Stability of TCO window layers for thin-film CIGS solar cells upon damp heat exposures: part II

R. Sundaramoorthy; F. J. Pern; C. DeHart; T. Gennett; F. Y. Meng; M. Contreras; T. Gessert

doi:10.1117/12.826604

2 September 2009 Stability of TCO window layers for thin-film CIGS solar cells upon damp heat exposures: part II

R. Sundaramoorthy, F. J. Pern, C. DeHart, T. Gennett, F. Y. Meng, M. Contreras, T. Gessert

Proceedings Volume 7412, Reliability of Photovoltaic Cells, Modules, Components, and Systems II; 74120J (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.826604
Event: SPIE Solar Energy + Technology, 2009, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Long-term performance reliability is essential for any photovoltaic module to become established in the PV market. Reliability is characterized based on many factors, one of the most important being the capability of the module to be resistant to moisture at elevated temperatures. This work continues our efforts to search for a high-performance and high-stability transparent conducting oxide (TCO) window layer for CuInGaSe₂ (CIGS) devices. In this experimental study, we compared the optical, electrical, and structural stability of various TCOs deposited on glass, including single-layer Al-doped ZnO (AZO), bilayer intrinsic-/Al-doped ZnO (BZO), B-doped ZnO (ZnO:B), amorphous In₂O₃:SnO₂ (ITO), and amorphous In₂O₃:ZnO (IZO). The samples were exposed to damp heat (DH) at 85°C and 85% relative humidity (RH) and were characterized periodically. The results showed that all ZnO-based TCOs are more sensitive to moisture with substantial electrical degradation and apparent optical changes than the ITO and IZO. The amorphous IZO showed peculiar behavior in electrical property, and exhibited structural change with the appearance of some finite crystallinity after DH >220 h. The results from this experimental series will assist in determining the best-performing TCO for CIGS solar cells.

Citation Download Citation

R. Sundaramoorthy, F. J. Pern, C. DeHart, T. Gennett, F. Y. Meng, M. Contreras, and T. Gessert "Stability of TCO window layers for thin-film CIGS solar cells upon damp heat exposures: part II", Proc. SPIE 7412, Reliability of Photovoltaic Cells, Modules, Components, and Systems II, 74120J (2 September 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.826604

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