Buffer-free Cu(In,Ga)Se2-solar cells by near-surface ion implantation

High-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells typically include CdS buffer layers deposited in a chemical bath. In this work, Cu(In,Ga)Se2 devices are presented in which the CdS buffer layer was omitted completely. Instead, low-energy ion implantation of group-II-elements (Cd, Zn, and Mg) is ap...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Solar energy materials and solar cells 2013-09, Vol.116, p.43-48
Main Authors: Haarstrich, J., Teichmann, M., Metzner, H., Gnauck, M., Ronning, C., Wesch, W., Rissom, T., Kaufmann, C.A., Schock, H.W., Scheumann, V., Mannstadt, W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Annealing
Applied sciences
Buffer layers
Buffer-free
Cadmium
Cadmium sulfides
Cu(In,Ga)Se2
Defect annealing
Devices
Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation
Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering
Electrical power engineering
Energy
Exact sciences and technology
Ion implantation
Natural energy
Photoelectric conversion
Photovoltaic cells
Photovoltaic conversion
Solar cells
Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells
Solar energy
Surface inversion
Thin-film solar cells
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Summary:High-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells typically include CdS buffer layers deposited in a chemical bath. In this work, Cu(In,Ga)Se2 devices are presented in which the CdS buffer layer was omitted completely. Instead, low-energy ion implantation of group-II-elements (Cd, Zn, and Mg) is applied in order to establish an n-type surface layer in p-type Cu(In,Ga)Se2 absorber layers. Therefore, thermal annealing procedures were developed which lead to a full recovery of the implantation induced defects and simultaneously minimize the diffusion of the dopants. Such a treatment is shown to provide high-quality p–n junction functionality and buffer-free Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells with open-circuit voltages close to 600mV and efficiencies exceeding 10 %. •CIGSe absorber layers were deposited on glass by a multi-stage standard process.•Inversion of the surface layer was introduced by ion implantation of Zn, Mg and Cd.•Recovery of the implantation damage and diffusion of the dopants were investigated.•Completed solar cells show high-quality p–n junction functionality.•Efficiencies of CdS buffer-free CIGSe solar cells exceeded 10%.
ISSN:0927-0248
1879-3398
DOI:10.1016/j.solmat.2013.04.009