Improving the performance of solar cells with novel buffer structure by the chemical bath deposition technique

Abstract This paper explores and compares the characteristics of eight different kinds of Cu(In, Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells. Through the technique of chemical bath deposition (CBD), single- (i-ZnO) and double-layer (ZnS/CdS) CIGS cells were prepared and evaluated. The results of this research signify the potential of high-performance CIGS cells for photovoltaic (PV) industrial applications. This study focused on the growth-dependency and optical properties of ZnS/CdS-buffer stacked thin films, which were prepared through the CBD process. The best sample developed from this process consisted of a double-layer buffer and no i-ZnO layer. This sample yielded a conversion efficiency (η) of 9.23% and a short-circuit current density (J SC ) of 26.72 mA/cm 2 . The performance of this sample was about 25% (absolute gain) better than that of the standard CdS cells. Furthermore, the average quantum efficiency in the short wavelength range (350–500 nm) for two of the ZnS/CdS buffer structures was 6.8% better than that of a single-layer CdS cell. This improvement can be attributed to the anti-reflective effect of the ZnS/CdS buffer structure, which increases the light-intensity incident on the main absorption layer. In addition, the ZnS/CdS-buffer layer not only eliminates the need for an i-ZnO layer but also reduces the usage of toxic Cd. The procedures to develop these flexible CIGS cells containing a ZnS/CdS buffer structure are simple, efficient, and reliable. These eco-friendly cells could be effectively applied to mass production for commercial PV applications.