The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 18, 2016
Filed:
Feb. 05, 2013
Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon, KR;
Jihye Gwak, Daejeon, KR;
Jae-Ho Yun, Daejeon, KR;
SeJin Ahn, Daejeon, KR;
Kyung Hoon Yoon, Daejeon, KR;
Kee Shik Shin, Daejeon, KR;
Guk-Yeong Jeong, Seoul, KR;
SeoungKyu Ahn, Daejeon, KR;
Ara Cho, Seoul, KR;
Hisun Park, Gyeonggi-do, KR;
Sung Woo Choi, Seoul, KR;
KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Daejeon, KR;
Abstract
A method of fabricating a CIGS thin film for solar cells using a simplified co-vacuum evaporation process and a CIGS thin film fabricated by the method are disclosed. The method includes: (a) depositing Cu, Ga and Se on a substrate having a substrate temperature ranging from 500° C. to 600° C. through co-vacuum evaporation, (b) depositing Cu, Ga, Se and In through co-vacuum evaporation while maintaining the same substrate temperature as in step (a), and (c) depositing Ga and Se through co-vacuum evaporation, followed by depositing Se alone through vacuum evaporation while lowering the temperature of the substrate. The method can realize crystal growth and band-gap grading by Ga composition distribution while simplifying process steps and significantly reducing a film-deposition time, as compared with a conventional co-vacuum evaporation process, thereby providing improvement in process efficiency.