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Measurement of Built-in Electrical Potential in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

C.-S. Jiang ,
F.S. Hasoon ,
H.R. Moutinho ,
H.A. Al-Thani ,
M.J. Romero  and
M.M. Al-Jassim
C.-S. Jiang
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden CO 80401
F.S. Hasoon
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden CO 80401
H.R. Moutinho
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden CO 80401
H.A. Al-Thani
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden CO 80401
M.J. Romero
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden CO 80401
M.M. Al-Jassim
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden CO 80401
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Abstract

The built-in electrical potential on cross sections of Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells was measured quantitatively and resolved spatially using scanning Kelvin probe microscopy. In the conditions of open and short circuits, no significant potential variation on the p-n junction was probed due to the surface Fermi-level pinning. With an external reverse-bias voltage applied to the device, we were able to probe the potential on the junction; the potential profiles demonstrate that the p-n junction is a buried homojunction, located 30-80 nm from the CIGS/CdS interface in the CIGS film. The potential measurement over the CdS and ZnO layers, which is consistent with the band diagram calculations, indicates that the CdS and ZnO layers are inactive for the collection of photoexcited carriers.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 763: Symposium B – Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaics , 2003 , B8.3
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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