High-Efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Thin Film Solar Cells Using ZnS and CdS Buffer Layers
Most of the existing copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin film solar cells are based on a cadmium sulfide (CdS) buffer layer fabricated using a chemical bath deposition (CBD) process. However, due to environmental pollution caused by material toxicity and the unique wet process’s
incompatibility with the vacuum process, many studies are now being actively carried out on nontoxic buffer layers. In this study, to replace CdS buffer layers, zinc sulfide (ZnS) buffer layers with a big band gap and a low optical loss at a short wavelength were fabricated using a magnetron
sputtering system. For comparative analysis, this study also fabricated CdS buffer layers using the CBD process. Then, the conversion efficiency of CIGS thin film solar cells deposited with ZnS and CdS thin film as buffer layers was measured. The light conversion efficiency of ZnS buffer layer-based
CIGS was measured at 14.44%, while that of the CdS buffer layer-based CIGS was measured at 15.71%. Given that both are higher than the minimum conversion efficiency required for commercialization (10%), ZnS buffer layer-based solar cells could have a competitive edge over the existing CdS
buffer layer-based solar cells.
Keywords: CBD; CIGS; CIGS Evaporation System; CdS; Magnetron Sputtering System; Solar Cell; ZnS
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Korea 2: R&D Center, The ONE SCIENCE, Asan, 31466, Korea 3: R&D Center, ALPHAPLUS Co., Ltd., Asan, 31409, Korea 4: Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea
Publication date: 01 March 2019
- Journal for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (JNN) is an international and multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal with a wide-ranging coverage, consolidating research activities in all areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology into a single and unique reference source. JNN is the first cross-disciplinary journal to publish original full research articles, rapid communications of important new scientific and technological findings, timely state-of-the-art reviews with author's photo and short biography, and current research news encompassing the fundamental and applied research in all disciplines of science, engineering and medicine.
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