PERFORMANCE OF Cu(In,Ga)Se2 SOLAR CELLS UNDER LOW IRRADIANCE

This study investigates the suitability of using standard Cu(In,Ga)Se2 cells produced in laboratories for indoor applications, by describing the irradiance dependence of the parameters of the cells over more then three orders of magnitude. By lowering the irradiance from standard test conditions tow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Thin solid films 2003-01, Vol.431-432 (1-2), p.443-447
Main Authors: Virtuani, A, Lotter, E, Powalla, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This study investigates the suitability of using standard Cu(In,Ga)Se2 cells produced in laboratories for indoor applications, by describing the irradiance dependence of the parameters of the cells over more then three orders of magnitude. By lowering the irradiance from standard test conditions towards 0.1 mW/cm2 the performance of the cells is notably reduced, both in terms of efficiency (from 14 to 3%) and Voc (from 630 to 290 mV). This behaviour is due to the low value of the parallel resistance Rp of the cells. Simulations on the parameters of the I-V characteristics are carried out showing the influence that the parasitic resistances have at different irradiance levels on the FF of the cells. As a first step in trying to improve the performance of the cells under this particular conditions, authors show that the thickness of the ZnO:Al window layer has no influence on the value of the Rp, while the thickness of the CdS buffer layer has just a weak influence on it. 6 refs.
ISSN:0040-6090