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X‐SPEC is a high‐flux spectroscopy beamline at the KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) Synchrotron for electron and X‐ray spectroscopy featuring a wide photon energy range. The beamline is equipped with a permanent magnet undulator with two magnetic structures of different period lengths, a focusing variable‐line‐space plane‐grating monochromator, a double‐crystal monochromator and three Kirkpatrick–Baez mirror pairs. By selectively moving these elements in or out of the beam, X‐SPEC is capable of covering an energy range from 70 eV up to 15 keV. The flux of the beamline is maximized by optimizing the magnetic design of the undulator, minimizing the number of optical elements and optimizing their parameters. The beam can be focused into two experimental stations while maintaining the same spot position throughout the entire energy range. The first experimental station is optimized for measuring solid samples under ultra‐high‐vacuum conditions, while the second experimental station allows in situ and operando studies under ambient conditions. Measurement techniques include X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and hard X‐ray PES (HAXPES), as well as X‐ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and resonant inelastic X‐ray scattering (RIXS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Doping an indium sulfide buffer layer with sodium is a promising route to replace the “state‐of‐the‐art” CdS buffer layer in chalcopyrite‐based thin‐film solar cells, as it achieves efficiencies as high as 17.9% for large‐area devices (30 cm × 30 cm). We report on the chemical and electronic structure of the InxSy:Na/CuIn(S,Se)2 (CISSe) interface for thin‐film solar cells by means of photoelectron, soft x‐ray emission, and inverse photoemission spectroscopy. For as‐deposited InxSy:Na buffer layers, we find a sulfur‐poor surface and, in comparison to undoped InxSy and the standard CdS buffer, derive a large electronic surface band gap of 2.60 ± 0.11 eV. The conduction band offset at the buffer/absorber interface is a spike of 0.32 ± 0.10 eV. After annealing at 200°C to simulate the thermal load of subsequent cell manufacturing processes, an additional diffusion of copper and selenium from the absorber towards the buffer layer surface is observed, leading to a distinct electronic surface band gap decrease of the InxSy:Na buffer layer (to 2.11 ± 0.11 eV). We speculate that the diffusion of absorber elements causes a band gap widening at the former absorber surface and that both effects lead to a reduction of the conduction band spike for the buried InxSy:Na/CISSe interface after annealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]