Copper indium gallium selenide finds applications in the following. Here, we report that ink deposition followed by annealing under inert gas and then selenization. Since 20 theyve been developing proprietary manufacturing equipment and components using a roll to roll manufacturing process which replicates the cigs copper indium gallium selenide solar. Indium gallium aluminium nitride ingaaln semiconductors. It is an efficient thin film solar cell achieved the 22. Point contacts at the copperindiumgalliumselenide interfacea. Sealing in cryogenic applications stays malleable and ductile below 150 c.
The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide often abbreviated cis and copper gallium selenide. Global copper indium gallium selenide cigs,cis solar. Numerical analysis of copperindiumgalliumdiselenidebased. Here, we report that ink deposition followed by annealing under inert gas and then selenization can provide better control. Thinfilm copper indium gallium selenide solar cell based on. Chan, xiao feng zhang, and yi cui, department of materials science and engineering, stanford university, stanford, california 94305, department of chemistry, stanford university. Copper indium gallium selenide thin film solar cells. Cigs copperindiumgalliumselenide solar cells are compound thinfilm solar cells and the most established alternative to silicon solar cells.
Morphology control of layerstructured gallium selenide nanowires hailin peng, stefan meister, candace k. New process could make gallium arsenide cheaper for computer. Cigs solar cells feature a thin film of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide and a trace amount of sodium. Most photovoltaic devices solar cells sold in the market today are based on silicon wafers, the socalled first generation technology.
New process could make gallium arsenide cheaper for. Cigs solar cell, in full copper indium gallium selenide solar cell, thinfilm photovoltaic device that uses semiconductor layers of copper indium gallium selenide cigs to absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity. Copper indium gallium di selenide cigs is a iiiivi 2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The impact on manufacturing cost associated with the use of cadmium and the desirability of using a wider band gap material to achieve higher spectral response in the blue region have motivated the search for an alternative buffer layer material for solar cells based on copper indium gallium sulfurselenide cigss and related alloys. It has a hexagonal layer structure, similar to that of gas. Chemical bath deposited zinc sulfide buffer layers for copper. Indium s name is derived from the latin word indicum, meaning violet.
This is possible due to engineered gallium depth gradients and alkali extrinsic doping. We present a systematic study of the effect of variation of the zinc oxide zno and copper indium gallium diselenide cigs layer thickness on the absorption characteristics of cigs solar cells using a simulation program based on finite element method fem. Abstract copper indium gallium selenide cigs based solar cells are receiving worldwide attention for solar power generation. It has been described as one of the potential successors to silicon as the dominant material in photovoltaics. Jun 21, 2014 copper indium gallium selenide solar cells. Jan 08, 2014 copperindiumgalliumselenide technology was expected to revolutionize the industry.
Copper indium gallium diselenide how is copper indium. Thin films of copper indium gallium selenide cigs are used in highperforming solar cells. Copper indium selenide single crystal american elements. We show that the absorption in the cigs layer does not decrease monotonically with its layer thickness due to interference. The initial results obtained from the preparation of cigs films via laser ablation and flash evaporation are presented along with a comparison of the two deposition processes. The privately held company has been developing and manufacturing pv thin film solar cells for over 10 years now and are leaders in their field. Gse manufactures copper indium gallium diselenide cigs by using stateofthe art, controlled coevaporation and the thinnest stainless steel substrate possible to create flexible and light weight thin film pv products for use in any application. It is a ternary group iiigroup v direct bandgap semiconductor. Copper indium gallium selenide based solar cells a. Osa a study on the optics of copper indium gallium di. The market at present is on the verge of switching to a second generation of thin film solar cell technology which offers prospects for. This study presents the results of a life cycle assessment lca study of cigs technology, currently being advanced by pvmc, and compares the environmental performance. Indium gallium aluminum nitride is generally prepared by epitaxial methods like pulsedlaser deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, etc.
