• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.376-376
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• 2011

I-III-VI2 chalcopyrite compounds, particularly copper, indium, gallium selenide(Cu(InxGa1-x)Se2, CIGS), are effective light-absorbing materials in thin-film solar application. They are direct band-gap semiconductors with correspondingly high optical absorption coefficients. Also they are stable under long-term excitation. CIS (CIGS) solar cell reached conversion efficiencies as high as 19.5%. Several methods to prepare CIS (CIGS) absorber films have been reported, such as co-evaporation, sputtering, selenization, and electrodeposition. Until now, co-evaporation is the most successful technique for the preparation of CIS (CIGS) in terms of solar efficiency, but it seems difficult to scale up. CIS solar cells have been hindered by high costs associated with a fabrication process. Therefore, inorganic colloidal ink suitable for a scalable coating process could be a key step in the development of low-cost solar cells. Here, we will present the preparation of CIS photo absorption layer by a solution process using novel metal precursors. Chalcopyrite copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2) nanocrystals ranging from 5 to 20nm in diameter were synthesized by arrested precipitation in solution. For the fabrication of CIS photo absorption layer, the CuInSe2 colloidal ink was prepared by dispersing in organic solvent and used to drop-casting on molybdenum substrate. We have characterized the nanoparticless and CIS layer by XRD, SEM, TEM, and ICP.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.103-110
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• 2019

Cu(In,Ga)₃Se₅ (β-CIGS) has a band gap of 1.35 eV, which is an optimum value for high solar-energy conversion efficiency. The effects of Cu and Ga content on the cell performance were investigated previously. However, the effect of Se content on the cell performance is not well understood yet. In this work, β-CIGS films were fabricated by three-stage co-evaporation of elemental sources with various Se fluxes at the third stage instead of at all stages. The average composition of five samples was Cu_1.05(In_0.59,Ga_0.41)3Se_y, where the stoichiometric y value is 5.03 and the stoichiometric Se/metal (Se/M) ratio is 1.24. We varied the Se/metal ratio in a range from 1.18 to 1.28. We found that the best efficiency was achieved when the Se/M ratio was 1.24, which is exactly the stoichiometric value where the CIGS grains on the CIGS surface were tightly connected and faceted. With the optimum Se/M ratio, we were able to enhance the cell efficiency of a β-CIGS solar cell from 9.6% to 12.0% by employing a Na₂S post deposition treatment. Our results indicate that Na₂S post deposition treatment is very effective to enhance the cell efficiency to a level on par with that in α-CIGS cell.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.265-271
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• 2016

We analyzed the interface characteristics of Zn-based thin-film buffer layers formed by a sulfur thermal cracker on a $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ (CIGS) light-absorber layer. The analyzed Zn-based thin-film buffer layers are processed by a proposed method comprising two processes - Zn-sputtering and cracker-sulfurization. The processed buffer layers are then suitable to be used in the fabrication of highly efficient CIGS solar cells. Among the various Zn-based film thicknesses, an 8 nm-thick Zn-based film shows the highest power conversion efficiency for a solar cell. The band alignment of the buffer/CIGS was investigated by measuring the band-gap energies and valence band levels across the depth direction. The conduction band difference between the near surface and interface in the buffer layer enables an efficient electron transport across the junction. We found the origin of the energy band structure by observing the chemical states. The fabricated buffer/CIGS layers have a structurally and chemically distinct interface with little elemental inter-diffusion.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.434-435
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• 2008

An in-situ monitoring technique for deposition process of CdS buffer layer was developed in this work. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used to measure the frequency change during the CdS deposition process and the relation ship between frequency change and film thickness and optical transmittance was investigated. The film thickness shows a linear relationship with frequency change, demonstrating that frequency change measured by QCM can be used a in-situ monitoring tool for CdS deposition process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.426-426
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• 2012

The CIGS absorber has outstanding advantages in the absorption coefficient and conversation efficiency. The CIGS thin film solar cells have been researched for commercialization and increasing the conversion efficiency. CIG precursors were deposited on the Mo coated glass substrate by magnetron sputtering with multilayer structure, which is CuIn/CuGa/CuIn/CuGa. Then, the metallic precursors were selenized under high Se pressure by RTP method which included. Se vapor was supplied using Se cracker cell instead of toxic hydrogen selenide gas. Se beam flux was controlled by variable reservoir zone (R-zone) temperature during selenization process. Cracked Se source reacted with CIG precursors in a small quantity of Se because of small size molecules with high activation energy. The CIGS thin films were studied by FESEM, EDX, and XRD. The CIGS solar cell was also developed by layering of CdS and ZnO layers. And the conversion efficiency of the CIGS solar cell was characterization. It was reached at 6.99% without AR layer.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.03a
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• pp.149-152
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• 2012

$Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ (CIGS) is one of the most promising photovoltaic materials because of large conversion efficiency which has been achieved with an optimum Ga/(In+Ga) composition in $CuIn_{1-x}Ga_xSe_2$ (X~0.3). The Ga/(In+Ga) content is important to determine band gap, solar cell performances and carrier behaviors at grain boundary (GB). Effects of Ga/(In+Ga) content on physical properties of the CIGS layers have been extensively studied. In previous research, it is reported that GB is not recombination center of CIGS thin-film solar cells. However, GB recombination and electron-hole pair behavior studies are still lacking, especially influence of with different X on CIGS thin-films. We obtained the GB surface potential, local current and I-V characteristic of different X (00.7 while X~0.3 showed higher potential than 100 mV on GBs. Higher potential on GBs appears positive band bending. It can decrease recombination loss because of carrier separation. Therefore, we suggest recombination and electron-hole behaviors at GBs depending on composition of X.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

CuInGaSe(CIGS) mixed-source was prepared by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). Each metal was mixed in regular ratio and soaked at $1090^{\circ}C$ for 90 minutes in nitrogen atmosphere. After making the mixed-source to powder state, the pellet was made by the powder. The diameter of pellet is 10 mm. The CIGS thin film was deposited on soda lime glass evaporated Mo layer bye-beam evaporator. To confirm the crystallization, we measured X-ray diffraction (XRD). High intensity X-ray peaks diffracted from (112), (204)/(220), (116)/(312) and (400) of CIGS thin film and from (110) of Mo were confirmed by XRD measurement.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.138-138
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• 2009

Recently, thin-film solar cells of Cu(In,Ga)$Se_2$(CIGS) have reached a high level of performance, which has resulted in a 19.9%-efficient device. These conventional devices were typically fabricated using chemical bath deposited CdS buffer layer between the CIGS absorber layer and ZnO window layer. However, 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. It is why during last decades many efforts have been provided to achieve high efficiency Cd-free CIGS solar cells. In order to alternate CdS buffer layer, ZnS buffer layer is grown by using chemical bath deposition(CBD) technique. The thickness and chemical composition of ZnS buffer layer can be conveniently by varying the CBD processing parameters. The processing parameters were optimized to match band gap of ZnS films to the solar spectrum and exclude the creation of morphology defects. Optimized ZnS buffer layer showed higher optical transmittance than conventional thick-CdS buffer layer at the short wavelength below ~520 nm. Then, chemically deposited ZnS buffer layer was applied to CIGS solar cell as a alternative for the standard CdS/CIGS device configuration. This CIGS solar cells were characterized by current-voltage and quantum efficiency measurement.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.152-153
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• 2006

The new approach to buffer layer design for CIGS solar cells that permitted to reduce the buffer absorption losses in the short wavelength range and to overcome the disadvantages inherent to Cd-free CIGS solar cells was proposed. A chemical bath deposition method has been used to produce a high duality buffer layer that comprises thin film of CdS and Zn-based film. The double layer was grown on either ITO or CIGS substrates and its morphological, structural and optical properties were characterized. The Zn-based film was described as the ternary compound $ZnS_x(OH)_y$. The composition of the $ZnS_x(OH)_y$ layer was not uniform throughout its thickness. $ZnS_x(OH)_y$/CdS/substrate region was a highly intermixed region with gradually changing composition. The short wavelength cut-off of double layer was shifted to shorter wavelength (400nm) compared to that (520 nm) for the standard CdS by optimization of the double buffer design. The results show the way to improve the light energy collection efficiency of the nearly cadmium-free CIGS-based solar cells.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.41.1-41.1
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• 2010

전기수력학적 분무를 이용한 액적 미립화 기술은 나노사이즈의 액적 형성, 쿨롱 반발력에 의한 균일한 액적 형성, 그리고 향상된 액적 타겟팅을 가능하게 한다. 따라서 이를 이용하여 매우 균일한 박막 코팅이 가능하다. 이러한 점에 힘입어 현재 진공 공정으로 제작되고 있는 CIGS태양전지의 광흡수층을 비진공 공정중 하나인 전기수력학적 미립화를 이용하여 실험하였다. Ethanol-based 의 CIGS나노 입자를 포함하는 콜로이드 상태의 전구체를 이용하여 적절히 가열된 몰리브덴 배면 전극위에 적용하였다. 미립화한 액적은 접지된 몰리브덴 층에 부착되는 즉시 증발하여 CIGS입자를 남긴다. 여기서 가장 중요하게 다루어야 할 조건은 기판의 온도, 인가 전압, 전구체의 유량이다. 분사 모드는 Cone-jet을 적용하였으며 5~15kV의 인가 전압에서 1ml/hr내외의 유량을 공급하여 3분 이내에 적절한 광흡수층 두께인 1마이크론 내외에 도달할 수 있다. 이와같은 조건으로 형성된 박막층에 관한 SEM image를 통해 다른 비진공 코팅 방식과 비교하였다.