Cu(In,Ga)Se2 mesa diodes for the study of edge recombination

We analyze the influence of different etching techniques on the edge recombination signal. It is found that bromine etch result in well passivated surfaces, and devices as small as 50 × 50 μm do not experience edge recombination efficiency limitations. This behavior is remarkable compared to that of the microcells made of crystalline materials. For devices where the edges are deteriorated by a chemical post-treatment, a quasi-shunting signal coming from the edges is seen. We tested these microcells under concentrated illumination and important open-circuit voltage and efficiency gains are seen.