Indium corporation indium metal for soldering and sealing indium solder and sealing products. A copper indium gallium selenide solar cell is a thinfilm solar cell used to convert sunlight into. We used a onedimensional simulation program solar cell capacitance simulator in 1 dimension scaps1d to investigate copperindiumgalliumdiselenide cigs based solar cells properties. Sep 16, 2016 a copper indium gallium selenide solar cell or cigs cell, sometimes cigs or cis cell is a thin film solar cell used to convert sunlight into electric power they are manufactured by depositing a thin layer of copper, indium, gallium and selenide on glass or plastic backing, along with electrodes on the front and back to collect current. It is manufactured by depositing a thin layer of copper, indium, gallium and selenium on glass or plastic backing, along with electrodes on the front and back to collect current. Copper indium gallium selenide powder cigs for solar energy applications is a ptype or absorber layer material. Gallium arsenide high power thin films nanoflex power. Global copper indium gallium selenide cigs,cis solar cells module industry market research 2017. By brad mattson, special to solar power world one of the most interesting and controversial materials in solar is copperindiumgalliumselenide, or cigs for short. Pdf copper indium gallium selenide based solar cells. Thin film copper indium gallium diselenide cigs photovoltaic pv modules show promise for significant growth. It has a high heat capacity and its sensitivity to ionizing radiation is low like other group iii nitrides, making it also a potentially suitable material for solar.
Starting with a conventional znobiznocdscigs structure, we simulated the parameters of currentvoltage characteristics and showed how the absorber layer thickness, hole density, and. Copper indium gallium diselenide cigs thin films have shown considerable promise for use as an absorber layer in highefficiency solar cells. Cigsbased photovoltaic cells pv cells for solar energy are fabricated from a positively charged or ptype cigs layer underneath a negatively charged or ntype layer. Copper indium gallium diselenide department of energy. They are efficient thin film solar cells that have achieved 22. The restricted efficiency is related to the wider bandgap cutting off the majority of the solar spectrum as simulated by the am1. Finding a way to boost efficiency of cigs solar cells. Copper indium gallium diselenide solar cells nrel has significant capabilities in copper indium gallium diselenide cigs thinfilm photovoltaic research and device development. This process, however, can be challenging to control. Copper indium gallium selenide thin film solar cells intechopen. What are cigs copper indium gallium selenide thin film.
Leachates were produced by exposing photovoltaics to uv light, physical damage, and exposure to environmentally relevant model waters, representing mesotrophic lake water, acidic rain. Soldering or fusing applications melts at temperatures ranging from 6. A study on the optics of copper indium gallium diselenide. Life cycle assessment of photovoltaic manufacturing. Although cigs solar cells are considered to be in the early stages of largescale commercialization, they can be produced by using a process that has the potential. Indium corporation versatile conductive malleable indium materials targets to codeposit copper, indium, and gallium, in combination with sulfurselenium, to form the active layer on ciscigs thin film cells.
Nano letters morphology control of layerstructured gallium. In copperindiumgalliumdiselenide cigs based solar cells, various replacements for conventional cadmium sulfide cds buffer layer, such as zno, zns o,oh, znse, ins and zn 1. Sep 29, 2018 cigs thin film solar panels are made up from cigs cells. Sodium is well known to impede interdiffusion of indium and gallium in polycrystalline cuin,gase 2. Copper indium gallium selenide thin film solarenergyforus. Thinfilm copper indium gallium selenide solar cell based. Nano letters morphology control of layerstructured. Thinfilm solar cell devices based on copper indium gallium diselenide. There, the main cost is launching the satellite into. However, highindiumcontent ingan has a narrower bandgap with a lower limit of 0. Cigs thin film solar panels are made up from cigs cells. Copper indium gallium selenide cigs photovoltaic devices. A copper indium gallium selenide solar cell or cigs cell, sometimes cigs or cis cell is a thinfilm solar cell used to convert sunlight into electric power. Thinfilm copper indium gallium selenide solar cell based on low.
The top countries of supplier is china, from which the percentage of gallium solar supply is 100% respectively. The thinfilm cell is deposited onto a substrate, such as sodalime glass, metal. Sodium is well known to impede interdiffusion of indium and gallium in polycrystalline cuin,gase. The booming solar industry is in the midst of an argument over which material will become dominant in the future for harvesting sunlight. Ecotoxicological assessment of solar cell leachates. Feb 01, 2016 here, we compared ecotoxicological effects of two thinfilm photovoltaics. Copper indium gallium selenide solar cells youtube. Copper indium gallium selenide solar cells wikipedia. Gaas is the highest performance solar material currently available, boasting conversion efficiencies in excess of 40%, nearly double those of crystalline silicon. Pdf abstract copper indium gallium selenide cigs based solar cells. Starting with a conventional znobiznocdscigs structure, we simulated the parameters of currentvoltage characteristics and showed how the absorber layer thickness, hole density, and band gap influence.
Sodium enhances indiumgallium interdiffusion in copper. Cds free buffer layers, concerns related to flexible solar cells, and factors affecting the. Copper indium gallium diselenide how is copper indium gallium diselenide abbreviated. It is a photoconductor, a second harmonic generation crystal in nonlinear optics, and has been used as a farinfrared conversion material at 1431 thz and above. Addition of indium to the gallium nitride to form the lightemitting layer leads to the emission of ultraviolet and visible lights.
