摘要
Herein, the effects of electron irradiation on cesium fluoride (CsF)-free and CsF-treated Cu(In 1−x ,Ga x )Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells with fluence from 1 × 10 13 to 1 × 10 17 cm −2 are investigated. Both CsF-free and CsF-treated CIGS solar cells exposed to fluence up to 3 × 10 15 cm −2 show self-healing properties, due to the soaking effect from electron bombardment. This feature indicates the robustness of CIGS solar cells for long-term space explorations. On the other hand, electron irradiation with fluence above 1 × 10 16 cm −2 suppresses the solar cell performance of both CsF-free and CsF-treated samples, which is expected to be due to the formation of irradiation-induced defects on the CIGS thin film. This result suggests that the formation of irradiation-induced defects is independent of the incorporation of heavier alkali metals into the CIGS thin films. The defect passivation and/or introduction rates at different fluences are investigated.