Deposition and structural characteristics of cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique from a bath containing thiourea,cadmium acetate,ammonium acetate and ammonia in an aqueous solu...Deposition and structural characteristics of cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique from a bath containing thiourea,cadmium acetate,ammonium acetate and ammonia in an aqueous solution are reported.Researches are made on the influence of the fundamental parameters including pH,temperature,and concentrations of the solution involved in the chemical bath deposition of CdS and titration or dumping of the thiourea solution on the structure characteristic of CdS thin films.The pH of the solution plays a vital role on the characteristic of the CdS thin films.The XRD patterns show that the change in the pH of the solution results in the change in crystal phase from predominant hexagonal phase to predominant cubic phase.The CdS thin films with the two different crystal phases have different influences on CIGS thin film solar cells.The crystal mismatch and the interface state density of the c-CdS(cubic phase CdS) and CIGS are about 1 419% and 8 507×10 12cm -2 respectively,and those of the h-CdS(hexagonal phase CdS) and CIGS are about 32 297% and 2 792×10 12cm -2 respectively.It is necessary for high efficiency CIGS thin film solar cells to deposit the cubic phase CdS thin films.展开更多
In this work, we have modeled and simulated the electrical performance of CIGS thin-film solar cell using one-dimensional simulation software (SCAPS-1D). Starting from a baseline model that reproduced the experimental...In this work, we have modeled and simulated the electrical performance of CIGS thin-film solar cell using one-dimensional simulation software (SCAPS-1D). Starting from a baseline model that reproduced the experimental results, the properties of the absorber layer and the CIGS/Mo interface have been explored, and the requirements for high-efficiency CIGS solar cell were proposed. Simulation results show that the band-gap, acceptor density, defect density are crucial parameters that affect the performance of the solar cell. The best conversion efficiency is obtained when the absorber band-gap is around 1.2 eV, the acceptor density at 10<sup>16</sup> cm<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span>3</sup> and the defect density less than 10<sup>14</sup> cm<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span>3</sup>. In addition, CIGS/Mo interface has been investigated. It appears that a thin MoSe<sub>2</sub> layer reduces recombination at this interface. An improvement of 1.5 to 2.5 mA/cm<sup>2</sup> in the current density (<em>J<sub>sc</sub></em>) depending on the absorber thickness is obtained.展开更多
采用H_2Se气体对铜-铟-镓金属预制层进行硒化制备铜铟镓硒(CIGS)光吸收层,研究硒化过程中温度对CIGS结晶质量及光学特性的影响。400~500℃单一温度硒化制作的CIGS薄膜的表面平整性较差,存在颗粒状聚集物。在硒化前引入200℃低温预处理过...采用H_2Se气体对铜-铟-镓金属预制层进行硒化制备铜铟镓硒(CIGS)光吸收层,研究硒化过程中温度对CIGS结晶质量及光学特性的影响。400~500℃单一温度硒化制作的CIGS薄膜的表面平整性较差,存在颗粒状聚集物。在硒化前引入200℃低温预处理过程,可提高CIGS薄膜表面的平整性和致密性。在400℃硒化后导入500℃高温热处理过程可提高CIGS的结晶质量并改善Ga元素掺入的均匀性。光学特性测量显示,优化硒化温度可降低CIGS薄膜的缺陷态,从而提高Ga元素在薄膜中的掺入效果,CIGS薄膜的光学带隙可达1.14 e V。利用CIGS薄膜制备的太阳电池光电转换效率达13.1%,开压为519 m V,有效面积为0.38 cm^2。展开更多
Thin films of copper indium gallium selenide Cu（In,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） were prepared by sequential elemental layer deposition in vacuum at room temperature. The as-deposited films were heated in vacuum for compound form...Thin films of copper indium gallium selenide Cu（In,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） were prepared by sequential elemental layer deposition in vacuum at room temperature. The as-deposited films were heated in vacuum for compound formation, and were studied at temperature as high as 1250℃ for the first time. These films were concurrently studied for their structural properties by X-ray diffraction （XRD） technique. The XRD analyses include phase transition studies, grain size variation and microstrain measurements with the reaction temperature and time.It has been observed that there are three distinct regions of variation in all these parameters. These regions belong to three temperature regimes： 〈450℃, 450-950℃, and 〉950℃. It is also seen that the compound formation starts at 250℃, with ternary phases appearing at 350℃ or above. Whereas, there is another phase shift at 950℃ without any preference to the quaternary compound.展开更多
