Influence of Mo/MoSe<sub>2</sub> microstructure on the damp heat stability of the Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub> back contact molybdenum

Journal article (2016)

Authors

M.J. Theelen TNO/Solliance, Photovoltaic Materials and Devices - EEMCS
Sylvie Harel Université de Nantes
Melvin Verschuren TNO/Solliance
Mathieu Tomassini Université de Nantes
Arjan Hovestad TNO/Solliance
N. Barreau Université de Nantes
Jurgen van Berkum Philips Innovation Services
Z. Vroon TNO/Solliance
M. Zeman Electrical Sustainable Energy
Research Group
Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (EEMCS) (TU Delft)
Degradation CIGS Sodium Molybdenum Molybdenum oxide Damp heat Intercalation Selenization
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Published Date

2016

Language

English

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Faculty

Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

Department

Electrical Sustainable Energy

Research Group

Photovoltaic Materials and Devices

Abstract

The degradation behavior of Mo/MoSe2 layers have been investigated using damp heat exposure. The two studied molybdenum based films with different densities and microstructures were obtained by lifting off Cu(In,Ga)Se2 layers from a bilayer molybdenum stack on soda lime glass. Hereby, a glass/Mo/MoSe2 was obtained, which resembles the back contact as present in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells. The samples were degraded for 150 h under standard damp heat conditions and analyzed before, during and after degradation. It was observed that the degradation resulted in the formation of needles and molybdenum oxide layers near the glass/Mo and the Mo/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 interfaces. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy measurements have shown that the sodium was also present at the surface of the degraded material and it is proposed that the degraded material consists mostly of MoO3 with intercalated Na+. This element has likely migrated from the soda lime glass. This intercalation process could have led to the formation of NaxMoO3 ‘molybdenum bronze’ following this redox reaction: xNa+ + MoO3 + xe− ↔ NaxMoO3 It is proposed that the formed oxide layer contains NaxMoO3 with different Na+ contents and different grades of conductivity. This intercalation process can also explain the high mobility of Na+ via the grain boundaries in molybdenum. It was also observed that the molybdenum film with a top layer deposited at a high pressure is more susceptible for damp heat degradation.