Electrical characterization and comparison of CIGS solar cells made with different structures and fabrication techniques

Rebekah L. Garris, Steve Johnston, Jian V. Li, Harvey L. Guthrey, Kannan Ramanathan, Lorelle M. Mansfield

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In a previous paper [1], we reported on Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based (CIGS) solar cell samples collected from different research laboratories and industrial companies with the purpose of understanding the range of CIGS materials that can lead to high-quality and high-efficiency solar panels. Here, we report on electrical measurements of those same samples. Electron-beam induced current and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) gave insights about the collection probability and the lifetime of carriers generated in each absorber. Capacitance and drive-level capacitance profiling revealed nonuniformity in carrier-density profiles. Admittance spectroscopy revealed small activation energies (≤ 0.03 eV) indicative of the inversion strength, larger activation energies (> 0.1 eV) reflective of thermal activation of absorber conductivity and a deeper defect level. Deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) probed deep hole-trapping defects and showed that all samples in this study had a majority-carrier defect with activation energy between 0.3 eV and 0.9 eV. Optical-DLTS revealed deep electron-trapping defects in several of the CIGS samples. This work focused on revealing similarities and differences between high-quality CIGS solar cells made with various structures and fabrication techniques.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)77-83
Number of pages7
JournalSolar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Volume174
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018 Jan

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films

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