TY  - JOUR
AU  - Poudel, Deewakar
AU  - Belfore, Benjamin
AU  - Karki, Shankar
AU  - Rajan, Grace
AU  - Soltanmohammad, Sina
AU  - Rockett, Angus
AU  - Marsillac, Sylvain
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/01/06
TI  - Assessment of Cu(In, Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> Solar Cells Degradation due to Water Ingress Effect on The CdS Buffer Layer
JO  - Journal of Energy and Power Technology
SP  - 001
VL  - 03
IS  - 01
AB  - The effect of water ingress on the surface of the buffer layer of a Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cell was studied. Such degradation can occur either during the fabrication process, if it involves a chemical bath as is often the case for CdS, or while the modules are in the field and encapsulants degrade. To simulate the impact of this moisture ingress, devices with a structure sodalime glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS were immersed in deionized water. The thin films were then analyzed both pre and post water soaking. Dynamic secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) was performed on completed devices to analyze impurity diffusion (predominantly sodium and potassium) and to assess potential degradation mechanisms. The results were compared to device measurements, which indicate a degradation of all device parameters due to an increase in the total and peak trap densities, as shown by simulation. This is potentially due to a modification of the sodium profile in the bulk CIGS, with a decrease content after water soaking or because the oxygen profile increased in the bulk CIGS after water soaking.
SN  - 2690-1692
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/jept.2101001
DO  - 10.21926/jept.2101001
ID  - Poudel2021
ER  -