New insights into the Mo/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 interface in thin film solar cells: Formation and properties of the MoSe2 interfacial layer.

Abstract

Being at the origin of an ohmic contact, the MoSe2 interfacial layer at the Mo/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 interface in CIGS (Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and related compounds) based solar cells has allowed for very high light-to-electricity conversion efficiencies up to 22.3%. This article gives new insights into the formation and the structural properties of this interfacial layer. Different selenization-steps of a Mo covered glass substrate prior to the CIGS deposition by co-evaporation led to MoSe2 interfacial layers with varying thickness and orientation, as observed by x-ray diffraction and atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy. A novel model based on the anisotropy of the Se diffusion coefficient in MoSe2 is proposed to explain the results. While the series resistance of finished CIGS solar cells is found to correlate with the MoSe2 orientation, the adhesion forces between the CIGS absorber layer and the Mo substrate stay constant. Their counter-intuitive non-correlation with the configuration of the MoSe2 interfacial layer is discussed and related to work from the literature.