Characteristics of CIGS photovoltaic devices co-evaporated with various Se flux rates at low temperatures

Abstract

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) films were prepared by a single-stage co-evaporation process at Se flux rates of 10 Å s−1, 20 Å s−1, and 30 Å s−1 and substrate temperatures ranging from 400 °C to 500 °C. The flux rates of the Cu, In, Ga, and Se were kept constant throughout each deposition of the films. The grain sizes, surface morphologies, and crystallinity of the CIGS films improved with increasing substrate temperatures or Se flux rates. The causes of the formation of voids on the surface of CIGS films deposited with a low Se flux rate of 10 Å s−1 at substrate temperatures of 475 °C and 500 °C were addressed. The higher Se flux rates of 20 Å s−1 and 30 Å s−1 repressed the formation of voids for the CIGS films deposited at the relatively higher substrate temperatures of 475 °C and 500 °C. The conversion efficiencies of CIGS solar cells were significantly improved by increasing the substrate temperatures or the Se flux rates, largely contributed from the enhancement of the open-circuit voltage and fill factor because of the restraint of the carrier recombination. The short-circuit current densities were slightly enhanced by the increment of the substrate temperatures or the Se flux rates, resulting from the improved crystalline quality of the CIGS films. Moreover, the EQE results suggest that the effective carrier-diffusion lengths of the films deposited at the relatively high substrate temperatures were increased, leading to the enhancement of the short-circuit current density. The efficiencies of CIGS solar cells prepared with a Se flux rate of 10 Å s−1 improved from 10% to 12.4% when the substrate temperatures increased from 400 °C to 500 °C. The efficiencies of cells deposited at the substrate temperature of 500 °C improved to 15.4% as the Se flux rates increased from 10 Å s−1 to 30 Å s−1.