Formation of Cl-Doped ZnO Thin Films by a Cathodic Electrodeposition for Use as a Window Layer in CIGS Solar Cells

Jianping Ao; Rui Fu; Ming-Jer Jeng; Jinlian Bi; Liyong Yao; Shoushuai Gao; Guozhong Sun; Qing He; Zhiqiang Zhou; Yun Sun; Liann-Be Chang

doi:10.3390/ma11060953

Formation of Cl-Doped ZnO Thin Films by a Cathodic Electrodeposition for Use as a Window Layer in CIGS Solar Cells

Materials (Basel). 2018 Jun 5;11(6):953. doi: 10.3390/ma11060953.

Authors

Jianping Ao¹, Rui Fu², Ming-Jer Jeng^{3

4}, Jinlian Bi⁵, Liyong Yao⁶, Shoushuai Gao⁷, Guozhong Sun⁸, Qing He⁹, Zhiqiang Zhou¹⁰, Yun Sun¹¹, Liann-Be Chang^{12

13}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. aojp@nankai.edu.cn.
² Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. furui4321@163.com.
³ Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. mjjeng@mail.cgu.edu.tw.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. mjjeng@mail.cgu.edu.tw.
⁵ Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. bijinlian815@126.com.
⁶ Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. yaoliyong@yeah.net.
⁷ Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. gaoshoushuai@yeah.net.
⁸ Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. taigic@nankai.edu.cn.
⁹ Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. Heqing27@nankai.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. zhqzhou@126.com.
¹¹ Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Thin film Devices and Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. suny@nankai.edu.cn.
¹² Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. liann@mail.cgu.edu.tw.
¹³ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. liann@mail.cgu.edu.tw.

Abstract

Zinc oxide films that are prepared by radio frequency (RF) sputtering are widely used as window layers in copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar cells. To reduce their production cost, the electrodeposition method for preparing Cl-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Cl), rather than sputtering, was studied. The electrodeposition parameters of injected current density and the pH of the electrolyte solution were studied. A moderate current density was used to yield high quality zinc oxides. The pH of the electrolyte greatly affected the formation of ZnO films. The pH value of the electrolyte that ensured that zinc oxides of high quality are obtained was close to seven. Electrodeposited ZnO:Cl films had higher transmittance than ZnO:Al films in the near-infrared region and so they can be used to improve the performance of solar cells. Our experiments revealed that the CIGS solar cells with electrodeposited ZnO:Cl films as a window layer were slightly more efficient than those with sputtered ZnO:Al films.

Keywords: CIGS solar cells; Cl-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Cl); RF sputtering; Zinc oxide; cadmium sulfide; electrodeposition; transmittance.