• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.250-250
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• 2010

We have prepared CIGS thin film absorber layers with simple solution spray deposition technique and thin film were synthesized with different atomic ratio. CIGS thin films were synthesized using non-vacuum solution deposition method on pre-heated sodalime glass substrates and Mo-coated soadlime glass substrate. In precursor solution were Cu : In : Ga: S ratio 4 : 3 : 2 : 8 and the crystal type of sprayed thin film were CIGS chalcopyrite structures. This structure was identified as typical chalcopyrite tetragonal structure with XRD analysis. This result showed that CIGS solution deposition technique has potential for the one step synthesis and low cost fabrication process for CIS or CIGS thin film absorber layer.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.169-171
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• 2009

We have fabricated CIGS thin film absorber layers by the evaporation of CIGS powders which were synthesized by solutions with different atomic ratio compositions. We found that the polycrystalline structural properties and optical properties of the deposited CIGS thin films were strongly dependent on the CIGS powder synthesis solution compositions. For three different solution compositions, Cu:In:Ga:Se= 4:3:1:8, 8:3:1:8, 12:3:1,8, the deposited thin film crystalline structures were varied form InSe crystalline structure to CIGS chalcopyrite structures. Our results showed that CIGS powder evaporation is potential for the one step fabrication process for CIGS thin film absorber layer deposition.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.106.1-106.1
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• 2011

The Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells have been achieved until almost 20% efficiency by NREL. These solar cells include chemically deposited CdS as buffer layer between CIGS absorber layer and ZnO window layer. Although CIGS solar cells with CdS buffer layer show excellent performance, the short wavelength response of CIGS solar cell is limited by narrow CdS band gap of about 2.42 eV. Taking into consideration the environmental aspect, the toxic Cd element should be replaced by a different material. Among Cd-free candidate materials, the CIGS thin film solar cells with ZnS buffer layer seem to be promising with 17.2%(module by showa shell K.K.), 18.6%(small area by NREL). However, ZnS/CIGS solar cells still show lower performance than CdS/CIGS solar cells. There are several reported reasons to reduce the efficiency of ZnS/CIGS solar cells. Nakada reported ZnS thin film had many defects such as stacking faults, pin-holes, so that crytallinity of ZnS thin film is poor, compared to CdS thin film. Additionally, it was known that the hetero-interface between ZnS and CIGS layer made unfavorable band alignment. The unfavorable band alignment hinders electron transport at the heteo-interface. In this study, we focused on growing defect-free ZnS thin film and for favorable band alignment of ZnS/CIGS, bandgap of ZnS and CIGS, valece band structure of ZnS/CIGS were modified. Finally, we verified the photovoltaic properties of ZnS/CIGS solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.442-443
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• 2009

We prepared and characterized particle based CIGS thin film using a thermal evaporator. CIGS powder were obtained at $240^{\circ}C$ for 6 hours from the reaction of $CuCl_2$, $InCl_3$, $GaCl_3$, Se powder in solvent. The CIGS thin film deposited on a sodalime glass. The CIGS thin film were identified to have a typical chalcopyrite tetragonal structure by using UV/Vis-spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD), Auger Electron Spectroscopy(AES), Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM).

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.35.1-35.1
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• 2010

The Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) thin film solar cells have been achieved until almost 20% efficiency by NREL. These solar cells include chemically deposited CdS as buffer layer between CIGS absorber layer and ZnO window layer. Although CIGS solar cells with CdS buffer layer show excellent performance, many groups made hard efforts to overcome its disadvantages in terms of high absorption of short wavelength, Cd hazardous element. Among Cd-free candidate materials, the CIGS thin film solar cells with Zn compound buffer layer seem to be promising with 15.2%(module by showa shell K.K.), 18.6%(small area by NREL). However, few groups were successful to report high-efficiency CIGS solar cells with Zn compound buffer layer, compared to be known how to fabricate these solar cells. Each group's chemical bah deposition (CBD) condition is seriously different. It may mean that it is not fully understood to grow high quality Zn compound thin film on the CIGS using CBD. In this study, we focused to clarify growth mechanism of chemically deposited Zn compound thin film on the CIGS, especially. Additionally, we tried to characterize junction properties with unfavorable issues, that is, slow growth rate, imperfect film coverage and minimize these issues. Early works reported that film deposition rate increased with reagent concentration and film covered whole rough CIGS surface. But they did not mention well how film growth of zinc compound evolves homogeneously or heterogeneously and what kinds of defects exist within film that can cause low solar performance. We observed sufficient correlation between growth quality and concentration of NH3 as complex agent. When NH3 concentration increased, thickness of zinc compound increased with dominant heterogeneous growth for high quality film. But the large amounts of NH3 in the solution made many particles of zinc hydroxide due to hydroxide ions. The zinc hydroxides bonded weakly to the CIGS surface have been removed at rinsing after CBD.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.21-24
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• 2016

