Photoelectrochemistry of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-films fabricated by sequential pulsed electrodeposition

• Published in: Journal of power sources Vol. 273; no. C; pp. 149 - 157
• Main Authors: MANDATI, Sreekanth, SARADA, Bulusu V, DEY, Suhash R, JOSHI, Shrikant V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier 2015
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemistry; Cu (in; Electrochemistry; Electrodeposition; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; ga)se; Ga)Se2 thin-films; General and physical chemistry; Natural energy; Photo-electrochemistry; Photocurrent; Photocurrents; Photoelectrochemical cells; Photoelectrochemistry. Electrochemiluminescence; Photovoltaic conversion; Pulsed current; Pulsed currents; Pulsed electrodeposition; Sequential electrodeposition; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Study of interfaces; Photoelectrochemistry; Pulsed current; Indium selenides; Photoelectrochemical cells; Transition metal; Sequential electrodeposition; thin-films; Iron Sulfides; Thin film; Copper selenides; Chalcopyrite; Quaternary compound; Photocurrent; Photoelectrochemical cell; Electrodeposition; Copper; Electrochemical reaction; Photoelectric current; Gallium selenides; Cu(In,Ca)Se; Copper Sulfides
• ISSN: 0378-7753; 1873-2755; 1873-2755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2014.09.036

A novel approach for the fabrication of compact stoichiometric copper indium gallium selenium (CIGS) thin-films is reported. It uses a solution of CuCl2, GaCl3 and H2SeO3, pH adjusted with HCl with LiCl as additive employing a high purity graphite plate anode and Mo sputtered glass cathode during a simplified sequential pulsed current electrodeposition which avoids impurities from the use of a reference electrode during deposition and a separate selenization step. A Cu-Ga-Se film is optimally deposited by optimizing the deposition voltage, followed by deposition of In from InCl3 solution, and then annealing of the Cu-Ga-Se/In thin-film in an Argon atmosphere at 550 °C. A single phase chalcopyrite CIGS forms with a compact morphology and well-controlled composition of individual elements. The flat-band potential and carrier density of CIGS thin-films are -0.15 V and 2.6 × 1016 cm-3, respectively, as determined by Mott-Schottky studies. The photoelectrochemical performance of CIGS films shows a photocurrent density of -0.8 mA cm-2 at -0.4 V vs. SCE, an eight fold increment compared to our previous reported value. This simplified preparation using pulse plating gives superior quality CIGS films which are promising for application in thin-film solar cells and photoelectrochemical cells. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.