Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Isaac K. Lam, Kyeongchan Moon, Sina Soltanmohammad, Gregory M. Hanket, Woo Kyoung Kim, William N. Shafarman
Summary: The reaction of metallic precursors has become the primary method of industrial manufacturing for Cu(In,Ga)Se-2. Cu-In-Ga precursors with varying GPPS and Ga compositions were prepared. It was found that the Ga composition of as-deposited precursors affects phase evolution with annealing, while film morphology can be controlled by adjusting In sputter conditions.
JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sakal Pech, Yun Ju Rou, Sara Kim, Kang-Yeon Lee, Nam-Hoon Kim
Summary: The improvement in crystallinity of non-selenized CIGS thin films was achieved by compensating for stoichiometric deviations through the co-sputtering of Te and rapid thermal annealing. The prepared CIGS:Te thin films exhibited better crystallinity with large grain size, clear grain boundaries, and low microstrain and dislocation density. These films also showed improved optical properties compared to conventional CIGS thin films, making them suitable for low-cost commercialization without the selenization process.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Chen Wang, Daming Zhuang, Ming Zhao, Yuxian Li, Liangzheng Dong, Hanpeng Wang, Jinquan Wei, Qianming Gong
Summary: Ag doping improves the crystallinity and film quality of ACIGS absorbers, reducing carrier recombination and enhancing carrier transport. Excessive Ag, however, leads to lattice distortion and structural defects, affecting device performance.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Weimin Li, Qiuming Song, Chenchen Zhao, Tongqing Qi, Chen Zhang, Wei Wang, Chuanzeng Gao, Xue Zheng, De Ning, Ming Ma, Jun Zhang, Ye Feng, Ming Chen, Wenjie Li, Chunlei Yang
Summary: This study proposes an effective method to improve the V-oc of chalcopyrite solar cells by using a simultaneous rapid thermal selenization and sulfurization process (RTP). By optimizing the H2S gas concentration and Se capping layer thickness, high-efficiency CIGSSe solar cells with an efficiency above 17% have been successfully achieved, reducing the high-temperature process duration to less than 5 minutes and eliminating the need for toxic and expensive H2Se.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sreekanth Mandati, Prashant Misra, Divya Boosagulla, Narasinga Rao Tata, Sarada V. Bulusu
Summary: CIGS absorbers prepared by direct current electrodeposition process are selenized in a tubular furnace at 550 degrees C in elemental selenium atmosphere using Ar as carrier gas, with the evacuation of tube prior to selenization affecting the formation of CIGS absorbers. Solar cells fabricated using vacuum-based selenization show improved performance compared to non-vacuum selenization, indicating potential for environmentally friendly low-cost solar cells.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gao Qing, Jianping Ao, Yunxiang Zhang, Yongheng Zhang, Jiajia Guo, Guozhong Sun, Wei Liu, Fangfang Liu, Yi Zhang
Summary: The research demonstrates that pulse selenization can effectively inhibit the diffusion of gallium towards the back of CIGS and improve the gallium content on the CIGSe surface, increasing the number of defects in the CIGS film and thus enhancing the efficiency of solar cells.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
R. Aninat, F. J. van den Bruele, J. J. Schermer, P. Tinnemans, J. Emmelkamp, E. Vlieg, M. van der Vleuten, H. Linden, M. Theelen
Summary: The selenisation process of Cu-Ga-In metallic precursors was studied using in-situ X-ray diffraction, revealing the significant impact of Se crucible temperature and sample temperature on the interdiffusion of Ga and In. Strategies to gain better control over the GGI depth profile, and hence bandgap profile, were discussed in light of the results demonstrating the versatility of the setup.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sanjay R. Dhage, Brijesh Singh Yadav, Golu Kumar Jha, Amol C. Badgujar
Summary: A simple and relatively less toxic single-step atmospheric selenization method was introduced to prepare high-quality CIGS thin-film absorbers. The results demonstrated high efficiency and reproducibility, paving the way for developing monolithically integrated prototype modules.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Rouhollah Khosroshahi, Mehdi Dehghani, Nastaran A. Tehrani, Nima Taghavinia, Mojtaba Bagherzadeh
Summary: The synthesis and deposition of high-quality CIS and CIGS films were studied, and it was found that by optimizing the selenization process, pinhole-free CIGS films with large grains could be successfully obtained.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Melike Babucci, Debora M. Meira, Erik Wallin, Jan Keller, Olivier Donzel-Gargand, Charlotte Platzer Bjorkman, Natalia M. Martin
Summary: Alloying CIGS solar cell absorber with silver can improve the performance of thin-film solar cells by increasing the optical band gap and open-circuit voltage. By using angle-resolved XAS and other measurement techniques, it is found that the local atomic arrangement of ACIGS absorbers with varying Ag content and Ga depth gradient deviates from the long-range crystallographic structure, which may affect the electronic properties of solar cells.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Charlie Ruffman, Stephanie Lambie, Krista G. G. Steenbergen, Nicola Gaston
Summary: The melting behavior of Ga-In and Ga-Sn surface slabs was studied using periodic density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics. The analysis of structure and electronics revealed insights into the properties of these alloys and their potential as CO2 reduction catalysts. The research showed that the melting points of hexa-layer Ga-In and Ga-Sn were lower than pure hexa-layer Ga, attributed to the disruptive effect of the dopants on the Ga network. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that dopants migrated to and accumulated on the surface of the slabs. The positive charge on the surface dopant atoms and the metallic electronic behavior of the liquid alloys suggested good binding sites for CO2 reduction intermediates.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Jinlin Ke, Rengang Zhang, Peng Zhang, Runsheng Yu, Xingzhong Cao, Peng Kuang, Baoyi Wang
Summary: ZnSe films were prepared on quartz substrates by selenizing as-sputtered zinc films at different temperatures, and it was found that films obtained at 700 degrees Celsius exhibited the best structural and optical properties. The effects of temperature on crystallization and molar ratio of the films were significantly optimized.
SUPERLATTICES AND MICROSTRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xiaowei Zhou, Chao Gao, Hao Luo, Zhiwei Liu, Haixu Liu, Haifeng Gao, Qing Zhou, Wenbo Li, Xiaoyun Teng, Wei Yu
Summary: In this study, a modified preparation process for Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)(4) (CZTSSe) films was reported, which involved depositing Al2O3 capping layers on precursor films before selenization. The capping layers prevented the formation of separate CuxSe phase on top of the film and promoted a homogeneous growth of the crystalline grains during selenization, leading to CZTSSe films with improved solar cell efficiencies, particularly an increase in the open-circuit voltage by approximately 18%.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lukas Fink, Kornelius Nielsch, Sebastian Fahler
Summary: Thermomagnetic generators convert waste heat into electric energy, and the choice of active thermomagnetic material is crucial for their performance. This study focuses on optimizing Heusler films for thermomagnetic applications by examining key thermomagnetic properties and correlating them with common properties such as crystal structure and magnetic characteristics.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Junsu Han, Ming Zhao, Daming Zhuang, Hanpeng Wang, Hao Tong, Shengye Tao, Liangzheng Dong, Mengyao Jia, Yafei Wang
Summary: This work demonstrates the effects of aluminum and aluminum oxide on the formation process of Cu(InAl)Se2 (CIASe) thin films. Through a series of experiments, the optimal conditions for obtaining excellent adhesion and electrical properties of CIASe thin films were identified. A 2.4 μm-thick CIASe thin film with strong adhesion to the Mo-coated substrate was successfully obtained, and a CIASe solar cell with an efficiency of 7.7% was fabricated. The study highlights the great potential of the two-step fabrication approach for CIASe thin film production.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
