Method of manufacturing CI(G)S nano particles for manufacturing light absorption layer and CI(G)S nano particles manufactured using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9356168-B2
Application number	US-201514588864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 19, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed are a method of preparing CI(G)S nano particles forming a light absorption layer of solar cells, including dissolving at least one Group VI source selected from the group consisting of compounds comprising sulfur (S), selenium (Se), or a combination thereof, and an indium (In) salt in a solvent to prepare a first solution, reacting the first solution to form first precursor particles, dissolving a copper (Cu) salt in a solvent to prepare a second solution, mixing the second solution with the first solution in which the first precursor is formed to manufacture a mixture and purifying the synthesized CI(G)S nano particles after synthesizing the CI(G)S nano particles by reacting the mixture, and CI(G)S nano particles manufactured using the same.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of preparing CI(G)S nano particles forming a light absorption layer of solar cells, the method comprising:
dissolving at least one Group VI source selected from the group consisting of compounds comprising sulfur (S), selenium (Se), or a combination thereof, and an indium (In) salt in a solvent to prepare a first solution;
reacting the first solution to form first precursor particles;
dissolving a copper (Cu) salt in a solvent to prepare a second solution;
mixing the second solution with the first solution in which the first precursor is formed to manufacture a mixture; and
purifying the synthesized CI(G)S nano particles after synthesizing the CI(G)S nano particles by reacting the mixture.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a solvent of each of the first solution and second solution is a polyol solvent.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the polyol solvent is at least one selected form the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, poly(ethylene glycol) (molecular weight: 200 to 100,000), poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol)dibenzonate), dipropylene glycol, dipropylene glycol and glycerol.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first solution further comprises a gallium (Ga) salt.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of chloride, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, acetate, sulfite, acetylacetonate and hydroxide.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Group VI source is at least one selected from the group consisting of Na2Se, K2Se, Ca2Se, (CH3)2Se, SeO2, SeCl4, H2SeO3, Na2S, K2S, Ca2S, (CH3)2S, H2SO4, NH2SO3H, (NH2)2SO2, Na2S2O3 and hydrates thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Group VI source is at least one selected from the group consisting of thiourea, thioacetamide, selenourea, and selenous acid.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first solution of the dissolving comprises 0.5 to 2 mol of a Group VI source based on 1 mol of indium.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixture of the mixing comprises 0.2 to 1 mol of copper (Cu) based on 1 mol of indium (In).

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the synthesized CI(G)S nano particles are globular particles having an average diameter of 30 to 200 nm.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the CI(G)S nano particles have an average diameter of 50 nm to 150 nm.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the synthesized CI(G)S nano particles comprise copper (Cu) ions migrated to channels of amorphous first precursor particles.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first precursor particles are amorphous, and the CI(G)S nano particles comprising migrated copper (Cu) ions are amorphous or some of the CI(G)S nano particles are a crystalline due to Cu ions migrated to the amorphous first precursor particles.

14. CI(G)S nano particles manufactured using the method according to claim 1 .

15. A thin film comprising a light absorption layer based on the CI(G)S nano particles according to claim 14 .

16. The thin film according to claim 15 , wherein the light absorption layer is formed to a thickness of 2 to 3 μm.

17. A thin film solar cell manufactured using the thin film according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Taehun
• Yoon Seokhee
• Yoon Seokhyun

Classifications

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• H10F77/126 Primary

  comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS] · CPC title

• H10F77/12

  Active materials · CPC title

• H10F10/167 Primary

  comprising Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CdS/CuInSe2 [CIS] heterojunction photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• Y02E10/541

  CuInSe2 material PV cells · CPC title