Japanese Journal of Applied Physics · 2002 · 40 citations · 0 references
EngineeringMaterials EngineeringMaterials ScienceElectronic MaterialsSemiconductor DevicesSemiconductor MaterialsMetal SulfidesPhotovoltaic MaterialsSemiconductor Device MaterialsSemiconductor Thin FilmsSolar Cell MaterialsSolar CellsCadmium SulfideCurrent-voltage RelationsCurrent-voltage RelationshipHeterojunction Solar CellsHeterostructure Solar CellsHeterostructuresPolycrystalline Thin FilmsThin-film Solar Cells
Chemically deposited ZnS has been investigated as a buffer layer alternative to cadmium sulfide (CdS) in polycrystalline thin-film Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells. Cells with efficiency of up to 18.1% based on chemical bath deposition (CBD)-ZnS/CIGS heterostructures have been fabricated. This paper presents the performance and loss analyses of these cells based on the current–voltage (J–V) and spectral response curves, as well as comparisons with high efficiency CBD-CdS/CIGS and crystalline silicon counterparts. The CBD-ZnS/CIGS devices have effectively reached the efficiency of the current record CBD-CdS/CIGS cell. The effects of the superior current of the CBD-ZnS/CIGS cell and the superior junction quality of the CBD-CdS/CIGS cell on overall performance nearly cancel each other.