Improved Stability of CIGS-Based Thin-Film PV Modules

Abstract

The object of this study is to bring useful and effective data to establish the measurement procedures suitable to the CIGS-based thin-film PV technology. Stable performance in the outdoor exposure test is warranted if CIGS-based thin-film PV modules are prepared by employing the moduling (or packaging) technology for crystalline-Si PV modules. To verify our assumption that significantly reduced degradation or even no degradation may be observed by applying a light soaking during the Damp heat test, the modified Damp heat test (85 °C temperature and 85 % relative humidity for 1000 hours) applying a continuous irradiation of 150 to 200 W/m 2 is performed. It is confirmed that this assumption is valid for the CIGSbased thin-film PV modules tested in the open-circuit condition due to the enhancement of FF.

Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition of CuIn(1-x)GaxSe2on Mo Substrate

“…5 The Ga substitution can make the compound with highly adjustable bandgap (1.04 eV for CuInSe 2 (x = 0) to 1.68 eV for CuGaSe 2 (x = 1)) 6 with high stability under high energy irradiation. 7,8 The bandgap of the material is more closely found with the optimum conversion efficiency range (1.4 ∼ 1.5 eV) of solar radiation.…”

“…5 The Ga substitution can make the compound with highly adjustable bandgap (1.04 eV for CuInSe 2 (x = 0) to 1.68 eV for CuGaSe 2 (x = 1)) 6 with high stability under high energy irradiation. 7,8 The bandgap of the material is more closely found with the optimum conversion efficiency range (1.4 ∼ 1.5 eV) of solar radiation.9 Because of these properties, it attracted considerable interests by the researchers and industrialists to use CIGS as light-absorbing materials for thin film photovoltaic cells.7-10 Recent works on CIGS have achieved the power conversion efficiency up to 22.6% in laboratory scale. [20][21][22][23] These synthesis methods need larger investment in machinery and workspace which involve highly complicated instruments.…”

“…9 Because of these properties, it attracted considerable interests by the researchers and industrialists to use CIGS as light-absorbing materials for thin film photovoltaic cells. [7][8][9][10] Recent works on CIGS have achieved the power conversion efficiency up to 22.6% in laboratory scale. 11 The CIGS thin films have been synthesized by various methods; some of those techniques were sputtering, 12 spray pyrolysis, 13 chemical bath deposition, 14 flash evaporation, 15 hybrid sputtering, 16 molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), 17 co-evaporation 18,19 and some other modified techniques.…”

Characterization of Cu(In,Ga)Se2thin films and solar cells by photoacoustic spectroscopy

“…Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells used CIGS as the absorber layer draw our attention as next-generation solar cells, because they have properties such as high absorption coefficient, 1) long-term stability, 2) and radiation hardness. 3) A recorded efficiency of CIGS solar cells of up to 20.8% has been achieved.…”

Experimental and Theoretical Evaluation of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Concentrator Solar Cells

“…Ternary Cu-based chalcopyrite and related semiconductors, such as CuInSe 2 (CIS), CuGaSe 2 (CGS), and their alloys, have many advantages as candidates for such type of solar cells. 1,2) These materials have a high absorption coefficient, and a continuously variable bandgap from about 1 to about 1.7 eV by changing In and Ga composition and by addition of Al and S atoms. [3][4][5][6][7] These advantages make CIGS absorption layers thin, and better matching the sunlight spectrum, hence leading to low-cost fabrication of high efficiency solar cells.…”