Impact of a RbF post-deposition treatment on the chemical structure of wide-gap CuIn0.1Ga0.9Se2 thin-film solar cell absorber surfaces

L Luisa Both (Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) 1 , Kaiserstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe,) D Dirk Hauschild (Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany) M Mary Blankenship (Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) 1 , Kaiserstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe,) R Ralph Steininger (Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany) W Wolfram Witte (Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) 4 , Meitnerstraße 1, 70563 Stuttgart,) D Dimitrios Hariskos (Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) 4 , Meitnerstraße 1, 70563 Stuttgart,) S Stefan Paetel (Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) 4 , Meitnerstraße 1, 70563 Stuttgart,) M Michael Powalla (Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) 4 , Meitnerstraße 1, 70563 Stuttgart,) C Clemens Heske (Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany) L Lothar Weinhardt (Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany)

Abstract

A detailed characterization of the impact of a RbF post-deposition treatment (RbF-PDT) on the chemical structure of a wide-gap Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cell absorber surface with a high Ga/(Ga + In) (GGI) ratio of 0.9 is presented. Using synchrotron- and lab-based x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as x-ray-excited Auger electron spectroscopy, we observe distinct differences to RbF-PDT on absorber surfaces with the common GGI of ∼0.3. In particular, RbF-PDT reduces sodium and oxide content at the surface, while the copper concentration at the surface is not affected. We find no spectral evidence for the formation of a distinct Rb–In–Se surface layer. In addition, we observe that the GGI ratio at the surface is slightly decreased due to a reduction of the Ga and an increase in the In concentration, which may explain the observed improvement in the power conversion efficiency after the PDT (from 6.8% to 7.3%).

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 126, Issue 2
Published January 13, 2025
ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Applied Physics Letters

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0003-6951 Physical Sciences

Authors (10)

L

Luisa Both

Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) 1 , Kaiserstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe,

D

Dirk Hauschild

Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

M

Mary Blankenship

Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) 1 , Kaiserstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe,

R

Ralph Steininger

Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

W

Wolfram Witte

Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) 4 , Meitnerstraße 1, 70563 Stuttgart,

D

Dimitrios Hariskos

Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) 4 , Meitnerstraße 1, 70563 Stuttgart,

S

Stefan Paetel

Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) 4 , Meitnerstraße 1, 70563 Stuttgart,

M

Michael Powalla

Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) 4 , Meitnerstraße 1, 70563 Stuttgart,

C

Clemens Heske

Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

L

Lothar Weinhardt

Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany