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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
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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

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