Cu(In,Ga)Se₂mesa diodes for the study of edge recombination

The concentrating approach was applied on Cu(In,Ga)Se₂to develop photovoltaic devices with increased efficiency using less rare materials. To withstand the operating conditions, Cu(In,Ga)Se₂devices are miniaturized. Compared to previous generations of microcells, with only window layer structuration, microcells with a mesa design are fabricated. These microcells are created by etching ZnO, CdS and Cu(In,Ga)Se₂layers. The crucial issue addressed in this study is the electrical behavior of the device edges, to determine if microcells suffer from perimeter recombination. We analyze the influence of different etching techniques on the edge recombination signal. It is found that bromine etch result in well passivated surfaces, and devices as small as 50 × 50 μm do not experience edge recombination efficiency limitations. This behavior is remarkable compared to that of the microcells made of crystalline materials. For devices where the edges are deteriorated by a chemical post-treatment, a quasi-shunting signal coming from the edges is seen. We tested these microcells under concentrated illumination and important open-circuit voltage and efficiency gains are seen.