Electronic properties of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 thin films with various Ga-contents

Robert Baier; Jascha Lehmann; Sebastian Lehmann; Thorsten Rissom; Christian Alexander Kaufmann; Alex Schwarzmann; Yossi Rosenwaks; Martha Ch Lux-Steiner; Sascha Sadewasser

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2012.04.002

Electronic properties of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se ₂ thin films with various Ga-contents

Robert Baier, Jascha Lehmann, Sebastian Lehmann, Thorsten Rissom, Christian Alexander Kaufmann, Alex Schwarzmann, Yossi Rosenwaks, Martha Ch Lux-Steiner, Sascha Sadewasser

School of Electrical Engineering

Tel Aviv University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We present a study on the electronic properties of grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se ₂ (CIGSe) thin films by means of Kelvin probe force microscopy. As grown as well as KCN-treated films were investigated comparatively. No influence of the chemical treatment on the electronic properties of GBs was found. GBs generally exhibited large variations in their electronic properties. By means of a novel method of data analysis both potential barriers for holes and electrons were found at GBs, in a range from -118 mV to 114 mV, as well as GBs without potential barrier. No dependence of the electronic GB-properties on the Ga-content was detected. Consequently, we conclude that there is no correlation between the electronic properties of GBs and the obtained maximum efficiencies of CIGSe thin film solar cells as a function of the Ga-content.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	86-92
Number of pages	7
Journal	Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Volume	103
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2012.04.002
State	Published - Aug 2012

Keywords

CIGSe
Grain boundaries
KPFM

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Surfaces, Coatings and Films

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.solmat.2012.04.002

Cite this

@article{a65c13e243744ae69fe2b4d1ab85ce8e,

title = "Electronic properties of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 thin films with various Ga-contents",

abstract = "We present a study on the electronic properties of grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGSe) thin films by means of Kelvin probe force microscopy. As grown as well as KCN-treated films were investigated comparatively. No influence of the chemical treatment on the electronic properties of GBs was found. GBs generally exhibited large variations in their electronic properties. By means of a novel method of data analysis both potential barriers for holes and electrons were found at GBs, in a range from -118 mV to 114 mV, as well as GBs without potential barrier. No dependence of the electronic GB-properties on the Ga-content was detected. Consequently, we conclude that there is no correlation between the electronic properties of GBs and the obtained maximum efficiencies of CIGSe thin film solar cells as a function of the Ga-content.",

keywords = "CIGSe, Grain boundaries, KPFM",

author = "Robert Baier and Jascha Lehmann and Sebastian Lehmann and Thorsten Rissom and \{Alexander Kaufmann\}, Christian and Alex Schwarzmann and Yossi Rosenwaks and Lux-Steiner, \{Martha Ch\} and Sascha Sadewasser",

note = "Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Bundesministerium f{\"u}r Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU) under contract \# 0327559H .",

year = "2012",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1016/j.solmat.2012.04.002",

language = "الإنجليزيّة",

volume = "103",

pages = "86--92",

journal = "Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells",

issn = "0927-0248",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Electronic properties of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 thin films with various Ga-contents

AU - Baier, Robert

AU - Lehmann, Jascha

AU - Lehmann, Sebastian

AU - Rissom, Thorsten

AU - Alexander Kaufmann, Christian

AU - Schwarzmann, Alex

AU - Rosenwaks, Yossi

AU - Lux-Steiner, Martha Ch

AU - Sadewasser, Sascha

N1 - Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU) under contract # 0327559H .

PY - 2012/8

Y1 - 2012/8

N2 - We present a study on the electronic properties of grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGSe) thin films by means of Kelvin probe force microscopy. As grown as well as KCN-treated films were investigated comparatively. No influence of the chemical treatment on the electronic properties of GBs was found. GBs generally exhibited large variations in their electronic properties. By means of a novel method of data analysis both potential barriers for holes and electrons were found at GBs, in a range from -118 mV to 114 mV, as well as GBs without potential barrier. No dependence of the electronic GB-properties on the Ga-content was detected. Consequently, we conclude that there is no correlation between the electronic properties of GBs and the obtained maximum efficiencies of CIGSe thin film solar cells as a function of the Ga-content.

AB - We present a study on the electronic properties of grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGSe) thin films by means of Kelvin probe force microscopy. As grown as well as KCN-treated films were investigated comparatively. No influence of the chemical treatment on the electronic properties of GBs was found. GBs generally exhibited large variations in their electronic properties. By means of a novel method of data analysis both potential barriers for holes and electrons were found at GBs, in a range from -118 mV to 114 mV, as well as GBs without potential barrier. No dependence of the electronic GB-properties on the Ga-content was detected. Consequently, we conclude that there is no correlation between the electronic properties of GBs and the obtained maximum efficiencies of CIGSe thin film solar cells as a function of the Ga-content.

KW - CIGSe

KW - Grain boundaries

KW - KPFM

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860641717&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.solmat.2012.04.002

DO - 10.1016/j.solmat.2012.04.002

M3 - مقالة

SN - 0927-0248

VL - 103

SP - 86

EP - 92

JO - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

JF - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

ER -