• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2014

High-efficiency in $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ (CIGS) solar cells were usually achieved on soda-lime glass substrates due to Na incorporation that reduces deep-level defects. However, this supply of sodium from sodalime glass to CIGS through Mo back electrode could be limited at low deposition temperature. Na content could be more precisely controlled by supplying Na from known amount of an outside source. For the purpose, an $Na_2S$ layer was deposited on Mo electrode prior to CIGS film deposition and supplied to CIGS during CIGS film. With the $Na_2S$ underlayer a more uniform component distribution was possible at $350^{\circ}C$ and efficiency was improved compared to the cell without $Na_2S$ layer. With more precise control of bulk and surface component profile, CIGS film can be deposited at low temperature and could be useful for flexible CIGS solar cells.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2013

Two different window-structured $CuInGaSe_2$(CIGS) solar cells, i.e., CIGS/thin-CdS/ZnO:B(sample A) and CIGS/very thin-CdS/Zn(S/O)/ZnO:B(sample B), were prepared, and the diffusivity of Zn, Cd, S, and B atoms, respectively, in the CIGS, ZnO or Zn(S/O) layer was estimated by a theoretical fit to experimental secondary ion mass spectrometer data. Diffusivities of Zn, Cd, S, and B atoms in CIGS were $2.0{\times}10^{-13}(1.5{\times}10^{-13})$, $4.6{\times}10^{-13}(4.4{\times}10^{-13})$, $1.6{\times}10^{-13}(1.8{\times}10^{-13})$, and $1.2{\times}10^{-12}cm^2/s$ at 423K, respectively, where the values in parentheses were obtained from sample B and the others from sample A. The diffusivity of the B atom in a Zn(S/O) of sample B was $2.1{\times}10^{-14}cm^2/sec$. Moreover, the diffusivities of Cd and S atoms diffusing back into ZnO(sample A) or Zn(S/O)(sample A) layers were extremely low at 423K, and the estimated diffusion coefficients were $2.2{\times}10^{-15}cm^2/s$ for Cd and $3.0{\times}10^{-15}cm^2/s$ for S.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2020

We studied the change of photovoltaic properties of a flexible CuIn_xGa(_1-x)Se₂ (CIGS) solar cell fabricated on polyimide by mechanical bending with curvature radii of 75 mm (75R) and 20 mm (20R). The flexible CIGS cells were flattened on a PET film, then placed and forced against the surface of a curved block fabricated with pre-designed curvatures. Both up (compressive) and down (tensile) bending were applied to a specimen of CIGS on PET with curvatures of 75R and 20R for 10,000 times and 2,000 times, respectively. From J-V measurements, we found that the conversion efficiency (Eff.) was reduced by 3% and 4% for up-and down-bending, respectively, at curvature 75R; it was greatly reduced by 15% for curvature 20R in the up-bending. However, the open circuit voltage (V_oc) and short-circuit current density (J_sc) seemed to change little, within 3%, for the applied mechanical stresses. The degradation in Eff. resulted from the deterioration of the series (R_s) and shunt (R_sh) resistances of the solar cell.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.107-112
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• 2013

Cu(In,Ga)$Se_2$ (CIGS) thin films were annealed on molybdenium/sodalime glass substrates of $300{\times}300mm^2$ by rapid thermal processing (RTP) with 2-step rising-temperature times in $N_2$ ambient. Morphological property, structural characteristics and chemical composition of the precursor of CIGS thin films were influenced directly with a change of $1^{st}$-step rising-temperature time in RTP whereas there is no significant difference with the different $2^{nd}$-step rising-temperature time (final crystallization temperature). The shorter $1^{st}$-step rising-temperature time in RTP obtained the higher photovoltaic cell efficiency from 7.469% to 8.479% even though the ideal composition in CIGS thin films could not be accoplished in this study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.367-367
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• 2011

CIGS solar cell with copper, indium, gallium and selenium is a second generation solar cells for the lowering of the manufacturing cost. The relative ratio of the four elements is one of the most important measurement issues because the photovoltaic property of CIGS solar cell depends on the crystalline structure of the CIGS layer. However, there is no useful analysis method for the composition of the CIGS layer. Recently, AES depth profiling analysis of CIGS films has been studied with a reference material certified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. However, there are some problems in AES depth profiling analysis of CIGS films. In this study, the in-depth profiling analysis was investigated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) depth profiling analysis. We will present the compositional depth profiling of CIGS films by SIMS and its applications for the development of CIGS solar cells with high efficiency.

