Photovoltaic (PV) devices based on the Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) absorber layer are among the most promising types of thin-film solar cells. The addition of alkali elements to the CIGS material, particularly sodium and potassium, positively affects the conversion efficiency of the cells. SIMS provides high-resolution depth profiling capabilities and large analytical throughput. These characteristics are essential for characterizing CIGS solar cells, where variations in structure or composition can lead to higher overall conversion efficiency.
In this study, CIGS thin films were fabricated on dual-layer Mo contact layers and deposited on soda lime glass (SLG) substrates. The Na concentration in the CIGS layer was controlled by using samples with and without SiOx layers on the SLG substrate. SIMS allows for the characterization of the depth distribution of elements (types of substrates and alkali metals Na and K) in different CIGS thin films.
Device IMS 7f-Auto provides high performance in sensitivity, depth resolution, mass resolution, dynamic range, and throughput. Describing the depth distribution characteristics in the multilayer structure of solar cells using the IMS 7f-Auto device proves to be extremely useful in addressing various issues related to the properties of multilayer PV materials: interface layer quality, concentration and distribution of dopant phases, impurity control…
Data were collected on the IMS 7f at KIST (Korea). Quoted from M. Kim et al., JVST B 34, 03H121 (2016).