Carbon-Impurity Affected Depth Elemental Distribution in Solution-Processed Inorganic Thin Films for Solar Cell Application.

A common feature of the inorganic thin films including Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 fabricated by nonvacuum solution-based approaches is the doubled-layered structure, with a top dense inorganic film and a bottom carbon-containing residual layer. Although the latter has been considered to be the main efficiency limiting factor, (as a source of high series resistance), the exact influence of this layer is still not clear, and contradictory views are present. In this study, using a CISe as a model system, we report experimental evidence indicating that the carbon residual layer itself is electrically benign to the device performance.

Carbon- and oxygen-free Cu(InGa)(SSe)₂ solar cell with a 4.63% conversion efficiency by electrostatic spray deposition.

We have demonstrated the first example of carbon- and oxygen-free Cu(In,Ga)(SSe)2 (CIGSSe) absorber layers prepared by electrospraying a CuInGa (CIG) precursor followed by annealing, sulfurization, and selenization at elevated temperature. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy showed that the amorphous as-deposited (CIG) precursor film was converted into polycrystalline CIGSSe with a flat-grained morphology after post-treatment. The optimal post-treatment temperature was 300 °C for annealing and 500 °C for both sulfurization and selenization, with a ramp rate of 5 °C/min.

Enhanced performance of flexible nanocrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells using seed layers with high hydrogen dilution.

Flexible hydrogenated nanocrystalline (nc-Si:H) thin-film solar cells were prepared by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD), and the effect of highly crystalline intrinsic Si seed layers at the initial growth stage of i nc-Si:H absorbers on their structural and electrical properties and on the performance of solar cells was investigated. The crystallization of i nc-Si:H absorbers was significantly enforced by the introduction of highly crystalline seed layers, resulting in the reduction of defect-dense a-Si:H grain boundary and incubation layer thickness. The open circuit voltage of the nc-Si:H solar cells with the seed layers was improved by the decrease of charged defect density in the defect-rich amorphous region.

Cd-free CIGS solar cells with buffer layer based on the In2S3 derivatives.

This study guided by device evaluations was conducted to reveal the reasons for the loss of the photo-generated carriers in CIGS cells with the buffer based on In2S3 derivatives. Chemical bath deposited Inx(OOH,S)y films have been employed as a Cd-free buffer layers. When compared to solar cells with CdS buffer layer, the Cu0.