In order to achieve low cost high efficiency thin film solar cells,a novel Semiconductor Photovoltaic (PV) active material CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) and thin film Electro Deposition (ED) technology is explored.Firstly...In order to achieve low cost high efficiency thin film solar cells,a novel Semiconductor Photovoltaic (PV) active material CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) and thin film Electro Deposition (ED) technology is explored.Firstly,the PV materials and technologies is investigated,then the detailed experimental processes of CIGS/Mo/glass structure by using the novel ED technology and the results are reported.These results shows that high quality CIGS polycrystalline thin films can be obtained by the ED method,in which the polycrystalline CIGS is definitely identified by the (112),(204,220) characteristic peaks of the tetragonal structure,the continuous CIGS thin film layers with particle average size of about 2μm of length and around 1 6μm of thickness.The thickness and solar grade quality of CIGS thin films can be produced with good repeatability.Discussion and analysis on the ED technique,CIGS energy band and sodium (Na) impurity properties,were also performed.The alloy CIGS exhibits not only increasing band gap with increasing x ,but also a change in material properties that is relevant to the device operation.The beneficial impurity Na originating from the low cost soda lime glass substrate becomes one prerequisite for high quality CIGS films.These novel material and technology are very useful for low cost high efficiency thin film solar cells and other devices.展开更多
As an alternative to conventional encapsulation concepts for a double glass photovoltaic(PV)module,we introduce an innovative ionomer-based multi-layer encapsulant,by which the application of additional edge sealing t...As an alternative to conventional encapsulation concepts for a double glass photovoltaic(PV)module,we introduce an innovative ionomer-based multi-layer encapsulant,by which the application of additional edge sealing to prevent moisture penetration is not required.The spontaneous moisture absorption and desorption of this encapsulant and its raw materials,poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid)and an ionomer,are analyzed under different climatic conditions in this work.The relative air humidity is thermodynamically the driving force for these inverse processes and determines the corresponding equilibrium moisture content(EMC).Higher air humidity results in a larger EMC.The homogenization of the absorbed water molecules is a diffusion-controlled process,in which temperature plays a dominant role.Nevertheless,the diffusion coefficient at a higher temperature is still relatively low.Hence,under normal climatic conditions for the application of PV modules,we believe that the investigated ionomer-based encapsulant can“breathe”the humidity:During the day,when there is higher relative humidity,it“inhales”(absorbs)moisture and restrains it within the outer edge of the module;then at night,when there is a lower relative humidity,it“exhales”(desorbs)the moisture.In this way,the encapsulant protects the cell from moisture ingress.展开更多
This paper reviews the development history of alkali element doping on Cu（In,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） solar cells and summarizes important achievements that have been made in this field. The influences of incorporation strat...This paper reviews the development history of alkali element doping on Cu（In,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） solar cells and summarizes important achievements that have been made in this field. The influences of incorporation strategies on CIG5 absorbers and device performances are also reviewed. By analyzing CIGS surface structure and electronic property variation induced by alkali fluoride （NaF and KF） post-deposition treatment （PDT）, we discuss and interpret the following issues： ① The delamination of CIGS thin films induced by Na incorporation facilitates CulnSe2 formation and inhibits Ga during low-temperature co-evaporation process- es. ② The mechanisms of carrier density increase due to defect passivation by Na at grain boundaries and the surface. ③ A thinner buffer layer improves the short-circuit current without open-circuit voltage loss, This is attributed not only to better buffer layer coverage in the early stage of the chemical bath deposition process, but also to higher donor defect （Cd^＋Cu） density, which is transferred from the acceptor defect （C^-cu） and strengthens the buried homojunction. ④ The KF-PDT-induced lower valence band maximum at the absorber surface reduces the recombination at the absorber/buffer interface, which improves the open-circuit voltage and the fill factor of solar cells.展开更多
