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The electronic structure of chalcopyrites—bands, point defects and grain boundaries
Author(s) -
Siebentritt Susanne,
Igalson Malgorzata,
Persson Clas,
Lany Stephan
Publication year - 2010
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.936
Subject(s) - grain boundary , materials science , crystallographic defect , band bending , solar cell , vacancy defect , conduction band , condensed matter physics , chalcopyrite , doping , electronic structure , crystallite , valence band , valence (chemistry) , crystallography , optoelectronics , chemical physics , band gap , chemistry , electron , physics , microstructure , metallurgy , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , copper
We summarize the progress made recently in understanding the electronic structure of chalcopyrites. New insights into the dispersion of valence and conduction band allow conclusions on the effective masses of charge carriers and their orientation dependence, which influences the transport in solar cell absorbers of different orientation. Native point defects are responsible for the doping and thus the band bending in solar cells. Results of optoelectronic defect spectroscopy are reviewed. Native defects are also the source for a number of metastabilities, which strongly affect the efficiency of solar cells. Recent theoretical findings relate these effects to the Se vacancy and the In Cu antisite defect. Experimentally determined activation energies support these models. Absorbers in chalcopyrite solar cells are polycrystalline, which is only possible because of the benign character of the grain boundaries. This can be related to an unusual electronic structure of the GB. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.