It is mainly used in the manufacture of advanced solar cells owing to its high absorption coefficient and ability to strongly absorb sunlight. Textured transparent conductors are widely used in thinfilm silicon solar cells. This paper presents optimization studies on the formation of indium sulfide buffer layers for high. The maximum reported efficiency for iiinitride solar cells is still only 3. There is a strong need to develop simple and scalable methods. Improving the efficiency of copper indium gallium di. Composition dependent characterization of copper indium. But siliconbased solar is so much cheaper to make that gallium arsenide solar cells are relegated to exotic applications such as satellites. However, vacuum and hightemperature processing in fabrication of solar cells have limited the applications. The impact on manufacturing cost associated with the use of cadmium and the desirability of using a wider band gap material to achieve higher spectral response in the blue region have motivated the search for an alternative buffer layer material for solar cells based on copper indium gallium sulfur selenide cigss and related alloys. Dec 31, 2014 textured transparent conductors are widely used in thinfilm silicon solar cells. Numerical analysis of copperindiumgalliumdiselenide. Copper indium gallium diselenide solar cells photovoltaic. In the solar cell field, development of simple, lowcost, and lowtemperature fabrication processes has become an important trend for energysaving and environmental issues.
Doe supports innovative research focused on overcoming the current technological and commercial barriers for copper indium gallium diselenide cuin x ga 1xse 2, or cigs, solar cells. Copper indium gallium diselenide cigs is a iiiivi 2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. A list of current projects, summary of the benefits, and discussion on the production and manufacturing of this solar technology are below. Here, however, sodium is shown to have the opposite effect in monocrystalline gallium free cuinse 2 grown on gaas substrates. Pdf we performed modeling and simulation of copper indium gallium diselenide cigs thin film solar cell. Jul 22, 2017 thin film copper indium gallium di selenide cigs photovoltaic pv modules show promise for significant growth. Indiums name is derived from the latin word indicum.
Other forms of indium such as pellets or shot can be used to form similar active layers when utilizing evaporative methods of deposition. This material is available free of charge via the internet at pdf. This study presents the results of a life cycle assessment lca study of cigs technology, currently being advanced by pvmc, and. Copper indium gallium selenide cigs based solar cells are receiving worldwide attention for solar power generation. The power conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices made with inkdeposited cuinxga1xse2 cigs nanocrystal layers can be enhanced by sintering the nanocrystals with a high temperature selenization process. Cigsbased thinfilm solar modules represent a highefficiency alternative for largescale, commercial solar modules. Because the material has a high absorption coefficient. The photovoltaics manufacturing consortium pvmc is leading research and development of cigs in new york state.
Pdf optimization of copper indium gallium diselenide thin film. We used a onedimensional simulation program solar cell capacitance simulator in 1 dimension scaps1d to investigate copper indium gallium diselenide cigs based solar cells properties. The solar energy as one of the new energy sources and a regenerated energy is abundant and pollution free. Copper indium gallium selenide cigs based solar cells are receiving. That cigs film acts as a direct bandgap semiconductor and forms a heterojunction, as the bandgaps of the two different materials are unequal. Copper indium gallium selenide powder american elements. One of the most interesting and controversial materials in solar is copperindiumgalliumselenide, or cigs for short. Mar 25, 2015 but siliconbased solar is so much cheaper to make that gallium arsenide solar cells are relegated to exotic applications such as satellites. This means that it can produce nearly twice as much power in a given surface area. Sep 21, 2017 the privately held company has been developing and manufacturing pv thin film solar cells for over 10 years now and are leaders in their field.
Chemical bath deposited zinc sulfide buffer layers for. A copper indium gallium selenide solar cell or cigs cell, sometimes cigs or cis cell is a thin film solar cell used to convert sunlight into electric power they are manufactured by depositing a thin layer of copper, indium, gallium and selenide on glass or plastic backing, along with electrodes on the front and back to collect current. Deposition and characterization of copper indium gallium. Copper indium gallium selenide cigs solar cells have attracted much attention due to the high absorption coefficient, tunable band gap energy, and high efficiency. Sep 28, 2015 cigs copper indium gallium selenide solar cells are compound thinfilm solar cells and the most established alternative to silicon solar cells. We show that the absorption in the cigs layer does not decrease monotonically with its layer thickness due to interference effects.
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