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A comparison between thin film solar cells made from co‐evaporated CuIn 1‐x Ga x Se 2 using a one‐stage process versus a three‐stage process
Author(s) -
Salomé Pedro M.P.,
Fjällström Viktor,
Szaniawski Piotr,
Leitão Joaquim P.,
Hultqvist Adam,
Fernandes Paulo A.,
Teixeira Jennifer P.,
Falcão Bruno P.,
Zimmermann Uwe,
Cunha António F.,
Edoff Marika
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.2453
Subject(s) - photoluminescence , stack (abstract data type) , solar cell , thin film , materials science , analytical chemistry (journal) , quantum efficiency , scanning electron microscope , diffraction , spectroscopy , chalcopyrite , optoelectronics , optics , chemistry , nanotechnology , metallurgy , composite material , physics , copper , chromatography , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language
Until this day, the most efficient Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 thin film solar cells have been prepared using a rather complex growth process often referred to as three‐stage or multistage. This family of processes is mainly characterized by a first step deposited with only In, Ga and Se flux to form a first layer. Cu is added in a second step until the film becomes slightly Cu‐rich, where‐after the film is converted to its final Cu‐poor composition by a third stage, again with no or very little addition of Cu. In this paper, a comparison between solar cells prepared with the three‐stage process and a one‐stage/in‐line process with the same composition, thickness, and solar cell stack is made. The one‐stage process is easier to be used in an industrial scale and do not have Cu‐rich transitions. The samples were analyzed using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, current–voltage‐temperature, capacitance‐voltage, external quantum efficiency, transmission/reflection, and photoluminescence. It was concluded that in spite of differences in the texturing, morphology and Ga gradient, the electrical performance of the two types of samples is quite similar as demonstrated by the similar J–V behavior, quantum spectral response, and the estimated recombination losses. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.