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
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
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
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
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
Polycrystalline CuGaSe2 thin films on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates have been synthesized by coevaporation process from Cu, Ga and Se sources. Structural and electrical properties of the as-grown CuGaSe2 films ...Polycrystalline CuGaSe2 thin films on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates have been synthesized by coevaporation process from Cu, Ga and Se sources. Structural and electrical properties of the as-grown CuGaSe2 films strongly depend on the film composition. Stoichiometric CuGaSe2 is fabricated, as indicated by x-ray diffraction spectroscope (XRD) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF). A two-phase region is composed of CuGaSe2 and Cu2-xSe phases for Cu-rich films, and CuGaSe2 and CuGa3Se5 phases for Ga-rich films, respectively. Morphological properties are detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM) for various compositional films, the grain sizes of the CuGaSe2films decrease with the extent of deviation from stoichiometric composition. Raman spectroscopy of Cu-rich samples shows that there exist large Cu-Se particles on the film surface. The results from Hall effect measurements for typical samples indicate that CuGaSe2 films are always of p-type semiconductor from Cu-rich to Ga-rich. Stoichiometric CuGaSe2 films exhibit relatively large mobility than any other compositional films. Finally, polycrystalline CuGaSe2 thin film solar cell with a best conversion efficiency of 6.02% has been achieved under the standard air mass (AM)1.5 spectrum for 100mW/cm^2 at room temperature (aperture area, 0.24cm^2). The open circuit voltage of the CuGaSe2 solar cells is close to770 mV.展开更多
High Ga content Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films incorporated sulfur were prepared by sequential evaporation from CuGaSe2 and CuInSe2 ternary compounds and subsequently Ga2Se3, In2Se3 and In2S3 binary compounds. The In2S3/(Ga2...High Ga content Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films incorporated sulfur were prepared by sequential evaporation from CuGaSe2 and CuInSe2 ternary compounds and subsequently Ga2Se3, In2Se3 and In2S3 binary compounds. The In2S3/(Ga2Se3+ In2Se3) ratio was varied from 0 to 0.13, and the properties of the thin films were investigated. XRD studies demonstrated that the prepared thin films had a chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)Se2 structure. The S/(Se+S) mole ratio in the thin films was within the range from 0 to 0.04. The band gaps of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films increased from 1.30 eV to 1.59 eV with increasing the ?In2S3 /(Ga2Se3+ In2Se3) ratio.展开更多
In this work, the band structure and optical-related properties of CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2 thin film are presented. The calculation is performed by the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) method. The spin-...In this work, the band structure and optical-related properties of CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2 thin film are presented. The calculation is performed by the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) method. The spin-orbit coupling is considered. The result for the dielectric function is in good agreement with earlier experimental measurements and simulations. Based on the complex dielectric function, the dielectric constant, the absorption coefficient, the complex refractive index and the reflectivity at normal incidence are explored. We found that they are comparable with the earlier results.展开更多
In this paper, we investigated the effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on solar cell performance. An opto-electric conversion efficiency of 11.75% (Voc = 0.64 V, Jsc = 25.88 mA/cm2, FF=72.08%) was obtained und...In this paper, we investigated the effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on solar cell performance. An opto-electric conversion efficiency of 11.75% (Voc = 0.64 V, Jsc = 25.88 mA/cm2, FF=72.08%) was obtained under AM 1.5G when the cell was annealed at 300℃ for 30 s. The annealed solar cell showed an average absolute efficiency 1.5% higher than that of the as-deposited one. For the microstructure analysis and the physical phase confirmation, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, front surface reflection (FSR), internal quantum efficiency (IQE), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were respectively applied to distinguish the causes inducing the efficiency variation. All experimental results implied that the RTA eliminated recombination centers at the p-n junction, reduced the surface optical losses, enhanced the blue response of the CdS buffer layer, and improved the ohmic contact between Mo and Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) layers. This leaded to the improved performance of CIGS solar cell.展开更多
