Oxidation studies of CuInSe/sub 2/ and stability studies on CdS/CulnSe/sub 2/ solar cells

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6882659

Jamjoum, O M

The aims of this study were: 1) To investigate the initial, thermal and anodic oxidation of p-type single-crystal CuInSe/sub 2/ using complementary Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low energy loss spectroscopy (LELS) and ellipsometry. The air-grown and Br-Methanol etched CuInSe/sub 2/ oxide is thin (20-40 A). Thermal oxides of CuInSe/sub 2/ grow rapidly above 180/sup 0/C. The oxides are predominately In/sub 2/O/sub 3/ with less than 10% SeO/sub 2/. No Cu or Cu-oxides were detected either by initial oxidation (LELS data) or thermal oxidation (XPS). The interface between the oxides was examined using AES depth-compositional profiling and XPS, and Cu/sub x/Se was found to form at the interface during the oxide growth. Oxide layer thicknesses and Se-3d electron escape depths were estimated from a consideration of XPS peak intensities. 2) To investigate and correlate the compositional and chemical properties of the CdS/CuInSe/sub 2/ solar cells with photovoltaic performance under various heat-treatments and prolonged illumination. These investigations show that: 1) The initial growth of CdS/CuInSe/sub 2/ produces a mixed Cu/sub 2/S/Cu/sub 2/Se transition layer at the CdS/CuInSe/sub 2/ interface. 2) The CdS/CuInSe/sub 2/ is electrically and compositionally stable up to 170/sup 0/C. However, at temperatures greater or equal to 240/sup 0/C, diffusion of Cd into the Cu-ternary interface takes place. Such diffusion might be one of the reasons for cell degradation. 3) Cell performance was improved as a result of oxygen anneal.

• OSTI ID: 6882659
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
STABILITY
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
OXIDATION
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
COPPER COMPOUNDS
ELLIPSOMETRY
HEAT TREATMENTS
INDIUM SELENIDES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
PERFORMANCE
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
EQUIPMENT
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MEASURING METHODS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion