Phase stability in Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin films

Soltanmohammad, Sina; Chen, Lei; McCandless, Brian E.; Shafarman, William N.

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2017.08.009

Title: Phase stability in Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se₂ thin films

Abstract

The addition of Ag to Cu-Ga-In precursors for reaction to form (AgCu)(InGa)Se₂ has shown benefits including improved adhesion, greater process tolerance and potential for improved device performance. In this study, metal precursors were sputtered with a Cu-Ga/In/Ag-Ga sequence with Ag/(Cu+Ag) = 0.25 and (Ag+Cu)/(Ga+In) = 0.90. These precursor layers are shown to be unstable, with a phase evolution during storage at room temperature revealed by x-ray diffraction (XRD). This behavior was studied in samples annealed in the temperature range of 60–150 °C or stored for up to 90 days. XRD analyses indicated the formation of (Ag_1-xCu_x)In₂ with Cu content of 28% and 36% for samples annealed at 100 °C and 150 °C, respectively. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and XRD analyses on selenized samples showed a uniform distribution of Ag and Cu through the films and a Ga accumulation near the back interface. Solar cells fabricated from the selenized films showed improved device performance in V_OC and FF as a result of the precursor anneal.

Authors:

Soltanmohammad, Sina ^[1]; Chen, Lei ^[1]; McCandless, Brian E. ^[1];

^[1]

Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States). Institute of Energy Conversion

Publication Date:: Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2017

Research Org.:: Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1780903

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1549832

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0007542; EE0005407

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 172; Journal ID: ISSN 0927-0248

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2; Selenization; precursor stability; (Ag,Cu)In2

Citation Formats


                    Soltanmohammad, Sina, Chen, Lei, McCandless, Brian E., and Shafarman, William N. Phase stability in Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin films.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2017.08.009.

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                    Soltanmohammad, Sina, Chen, Lei, McCandless, Brian E., & Shafarman, William N. Phase stability in Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin films.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2017.08.009

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                    Soltanmohammad, Sina, Chen, Lei, McCandless, Brian E., and Shafarman, William N. Fri .  
"Phase stability in Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin films".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2017.08.009.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1780903.

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@article{osti_1780903,

  title        = {Phase stability in Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin films},

  author       = {Soltanmohammad, Sina and Chen, Lei and McCandless, Brian E. and Shafarman, William N.},

  abstractNote = {The addition of Ag to Cu-Ga-In precursors for reaction to form (AgCu)(InGa)Se2 has shown benefits including improved adhesion, greater process tolerance and potential for improved device performance. In this study, metal precursors were sputtered with a Cu-Ga/In/Ag-Ga sequence with Ag/(Cu+Ag) = 0.25 and (Ag+Cu)/(Ga+In) = 0.90. These precursor layers are shown to be unstable, with a phase evolution during storage at room temperature revealed by x-ray diffraction (XRD). This behavior was studied in samples annealed in the temperature range of 60–150 °C or stored for up to 90 days. XRD analyses indicated the formation of (Ag1-xCux)In2 with Cu content of 28% and 36% for samples annealed at 100 °C and 150 °C, respectively. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and XRD analyses on selenized samples showed a uniform distribution of Ag and Cu through the films and a Ga accumulation near the back interface. Solar cells fabricated from the selenized films showed improved device performance in VOC and FF as a result of the precursor anneal.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.solmat.2017.08.009},

  journal      = {Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 172,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2017},

  month        = {Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2017}

}

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Title: Phase stability in Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin films

Abstract

Citation Formats

Characterization of (AgCu)(InGa)Se$_{\bf 2}$ Absorber Layer Fabricated by a Selenization Process from Metal Precursor journal, January 2013

Subsolidus phase relations of the Cu–Ga–N system journal, July 2007

Interface reactions and Kirkendall voids in metal organic vapor-phase epitaxy grown Cu(In,Ga)Se[sub 2] thin films on GaAs journal, January 2006

Coevaporated Cu–In films as precursors for solar cells journal, October 1999

Device characterization of (AgCu)(InGa)Se2 solar cells conference, June 2010

Secondary phase formation in (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin films grown by three-stage co-evaporation journal, July 2017

Incorporation of Sb, Bi, and Te Interlayers at the Mo/Cu-In-Ga Interface for the Reaction of Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S) 2 journal, January 2013

Characteristics of Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 Films Prepared by Atmospheric Pressure Selenization of Cu-In-Ga Precursors Using Ditert-Butylselenide as Se Source journal, January 2012

Technological aspects of flexible CIGS solar cells and modules journal, December 2004

Correction of intensities for preferred orientation in powder diffractometry: application of the March model journal, August 1986

Three-step H 2 Se/Ar/H 2 S reaction of Cu-In-Ga precursors for controlled composition and adhesion of Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S) 2 thin films journal, April 2012

The Comparison of (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se$_{\bf 2}$ and Cu(In,Ga)Se$_{\bf 2}$ Thin Films Deposited by Three-Stage Coevaporation journal, January 2014

Effect of sputtering sequence on the properties of Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors and reacted (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 films conference, June 2014

Reaction pathway analysis of Ag-alloyed Cu(In, Ga)Se2 absorber materials conference, June 2016

Direct evidence of void passivation in Cu(InGa)(SSe) 2 absorber layers journal, February 2015

Device and material characterization of Cu(InGa)Se2 solar cells with increasing band gap journal, May 1996

Structural and optical properties of (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se 2 polycrystalline thin film alloys journal, June 2014

Real-time studies of phase transformations in Cu–In–Se–S thin films journal, March 2006

Thin-film solar cells: device measurements and analysis journal, March 2004

Ag–Cu–In–Ga Metal Precursor Thin Films for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells journal, January 2017

Incongruent reaction of Cu–(InGa) intermetallic precursors in H2Se and H2S journal, October 2007

Studies of compound formation at CuIn, AgIn and AuIn interfaces with perturbed γ-γ angular correlations journal, October 1986

Experimental study of the ternary Ag–Cu–In phase diagram journal, May 2009

Title: Phase stability in Ag-Cu-In-Ga metal precursors for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se₂ thin films

Characterization of (AgCu)(InGa)Se$_{\bf 2}$ Absorber Layer Fabricated by a Selenization Process from Metal Precursor
journal, January 2013

Subsolidus phase relations of the Cu–Ga–N system
journal, July 2007

Interface reactions and Kirkendall voids in metal organic vapor-phase epitaxy grown Cu(In,Ga)Se[sub 2] thin films on GaAs
journal, January 2006

Coevaporated Cu–In films as precursors for solar cells
journal, October 1999

Device characterization of (AgCu)(InGa)Se2 solar cells
conference, June 2010

Secondary phase formation in (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin films grown by three-stage co-evaporation
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Incorporation of Sb, Bi, and Te Interlayers at the Mo/Cu-In-Ga Interface for the Reaction of Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S) ₂
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Characteristics of Cu(In,Ga)Se ₂ Films Prepared by Atmospheric Pressure Selenization of Cu-In-Ga Precursors Using Ditert-Butylselenide as Se Source
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Technological aspects of flexible CIGS solar cells and modules
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Correction of intensities for preferred orientation in powder diffractometry: application of the March model
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Three-step H ₂ Se/Ar/H ₂ S reaction of Cu-In-Ga precursors for controlled composition and adhesion of Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S) ₂ thin films
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The Comparison of (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se$_{\bf 2}$ and Cu(In,Ga)Se$_{\bf 2}$ Thin Films Deposited by Three-Stage Coevaporation
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