Cu(In, Al)Se2 thin films were prepared by electrodeposition from the aqueous solution consisting of CuCl2, InCl3, AlCl3 and SeO2 onto ITO coated glass substrates. The as-deposited films were annealed under vacuum for ...Cu(In, Al)Se2 thin films were prepared by electrodeposition from the aqueous solution consisting of CuCl2, InCl3, AlCl3 and SeO2 onto ITO coated glass substrates. The as-deposited films were annealed under vacuum for 30 min at temperature ranging between 200°C and 400°C. The structural, composition, morphology, optical band gap and electrical resistivity of elaborated thin films were studied, respectively using x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive analysis of x-ray, scanning electron microscopy, UV spectrophotometer and four-point probe method. The lattice constant and structural parameters viz. crystallite size, dislocation density and strain of the films were also calculated. After vacuum annealing, x-ray diffraction results revealed that all films were polycrystalline in nature and exhibit chalcopyrite structure with (112) as preferred orientation. The film annealed at 350°C showed the coexistence of CIASe and InSe phases. The average crystallite size increases linearly with annealing temperature, reaching a maximum value for 350°C. The films show a direct allowed band gap which increases from 1.59 to 1.78 eV with annealing temperature. We have also found that the electrical resistivity of films is controlled by the carrier concentration rather than by their mobility.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
The development of cadmium-free CIGS solar cells with high conversion efficiency is crucial due to the toxicity of cadmium. Zinc-based buffer layers seem to be the most promising. In this paper, a numerical analysis u...The development of cadmium-free CIGS solar cells with high conversion efficiency is crucial due to the toxicity of cadmium. Zinc-based buffer layers seem to be the most promising. In this paper, a numerical analysis using SCAPS-1D software was used to explore the Zn(Mg,O) layer as an alternative to the toxic CdS layer. The effect of several properties such as thickness, doping, Mg concentration of the Zn(Mg,O) layer on the current-voltage parameters was explored and their optimal values were proposed. The simulation results reveal that the optimal value of the ZMO layer thickness is approximately 40 nm, the doping at 10<sup>17</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> and an Mg composition between 0.15 and 0.2. In addition, the effect of Gallium (Ga) content in the absorber as well as the Zn(Mg,O)/CIGS interface properties on the solar cell’s performance was examined. The results show that contrary to the CdS buffer layer, the best electrical characteristics of the ZMO/CIGS heterojunction are obtained using a Ga-content equal to 0.4 and high interface defect density or unfavorable band alignment may be the causes of poor performances of Zn(Mg,O)/CIGS solar cells in the case of low and high Mg-contents.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.
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.
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.
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.
基金Project supported by the National High Technology Joint Research Program of China (Grant No 2004AA513020)
文摘Polycrystalline CuGaSe2 thin films on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates have been synthesized by coevaporation process from Cu, Ga and Se sources. Structural and electrical properties of the as-grown CuGaSe2 films strongly depend on the film composition. Stoichiometric CuGaSe2 is fabricated, as indicated by x-ray diffraction spectroscope (XRD) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF). A two-phase region is composed of CuGaSe2 and Cu2-xSe phases for Cu-rich films, and CuGaSe2 and CuGa3Se5 phases for Ga-rich films, respectively. Morphological properties are detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM) for various compositional films, the grain sizes of the CuGaSe2films decrease with the extent of deviation from stoichiometric composition. Raman spectroscopy of Cu-rich samples shows that there exist large Cu-Se particles on the film surface. The results from Hall effect measurements for typical samples indicate that CuGaSe2 films are always of p-type semiconductor from Cu-rich to Ga-rich. Stoichiometric CuGaSe2 films exhibit relatively large mobility than any other compositional films. Finally, polycrystalline CuGaSe2 thin film solar cell with a best conversion efficiency of 6.02% has been achieved under the standard air mass (AM)1.5 spectrum for 100mW/cm^2 at room temperature (aperture area, 0.24cm^2). The open circuit voltage of the CuGaSe2 solar cells is close to770 mV.
