How the Starting Precursor Influences the Properties of Polycrystalline CuInGaSe 2 Thin Films Prepared by Sputtering and Selenization

Greta Rosa, Alessio Bosio, Daniele Menossi and Nicola Romeo
Additional contact information
Greta Rosa: Thin Film Laboratory, Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A, Parma 43124, Italy
Alessio Bosio: Thin Film Laboratory, Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A, Parma 43124, Italy
Daniele Menossi: Computer Science Department, University of Verona, Ca’ Vignal 1, Strada Le Grazie 15, Verona 37134, Italy
Nicola Romeo: Thin Film Laboratory, Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A, Parma 43124, Italy

Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 5, 1-10

Abstract: Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS)/CdS thin-film solar cells have reached, at laboratory scale, an efficiency higher than 22.3%, which is one of the highest efficiencies ever obtained for thin-film solar cells. The research focus has now shifted onto fabrication processes, which have to be easily scalable at an industrial level. For this reason, a process is highlighted here which uses only the sputtering technique for both the absorber preparation and the deposition of all the other materials that make up the cell. Particular emphasis is placed on the comparison between different precursors obtained with either In 2 Se 3 and Ga 2 Se 3 or InSe and GaSe as starting materials. In both cases, the precursor does not require any heat treatment, and it is immediately ready to be selenized. The selenization is performed in a pure-selenium atmosphere and only lasts a few minutes at a temperature of about 803 K. Energy conversion efficiencies in the range of 15%–16% are reproducibly obtained on soda-lime glass (SLG) substrates. Similar results are achieved if commercial ceramic tiles are used as a substrate instead of glass. This result is especially useful for the so-called building integrated photovoltaic. Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 -based solar cells grown directly on ceramic tiles are ideal for the fabrication of ventilated façades in low impact buildings.

Keywords: Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS); thin-film solar cell; sputtering; precursors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/5/354/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/5/354/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:9:y:2016:i:5:p:354-:d:69726

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().