CuInSe2 and CuInS2 form a continuous solid solution in which the optical bandgap varies from 1.0 to 1.55 eV [1]. By reacting CuInSe2 films in a flowing H2S/Ar atmosphere, the films can be completely converted to CuInS2 or converted to a graded CuIn(Se1-ySy)2 film, depending on processing conditions. A phenomenological model of the reaction/diffusion process is presented wherein H2S reacts with ...

First-principles modeling of grain boundaries (GB) in CuInSe2 semiconductors reveals that an energetic barrier exists for holes arriving from the grain interior (GI) to the GB. Consequently, the absence of holes inside the GB prevents GB electrons from recombining. At the same time, the GI is purer in polymaterials than in single crystals, since impurities segregated to the GBs. This explains t...

Photo-assisted one-step electrodeposition has been applied to help in forming smooth and dense CuInSe2 films. The difference in surface morphology and crystalline quality between CuInSe2 films with various photo-assistance has been investigated. In the photo-assisted electrodeposition process, the many kinds of lamps providing maximum light intensity at about 380 to 620 nm were used as light so...

Low-cost and high-yield preparation of CuInSe2 films is the bottleneck for promising CuInSe2-based thin film solar cells. Here, we developed a simple, safe and cost-effective method using thioacetic acid to fabricate the absorber films of CuIn(S,Se)2 (CISSe). Dissolution of Cu2O and In(OH)3 in thioacetic acid was attributed to the strong coordination ability of S. The adhesive precursor solutio...

The effect of initial film composition and substrate in the sulfurization of CuInSe2 was investigated. CuInSe2 films deposited on either soda-lime glass (SL) or Corning 7059 ® borosilicate glass (7059) substrates were reacted in flowing H2S for times from 1 to 8 hours. Films with Cu-rich composition, Cu/In > 1, reacted for 1 hour had nearly all the Se replaced by S. For Cu-poor films the incorp...

The wide scatter in experimental results has not allowed drawing solid conclusions on selfdiffusion in the chalcopyrite CuInSe2 (CIS). In this work, the defect-assisted mass transport mechanisms operating in CIS are clarified using first-principles calculations. We present how the stoichiometry of the material and temperature affect the dominant diffusion mechanisms. The most mobile species in ...

The presence of small amounts of sodium has been shown to improve the electronic performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) solar cells, but the origins of this effect have not yet been fully resolved. In this work, we have addressed the questions involving the role of sodium in CuInSe2 (CIS) using densityfunctional-theory-based calculations. We find no direct way how the creation of Na-related point ...

Polycrystalline thin film solar cells based on copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2) and its alloys and cadmium telluride (CdTe) appear to be the most promising candidates for largescale application of photovoltaic energy conversion because they have shown laboratoryefficiencies in excess of 15%. Heterejunction devices with n-type cadmium sulfide (CdS) films show very low minority carrier recombin...

CdTe and CuInSe2 based modules have made the transition from pilot scale development to large manufacturing facilities. Production of CdTe modules has validated the cost reduction associated with the high throughput manufacturing process in plants exceeding 100 MW. Similar to development of crystalline Si modules, the next challenges are to improve the performance and processing of the modules....