• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2013

$Cu(In,Ga)_3Se_5$ is a candidate material for the top cell of $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ tandem cells. This phase is often found at the surface of the $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ film during $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ cell fabrication, and plays a positive role in $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ cell performance. However, the exact properties of the $Cu(In,Ga)_3Se_5$ film have not been extensively studied yet. In this work, $Cu(In,Ga)_3Se_5$ films were fabricated on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates by a three-stage co-evaporation process. The Cu content in the film was controlled by varying the deposition time of each stage. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy analyses showed that, even though the stoichiometric Cu/(In+Ga) ratio is 0.25, $Cu(In,Ga)_3Se_5$ is easily formed in a wide range of Cu content as long as the Cu/(In+Ga) ratio is held below 0.5. The optical band gap of $Cu_{0.3}(In_{0.65}Ga_{0.35})_3Se_5$ composition was found to be 1.35eV. As the Cu/(In+Ga) ratio was decreased further below 0.5, the grain size became smaller and the band gap increased. Unlike the $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ solar cell, an external supply of Na with $Na_2S$ deposition further increased the cell efficiency of the $Cu(In,Ga)_3Se_5$ solar cell, indicating that more Na is necessary, in addition to the Na supply from the soda lime glass, to suppress deep level defects in the $Cu(In,Ga)_3Se_5$ film. The cell efficiency of $CdS/Cu(In,Ga)_3Se_5$ was improved from 8.8 to 11.2% by incorporating Na with $Na_2S$ deposition on the CIGS film. The fill factor was significantly improved by the Na incorporation, due to a decrease of deep-level defects.

• 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.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.191-195
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• 2004

Gallium or sulphur additions in $CuInSe_2$ were prepared using RF magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser deposition respectively. All of the observed thin films shows a chalcopyrite structure with the S and Ga addition increases the favourable (112) peak. The optical absorption coefficients were slightly decreased. The energy band gap of films could be shifted from 1.04 to 1.68 eV by adjusting the mole ratio of S/(S+Se) and Ga/(In+Ga). It is possible to obtain the optimum energy band gap by adding S or Ga solute at a certain ratio in favour of Se and In respectively. It is also necessary to control the ratio of Ga and S additions and to retain a certain portion of In and Se to provide better properties of thin films.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.361-361
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• 2011

Cu(InGa)(SeS2) (CIGS) thin film solar cells have recently reached an efficiency of 20%. Recent studies suggest a double graded band gap structure of the CIGS absorber layer to be a key issue in the production of high efficiency thin film solar cell using by sputtering process method. In this study, Cu(InGa)(SeS2) absorbers were manufactured by selenization and surfulization, we have deposited CIG precusor by sputtering and Se layer by evaporation before selenization. The objective of this study is to find out surfulization effects to improve Voc and to compare with non-surfulization Cu(InGa)Se2 absorbers. Even if we didn't analysis Ga depth profile of Cu(InGa)(SeS2) absorbers, we confirmed increasing of Eg and Voc through surlization process. In non-surfulization Cu(InGa)Se2 absorbers, Eg and Voc are 0.96eV and 0.48V. Whereas Eg and Voc of Cu(InGa)(SeS2) absorbers are 1.16eV and 0.57V. And the efficiency of 9.58% was achieved on 0.57cm2 sized SLG substrate. In this study, we will be discussed to improve Eg and Voc through surfulization and the other method without H2S. gas.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2005

The stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for the $CuInSe_2$ single crystal thin film was prepared from horizontal furnace. Using extrapolation method of X-ray diffraction patterns for the polycrystal $CuInSe_2$, it was found tetragonal structure whose lattice constant $a_0$ and $c_0$ were $5.783\;{\AA}$ and $11.621\;{\AA}$, respectively. To obtain the $CuInSe_2$ single crystal thin film, $CuInSe_2$ mixed crystal was deposited on throughly etched GaAs(100) by the HWE(Hot Wall Epitaxy) system. The source and substrate temperature were $620^{\circ}C$ and $410^{\circ}C$ respectively. The crystalline structure of $CuInSe_2$ single crystal thin film was investigated by the double crystal X-ray diffraction(DCXD). Hall effect on this sample was measured by the method of Van der Pauw and studied on carrier density and mobility depending on temperature. From Hall data, the mobility was likely to be decreased by impurity scattering in the temperature range 30 K to 100 K and by lattice scattering in the temperature range 100 K to 293 K. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CuInSe_2$ obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g(T)=1.1851\;eV-(8.99{\times}10^{-4}\;eV/K)T^2/(T+153\;K)$. The open-circuit voltage, short current density, fill factor, and conversion efficiency of $n-CdS/p-CuGaSe_2$ heterojunction solar cells under $80\;mW/cm^2$ illumination were found to be 0.51V, $29.3\;mA/cm^2$, 0.76 and 14.3 %, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.314.2-314.2
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• 2013

