Electrodeposition of In-S based Buffer Layers for High Efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> based Solar Cells

Chassaing, E.; Naghavi, Negar; Galanti, Serena; Renou, Gilles; Soro, M. Y.; Bouttemy, Muriel; Etchéberry, Arnaud; Lincot, Daniel

doi:10.1149/05051.0093ecst

ECS Trans.

2013

DOI: 10.1149/05051.0093ecst

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Electrodeposition of In-S based Buffer Layers for High Efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ based Solar Cells

E. Chassaing¹,

Negar Naghavi²,

Serena Galanti³

et al.

Abstract: Soft chemical processes such as screen printing, sol-gel, electrochemical or chemical bath-deposition, enable low cost and easily scalable processes for thin layer solar cells. For the CIGSe based solar cells, with the standard Mo/Cu(In,Ga)Se2/CdS/i-ZnO/n+-ZnO structure, all layers of the p-n heterojunction and the transparent conductive oxide window can be grown by aqueous solution processes. In this work we focus on the electrochemical investigation of In-S layers. XPS analyses show the presence of both S an… Show more

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“…14,15 In 2011, electrodeposited In 2 S 3 -based CIGSe PV cells yielded an energy conversion efficiency of 10.2%. 16 However, electrodeposition still remains a complex technique for synthesizing thin films due to several deposition parameters, which can affect the properties of the films. 17,18 Poor adhesion, nonuniformity, flaking, and cracking 19 of films are common problems when electrodepositing films onto smooth surfaces, 14 as nucleation and growth are influenced by various deposition parameters, 15 surface roughness, and contamination of the surface.…”

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Morphological and Compositional Analysis of Electrodeposited Indium (III) Sulfide (In₂S₃) Films

Mughal

Engelken

Newell

et al. 2015

J. Electrochem. Soc.

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Within the last few years, there has been notable progress in understanding the growth mechanisms of semiconductor thin films for photovoltaic (PV) applications. Electrodeposition continues to be a complex deposition technique that can lead to regions of low quality (for example, cracks) in films. Such cracks can form porous zones on the substrate and diminish the heterojunction interface quality of a PV cell. In this paper, electrodeposition of In 2 S 3 films was systematically and quantitatively investigated by varying electrodeposition parameters including bath composition, current density, deposition time, and deposition temperature. Their effects upon the morphology, composition, and film growth mechanism were studied with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and digital imaging analysis (using fracture and buckling analysis software). In addition, the effect of different annealing treatments (200 • C, 300 • C, and 400 • C in air) and coated glass-substrates (Mo, ITO, and FTO) upon the properties of the In 2 S 3 films was analyzed. Furthermore, the Taguchi/Design of Experiments (DOE) Method was used to determine the optimal electrodeposition parameters in order to improve the properties. Indium (III) sulfide (In 2 S 3 ) is a promising semiconductor material (III-VI compound), suited for many technological applications like optoelectronic, 1 photovoltaic, 2 and photoelectric devices 3 due to its stability, large energy bandgap (∼2.3 eV), and photoconductive behavior. 4 β-In 2 S 3 is an n-type semiconductor material that has been considered as a non-toxic substitute for cadmium-containing PV cells. 5 It has potential to replace cadmium sulfide (CdS) as a buffer layer in copper indium gallium selenide/sulfide (CIGS)-based PV cells due to environmental concerns. 6 Several reports have been published on synthesis of In 2 S 3 films by numerous deposition techniques. These films have exhibited diverse morphologies and structural properties. 7-11 In In 2 S 3 (from atomic layer deposition)-based CIGS PV cells, an efficiency of 16.4% 12 has been achieved, which is few percent less than the 20.8% efficiency reported for CdS-based CIGS PV cells with the CdS deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD). 13 Electrodeposition is considered an economical and time-saving alternative to vacuum-based techniques for depositing semiconductor thin films onto a substrate with full coverage and high growth yield. 14 It offers high material utilization efficiency, precise control with proper bath chemistry, and in-situ monitoring. 14,15 In 2011, electrodeposited In 2 S 3 -based CIGSe PV cells yielded an energy conversion efficiency of 10.2%. 16 However, electrodeposition still remains a complex technique for synthesizing thin films due to several deposition parameters, which can affect the properties of the films. 17,18 Poor adhesion, nonuniformity, flaking, and cracking 19 of films are common problems when electrodepositing films onto smooth surfaces, 14 as nucleation and growth...

