CIS film growth by metallic ink coating and selenization

A novel technique was demonstrated for the growth of CuInSe2 (CIS) thin fil ms. The technique used an ink formulation containing sub-micron size partic les of Cu-In alloys. A metallic precursor layer was first formed by coating this ink onto the substrate by spraying. The precursor film was then made to react with Se to form the CIS compound. The morphology of the CIS layers depended on the initial composition of the Cu-In particles as well as the post-deposition treatments. Solar cells were fabricated on CIS absorber lay ers prepared by this low-cost ink-coating approach and devices with a conve rsion efficiency of over 10.5% were demonstrated. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.