RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Layers for Solar Cell Fabrication
Thin film Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> (CIGS)-based solar cells with relatively high efficiency and low material usage might become a promising alternative for crystalline silicon technology. The most challenging task nowadays is to decrease the PV module fabrication costs by application of e...
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doaj-8ba88e93b18b4e0394a374498e4457e82020-11-25T03:34:43ZengMDPI AGCoatings2079-64122020-08-011079179110.3390/coatings10080791RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Layers for Solar Cell FabricationSlawomir Gulkowski0Ewelina Krawczak1Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, PolandDepartment of Renewable Energy Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, PolandThin film Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> (CIGS)-based solar cells with relatively high efficiency and low material usage might become a promising alternative for crystalline silicon technology. The most challenging task nowadays is to decrease the PV module fabrication costs by application of easily scalable industrial process. One of the possible solutions is the usage of magnetron sputtering system for deposition of all structures applied in CIGS-based photovoltaic device. The main object of these studies was fabrication and characterization of thin films deposited by sputtering technique. Structural and electrical properties of the sputtered films were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), and four-point probe resistivity measurements. The presented findings revealed technological parameters for which sheet resistance of molybdenum (Mo) back contact decreased up to 0.3 Ω/□ and to even 0.08 Ω/□ in case of aluminum layer. EDS analysis provided evidence for the appropriate stoichiometry of CIGS absorber (with CGI and GGI equal to 0.96 and 0.2, respectively). XRD characterization confirmed high-quality chalcopyrite polycrystalline structure of Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> film fabricated at relatively low substrate temperature of 400 °C. Characteristic XRD peaks of hexagonal-oriented structures of sputtered CdS and i-ZnO layers were noticed.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/10/8/791photovoltaicsCIGSthin filmmagnetron sputteringSEMXRD |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Slawomir Gulkowski Ewelina Krawczak |
spellingShingle |
Slawomir Gulkowski Ewelina Krawczak RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Layers for Solar Cell Fabrication Coatings photovoltaics CIGS thin film magnetron sputtering SEM XRD |
author_facet |
Slawomir Gulkowski Ewelina Krawczak |
author_sort |
Slawomir Gulkowski |
title |
RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Layers for Solar Cell Fabrication |
title_short |
RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Layers for Solar Cell Fabrication |
title_full |
RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Layers for Solar Cell Fabrication |
title_fullStr |
RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Layers for Solar Cell Fabrication |
title_full_unstemmed |
RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Layers for Solar Cell Fabrication |
title_sort |
rf/dc magnetron sputtering deposition of thin layers for solar cell fabrication |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Coatings |
issn |
2079-6412 |
publishDate |
2020-08-01 |
description |
Thin film Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> (CIGS)-based solar cells with relatively high efficiency and low material usage might become a promising alternative for crystalline silicon technology. The most challenging task nowadays is to decrease the PV module fabrication costs by application of easily scalable industrial process. One of the possible solutions is the usage of magnetron sputtering system for deposition of all structures applied in CIGS-based photovoltaic device. The main object of these studies was fabrication and characterization of thin films deposited by sputtering technique. Structural and electrical properties of the sputtered films were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), and four-point probe resistivity measurements. The presented findings revealed technological parameters for which sheet resistance of molybdenum (Mo) back contact decreased up to 0.3 Ω/□ and to even 0.08 Ω/□ in case of aluminum layer. EDS analysis provided evidence for the appropriate stoichiometry of CIGS absorber (with CGI and GGI equal to 0.96 and 0.2, respectively). XRD characterization confirmed high-quality chalcopyrite polycrystalline structure of Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> film fabricated at relatively low substrate temperature of 400 °C. Characteristic XRD peaks of hexagonal-oriented structures of sputtered CdS and i-ZnO layers were noticed. |
topic |
photovoltaics CIGS thin film magnetron sputtering SEM XRD |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/10/8/791 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT slawomirgulkowski rfdcmagnetronsputteringdepositionofthinlayersforsolarcellfabrication AT ewelinakrawczak rfdcmagnetronsputteringdepositionofthinlayersforsolarcellfabrication |
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1724557905943855104 |