Non-ionizing energy loss calculations for modeling electron-induced degradation of Cu(In, Ga)Se₂ thin-film solar cells

The lowest energies which make Cu, In, Ga, and Se atoms composing Cu(In, Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) material displaced from their lattice sites are evaluated, respectively. The non-ionizing energy loss (NIEL) for electron in CIGS material is calculated analytically using the Mott differential cross section. The relation of the introduction rate (k) of the recombination centers to NIEL is modified, then the values of k at different electron energies are calculated. Degradation modeling of CIGS thin-film solar cells irradiated with various-energy electrons is performed according to the characterization of solar cells and the recombination centers. The validity of the modeling approach is verified by comparison with the experimental data.