title: Large-scale micro- and nanopatterns of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells by mold-assisted chemical-etching process.
abstract: A reactive mold-assisted chemical etching (MACE) process through an easy-to-make agarose stamp soaked in bromine methanol etchant to rapidly imprint larger area micro- and nanoarrays on CIGS substrates was demonstrated. Interestingly, by using the agarose stamp during the MACE process with and without additive containing oil and triton, CIGS microdome and microhole arrays can be formed on the CIGS substrate. Detailed formation mechanisms of microstructures and the chemical composition variation after the etching process were investigated. In addition, various microand nanostructures were also demonstrated by this universal approach. The microstructure arrays integrated into standard CIGS solar cells with thinner thickness can still achieve an efficiency of 11.22%, yielding an enhanced efficiency of ∼18% compared with that of their planar counterpart due to an excellent absorption behavior confirmed by the simulation results, which opens up a promising way for the realization of high-efficiency micro- or nanostructured thin-film solar cells. Finally, the complete dissolution of agarose stamp into hot water demonstrates an environmentally friendly method by the mold-assisted chemical etching process through an easy-to-make agarose stamp.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiang-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan.|‡National Nano Device Laboratories, No. 26, Prosperity Road 1, Hsinchu 30078, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Ta
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: ‡National Nano Device Laboratories, No. 26, Prosperity Road 1, Hsinchu 30078, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chang-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: ‡National Nano Device Laboratories, No. 26, Prosperity Road 1, Hsinchu 30078, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jia-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Shieh
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Lun
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chueh
keywords: Cu(In; Ga)Se2; agarose stamp; microand nanostructures; mold-assisted chemical-etching process