Structural and Electrochemical Analysis of CIGS: Cr Crystalline Nanopowders and Thin Films Deposited onto ITO Substrates
Suzan Saber,
Bernabé Marí,
Andreu Andrio,
Jorge Escorihuela,
Nagwa Khattab,
Ali Eid,
Amany El Nahrawy,
Mohamed Abo Aly,
Vicente Compañ
Affiliations
Suzan Saber
Institut de Disseny i Fabricació, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Bernabé Marí
Institut de Disseny i Fabricació, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Andreu Andrio
Departament de Física Aplicada, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat s/n, 12080 Castelló, Spain
Jorge Escorihuela
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universitat de València, Avda. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain
Nagwa Khattab
National Research Center, 33 El Bohouth St. (Former El Tahrir St.), Dokki, Giza, Cairo 12622, Egypt
Ali Eid
National Research Center, 33 El Bohouth St. (Former El Tahrir St.), Dokki, Giza, Cairo 12622, Egypt
Amany El Nahrawy
National Research Center, 33 El Bohouth St. (Former El Tahrir St.), Dokki, Giza, Cairo 12622, Egypt
Mohamed Abo Aly
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
Vicente Compañ
Departament de Termodinàmica Aplicada, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyers Industrials (ETSII), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
A new approach for the synthesis of nanopowders and thin films of CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) chalcopyrite material doped with different amounts of Cr is presented. The chalcopyrite material CuInxGa1 − xSe2 was doped using Cr to form a new doped chalcopyrite with the structure CuInxCryGa1 − x − ySe2, where x = 0.4 and y = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3. The electrical properties of CuInx CryGa1 − x − ySe2 are highly dependent on the Cr content and results show these materials as promising dopants for the fabrication thin film solar cells. The CIGS nano-precursor powder was initially synthesized via an autoclave method, and then converted into thin films over transparent substrates. Both crystalline precursor powders and thin films deposited onto ITO substrates following a spin-coating process were subsequently characterized using XRD, SEM, HR-TEM, UV–visible and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). EIS measurement was performed to evaluate the dc-conductivity of these novel materials as conductive films to be applied in solar cells.