The beneficial effect of the alkali metals such as Na and K on the Cu（In.Ga）Se2 （CIGS） and Cu2ZnSn（S,Se）4 （CZTSSe） solar cells has been extensively investigated in the past two decades, however, in most of the...The beneficial effect of the alkali metals such as Na and K on the Cu（In.Ga）Se2 （CIGS） and Cu2ZnSn（S,Se）4 （CZTSSe） solar cells has been extensively investigated in the past two decades, however, in most of the studies the alkali metals were treated as dopants. Several recent studies have showed that the alkali metals may not only act as dopants but also form secondary phases in the absorber layer or on the surfaces of the films. Using the first-principles calculations, we screened out the most probable secondary phases of Na and K in CIGS and CZTSSe, and studied their electronic structures and optical properties. We found that all these alkali chalcogenide compounds have larger band gaps and lower VBM levels than CIGS and CZTSSe, because the existence of strong p-d coupling in CIS and CZTS pushes the valence band maximum （VBM） level up and reduces the band-gaps, while there is no such p-d coupling in these alkali chalcogenides. This band alignment repels the photo-generated holes from the secondary phases and prevents the electron-hole recombination. Moreover, the study on the optical properties of the secondary phases showed that the absorption coefficients of these alkali chalcogenides are much lower than those of CIGS and CZTSSe in the energy range of 0-3.4eV, which means that the alkali chalcogenides may not influence the absorption of solar light. Since the alkali metal dopants can passivate the grain boundaries and increase the hole carrier concentration, and meanwhile their related secondary phases have innocuous effect on the optical absorption and band alignment, we can understand why the alkali metal dopants can improve the CIGS and CZTSSe solar cell performance.展开更多
In this article, we discuss the leading thin-film photovoltaic （PV） technology based on the Cu（ln,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） compound semiconductor. This contribution includes a general comparison with the conventional Si-wa...In this article, we discuss the leading thin-film photovoltaic （PV） technology based on the Cu（ln,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） compound semiconductor. This contribution includes a general comparison with the conventional Si-wafer-based PV technology and discusses the basics of the CIGS technology as well as advances in world-record-level conversion efficiency, production, applications, stability, and future developments with respect to a flexible product. Once in large-scale mass production, the CIGS technology has the highest potential of all PV technologies for cost-efficient clean energy generation.展开更多
文摘Deposition and structural characteristics of cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique from a bath containing thiourea,cadmium acetate,ammonium acetate and ammonia in an aqueous solution are reported.Researches are made on the influence of the fundamental parameters including pH,temperature,and concentrations of the solution involved in the chemical bath deposition of CdS and titration or dumping of the thiourea solution on the structure characteristic of CdS thin films.The pH of the solution plays a vital role on the characteristic of the CdS thin films.The XRD patterns show that the change in the pH of the solution results in the change in crystal phase from predominant hexagonal phase to predominant cubic phase.The CdS thin films with the two different crystal phases have different influences on CIGS thin film solar cells.The crystal mismatch and the interface state density of the c-CdS(cubic phase CdS) and CIGS are about 1 419% and 8 507×10 12cm -2 respectively,and those of the h-CdS(hexagonal phase CdS) and CIGS are about 32 297% and 2 792×10 12cm -2 respectively.It is necessary for high efficiency CIGS thin film solar cells to deposit the cubic phase CdS thin films.
