Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Central Florida, Spring 2009.Google Scholar
Vasekar, P. S., “Effect of sodium and absorber thickness on CIGS2 thin film solar cells,” Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Central Florida, Spring 2009.Google Scholar
Pethe, S. A., “Optimization of process parameters for reduced thickness CIGSeS thin film solar cells,” Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Central Florida, Fall 2010.Google Scholar
Palm, J., Probst, V., Karg, F. H., “Second generation CIS solar modules,” Solar Energy, vol. 77, pp. 757–765, 2004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Granath, K., Bodegard, M., and Stolt, L., “The effect of NaF on Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 60, pp. 279–293, 2000.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ishizuka, S., Yamada, A., and Niki, S., “Efficiency enhancement of flexible CIGS solar cells using alkali-silicate glass thin layers as an alkali source material,” IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, pp. 2349–2353, 2009.Google Scholar
Wuerz, R., Eicke, A., Kessler, F., Rogin, P., Yazdani-Assl, O., “Alternative sodium sources for Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells on flexible substrates,” Thin Solid Films, pp. 7268–7271, 2011.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pianezzi, F., Chirila, A., Reinhard, P., Perrenoud, J., Nishiwaki, S, Buecheler, S. and Tiwari, A., “A novel surface treatment for Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin films for highly efficient solar cells,” MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2013.Google Scholar
Erslev, P. T., Lee, J. W., Shafarman, W. N., Cohen, J. D.,“ The influence of Na on metastable defect kinetics in CIGS materials,” Thin Solid Films, pp. 2277–2281, 2009.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kadam, A. A. and Dhere, N.G., “Highly efficient CuIn1−xGaxSe2−ySy/CdS thin-film solar cells by using diethylselenide as selenium precursor,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 94, Issue 5, pp. 738–743, 2010.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kulkarni, S.S., Koishiyev, G.T., Moutinho, H., and Dhere, N.G, “Preparation and characterization of CuIn1−xGaxSe2−ySy thin film solar cells by rapid thermal processing,” Thin Solid Films, Vol. 517, Issue 7, pp. 2121–2124, 2009.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dhere, N. G. and Kadam, A. A., U.S. Patent, “CuIn1-xGaxSe2-ySy (CIGSS) thin film solar cells prepared by selenization /sulfurization in a conventional furnace using a new precursor, ” U.S. Patent 7632701.Google Scholar