ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes an improved device concept to describe the photovoltaic (PV) action of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS)-based solar cells and possible ways forward for further development of CIGS solar cells. The material CIGS has attracted intense research within the PV community due to its high potential in thin-film solar cell development. The chapter also summarises the device structure, understanding of the physics behind this device, reported device performance, and some notable features leading to a new understanding of the solid-state principles behind these devices. The conventional semiconductor growth technique, or the melt-growth method, has been used to grow bulk materials in order to study their structural, optical, and electrical properties. In order to describe the PV action, a rectifying interface available within the device structure should be identified. The formation of a PV-active device structure depends on the fine details of the materials growth and device processing.
