Sodium enhances indium-gallium interdiffusion in copper indium gallium diselenide photovoltaic absorbers

Diego Colombara (), Florian Werner, Torsten Schwarz, Ingrid Cañero Infante, Yves Fleming, Nathalie Valle, Conrad Spindler, Erica Vacchieri, Germain Rey, Mael Guennou, Muriel Bouttemy, Alba Garzón Manjón, Inmaculada Peral Alonso, Michele Melchiorre, Brahime El Adib, Baptiste Gault, Dierk Raabe, Phillip J. Dale and Susanne Siebentritt
Additional contact information
Diego Colombara: University of Luxembourg—Physics and Materials Science Research Unit. 41
Florian Werner: University of Luxembourg—Physics and Materials Science Research Unit. 41
Torsten Schwarz: Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
Ingrid Cañero Infante: CNRS UMR5270 ECL INSA UCBL CPE
Yves Fleming: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology—Materials Research and Technology Department
Nathalie Valle: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology—Materials Research and Technology Department
Conrad Spindler: University of Luxembourg—Physics and Materials Science Research Unit. 41
Erica Vacchieri: Ansaldo Energia
Germain Rey: University of Luxembourg—Physics and Materials Science Research Unit. 41
Mael Guennou: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology—Materials Research and Technology Department
Muriel Bouttemy: Université de Verailles—Institut Lavoisier
Alba Garzón Manjón: Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
Inmaculada Peral Alonso: University of Luxembourg—Physics and Materials Science Research Unit. 41
Michele Melchiorre: University of Luxembourg—Physics and Materials Science Research Unit. 41
Brahime El Adib: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology—Materials Research and Technology Department
Baptiste Gault: Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
Dierk Raabe: Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
Phillip J. Dale: University of Luxembourg—Physics and Materials Science Research Unit. 41
Susanne Siebentritt: University of Luxembourg—Physics and Materials Science Research Unit. 41

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Copper indium gallium diselenide-based technology provides the most efficient solar energy conversion among all thin-film photovoltaic devices. This is possible due to engineered gallium depth gradients and alkali extrinsic doping. Sodium is well known to impede interdiffusion of indium and gallium in polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se2 films, thus influencing the gallium depth distribution. Here, however, sodium is shown to have the opposite effect in monocrystalline gallium-free CuInSe2 grown on GaAs substrates. Gallium in-diffusion from the substrates is enhanced when sodium is incorporated into the film, leading to Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and Cu(In,Ga)3Se5 phase formation. These results show that sodium does not decrease per se indium and gallium interdiffusion. Instead, it is suggested that sodium promotes indium and gallium intragrain diffusion, while it hinders intergrain diffusion by segregating at grain boundaries. The deeper understanding of dopant-mediated atomic diffusion mechanisms should lead to more effective chemical and electrical passivation strategies, and more efficient solar cells.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03115-0

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