CIGS 박막의 물성은 조성에 크게 영향을 받으며, 특히 박막 내 Cu/(In+Ga) 비는 매우 중요한 변수로서 태양전지 특성에 영향을 주게 된다. Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 박막의 전하농도 및 반도체로의 성격을 가장 명확하게 결정하는 조성비는 Cu/(In+Ga) 비이다. 태양전지와 같은 소자로 작용하기 위해서는 Cu/(In+Ga) 비가 1보다 작아야 한다. 고효율의 태양전지는 Cu/(In+Ga)조성이 0.85~0.95로 slightly Cu-poor가 되어야 만들어진다. 본 연구에서는 Cu조성에 따른 CIGS 박막의 구조적, 전기적 특성과 CIGS 태양전지 효율 특성에 관하여 연구하였다. 미세구조 분석결과 Cu 조성이 증가함에 따라 큰 결정립을 가지며 결정립의 성장이 고르게 되어 접합 형성을 좋게 하는 경향을 보였다. X선 회절 분석결과, Cu 함유량 비율이 증가하면서 <112>의 우선배향성에서 <220/204>으로 변화하였다. 그러나, Cu/(In+Ga) 비율이 1이상이 첨가됨에 따라 우선배향은 다시 <112>로 변화함을 알 수 있었다. EDX 분석결과 Ga/(In+Ga) 0.31, Cu/(In+Ga) 0.86의 비율일 때, Carrier density $1.49{\times}1016$ cm-3을 나타내었다. CIGS의 태양전지의 효율 측정결과 Voc=596mV, Jsc=37.84mA/cm2, FF=72.96%로 ${\eta}$=16.47%를 달성하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.59-70
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• 2003

A stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films was prepared from horizontal electric furnace. Using extrapolation method of X-ray diffraction patterns for the polycrystal $CuGaSe_2$, it was found tetragonal structure whose lattice constant $a_0$ and $c_0$ were $5.615{\AA}$ and $11.025{\AA}$, respectively. To obtain the single crystal thin films, $CuGaSe_2$ mixed crystal was deposited on thoroughly etched semi-insulating GaAs(100) substrate by the hot wall epitaxy (HWE) system. The source and substrate temperatures were $610^{\circ}C$ and $450^{\circ}C$, respectively. The crystalline structure of the single crystal thin films was investigated by the photoluminescence and double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXD). The carrier density and mobility of $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films measured with Hall effect by van der Pauw method are $5.01\times10^{17}cm^{-3}$ and $245cm^2/V{\cdot}s$ at 293K. respectively. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CuGaSe_2$ obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g$(T)=1.7998 eV-($8.7489\times10^{-4}$ eV/K)$T^2$/(T+335K). After the as-grown $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films was annealed in Cu-, Se-, and Ga-atmospheres, the origin of point defects of $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films has been investigated by the photoluminescence(PL) at 10 K. The native defects of $V_{CU},\;V_{Se},\;Cu_{int}$ and $Se_{int}$ obtained by PL measurements were classified as a donors or acceptors type. And we concluded that the heat-treatment in the Cu-atmosphere converted $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films to an optical n-type. Also, we confirmed that Ga in $CuGaSe_2$/GaAs did not form the native defects because Ga in $CuGaSe_2$ single crystal thin films existed in the form of stable bonds.

• 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.3 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2015

It is known that sulfide at the $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ ($CIGSe_2$) surface plays a positive role in $CIGSe_2$ solar cells. We investigated the substitution of S with Se on the $CIGSe_2$ surface in S atmosphere. We observed that the sulfur content in the $CIGSe_2$ films changed according to sulfurization temperature and Cu/(In+Ga) ratio. The sulfur content in the $CIGSe_2$ films increased with increasing the annealing temperature and Cu/(In+Ga) ratio. Also Cu migration toward the surface increased at higher temperature. Since high Cu concentration at the $CIGSe_2$ surface is detrimental role, it is necessary to reduce the S annealing temperature as low as $200^{\circ}C$. The cell performance was improved at $200^{\circ}C$ sulfurization.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.69-72
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• 2014

We investigated current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance (C)-V characteristics of solution-processed thin film solar cells, consisting of $Cu(In,Ga)S_2$ and $CuInS_2$ stacked absorber layers. The ideality factors, extracted from the temperature-dependent I-V curves, showed that the tunneling-mediated interface recombination was dominant in the cells. Rapid increase of both series- and shunt-resistance at low temperatures would limit the performance of the cells, requiring further optimization. The C-V data revealed that the carrier concentration of the $CuInS_2$ layer was about 10 times larger than that of the $Cu(In,Ga)S_2$ layer. All these results could help us to find strategies to improve the efficiency of the solution-processed thin film solar cells.