CIGS solar cell development and characterization
Description:
This Ph. D. project aims at the development of solution-based thin-film Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide/sulfide (CIGSSe) based photovoltaic devices. The main goal is to (1) provide proof-of-concept for the formation of active solar stacks based on a printed CIGSSe precursor layer with a classical CdS + TCO toplayer structure or a printed TCO toplayer structure, (2) define the specifications for and build-up of a pre-pilot line for testing printed CIGSSe cells. Amongst the envisaged research challenges are:
In-depth assessment and optimisation of the selenisation process of absorber layers, deposited by different printing technologies, by means of rapid thermal processing.
Realisation of reference cells based on these selenised absorber layers with a CdS heterojunction emitter formed by chemical bath deposition and TCO sputtered top and contact layers, in co-operation with the Helmholtz Zentrum, Berlin.
Definition of a baseline infrastructure to make full cells at IMEC.
Testing of CIGS-inks applied by different non-vacuum deposition technologies.
Testing of CIGS-cells with a printed absorber as well as TCO layer.
Solar cell characterization under standard AM1.5 illumination and extraction of the internal quantum efficiency
The researcher will be mainly active at IMEC/IMOMEC (Prof. Jef Poortmans, Dr. Marc Meuris), the leading research institute on microelectronics (http://www2.imec.be/be_nl/home.html/) and the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of K.U.Leuven (Prof. Jef Vleugels, Dr. ir. Kim Vanmeensel), one of the leading research institutes on materials in Europe (http://www.mtm.kuleuven.be/). This Ph. D. is part of the SIM (http://www.sim-flanders.be/sim_prog) framework project SoPPoM: Solution based Processing of Thin Film Photovoltaic Modules, implying the researcher will be active within a consortium involving all Universities in Flanders as well as a number of industrial partners such as Umicore, AGC, Solvay, Agfa and Elsyca.
Background: Today, electric power generation by solar energy conversion using photovoltaic (PV) modules is in general five to ten times more expensive than conventional forms of electricity generation. Therefore, further growth of the PV industry will depend to a large extent on the ability of industry to substantially lower the costs of PV modules and systems (Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), Photovoltaic Technology Platform, www.epia.org). As a result, the overall goal of research and development in the field of PV is nowadays the reduction of the cost of power and energy to levels comparable to traditional electricity generation. To achieve this, PV developments either go in the direction of increasing efficiency at the cell, module, and system level and of decreasing the cost associated with the active materials and the production processes. Replacement of the currently used vacuum based processes is however not so evident. One needs to have full control over the different layers, compositions, contaminants, interfaces, grain boundaries, defect chemistry, substrate interactions, homogeneity of the layer, etc. Although the principles of solution based processing have been demonstrated on a cell level with nice efficiencies, the translation of this technology to large areas and to modules is today still at question.
Expected Results:
A fundamental understanding of the selenisation process parameters by means of rapid thermal processing of printed precursor solutions and the correlation between the obtained microstructures and global solar cell performance and current collection.
Key words: CIGS, selenisation, rapid thermal processing (RTP), powder processing
Start date: 1 September 2010
Financing: 4 year financing is available through the SoPPoM project of the SIM framework.
Remarks: The Ph.D. fellowship position is available starting on September 1, 2010. The researcher will obtain a full-employment (100%) and fixed-term contract with a duration of up to 4 years, based on achievements. For further information, please contact Prof. J. Poortmans and Prof. Dr. ir. J. Vleugels. Your application should include a curriculum vitae and a short motivation letter preferentially submitted by e-mail:
Prof. Jef Poortmans, Phone + 32-16-28 13 02, mailto:poortman@imec.be
IMEC/IMOMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
Prof. Dr. ir. Jef Vleugels, Phone + 32-16-32 12 44, Jozef.Vleugels@mtm.kuleuven.be
K.U.Leuven, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Kasteelpark Arenberg 44 - bus 2450, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