文摘In this work, we have modeled and simulated the electrical performance of CIGS thin-film solar cell using one-dimensional simulation software (SCAPS-1D). Starting from a baseline model that reproduced the experimental results, the properties of the absorber layer and the CIGS/Mo interface have been explored, and the requirements for high-efficiency CIGS solar cell were proposed. Simulation results show that the band-gap, acceptor density, defect density are crucial parameters that affect the performance of the solar cell. The best conversion efficiency is obtained when the absorber band-gap is around 1.2 eV, the acceptor density at 10<sup>16</sup> cm<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span>3</sup> and the defect density less than 10<sup>14</sup> cm<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span>3</sup>. In addition, CIGS/Mo interface has been investigated. It appears that a thin MoSe<sub>2</sub> layer reduces recombination at this interface. An improvement of 1.5 to 2.5 mA/cm<sup>2</sup> in the current density (<em>J<sub>sc</sub></em>) depending on the absorber thickness is obtained.
文摘采用H_2Se气体对铜-铟-镓金属预制层进行硒化制备铜铟镓硒(CIGS)光吸收层,研究硒化过程中温度对CIGS结晶质量及光学特性的影响。400~500℃单一温度硒化制作的CIGS薄膜的表面平整性较差,存在颗粒状聚集物。在硒化前引入200℃低温预处理过程,可提高CIGS薄膜表面的平整性和致密性。在400℃硒化后导入500℃高温热处理过程可提高CIGS的结晶质量并改善Ga元素掺入的均匀性。光学特性测量显示,优化硒化温度可降低CIGS薄膜的缺陷态,从而提高Ga元素在薄膜中的掺入效果,CIGS薄膜的光学带隙可达1.14 e V。利用CIGS薄膜制备的太阳电池光电转换效率达13.1%,开压为519 m V,有效面积为0.38 cm^2。
文摘Thin films of copper indium gallium selenide Cu（In,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） were prepared by sequential elemental layer deposition in vacuum at room temperature. The as-deposited films were heated in vacuum for compound formation, and were studied at temperature as high as 1250℃ for the first time. These films were concurrently studied for their structural properties by X-ray diffraction （XRD） technique. The XRD analyses include phase transition studies, grain size variation and microstrain measurements with the reaction temperature and time.It has been observed that there are three distinct regions of variation in all these parameters. These regions belong to three temperature regimes： 〈450℃, 450-950℃, and 〉950℃. It is also seen that the compound formation starts at 250℃, with ternary phases appearing at 350℃ or above. Whereas, there is another phase shift at 950℃ without any preference to the quaternary compound.
基金Project Supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund ( ITF ) of The Government of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ( HK-SAR)China( Fund Grant Num ber:S/ P0 0 5 / 99)
文摘In order to achieve low cost high efficiency thin film solar cells,a novel Semiconductor Photovoltaic (PV) active material CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) and thin film Electro Deposition (ED) technology is explored.Firstly,the PV materials and technologies is investigated,then the detailed experimental processes of CIGS/Mo/glass structure by using the novel ED technology and the results are reported.These results shows that high quality CIGS polycrystalline thin films can be obtained by the ED method,in which the polycrystalline CIGS is definitely identified by the (112),(204,220) characteristic peaks of the tetragonal structure,the continuous CIGS thin film layers with particle average size of about 2μm of length and around 1 6μm of thickness.The thickness and solar grade quality of CIGS thin films can be produced with good repeatability.Discussion and analysis on the ED technique,CIGS energy band and sodium (Na) impurity properties,were also performed.The alloy CIGS exhibits not only increasing band gap with increasing x ,but also a change in material properties that is relevant to the device operation.The beneficial impurity Na originating from the low cost soda lime glass substrate becomes one prerequisite for high quality CIGS films.These novel material and technology are very useful for low cost high efficiency thin film solar cells and other devices.
