Processing of CuInSe2-Based Solar Cells: Characterization of Deposition Processes in Terms of Chemical Reaction Analyses. Final Report, 6 May 1995 - 31 December 1998

Abstract

This project was initiated after the Boeing Company decided to terminate its photovoltaic research and development efforts, and donated some research equipment to UF. Billy Stanbery, who was part of the Boeing team, decided then to enroll at UF to pursue a Ph.D degree. As such these events constituted a rare direct technology transfer from industry to a university. This helped to preserve more than the published legacy of the solar cell efforts at Boeing, and jump-started a comprehensive, multifaceted, and multidisciplinary copper indium diselenide solar cell research effort at UF. 5-15 Micro-Raman scattering spectra of islands on two indium-rich CIS films grown on GaAs (100). The uppermost curve is from an island "pool" on a sodium-dosed film and the lower two are single and averaged spectra from isolated islands on the sample without sodium shown in Figure 5- field. It focused primarily on the physical and opto-electronic properties of the general class of I-III-VI2 and II-IV-V2 compound semiconductors. More recent reviews specifically oriented towards CIS materials and electronic properties [2][3][4][5][6] are also recommended reading for those seeking to familiarize themselves with key research results in this field.There are also a number of excellent books and reviews on photovoltaic device physics [7,8], on the general subject of solar cells and their applications [9,10], and others specifically oriented towards thin-film solar cells [11,12] Researchers have not always been careful to reserve the use of the compound designation CuInSe2 for single-phase material of the designated stoichiometry, an imprecision that is understandable in view of the difficulty in discriminating CuInSe2 from some other compounds in this material system, as will be discussed in detail elsewhere in this treatise. The compound designations such as CuInSe2 will be reserved herein for reference to single-phase material of finite solid solution extent, and multiphasic or materials of indeterminate structure composed of copper, indium, and selenium will be referred to by the customary acronym, in this case CIS. 3 This review begins with an overview of the physical properties of the principal copper ternary chalcogenides utilized for PV devices, including their thermochemistry, crystallography, and opto-electronic properties. All state-ofthe-art devices rely on alloys of these ternary compounds and employ alkali impurities, so the physical properties and effects of these additives will be presented, with an emphasis on their relevance to electronic carrier transport properties. This foundation will provide a basis from which to address the additional complexities and variability resulting from the plethora of materials processing methods and device structures which have been successfully employed to fabricate high efficiency PV devices utilizing absorbers belonging to this class of materials. Phase Chemistry of Cu-III-VI Material SystemsSignificant technological applications exist for Ag-III-VI2 compounds as non-linear optical mat...

Wafer-Scale, Thickness-Controlled p-CuInSe2/n-Si Heterojunction for Self-Biased, Highly Sensitive, and Broadband Photodetectors

“…Some of the reports demonstrated 24.6% perovskite/CuInSe 2 tandem solar cells with four-terminal configuration by integrating 18.1% efficient CuInSe 2 solar cells. , Therefore, CuInSe 2 solar cell technology demonstrates a great potential to be realized as a prospective candidate for accomplishing the transition on the way to a sustainable energy-driven future. CuInSe 2 has been widely synthesized using various vacuum-based techniques including co-evaporation, sputtering, molecular beam epitaxy, chemical vapor deposition, electron beam deposition, and pulsed laser deposition. , Since 1973, CuInSe 2 photovoltaic devices were developed and widely explored to achieve high performance, scalability, and flexibility along with reduced manufacturing costs benefiting the short energy-payback time . Even after such a long period of research and development for CuInSe 2 and its photovoltaic applications, vertical and lateral optoelectronic sensors have been underexplored.…”