文摘High Ga content Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films incorporated sulfur were prepared by sequential evaporation from CuGaSe2 and CuInSe2 ternary compounds and subsequently Ga2Se3, In2Se3 and In2S3 binary compounds. The In2S3/(Ga2Se3+ In2Se3) ratio was varied from 0 to 0.13, and the properties of the thin films were investigated. XRD studies demonstrated that the prepared thin films had a chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)Se2 structure. The S/(Se+S) mole ratio in the thin films was within the range from 0 to 0.04. The band gaps of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films increased from 1.30 eV to 1.59 eV with increasing the ?In2S3 /(Ga2Se3+ In2Se3) ratio.
文摘In this work, the band structure and optical-related properties of CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2 thin film are presented. The calculation is performed by the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) method. The spin-orbit coupling is considered. The result for the dielectric function is in good agreement with earlier experimental measurements and simulations. Based on the complex dielectric function, the dielectric constant, the absorption coefficient, the complex refractive index and the reflectivity at normal incidence are explored. We found that they are comparable with the earlier results.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 60876045)the Shanghai Leading Basic Research Project, China (Grant No. 09JC1405900)+1 种基金the Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project, China (Grant No. S30105)the R & D Foundation of SHU-SOENs PV Joint Laboratory, China (Grant No. SS-E0700601)
文摘In this paper, we investigated the effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on solar cell performance. An opto-electric conversion efficiency of 11.75% (Voc = 0.64 V, Jsc = 25.88 mA/cm2, FF=72.08%) was obtained under AM 1.5G when the cell was annealed at 300℃ for 30 s. The annealed solar cell showed an average absolute efficiency 1.5% higher than that of the as-deposited one. For the microstructure analysis and the physical phase confirmation, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, front surface reflection (FSR), internal quantum efficiency (IQE), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were respectively applied to distinguish the causes inducing the efficiency variation. All experimental results implied that the RTA eliminated recombination centers at the p-n junction, reduced the surface optical losses, enhanced the blue response of the CdS buffer layer, and improved the ohmic contact between Mo and Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) layers. This leaded to the improved performance of CIGS solar cell.
文摘Cu(In, Al)Se2 thin films were prepared by electrodeposition from the aqueous solution consisting of CuCl2, InCl3, AlCl3 and SeO2 onto ITO coated glass substrates. The as-deposited films were annealed under vacuum for 30 min at temperature ranging between 200°C and 400°C. The structural, composition, morphology, optical band gap and electrical resistivity of elaborated thin films were studied, respectively using x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive analysis of x-ray, scanning electron microscopy, UV spectrophotometer and four-point probe method. The lattice constant and structural parameters viz. crystallite size, dislocation density and strain of the films were also calculated. After vacuum annealing, x-ray diffraction results revealed that all films were polycrystalline in nature and exhibit chalcopyrite structure with (112) as preferred orientation. The film annealed at 350°C showed the coexistence of CIASe and InSe phases. The average crystallite size increases linearly with annealing temperature, reaching a maximum value for 350°C. The films show a direct allowed band gap which increases from 1.59 to 1.78 eV with annealing temperature. We have also found that the electrical resistivity of films is controlled by the carrier concentration rather than by their mobility.
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The development of cadmium-free CIGS solar cells with high conversion efficiency is crucial due to the toxicity of cadmium. Zinc-based buffer layers seem to be the most promising. In this paper, a numerical analysis using SCAPS-1D software was used to explore the Zn(Mg,O) layer as an alternative to the toxic CdS layer. The effect of several properties such as thickness, doping, Mg concentration of the Zn(Mg,O) layer on the current-voltage parameters was explored and their optimal values were proposed. The simulation results reveal that the optimal value of the ZMO layer thickness is approximately 40 nm, the doping at 10<sup>17</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> and an Mg composition between 0.15 and 0.2. In addition, the effect of Gallium (Ga) content in the absorber as well as the Zn(Mg,O)/CIGS interface properties on the solar cell’s performance was examined. The results show that contrary to the CdS buffer layer, the best electrical characteristics of the ZMO/CIGS heterojunction are obtained using a Ga-content equal to 0.4 and high interface defect density or unfavorable band alignment may be the causes of poor performances of Zn(Mg,O)/CIGS solar cells in the case of low and high Mg-contents.