Efficiency Increased to 15.2% for Ultra-Thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells

Lorelle Mansfield; Steven Harvey; Stephen Glynn; Ingrid Repins; Ana Kanevce; Karen Bowers; Carolyn Beall

doi:10.1002/pip.3033

Efficiency Increased to 15.2% for Ultra-Thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells

Lorelle Mansfield, Steven Harvey, Stephen Glynn, Ingrid Repins, Ana Kanevce, Karen Bowers, Carolyn Beall

Materials Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

53 Scopus Citations

Abstract

We improved the efficiency of ultra-thin (0.49-μm-thick) Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ solar cells to 15.2% (officially measured). To achieve these results, we modified growth conditions from the 3-stage process but did not add post-deposition treatments or additional material layers. The increase in device efficiency is attributed to a steeper Ga gradient in the CIGS with higher Ga content near the Mo back contact, which can hinder electron-hole recombination at the interface. We discuss device measurements and film characterization for ultra-thin CIGS. Modeling is presented that shows the route to even higher efficiencies for devices with CIGS thicknesses of 0.5 μm.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	949-954
Number of pages	6
Journal	Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications
Volume	26
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.3033 https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.3033
State	Published - 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-5K00-70468

Keywords

Cu(In,Ga)Se (CIGS)
current-voltage characteristics
photovoltaic cells
semiconductor device modeling
thin films

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title = "Efficiency Increased to 15.2% for Ultra-Thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells",

abstract = "We improved the efficiency of ultra-thin (0.49-μm-thick) Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells to 15.2% (officially measured). To achieve these results, we modified growth conditions from the 3-stage process but did not add post-deposition treatments or additional material layers. The increase in device efficiency is attributed to a steeper Ga gradient in the CIGS with higher Ga content near the Mo back contact, which can hinder electron-hole recombination at the interface. We discuss device measurements and film characterization for ultra-thin CIGS. Modeling is presented that shows the route to even higher efficiencies for devices with CIGS thicknesses of 0.5 μm.",

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T1 - Efficiency Increased to 15.2% for Ultra-Thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells

AU - Mansfield, Lorelle

AU - Harvey, Steven

AU - Glynn, Stephen

AU - Repins, Ingrid

AU - Kanevce, Ana

AU - Bowers, Karen

AU - Beall, Carolyn

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

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AB - We improved the efficiency of ultra-thin (0.49-μm-thick) Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells to 15.2% (officially measured). To achieve these results, we modified growth conditions from the 3-stage process but did not add post-deposition treatments or additional material layers. The increase in device efficiency is attributed to a steeper Ga gradient in the CIGS with higher Ga content near the Mo back contact, which can hinder electron-hole recombination at the interface. We discuss device measurements and film characterization for ultra-thin CIGS. Modeling is presented that shows the route to even higher efficiencies for devices with CIGS thicknesses of 0.5 μm.

KW - Cu(In,Ga)Se (CIGS)

KW - current-voltage characteristics

KW - photovoltaic cells

KW - semiconductor device modeling

KW - thin films

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JO - Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications

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ER -

Efficiency Increased to 15.2% for Ultra-Thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells

Abstract

Bibliographical note

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

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