Damp heat related degradation mechanisms within CIGS solar cells

Importance of atmospheric aerosol pollutants on the degradation of Al2O3 encapsulated Al‐doped zinc oxide window layers in solar cells

“…The degradation of the electrical properties of the AZO film is also of primary significance for solar devices. For example, the increase in sheet resistance of AZO after damp heat test is considered as one of the main mechanisms responsible for the degradation of CIGS solar cells 50–52 . In our work, R s of the non‐encapsulated AZO thin films indeed increased after the tests with NaCl.…”

“…For example, the increase in sheet resistance of AZO after damp heat test is considered as one of the main mechanisms responsible for the degradation of CIGS solar cells. [50][51][52] In our work, R s of the non-encapsulated AZO thin films indeed increased after the tests with NaCl. A small increase of transmittance in the near-infrared region seems to indicate a reduction of the free carrier concentration in these samples, which could explain the increase of R s .…”