Infotech Oulu Graduate School

Thin Film Copper Indium Diselenide (CIS) Solar Cells

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Lecturer: Professor Arthur Hill, Faculty of Science Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
Room: TS126
Date: Monday, September 7 – Thursday, September 10, 2009
Time: 14-17

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Course description

The course gives a general introduction to the subject of photovoltaic cells with emphasis on CIS. Different cell structures and materials are compared. The advantages of CIS-based cells are discussed with reference to their efficiency, light absorption and ability to withstand radiation. The crystalline properties and relevant methods of deposition are described with emphasis on pulsed DC magnetron sputtered films. Results of analysis of the films by SEM, EDX,  XRD, LIBS and PAS techniques are given. The suitability of the chosen deposition technique for industrial large area production is discussed.

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Lecture contents

Lecture 1. Solar Cell Materials.
Energy and sunlight. AM number and insolation. Types of solar cell – Si based, III-V group, organic, thin film. CIS and CIGS. Material properties of CIS – crystal structure, density, optical absorption, radiation hardness. CIS cell performance in space. The stoichiometry triangle. Electrical conductivity related to defect structure. The CIS phase diagram.

Lecture 2. Solar Cells and Deposition Methods
Solar cell characteristics – maximum power point, efficiency, fill factor, the effect of series and shunt resistance. Homojunction, heterojunction, p-i-n/n-i-p, and multijunction devices. Basic thin film cell structure – back contact, absorber and window layers. Deposition of CIS/CIGS thin films by CVD and co-evaporation.

Lecture 3.  Magnetron Sputtering and Analysis of Sputtered Films.
Fabrication of CIS starting materials for single crystal growth or sputtering. RF sputtered films and composition. Magnetron sputtering basics. Pulsed DC magnetron sputtering (PDMS). Analysis of PDMS films – EDX, SEM, XRD, photo transmission.

Lecture 4. Further Analysis and Industrial Techniques.
Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis. SIMS depth profiling. Photo acoustic spectroscopy. PDMS electrode assembly and performance. Industrial film deposition – electroplating, printing. Optical coatings on glass – on-line methods, planar sputtering. Dual rotary magnetron. Current commercially available CIS solar panels. Conclusions.

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More information: Jari Juuti

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