This study revealed the band gap, visible transmittance, and crystallinity variation Cd-1 _ S-x:B emitter layer at different boron concentrations, as well as the CuInSe2 absorption layer nucleation mechanism at pH values ranging from 1.53 to 2.13. CuInSe2 deposited at a pH of 1.73 showed the highest grain size (2429 nm) and approached the stoichiometric state of [Cu]/[In] = 0.98, which produced was used for solar cells and Schottky diode. The conversion efficiency of Al/AZO/Cd-1 S-x:B/CuInSe2/Mo/Glass structure cell was 2.37% (V-oc: 293 mV, J(sc): 26.85 mA/cm(2), and FF: 0.301). Moreover, the aluminum material were deposited on CuInSe2 as a Schottky diode (Al/CuInS2/Mo/Glass), which diode was used to estimate the work function (Phi) and ideality factor (n) through Schottky barrier. These device parameters of Al/CuInSe2 structure was Phi(CulnSe2) = 4.791 eV and n = 3.52, respectively. This result revealed that the Cd-1 _ S-x:B/CuInSe2 interface state can cause Fermi-level pinning with an interface recombination velocity of 2328 x 10(3) cm s(-1). This indicates the poor performance of Schottky diodes and thin film solar cells comprising Cd-1 _ S-x:B/CuInSe2. However, experimental results demonstrated that the passivation of the surface by using iodine treatment can improve the Fermi-level pinning effect on Cd-1 _ S-x:B/CuInSe2 interfaces. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.