Performance and limits of 2.0 eV bandgap CuInGaS 2 solar absorber integrated with CdS buffer on F:SnO 2 substrate for multijunction photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical water splitting devices

Gaillard, Nicolas; Septina, Wilman; Varley, Joel; Ogitsu, Tadashi; Ohtaki, Kenta K.; Ishii, Hope A.; Bradley, John P.; Muzzillo, Christopher; Zhu, Kai; Babbe, Finn; Cooper, Jason

doi:10.1039/D1MA00570G

Title: Performance and limits of 2.0 eV bandgap CuInGaS ₂ solar absorber integrated with CdS buffer on F:SnO ₂ substrate for multijunction photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical water splitting devices

Journal Article · Tue Aug 31 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Materials Advances

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/D1MA00570G· OSTI ID:1812827

^[1]; Septina, Wilman ^[1]; Varley, Joel ^[2]; Ogitsu, Tadashi ^[2];

^[3];

^[3]; Bradley, John P. ^[3]; Muzzillo, Christopher ^[4];

^[4]; Babbe, Finn ^[5]; Cooper, Jason ^[5]

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
Hawaii Institute of Geophysics & Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

We report on the electrical properties of 2.0 eV bandgap (E_G) CuInGaS₂ (CIGS) solar absorbers integrated on SnO₂:F (FTO) substrates and interfaced with CdS buffer layers for multijunction solar cells and photoelectrochemical water splitting devices. The averaged short-circuit photocurrent density measured on nine ITO/ZnO/CdS/CIGS/FTO cells was 10.0 mA cm^-2, a value corresponding to 70% of the optical limit for a 2.0 eV-bandgap absorber. However, the averaged power conversion efficiency was low (avg.: 2.4%) and for the most part limited by modest open circuit voltage values (avg.: 587 mV). Solid-state analyses performed at low temperatures revealed poor energetic alignment at the CdS/CIGS top interface. An activation energy (1.1 eV) for the dominant recombination mechanism significantly lower than the CIGS bandgap was measured, implying that recombination takes place near the CdS/CIGS interface. This finding is supported by the large difference found between the quasi Fermi level splitting of the bare absorber (1.17 eV) and the open circuit voltage of the device. Complementary theoretical calculations identified Fermi level pinning as a possible cause for the poor interface energetics through Cd incorporation on both the Cu and the group-III sites, resulting in a large conduction band offset (~0.9 eV) at the CdS/CIGS interface. This work underlines the need for new E_G-tunable buffers coupled with optimized CIGS surface energetics (e.g. ordered vacancy compounds) for future chalcopyrite-based multijunction solar cells and photoelectrochemical water splitting devices.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Fuel Cell Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22), Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (SC-22.1)

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0008085; AC36-08GO28308; AC52-07NA27344; AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1812827

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1821904; OSTI ID: 1827346; OSTI ID: 1870068

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5K00-80566; LLNL-JRNL-825781; MAADC9

Journal Information:: Materials Advances, Journal Name: Materials Advances Vol. 2 Journal Issue: 17; ISSN 2633-5409

Publisher:: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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Title: Performance and limits of 2.0 eV bandgap CuInGaS 2 solar absorber integrated with CdS buffer on F:SnO 2 substrate for multijunction photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical water splitting devices

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Title: Performance and limits of 2.0 eV bandgap CuInGaS ₂ solar absorber integrated with CdS buffer on F:SnO ₂ substrate for multijunction photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical water splitting devices