Deposit on different back contacts: to high-quality CuInGaS2 thin films for photovoltaic application

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2019-12, Vol.30 (23), p.20832-20839
• Main Authors: Bouich, Amal, Ullah, Shafi, Ullah, Hanif, Mari, Bernabé, Hartiti, Bouchaib, Ebn Touhami, Mohamed, Santos, D. M. F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorbance; Atomic force microscopy; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Copper indium gallium selenides; Electric contacts; Electrical properties; Electron microscopy; Fluorine; Indium tin oxides; Materials Science; Microscopy; Molybdenum; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; Optimization; Optoelectronics; Photovoltaic cells; Refractivity; Substrates; Thin films; Transmittance
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-019-02450-2

Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) absorber layer for photovoltaic application was successfully deposited by different substrate, indium tin oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and molybdenum (Mo) after optimization of the operating parameters of the deposited films. The structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of the CIGS films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The inter-planar distance between the planes is estimated at 0.36 nm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) samples deposited on Mo had the highest level of 751 nm for roughness compared to other samples. High absorbance and low transmittance are observed for films prepared with a shot interval energy of about 1.6 eV. Optical constants such as the refractive index ( n ), the extinction coefficient ( k ), the real part ( ε r ) and the imaginary part ( ε i ) of the dielectric constant were extracted from the data of absorbance/transmittance. The optoelectronic properties of this CuInGaS 2 material make it advisable to use it for the manufacture of more efficient solar panels.