Tailored Band Structure of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Thin-Film Heterojunction Solar Cells: Depth Profiling of Defects and the Work Function

An efficient carrier transport is essential for enhancing the performance of thin-film solar cells, in particular Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) solar cells, because of their great sensitivities to not only the interface but also the film bulk. Conventional methods to investigate the outcoming carriers and their transport properties measure the current and voltage either under illumination or dark conditions. However, the evaluation of current and voltage changes along the cross-section of the devices presents several limitations. To mitigate this shortcoming, we prepared gently etched devices and analyzed their properties using micro-Raman scattering spectroscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. The atomic distributions and microstructures of the devices were investigated, and the defect densities in the device bulk were determined via admittance spectroscopy. The effects of Ga grading on the charge transport at the CIGS-CdS interface were categorized into various types of band offsets, which were directly confirmed by our experiments. The results indicated that reducing open-circuit voltage loss is crucial for obtaining a higher power conversion efficiency. Although the large Ga grading in the CIGS absorber induced higher defect levels, it effectuated a smaller open-circuit voltage loss because of carrier transport enhancement at the absorber-buffer interface, resulting from the optimized conduction band offsets.

One-Step Growth of Spatially Graded Mo1- xW xS2 Monolayers with a Wide Span in Composition (from x = 0 to 1) at a Large Scale

Alloying is an effective way to modulate material's properties. In particular, graded alloying within a single domain of two-dimensional transition-metal chalcogenide (2D-TMC) is of great technological importance, for example, for achieving band gap modulations. Here, we report a facile method to grow gradient alloying of Mo_{1- x}W _xS₂ monolayers with large domain sizes and high crystal qualities via the chemical vapor deposition technique. The as-grown Mo_{1- x}W _xS₂ monolayers have a gradient composition of W from x = ∼0 to ∼1 in a single domain with a lateral dimension up to 300 μm, and the span in band gap can be readily tuned. Owing to the grading in band offsets, the compositionally graded Mo_{1- x}W _xS₂ alloy monolayer demonstrates an excellent rectifying effect with the ratio of forward to reverse current up to ∼10⁴. Moreover, phototransistors based on the compositionally graded Mo_{1- x}W _xS₂ monolayers exhibit a high responsivity up to 298.4 A/W in the visible light regime, and particularly a decent responsivity of 28.7 A/W in the near-infrared regime. The control of band gap offset gradient and span in alloyed 2D-TMC semiconductors provides an additional degree of freedom in designing fascinating applications in achieving multifunctional optoelectronic devices on individual substrates.

Time-resolved photoluminescence on double graded Cu(In,Ga)Se2 - Impact of front surface recombination and its temperature dependence

Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) is applied to determine an effective lifetime of minority charge carriers in semiconductors. Such effective lifetimes include recombination channels in the bulk as well as at the surfaces and interfaces of the device. In the case of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ absorbers used for solar cell applications, trapping of minority carriers has also been reported to impact the effective minority carrier lifetime. Trapping can be indicated by an increased temperature dependence of the experimentally determined photoluminescence decay time when compared to the temperature dependence of Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination alone and can lead to an overestimation of the minority carrier lifetime. Here, it is shown by technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations and by experiment that the intentional double-graded bandgap profile of high efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ absorbers causes a temperature dependence of the PL decay time similar to trapping in case of a recombinative front surface. It is demonstrated that a passivated front surface results in a temperature dependence of the decay time that can be explained without minority carrier trapping and thus enables the assessment of the absorber quality by means of the minority carrier lifetime. Comparison with the absolute PL yield and the quasi-Fermi-level splitting (QFLS) corroborate the conclusion that the measured decay time corresponds to the bulk minority carrier lifetime of 250 ns for the double-graded CIGS absorber under investigation.