文摘As an alternative to conventional encapsulation concepts for a double glass photovoltaic(PV)module,we introduce an innovative ionomer-based multi-layer encapsulant,by which the application of additional edge sealing to prevent moisture penetration is not required.The spontaneous moisture absorption and desorption of this encapsulant and its raw materials,poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid)and an ionomer,are analyzed under different climatic conditions in this work.The relative air humidity is thermodynamically the driving force for these inverse processes and determines the corresponding equilibrium moisture content(EMC).Higher air humidity results in a larger EMC.The homogenization of the absorbed water molecules is a diffusion-controlled process,in which temperature plays a dominant role.Nevertheless,the diffusion coefficient at a higher temperature is still relatively low.Hence,under normal climatic conditions for the application of PV modules,we believe that the investigated ionomer-based encapsulant can“breathe”the humidity:During the day,when there is higher relative humidity,it“inhales”(absorbs)moisture and restrains it within the outer edge of the module;then at night,when there is a lower relative humidity,it“exhales”(desorbs)the moisture.In this way,the encapsulant protects the cell from moisture ingress.
文摘This paper reviews the development history of alkali element doping on Cu（In,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） solar cells and summarizes important achievements that have been made in this field. The influences of incorporation strategies on CIG5 absorbers and device performances are also reviewed. By analyzing CIGS surface structure and electronic property variation induced by alkali fluoride （NaF and KF） post-deposition treatment （PDT）, we discuss and interpret the following issues： ① The delamination of CIGS thin films induced by Na incorporation facilitates CulnSe2 formation and inhibits Ga during low-temperature co-evaporation process- es. ② The mechanisms of carrier density increase due to defect passivation by Na at grain boundaries and the surface. ③ A thinner buffer layer improves the short-circuit current without open-circuit voltage loss, This is attributed not only to better buffer layer coverage in the early stage of the chemical bath deposition process, but also to higher donor defect （Cd^＋Cu） density, which is transferred from the acceptor defect （C^-cu） and strengthens the buried homojunction. ④ The KF-PDT-induced lower valence band maximum at the absorber surface reduces the recombination at the absorber/buffer interface, which improves the open-circuit voltage and the fill factor of solar cells.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)under grant nos.61574059 and 61722402the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFB0700700)+1 种基金Shu-Guang program(15SG20)CC of ECNU
文摘The beneficial effect of the alkali metals such as Na and K on the Cu（In.Ga）Se2 （CIGS） and Cu2ZnSn（S,Se）4 （CZTSSe） solar cells has been extensively investigated in the past two decades, however, in most of the studies the alkali metals were treated as dopants. Several recent studies have showed that the alkali metals may not only act as dopants but also form secondary phases in the absorber layer or on the surfaces of the films. Using the first-principles calculations, we screened out the most probable secondary phases of Na and K in CIGS and CZTSSe, and studied their electronic structures and optical properties. We found that all these alkali chalcogenide compounds have larger band gaps and lower VBM levels than CIGS and CZTSSe, because the existence of strong p-d coupling in CIS and CZTS pushes the valence band maximum （VBM） level up and reduces the band-gaps, while there is no such p-d coupling in these alkali chalcogenides. This band alignment repels the photo-generated holes from the secondary phases and prevents the electron-hole recombination. Moreover, the study on the optical properties of the secondary phases showed that the absorption coefficients of these alkali chalcogenides are much lower than those of CIGS and CZTSSe in the energy range of 0-3.4eV, which means that the alkali chalcogenides may not influence the absorption of solar light. Since the alkali metal dopants can passivate the grain boundaries and increase the hole carrier concentration, and meanwhile their related secondary phases have innocuous effect on the optical absorption and band alignment, we can understand why the alkali metal dopants can improve the CIGS and CZTSSe solar cell performance.
基金funding by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)+1 种基金the German State of Baden-Württembergthe European Union
文摘In this article, we discuss the leading thin-film photovoltaic （PV） technology based on the Cu（ln,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） compound semiconductor. This contribution includes a general comparison with the conventional Si-wafer-based PV technology and discusses the basics of the CIGS technology as well as advances in world-record-level conversion efficiency, production, applications, stability, and future developments with respect to a flexible product. Once in large-scale mass production, the CIGS technology has the highest potential of all PV technologies for cost-efficient clean energy generation.
