Abstract
Thin film solar cells based on chalcopyrite semiconductors have reached ahigh level performance over the last years both for laboratory scale cellsand commercial products. Research on CIGS-based photovoltaic cell isdeveloping towards the use of wide band-gap and non-toxic materials toreplace the cadmium sulphide buffer layer, which is used as an interfacialbuffer layer. A non-toxic photovoltaic technology poses fewer issues thana toxic technology and would clearly be a superior choice provided andother aspects are the same. Promising alternative materials used indifferent laboratories are mainly (sulfides, selenides and oxides) Zn andIn based buffer layers. These materials demonstrated their potential tolead high efficiency solar cells and modules comparable with standardchemical bath deposited (CBD) CdS. We have investigated the physicalproperties of alternative buffer layer materials (i.e., In2S3, ZnS, ZnMgO)employing different deposition techniques aiming to replace the CBD-CdSlayer in CIGS solar cells. The physical properties of such materials arestrongly depending on the deposition methods employed and processparameters maintained during the growth of the films. These properties canbe controlled and reproduced by precisely modulating of depositionparameters.
