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Ag-Dependent Behavior Threshold and Metastability in Wide-Gap (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Solar Cell Technology.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9972-4655
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Solar Cell Technology.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3461-6036
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Solar Cell Technology.
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Solar Cell Technology.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2101-3746
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2024 (English)In: Solar RRL, E-ISSN 2367-198X, Vol. 8, no 11, article id 2400220Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Wide-gap, high-Ga (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells with a wide range of Ag contents are fabricated and characterized before and after dark storage, dark annealing at 85 degrees C, and light soaking. A 1:4 ratio of Ag to Cu enhances initial device performance significantly, with excess Ag enhancing carrier collection at the expense of open-circuit voltage and fill factor for close-stoichiometric devices. For off-stoichiometric devices, increased open-circuit voltages are offset by losses in carrier collection. Efficiency degradation after treatments is typically increased with additional Ag alloying. A second observation is a behavior threshold identified slightly below an Ag to Cu ratio of 1:1. For compositions below the threshold, the doping response to light soaking and dark annealing is similar to that exhibited by low-Ga Cu(In,Ga)Se2. Above the threshold, light soaking reduces net doping and that dark annealing can even increase net doping. Furthermore, devices above the threshold exhibit a far greater doping responsivity than those below and display a strong dependence of initial performance and stability on group-I/group-III stoichiometry. A third observation is that all devices lose approximate to 1-2% (absolute) in efficiency after a 3 h light soak, indicating that this loss originates from the high-Ga content (1:3 In:Ga), rather than the Ag alloying.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley-VCH Verlagsgesellschaft, 2024. Vol. 8, no 11, article id 2400220
Keywords [en]
(Ag, Cu)(In, Ga)Se-2, Cu(In, Ga)Se-2, stabilities, wide-gap chalcopyrites, metastabilities
National Category
Condensed Matter Physics Materials Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-541378DOI: 10.1002/solr.202400220ISI: 001206646300001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-541378DiVA, id: diva2:1910679
Funder
Swedish Energy Agency, 48479-1Swedish Research Council, 2019-04793Swedish Research Council, 2019-00207Available from: 2024-11-05 Created: 2024-11-05 Last updated: 2024-12-04Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. An Investigation of Meta-Stability in (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells
Open this publication in new window or tab >>An Investigation of Meta-Stability in (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This thesis summarises a series of works investigating the effect of Ag alloying on the long-term stability and meta-stability of wide-gap (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 (ACIGS) thin-film solar cells. External quantum efficiency, current-voltage, and capacitance-based measurements have been the main characterisation techniques used to investigate these behaviours. Although Ag alloying facilitates high efficiencies and open-circuit voltages (VOC) in the wide-gap devices (despite the high Ga contents), it is revealed that for a [Ag]/([Ag]+[Cu]) ratio (AAC) in excess of 0.5, the behaviour of ACIGS devices changes significantly. Above the threshold, a strong dependence of net doping concentration (Nnet) on group-I/group-III stoichiometry (I/III) is observed, which in turn dictates performance due to low diffusion lengths in high-Ga absorbers. Close-stoichiometric (I/III>0.92) absorbers are almost fully depleted (depletion widths up to 2μm), whilst off-stoichiometric (I/III<0.92) absorbers have high Nnet (1016-1017cm−3). Lightsoaking treatments induce significant reductions in Nnet (up to two orders of magnitude), whilst dark storage and annealing lead to increases. The corresponding changes in the depletion widths are large, leading to significant variations in device performance. Independent of Ag contents, high Ga contents lead to VOC losses after lightsoaking. These meta-stable effects lead to a poor long-term stability in the devices, with one month’s dark storage resulting in 1-2% efficiency losses (absolute) and the persistent VOC losses contributing a further 1-2% loss (absolute). Additionally, a combination of high Ga and high Ag contents is seen to cause large voltage hysteresis in the devices, which is a further concern for the long-term stability and reliability of modules. It is suggested that defects in ordered vacancy compounds, which segregate to the front surface of the high-Ag ACIGS absorber layers, may explain the dependence of Nnet on I/III, whilst the meta-stable variations in Nnet are attributed to a currently unknown bulk defect. VOC losses after lightsoaking are also attributed to a meta-stable defect, with one candidate being the GaI antisite. Considering the full range of absorber compositions evaluated, an AAC of 0.2 is seen to provide the best balance between performance and stability for our high-Ga devices.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2025. p. 96
Series
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology, ISSN 1651-6214 ; 2481
Keywords
(Ag, Cu)(In, Ga)Se2, Cu(In, Ga)Se2, Stability, Wide-Gap Chalcopyrite, Metastability, Capacitance Measurements, Admittance Spectroscopy
National Category
Other Materials Engineering
Research subject
Engineering Science with specialization in Electronics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-544453 (URN)978-91-513-2329-9 (ISBN)
Public defence
2025-02-07, Polhemsalen, Ångströmlaboratoriet, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, 751 03, Uppsala, 09:15 (English)
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Available from: 2025-01-16 Created: 2024-12-04 Last updated: 2025-01-16

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Pearson, PatrickKeller, JanStolt, LarsDonzel-Gargand, OlivierPlatzer Björkman, Charlotte

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