The impact of atmospheric species on the degradation of CIGS solar cells
article
CIGS solar cells were exposed to liquid water purged with the atmospheric gases carbon dioxide (CO<inf>2</inf>), oxygen (O<inf>2</inf>), nitrogen (N<inf>2</inf>) and air in order to investigate their chemical degradation behavior. The samples were analyzed by electrical, compositional and optical measurements before, during and after exposure in order to follow the degradation behavior of these solar cells in time. The solar cells showed a rapid decrease in conversion efficiency when exposed to water purged with a combination of CO<inf>2</inf> and N<inf>2</inf> as well as to water purged with air, while their efficiency was slowly reduced in unpurged water and water purged with N<inf>2</inf> or O<inf>2</inf>. Cross-section SEM showed that the exposure of samples to H<inf>2</inf>O with large concentrations of CO<inf>2</inf> led to the dissolution of the ZnO:Al layer, likely starting from the grain boundaries. This resulted in an increased series resistance, which is likely related to an increase in resistivity of the ZnO:Al layer. It also led to a very rapid decrease of the short-circuit current of these samples. Therefore, the conversion efficiency was rapidly lost. cop. 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
TNO Identifier
526256
ISSN
09270248
Source
Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 141, pp. 49-56.
Publisher
Elsevier
Pages
49-56
Files
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