Copper indium selenide (CIG) and copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) are similar semiconducting materials in CIS/CIGS modules. Light soaking for these types of cells are known to show induced efficiency under illumination and produce a ~5% efficiency improvement after light exposure for periods in the order of hours. The effect in these modules is reversible and relaxation time to the low efficiency state is found to be ~3–16 hours.
The main mechanism behind the effect is caused by the presence of selenide copper (Se-Cu) divacancy defect which come in various configurations. For Fermi levels below a certain value EFre (for CGS this is the valence band maximum energy plus 0.2 eV) the defect acts as a shallow donor and causes a defect level at the conduction band. When the Fermi levels rise above EFre, the configuration of the defect changes into two states: a shallow acceptor and a deep acceptor. As a consequence of these defect levels, a nonuniform charge en and defect distribution is created which are affected by light and hence change various electrical characteristics of the module.
Addition of copper in the back contact lowers the back-carries height and thus improves performance. On the other hand, the loss of copper via diffusion through CdTe increases back-carrier height which reduces the power output of the cell. The degradation loss due to diffusing copper is significantly faster under higher temperatures (85-100 °C).
Some promising emerging types of solar cells include organic solar cells, Perovskite solar cells and dye sensitized solar cells. These technologies are relatively new and the origin of the light soaking effect is not always well understood.
These solar cells are an example of where the power output increases upon illumination. Where there is a kink shape in the I-V characteristic curve which disappears upon illumination, as mentioned above. There are different views of the origin of the light soaking effect in organic/polymer solar cells.
A way to look at the effect is by suggesting that the kink shape originates from so-called trap states on the indium tin oxide/titanium oxide (ITO/TiOx) interface. Consequently, an energy barrier appears due to the difference in the work function of the ITO and the conduction band edge of the TiOx. Hence electrons accumulate at the ITO/TiOx interface, which leads to the kink shape. Upon irradiation, however, the electron density will increase, filling the trap states. With these trap states filled, the energy barrier will become narrower, resulting in the tunneling of electrons, such that they can be absorbed into the ITO electrode. Decreasing the effect of light soaking would then be done by increasing the carrier density in fabrication, filling the trap states from the start.
A different way to explain the effect is by trap assisted recombination. Since these trap levels (holes that are accumulated at the ITO/TiOx interface) lie somewhere in the band gap between the ITO/TiOx layers, these states increase recombination. This is because successive transmissions, from TiOx to trap level, to ITO, are much more probable than one big energy step, from TiOx to ITO. The effect of illumination is then to lower the work function of the ITO TiOx contact, which increases the built-in potential. This higher potential hinders the build up of holes, lowering the recombination and thus removing the kink shape in the I-V curve. To help with the light soaking problem one would have to modify the cathode contact, to a lower effective work function, or get a material that has a lower work function to begin with
Perovskite solar cells are very new and many research in solar cells is focussed on these promising technologies. In these solar cells different effects have been observed after light soaking. Both increases and decreases in device performance have been found. These effects can be reversible as well as permanent. A permanent positive change was found and is sometimes explained by enhanced N-type doping due to an increase in oxygen vacancies, which leads to a higher conductivity and charge extraction rate. One can also observe a reversible positive change which is suggested to be due to trapassisted recombination, similar to the effect in organic solar cells. A reversible negative change proposed to be due to light-activated trap states. This decrease in device performance is quickly reversed when stored in dark surroundings. An attempt to illustrate the full behavior is given by a build-up of positive ions (like vacancies) that lower the charge carrier separation in the solar cell. The concentration of these ions can be lowered upon illumination. This is a quick process, which enhances the device performance. However, after an extended period of light soaking, the ions drift to the surface. Because of trap states at the interface, device performance is increased. The magnitude and duration of the effects depend on the grain sizes and morphology of the solar cells. Ion migration is found to be slower in larger grains and minimizing grain boundaries can reduce the light soaking effect.
In these cells the effect is an increase in device performance, which happens during about 20–30 minutes of illumination. Observations show that the current (I) is increased, where the open circuit voltage (V) stays relatively constant. This likely arises from shallow trap states near the conductionband which are formed under illumination. The redistribution of states in the band gap gives rise to a change in the conduction band edge. This results in an increase in the speed in which free electrons are generated, boosting the injection rate, without deteriorating the open circuit voltage
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