Electrodeposition of Cu-In alloys from a choline chloride based deep eutectic solvent for photovoltaic applications

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Joã ; o C. Malaquias^a ; ^{joao.malaquias@uni.lu} ; Marc Steichen^a ; Matthieu Thomassey^b ; Phillip J. Dale^a
• 关键词：Ionic liquid ; Solar cells ; CIGS ; Indium ; Alloy
• 刊名：Electrochimica Acta
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：30 July, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：103
• 期：Complete
• 页码：15-22
• 全文大小：1595 K

文摘

Electrodeposition and post-annealing is a promising low-cost approach to the growth of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ for photovoltaic applications. However, In and Ga electrodeposition is not facile from aqueous electrolytes. Efficient electrodeposition can be achieved by using deep eutectic solvent (DES) based electrolytes since solvent decomposition reactions (such as hydrogen evolution reaction in water) do not occur.

In this work, the electrochemical behavior of InCl₃ and CuCl₂-InCl₃ on the DES 1:2 choline chloride:urea (ChCl:U) on a Mo rotating disk electrode is studied via cyclic voltammetry. The deposited Cu-In thin films are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) in terms of morphology and composition and X-ray diffraction (XRD) regarding crystal structure. The cyclic voltammetric studies on the ChCl:U-CuCl₂-InCl₃ system showed multiple cathodic and anodic responses, which were assigned to various crystalline phases. The crystalline phases, composition and morphology of the deposits were potential dependent. Cu-In intermetallics formation is studied as a function of deposition potential and electrolyte composition. Cu-In metal precursors were thermally annealed under selenium pressure to form CuInSe₂.