Chalcopyrite based (CIGS) thin films have considered to be a promising candidates for industrial applications. The growth of quality CIGS thin films without secondary phases is very important for further efficiency improvements. But, the identification of complex secondary phases present in the entire film is crucial issue due to the lack of powerful characterization tools. Even though X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and normal Raman spectroscopy provide the information about the secondary phases, they provide insufficient information because of their resolution problem and complexity in analyzation. Among the above tools, a normal Raman spectroscopy is better for analysis of secondary phases. However, Raman signal provide the information in 300 nm depth of film even the thickness of film is > $1{\mu}m$. For this reason, the information from Raman spectroscopy can't represent the properties of whole film. In this regard, the authors introduce a new way for identification of secondary phases in CIGS film using depth Raman analysis. The CIGS thin films were prepared using DC-sputtering followed by selenization process in 10 min time under $1{\times}10^{-3}torr$ pressure. As-prepared films were polished using a dimple grinder which expanded the $2{\mu}m$ thick films into about 1mm that is more than enough to resolve the depth distribution. Raman analysis indicated that the CIGS film showed different secondary phases such as, $CuIn_3Se_5$, $CuInSe_2$, InSe and CuSe, presented in different depths of the film whereas XPS gave complex information about the phases. Therefore, the present work emphasized that the Raman depth profile tool is more efficient for identification of secondary phases in CIGS thin film.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.99.1-99.1
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• 2010

Many efforts on the surface sulfurization of $Cu(InGa)Se_2$ (CIGS)thin films have been reported as techniques to improve CIGS solar cell performance. We have investigated the sulfurization technique using the sulfur vapor. The co-evaporated $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ tin film was used for sulfurization. A thin $Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)_2$ layer was grown on the surface of the CIGS thin film after high-temperature annealing in sulfur vapor. The structural and compositional properties of the thin films were studied by XRD, EDS and AES analysis. The obtained results revealed that the surface modification technique is promising method to S incorporated into CIGS absorber.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.158-158
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• 2011

$Cu(In_xGa_{1-x})Se_2$ (CIGS) thin film solar cell is one of the most promising solar cells in photovoltaic devices. CIGS has a direct band gap which varied from 1.0 to 1.26 eV, depending on the Ga to In ratio. Also, CIGS has been studying for an absorber in thin film solar cells due to their highest absorption coefficient which is $1{\times}10^5cm^{-1}$ and good stability for deposition process at high temperature of $450{\sim}590^{\circ}C$. Currently, the highest efficiency of CIGS thin film solar cell is approximately 20.3%, which is closely approaching to the efficiency of poly-silicon solar cell. The deposition technique is one of the most important points in preparing CIGS thin film solar cells. Among the various deposition techniques, the sputtering is known to be very effective and feasible process for mass production. In this study, CIGS thin films have been prepared by rf magnetron sputtering method using a single target. The optical and structural properties of CIGS films are generally dependent on deposition parameters. Therefore, we will explore the influence of deposition power on the properties of CIGS films and the films will be deposited by rf magnetron sputtering using CIGS single target on Mo coated soda lime glass at $500^{\circ}C$. The thickness of CIGS films will be measured by Tencor-P1 profiler. The optical properties will be measured by UV-visible spectroscopy. The crystal structure will be analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Finally the optimal deposition conditions for CIGS thin films will be developed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.267-267
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• 2009

Solar cells with CIGS absorber layers have proven their suitability for high efficiency and stable low cost solar cells. We prepared and characterized particle based CIGS thin film using a non-vacuum processing. CIGS powder were obtained at $240^{\circ}C$ for 6 hours from the reaction of $CuCl_2$, $InCl_3$, $GaCl_3$, Se powder in solvent. The nanoparticle precursors were mixed with binder material. The CIGS thin film deposited on a sodalime glass. The CIGS thin film were identified to have a typical chalcopyrite tetragonal structure by using UV/Visible-spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD), Auger Electron Spectroscopy(AES), Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM).

• 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.