Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yongshin Kim, Hannes Hempel, Sergiu Levcenco, Julie Euvrard, Eric Bergmann, Oki Gunawan, Thomas Unold, Ian G. Hill, David B. Mitzi
Summary: A new class of chalcogenides, Cu2BaGeSe4 (CBGSe) and Cu2BaSnS4 (CBTS), has been introduced to mitigate anti-site defect formation in Cu2ZnSnS4-xSex. CBGSe films exhibit higher hole carrier concentration, lower mobility, and pronounced deep-level emission compared to CBTS films. The prototype CBGSe solar cells show an efficiency of 1.5% with a 0.62 V open-circuit voltage, pointing to possible limiting factors for CBGSe and related films in PV and optoelectronics applications.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
David B. Mitzi, Yongshin Kim
Summary: Inorganic-based thin-film photovoltaics (TFPV) is an important component of the low-carbon energy market, but current commercialized absorber technologies have certain limitations. Chalcogenide-based semiconductors show promising potential for future PV development, providing high performance, low cost, and operational stability.
FARADAY DISCUSSIONS
(2022)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Ming L. Yu, Andrei Los, Gang Xiong
Summary: Tandem solar cells have the potential to become the next-generation PV technology, thanks to their higher efficiency compared to single-junction solar cells. Thin-film/thin-film (TF/TF) tandems are particularly attractive due to their scalability and cost reduction. These tandems also offer more flexibility in absorber bandgaps, allowing for efficiency optimization. By considering non-ideal materials and device quality, a range of top and bottom cell band gaps that enable the highest tandem efficiency is identified. The study also explores various thin film absorber materials for tandem applications and discusses their potential and challenges.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-ENERGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ying Liu, Jian Zhao, Siyu Zhang, Dengyu Li, Xuejiao Zhang, Qing Zhao, Baoshan Xing
Summary: With the advancement of material science, solar-driven evaporation has emerged as a promising and sustainable solution to the global water crisis. This review summarizes recent progress in solar absorbers and discusses strategies for improving the performance of solar-driven evaporation through rational design and structural optimization. Additionally, it highlights the challenges in heat management and water transportation in current evaporation systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhaoteng Duan, Xiaoyang Liang, Yang Feng, Haiya Ma, Baolai Liang, Ying Wang, Shiping Luo, Shufang Wang, Ruud E. I. Schropp, Yaohua Mai, Zhiqiang Li
Summary: This study reports the fabrication of compact Sb2Se3 films using injection vapor deposition, resulting in high crystallinity and minimal defects, which leads to improved energy conversion efficiency in solar cells.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
O. Oklobia, G. Kartopu, S. Jones, P. Siderfin, B. Grew, H. K. H. Lee, W. C. Tsoi, Ali Abbas, J. M. Walls, D. L. McGott, M. O. Reese, S. J. C. Irvine
Summary: Recent developments in CdTe solar cell technology have involved the use of ternary alloy Cd(Se,Te) in devices, which helps enhance current density and improve device performance. The incorporation of Cd(Se,Te) polycrystalline thin films in CdTe solar cells has been explored, with focus on the compositional dependence of crystal structure and optical properties. The formation of a graded Se profile and back-diffusion of dopants have been confirmed, with in situ As doping of the Cd(Se,Te) layer showing potential for improving device junction quality.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Ying Zheng, Zao Yi, Li Liu, Xianwen Wu, Huan Liu, Gongfa Li, Liangcai Zeng, Hailiang Li, Pinghui Wu
Summary: In this study, a solar absorber and thermal emitter with ultra-broadband perfect absorption and high thermal radiation efficiency were designed. The absorber achieved a high absorption efficiency of 91.5% in the entire wavelength range and an average absorption efficiency of 99% in the selected range. The structure also exhibited excellent performance as a thermal emitter, with an optimal working temperature of 2000 K and a thermal radiation efficiency of 94.8%.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hao Li, Ling Li, Li Xiong, Beibei Wang, Gang Wang, Shenghua Ma, Xiaojun Han
Summary: Utilizing a commercial continuous spraying system, a SiO2/MXene/HPTFE Janus membrane was prepared for water treatment, showing high stability, excellent mechanical properties, and 93.0% light absorption. The membrane achieved a photothermal evaporation rate of 1.53 kg m(-2) h(-1) with 85.6% solar thermal conversion efficiency, outperforming most reported work. Additionally, the membrane exhibited excellent salt resistance and self-cleaning ability, making it suitable for sensor systems.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Minghao Zhao, Junsheng Yu, Lijuan Fu, Youwei Guan, Hua Tang, Lu Li, Jiang Cheng
Summary: Selenylation significantly improved the efficiency of CuSbS2 solar cells by effectively doping Se into the lattice and reducing carrier recombination centers. The substitution rate of Se was very high (>39%), and the selenized device showed a much higher efficiency of 0.90% compared to the simply annealed device (0.46%), demonstrating the promising potential of this technique.
Article
Thermodynamics
Jialiang Yin, Jun Xu, Wenbin Xu, Song Liu, Wenqing Li, Zhenggang Fang, Chunhua Lu, Zhongzi Xu
Summary: This study investigates the impact of wettability of the photo-thermal films on evaporation rates. The findings show that the full-wetting film exhibits high evaporation performance at low optical power densities, while the semi-wetting film performs better at high optical power densities. The research provides a new approach to achieving high evaporation performance by adjusting the wettability in different application environments.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ruei-Tang Chen, Fong-Long Wu
Summary: In this study, a new facial recognition system was developed using thin-film solar cells as sensors. By precisely controlling changes in LED light intensity, the accuracy of facial recognition can be improved.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Rong Wang, Baoying Dou, Yifeng Zheng, Su-Huai Wei
Summary: In this study, the structural, electronic, and defect properties of AgInSe2, AgGaSe2, and their alloys were investigated using first-principles calculations. The results suggest that alloy engineering can enhance the power conversion efficiency of the solar cell absorber, and a new buffer layer material is needed for better electron transport in the solar cell.
SCIENCE CHINA-PHYSICS MECHANICS & ASTRONOMY
(2022)
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
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mamta, Kamlesh Kumar Maurya, Vidya Nand Singh
Summary: This study investigates the photovoltaic performance of different absorber materials in thin-film solar cells and examines the impact of various parameters on cell performance. The optimization of device parameters can improve the performance characteristics of absorber layers, which is significant for solar energy harvesting applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
C. A. Figueira, G. Del Rosario, D. Pugliese, M. Rodriguez-Tapiador, S. Fernandez
Summary: This study fabricated copper nitride films using reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering and investigated the role of argon in the microstructure and optoelectronic properties of the films. The results showed that argon had an influence on the preferential orientation of the films, while no structural changes were observed in films deposited in a pure nitrogen environment. The optical properties of the films were also evaluated, indicating the potential of this material as a solar absorber.
