Nanoscale insight into the p-n junction of alkali-incorporated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells
Abstract
The effects of alkali diffusion and post-deposition treatment in three-stage processed Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells are examined by using atom probe tomography and electrical property measurements. Cells, for which the substrate was treated at 650 °C to induce alkali diffusion from the substrate prior to absorber deposition, exhibited high open-circuit voltage (758 mV) and efficiency (18.2%) and also exhibited a 50 to 100-nm-thick ordered vacancy compound layer at the metallurgical junction. Surprisingly, these high-temperature samples exhibited higher concentrations of K at the junction (1.8 at.%) than post-deposition treatment samples (0.4 at.%). A model that uses Ga/(Ga + In) and Cu/(Ga + In) profiles to predict bandgaps (+/-17.9 meV) of 22 Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells reported in literature was discussed and ultimately used to predict band properties at the nanoscale by using atom probe tomography data. The high-temperature samples exhibited a greater drop in the valence band maximum (200 meV) due to a lower Cu/(Ga + In) ratio than the post-deposition treatment samples. There was an anticorrelation of K concentrations and Cu/(Ga + In) ratios for all samples, regardless of processing conditions. In conclusion, changes in elemental profiles at the active junctions correlate well with the electrical behaviour of these devices.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1375623
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1374459
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5K00-68439
Journal ID: ISSN 1062-7995
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Progress in Photovoltaics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 1062-7995
- Publisher:
- Wiley
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; bandgap; alkali; chalcogenides; atom probe tomography
Citation Formats
Stokes, Adam, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, Norman, Andrew, Diercks, David, and Gorman, Brian. Nanoscale insight into the p-n junction of alkali-incorporated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1002/pip.2883.
Stokes, Adam, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, Norman, Andrew, Diercks, David, & Gorman, Brian. Nanoscale insight into the p-n junction of alkali-incorporated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.2883
Stokes, Adam, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, Norman, Andrew, Diercks, David, and Gorman, Brian. Wed .
"Nanoscale insight into the p-n junction of alkali-incorporated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.2883. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1375623.
@article{osti_1375623,
title = {Nanoscale insight into the p-n junction of alkali-incorporated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells},
author = {Stokes, Adam and Al-Jassim, Mowafak and Norman, Andrew and Diercks, David and Gorman, Brian},
abstractNote = {The effects of alkali diffusion and post-deposition treatment in three-stage processed Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells are examined by using atom probe tomography and electrical property measurements. Cells, for which the substrate was treated at 650 °C to induce alkali diffusion from the substrate prior to absorber deposition, exhibited high open-circuit voltage (758 mV) and efficiency (18.2%) and also exhibited a 50 to 100-nm-thick ordered vacancy compound layer at the metallurgical junction. Surprisingly, these high-temperature samples exhibited higher concentrations of K at the junction (1.8 at.%) than post-deposition treatment samples (0.4 at.%). A model that uses Ga/(Ga + In) and Cu/(Ga + In) profiles to predict bandgaps (+/-17.9 meV) of 22 Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells reported in literature was discussed and ultimately used to predict band properties at the nanoscale by using atom probe tomography data. The high-temperature samples exhibited a greater drop in the valence band maximum (200 meV) due to a lower Cu/(Ga + In) ratio than the post-deposition treatment samples. There was an anticorrelation of K concentrations and Cu/(Ga + In) ratios for all samples, regardless of processing conditions. In conclusion, changes in elemental profiles at the active junctions correlate well with the electrical behaviour of these devices.},
doi = {10.1002/pip.2883},
journal = {Progress in Photovoltaics},
number = 9,
volume = 25,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Wed Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Effect of KF absorber treatment on the functionality of different transparent conductive oxide layers in CIGSe solar cells
journal, August 2017
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- Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 26, Issue 1
Deep surface Cu depletion induced by K in high-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cell absorbers
journal, March 2018
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Direct Nanoscale Characterization of Deep Levels in AgCuInGaSe 2 Using Electron Energy‐Loss Spectroscopy in the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope
journal, August 2019
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Revealing the beneficial role of K in grain interiors, grain boundaries, and at the buffer interface for highly efficient CuInSe 2 solar cells
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Bandgap profiling in CIGS solar cells via valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy
journal, March 2018
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