Citation

Suhaimi, Nadia Hartini and Zakaria, Zulfirdaus and Abdul Manan, Ninie Suhana and Subramaniam, Ramesh T. and Yap, Boon Kar and Nur-E-Alam, Mohammad and Chan, Kah Yoong and Osman, Siti Hasanah (2026) Band alignment and recombination mechanisms in Cd-free buffer layers for CIGS solar cells: A comprehensive review. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 218. p. 113983. ISSN 0022-3697

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Abstract

The transition toward sustainable energy systems has accelerated the development of environmentally benign photovoltaic technologies, particularly Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells. However, the conventional CdS buffer layer remains a major limitation due to cadmium toxicity and environmental concerns. Although various Cd-free buffer materials have been explored, their practical implementation remains challenging, ascribed to unfavorable band alignment, interface defect formation, interface recombination, and instability. This review critically discusses Cd-free buffer layers by systematically correlating material composition, deposition strategies, interface properties, band alignment, and recombination mechanisms with solar cell performance. The findings reveal that interface-controlled processes, particularly conduction band offset (CBO) regulation, defect passivation, and suppression of deposition-induced damage, strongly govern carrier transport and recombination behavior at the pn heterojunction. Furthermore, deposition methods significantly influence film uniformity, defect density, and heterojunction quality. Overall, this review overview highlights the critical role of interface engineering in minimizing recombination losses and provides guidance for developing stable and high-efficiency Cd-free CIGS solar cells.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Solar cells, Thin films, CIGS, Buffer layers, Cd-free
Subjects:	T Technology > TR Photography > TR624-835 Applied photography Including artistic, commercial, medical photography, photocopying processes
Divisions:	Faculty of Engineering (FOE)
Depositing User:	Ms Suzilawati Abu Samah
Date Deposited:	31 Jul 2026 07:37
Last Modified:	31 Jul 2026 07:37
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/16436

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