Effect of Metal-Precursor Stacking Order on Volume-Defect Formation in CZTSSe Thin Film: Formation Mechanism of Blisters and Nanopores.

In this study, we investigated the effect of the stacking order of metal precursors on the formation of volume defects, such as blisters and nanopores, in CZTSSe thin-film solar cells. We fabricated CZTSSe thin films using three types of metal-precursor combinations, namely, Zn/Cu/Sn/Mo, Cu/Zn/Sn/Mo, and Sn/Cu/Zn/Mo, and studied the blister formation. The blister-formation mechanism was based on the delamination model, taking into consideration the compressive stress and adhesion properties.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Ultrathin ZnO Films for Hybrid Window Layers for Cu(In,Ga)Se Solar Cells.

The efficiency of thin-film chalcogenide solar cells is dependent on their window layer thickness. However, the application of an ultrathin window layer is difficult because of the limited capability of the deposition process. This paper reports the use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes for fabrication of thin window layers for Cu(In,Ga)Se (CIGS) thin-film solar cells, replacing conventional sputtering techniques.

Optimization of the ZnS Buffer Layer by Chemical Bath Deposition for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells.

We evaluated a ZnS buffer layer prepared using a chemical bath deposition (CBD) process for application in cadmium-free Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells. The ZnS buffer layer showed good transmittance (above 90%) in the spectral range from 300 to 800 nm and was non-toxic compared with the CdS buffer layers normally used in CIGS solar cells. The CBD process was affected by several deposition conditions.