Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-l4dxg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-05T15:06:39.627Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Explanation of Light/Dark Superposition Failure in CIGS Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Markus Gloeckler ,
Caroline R. Jenkins  and
James R. Sites
Markus Gloeckler
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Caroline R. Jenkins
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
James R. Sites
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Get access

Abstract

CIGS solar cells in many cases show a failure of light/dark superposition of their current-voltage (J-V) curves. Such failure generally becomes more pronounced at lower temperatures. J-V measurements under red light may also show an additional distortion, known historically as the “red kink”. The proposed explanation is that a secondary barrier results from the conduction band offset between CIGS and the commonly employed CdS window layer. This barrier produces a second diode with the same polarity and in series with the primary photodiode. The secondary-diode barrier height is modified by photoinduced changes of trap occupancy in the CdS layer, hence creating a voltage shift between dark and light conditions. Numerical modeling of the proposed explanation, including a band offset consistent with experimental and theoretical values, gives a very good fit to measured light and dark J-V curves over a wide temperature range. It also predicts the observed difference between illuminated J-V curves with photon energy above the CdS band gap, and those with sub-band-gap illumination.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 763: Symposium B – Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaics , 2003 , B5.20
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Wei, S.H., Zunger, A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 63, 2549, 1993 Google Scholar
2. Schmid, D., Ruckh, M., Schock, H.W., Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 41/42 (1996), 281 Google Scholar
3. Minemoto, T., Matsui, T., Takakura, H., Hamakawa, Y., Negami, T., Hashimoto, Y., Uenoyama, T., Kitagawa, M., Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 67 (2001), pp. 83–88 Google Scholar
4. Liu, X., Sites, J.R., AIP Conf. Proc. 353 (1996), pp. 444–452 Google Scholar
5. Fahrenbruch, A.L., Bube, R.H., Fundamentals of Solar Cells, Acad. Press, New York, 1983 Google Scholar
6. AMPS-1D Manual for Windows ‘95/NT, The Electronic Materials and Processing Research Laboratory at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 Google Scholar
7. Shockley, W., Read, W.T. Jr, Phys. Rev. 87, 835, 1952 Google Scholar
8. Gloeckler, M., MS Thesis, Colorado State University 2002 Google Scholar
9. Hou, J., Fonash, S.J., in Proc. 25th IEEE PVSC (Washington, 1996) 961 Google Scholar
10. Eisgruber, I.L., Granata, J.E., Sites, J.R., Hou, J., Kessler, J., Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 53 (1998), pp. 367–377 Google Scholar
11. Topič, M., Smole, F., Furlan, J., Contreras, M.A., 14th European Photovoltaic Conference (Barcelona, 1997) 2139 Google Scholar
12. Agostinelli, G., Bätzner, D.L., Burgelman, M., 29th IEEE PVSC, New Orleans (2002)Google Scholar