Impact of Annealing-Induced Intermixing on the Electronic Level Alignment at the In2S3/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Thin-Film Solar Cell Interface

The interface between a nominal In2S3 buffer and a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) thin-film solar cell absorber was investigated by direct and inverse photoemission to determine the interfacial electronic structure. On the basis of a previously reported heavy intermixing at the interface (S diffuses into the absorber; Cu diffuses into the buffer; and Na diffuses through it), we determine here the band alignment at the interface. The results suggest that the pronounced intermixing at the In2S3/CIGSe interface leads to a favorable electronic band alignment, necessary for high-efficiency solar cell devices.