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Related Concept Videos

Semiconductors01:22

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There is variation in the electrical conductivity of materials - metals, semiconductors, and insulators that are showcased with the help of the energy band diagrams.
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A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...
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Efficient Narrow Band Gap Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells with Flat Surface.

Yukiko Kamikawa1, Jiro Nishinaga1, Hajime Shibata1

  • 1National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Institute for Energy Conservation, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 10, 2020
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bromine etching improves surface flatness and shunt resistance in narrow band gap copper indium gallium selenide solar cells. Proper gallium grading is crucial for reducing recombination and enhancing performance, especially in thinner absorbers.

Keywords:
CIGSchalcopyritechemical etchingphotovoltaicsurface morphologytandem solar cellthin-film solar cell

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Photovoltaics
  • Semiconductor Physics

Background:

  • Narrow band gap CuInSe2 (CIS) and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIS:Ga) absorbers are crucial for tandem solar cell applications.
  • Surface properties and electrical characteristics significantly impact solar cell efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of bromine (Br) etching on the properties of narrow band gap CIS and CIS:Ga solar cells.
  • To understand how Br etching influences surface morphology, optical, and electrical properties.
  • To determine the role of gallium grading in conjunction with Br etching for improved solar cell performance.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of narrow band gap absorbers (1.0-1.02 eV) using a modified three-stage process.
  • Application of bromine-based etching (Br etching) to the fabricated absorbers.
  • Characterization of surface flatness (root-mean-square deviation, Rq), optical properties, electrical properties (leakage current, shunt resistance, Voc deficit), minority carrier lifetime, and diode parameters.

Main Results:

  • Br etching significantly reduced surface roughness (Rq) for CIS:Ga absorbers, though voids limited reduction in some CIS absorbers.
  • Br etching decreased leakage current and increased shunt resistance (Rsh) to over 10 kΩ·cm², but sometimes increased Voc deficit.
  • Back-surface recombination increased with decreasing absorber thickness in CIS and low-Ga CIS:Ga cells, but was reduced by higher Ga grading.

Conclusions:

  • Br etching is effective in improving surface flatness and shunt resistance of narrow band gap CIGS solar cells.
  • Optimized gallium grading is essential for mitigating back-surface recombination, particularly in thinner absorber layers.
  • Combining Br etching with appropriate Ga grading leads to narrow band gap CIGS solar cells with enhanced surface flatness and high open-circuit voltage (Voc).