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological and Compositional Analysis of Electrodeposited Indium (III) Sulfide (In₂S₃) Films

Mughal

Engelken

Newell

et al. 2015

J. Electrochem. Soc.

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Substitution of the CdS buffer layer in CIGS thin‐film solar cells

Witte

Spiering²,

Hariskos³

2014

Vak Forsch Prax

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This contribution provides an overview of current activities in the area of alternative buffer layers for Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) thin‐film solar cells. Good cell and module results were achieved by replacing the standard Cds buffer with Zn(O,S), In2S3, (Zn,Sn)Oy or (Zn,Mg)O grown by various methods like chemical bath deposition (CBD), thermal evaporation, sputtering, atomic layer deposition, and spray ion layer gas reaction. The “dry” deposition methods like sputtering and thermal evaporation could be favorable in an industrial environment on glass substrates or application in a roll‐to‐roll coater. Significant progress was made within the last two years for various Cd‐free CIGS devices. We list current records for cells with alternative buffers, e. g. Zn(O,S)‐buffered champion cells with efficiencies between 18—20 % and In2S3‐buffered cells with 16—17 %. Both materials have the potential to substitute CdS with efficiencies approaching the 20 % mark already surpassed by CIGS cells with CBD CdS buffers.

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Numerical Analysis of In2S3 Layer Thickness, Band Gap and Doping Density for Effective Performance of a CIGS Solar Cell Using SCAPS

Khoshsirat

Yunus

2016

Journal of Elec Materi

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The effect of indium sulfide buffer layer's geometrical and electro-optical properties on the Copper-Indium-Gallium-diSelenide solar cell performance using numerical simulation is investigated. The numerical simulation software used is a solar cell capacitance simulator in (SCAPS). The innermost impacts of buffer layer thickness, band gap, and doping density on the cells output parameters such as open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, fill factor, and the efficiency were extensively simulated. The results show that the cell efficiency, which was innovatively illustrated as a two-dimensional contour plot function, depends on the buffer layer electron affinity and doping density by keeping all the other parameters at a steady state. The analysis, which was made from this numerical simulation, has revealed that the optimum electron affinity is to be 4.25 ± 0.2 eV and donor density of the buffer layer is over 1×1017 cm−3. It is also shown that the cell with an optimum thin buffer layer has higher performance and efficiency due to the lower optical absorption of the buffer layer.

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Electrodeposition of In-S based Buffer Layers for High Efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ based Solar Cells

Cited by 3 publications

References 15 publications

Morphological and Compositional Analysis of Electrodeposited Indium (III) Sulfide (In₂S₃) Films

Morphological and Compositional Analysis of Electrodeposited Indium (III) Sulfide (In₂S₃) Films

Substitution of the CdS buffer layer in CIGS thin‐film solar cells

Numerical Analysis of In2S3 Layer Thickness, Band Gap and Doping Density for Effective Performance of a CIGS Solar Cell Using SCAPS

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Electrodeposition of In-S based Buffer Layers for High Efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 based Solar Cells

Cited by 3 publications

References 15 publications

Morphological and Compositional Analysis of Electrodeposited Indium (III) Sulfide (In2S3) Films

Morphological and Compositional Analysis of Electrodeposited Indium (III) Sulfide (In2S3) Films

Substitution of the CdS buffer layer in CIGS thin‐film solar cells

Numerical Analysis of In2S3 Layer Thickness, Band Gap and Doping Density for Effective Performance of a CIGS Solar Cell Using SCAPS

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Product

Resources

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Electrodeposition of In-S based Buffer Layers for High Efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ based Solar Cells

Morphological and Compositional Analysis of Electrodeposited Indium (III) Sulfide (In₂S₃) Films

Morphological and Compositional Analysis of Electrodeposited Indium (III) Sulfide (In₂S₃) Films