• Bulletin of the Korea Photovoltaic Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.24-33
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• 2015

• Bulletin of the Korea Photovoltaic Society
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.28-34
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• 2015

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.432-438
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• 2011

In this study, chemical bath deposited (CBD) indium sulfide buffer layers were investigated as a possible substitution for the cadmium sulfide buffer layer in CIGS thin film solar cells. The performance of the $In_2S_3$/CIGS solar cell dramatically improved when the films were annealed at $300^{\circ}C$ in inert gas after the buffer layer was grown on the CIGS film. The thickness of the indium sulfide buffer layer was 80 nm, but decreased to 60 nm after annealing. From the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy it was found that the chemical composition of the layer changed to indium oxide and indium sulfide from the as-deposited indium hydroxide and sulfate states. Furthermore, the overall atomic concentration of the oxygen in the buffer layer decreased because deoxidation occurred during annealing. In addition, an In-thin layer was inserted between the indium sulfide buffer and CIGS in order to modify the $In_2S_3$/CIGS interface. The $In_2S_3$/CIGS solar cell with the In interlayer showed improved photovoltaic properties in the $J_{sc}$ and FF values. Furthermore, the $In_2S_3$/CIGS solar cells showed higher quantum efficiency in the short wavelength region. However, the quantum efficiency in the long wavelength region was still poor due to the thick buffer layer.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.88-94
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• 2014

The structural, optical and electrical properties of sputter-deposited CIGS films were directly influenced by the sputtering process parameters such as substrate temperature, working pressure, RF power and distance between target and substrate. CIGS thin films deposited by using a quaternary target revealed to be Se deficient due to Se low vapor pressure. This Se deficiency affected the overall stoichiometry of the films, causing the films to be Cu-rich. Current tends to pass through the Cu-Se channels which act as the shunting path increasing the film conductivity. The crystal structure of CIGS thin films depends on the substrate orientation due to the influence of surface morphology, grain size and stress of Mo substrate. The excess of Cu was removed from the CIGS films by KCN treatment, achieving a suitable Cu concentration (referred as Cu-poor) for the fabrication of solar cell. Due to high Cu concentrations on the CIGS film surface induced by Cu-Se phases after CIGS film deposition, KCN treatment proved to be necessary for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells. Also during KCN treatment, dislocation density and lattice parameter decreased as excess Cu was removed, resulting in increase of bandgap and the decrease of conductivity of CIGS films. It was revealed that Cu-Se secondary phase could be removed by KCN wet etching of CIGS films, allowing the fabrication of high efficiency absorber layer.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.130-134
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• 2015

The high efficiency cell research processes through the KF post deposition treatment (PDT) of the $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2(CIGS)$ thin film has been very actively progress. In this study, it CIGS thin film deposition process when KF PDT 300 to the processing temperature, 350, $400^{\circ}C$ changed to soda-lime glass (SLG) efficiency of the CIGS thin film characteristics, and solar cell according to Na presence of diffusion from the substrate the effects were analyzed. As a result, the lower the temperature of KF PDT and serves to interrupt the flow of current K-CIGS layer is not removed from the reaction surface, FF and photocurrent is decreased significantly. Blocking of the Na diffusion from the glass substrate is significantly increased while the optical voltage, photocurrent and FF is a low temperature (300, $350^{\circ}C$) in the greatly reduced, and in $400^{\circ}C$ tend to reduce fine. It is the presence of Na in CIGS thin film by electron-induced degradation of the microstructure of CIGS thin film is expected to have a significant impact on increasing the hole recombination rate a reaction layer is formed of the K elements in the CIGS thin film surface.