Cu(In,Ga)Se2 absorbers prepared by electrodeposition for low-cost thin-film solar cells

• Published in: Rare metals Vol. 36; no. 9; pp. 729 - 736
• Main Authors: Qu, Jing-Yu, Guo, Zheng-Fei, Pan, Kun, Zhang, Wei-Wei, Wang, Xue-Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Nonferrous Metals Society of China 01.09.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomaterials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Copper indium gallium selenides; Electrodeposition; Energy; Heating rate; Industrial production; Infrared spectroscopy; Materials Engineering; Materials Science; Metallic Materials; Molybdenum; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Near infrared radiation; Photovoltaic cells; Physical Chemistry; Raman spectra; Scanning electron microscopy; Solar cells; Spectrum analysis; Substrates; Thin films; Triethanolamine; X-ray diffraction; X-ray fluorescence; Thin films; Electrodeposition; Cu(In,Ga)Se; Selenization; Heating rates
• ISSN: 1001-0521; 1867-7185
• DOI: 10.1007/s12598-017-0941-6

Reducing the manufacturing cost of solar cells is necessary to their industrial production. Electrodepositing is an effective, non-vacuum method which is very suitable for cutting the manufacturing cost of thin films as well as developing its large-scale industrial production. In this study, about 1-μm-thick Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) precursors were electrodeposited on Mo/glass substrates in aqueous solution utilizing a three-electrode potentiostatic system. Triethanolamine was used as complexing agent, and all parameters of electrodeposition were precisely controlled. After that, the electrodeposited precursors were selenized in a Se atmosphere with different heating ramp rates (60 and 600 °C·min −1 ). High-quality CIGS films were obtained, and their characteristics were investigated by X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra and near-infrared–visible (NIR-Vis) spectra. The results reveal that there are many differences between the properties of the films under different heating rates. Finally, CIGS solar cells were fabricated using a fast and a slow heating rate. The maximum efficiencies achieved for the films selenized at 60 and 600 °C·min −1 are 3.15% and 0.71%, respectively.