Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Md Salahuddin Mina, Enkhjargal Enkhbayar, Namuundari Otgontamir, SeongYeon Kim, JunHo Kim
Summary: In this study, narrow band gap CIGSSe solar cells were investigated with and without alkali treatment. The power conversion efficiency of the solar cell was significantly enhanced through rubidium postdeposition treatment, which facilitated defect passivation and downshift of the valence band maximum. This treatment resulted in a high efficiency tandem solar cell with a PCE of -15% and an energy band gap of less than 1.1 eV.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Sunil Suresh, Alexander R. Uhl
Summary: Photovoltaic technologies provide a sustainable solution to increasing energy demands, with chalcopyrite thin-film solar cells exhibiting high efficiency but typically fabricated using vacuum deposition methods. Research is shifting towards solution processing techniques to improve material usage, increase throughput, and lower commercialization barriers, but performance of current devices falls short of vacuum-processed counterparts.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Diego A. Garzon, Christian Rossi, Ishwor Khatri, Francesco Soggia, Ihsan Caha, Francis Leonard Deepak, Diego Colombara, Sascha Sadewasser
Summary: The formation of Cd-free Zn1-xSnxOy (ZTO) thin film buffer layers for CIGSe solar cells was studied using chemical bath deposition. By modifying the deposition procedure, flatter ZTO films were obtained with inhibited columnar growth. Increasing the concentration of Sn in the chemical bath resulted in a nontrivial increase in the bandgap. Using a 20% Sn concentration, the CIGSe solar cells achieved similar performance to those with a CdS buffer layer, with a maximum efficiency of 10.4% and an average efficiency of 9%.
Article
Electrochemistry
Behzad Mahmoudi, Francesco Caddeo, Titus Lindenberg, Thomas Schneider, Torsten Hoelscher, Roland Scheer, A. Wouter Maijenburg
Summary: In this study, polycrystalline Cu-Ga-Se films with different compositions were prepared to investigate the effect of the Cu/Ga ratio on crystal structure, morphology, and PEC performance. Remarkable saturated photocurrent densities were observed for films with Cu/Ga ratios of 0.85 and 0.33, covering a significant portion of the maximum theoretical photocurrents for materials with band gaps of 1.68 eV and 1.85 eV, respectively. Additionally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) confirmed the consistency between the difference in onset potential and flat-band potential between the two films.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Bowen Liu, Xinan Shi, Wei Shao, Jiaxin Gao, Chenxi Zhao, Fuyan Chen, Dongdong Shen, Bingsuo Zou, Daocheng Pan
Summary: A novel and green ionic liquid-assisted ink is developed for the fabrication of highly efficient CIGSSe solar cells by inkjet printing. Compared to the conventional vacuum-based deposition and spin-coating solution methods, inkjet printing technology can remarkably improve the material utilization of copper indium gallium sulfur selenium (CIGS) and achieve a flat and continuous deposition of CIGS thin film. The inkjet-printed CIGSSe solar cells show an encouraging power conversion efficiency of 15.22%.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gi Soon Park, SeungJe Lee, Da-Seul Kim, Sang Yeun Park, Jai Hyun Koh, Da Hye Won, Phillip Lee, Young Rag Do, Byoung Koun Min
Summary: Ultrathin solar cells (UTSCs) have attracted attention due to their low-cost production and potential applications. To achieve high efficiency, passivation of the rear-interface is crucial, especially for thinner absorbers. This study introduces amorphous TiO2 layers as passivating contacts for solution-processed UTSCs, which not only passivate defective rear-interfaces but also provide excellent electrical conduction. The amorphous nature of TiO2 layers enables desirable ohmic conduction over the entire area without any contact openings.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Polyxeni Tsoulka, Sylvie Harel, Ludovic Arzel, Alfons Weber, Thomas Niesen, Pablo Reyes-Figueroa, Hossam Elanzeery, Thomas Dalibor, Nicolas Barreau
Summary: The chalcogen atmosphere during alkali fluoride post-deposition treatment (PDT) on Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGSSe) absorbers plays a crucial role in determining the surface properties. The study focused on RbF-PDTs, examining the effects of Se and S atmosphere and the impact of In and RbF co-evaporation. The results showed that under Se atmosphere, a Cu-poor chalcopyrite phase was enhanced, while under S atmosphere, Cu-poor chalcopyrite phases were hindered.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Van Ben Chu, Daniel Siopa, Alice Debot, Damilola Adeleye, Mohit Sood, Alberto Lomuscio, Michele Melchiorre, Jerome Guillot, Nathalie Valle, Brahime El Adib, Jonathan Rommelfangen, Phillip J. Dale
Summary: Chemical bath methods for growing thin film semiconductors produce a lot of waste solvent and chemicals. This study successfully replaced the toxic chemical bath deposited CdS buffer layer with a benign inkjet-printed and annealed Zn(O,S) layer, greatly reducing solvent and chemical usage. The wetting and final performance of the Zn(O,S) layer on CIGS can be controlled by various factors, with the best device efficiency reaching 13.5% through optimization.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qianqian Chang, Shengjie Yuan, Junjie Fu, Qianqian Gao, Yunhai Zhao, Zhen Xu, Dongxing Kou, Zhengji Zhou, Wenhui Zhou, Sixin Wu
Summary: Indium doping of cadmium sulfide (CdS) by chemical bath deposition (CBD) is an efficient strategy to enhance the efficiency of CIGSSe. However, the low solubility of In2S3 limits the In doping contents and band energy-level regulation for CdS using traditional CBD process. In this study, a novel CBD method is used to prepare indium-doped CdS (In:CdS) buffer by slowly adding the indium source in the growing solution. This reduces the In ion concentration during real-time deposition and leads to the formation of compact and uniform In:CdS with higher indium doping content. In:CdS improves the heterojunction quality of CIGSSe by elevating the CdS conduction band edge, achieving a more favorable band alignment and enhancing carrier transport efficiency while reducing interface defect density. The solution-processed CIGSSe device with In:CdS as a buffer exhibits a high efficiency of 16.4%, characterized by a high V-OC of 670 mV and an FF of 75.3%.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Betul Ceviz Sakar, Zeynep Orhan, Fatma Yildirim, S. Aydogan
Summary: Se-doped CdO thin films were prepared on p-Si substrates via spin coating. Morphological, structural, and absorption measurements were performed. The CdO:Se/p-Si heterojunction exhibited good rectification feature in the dark and under different illumination conditions. It showed high responsivity and stability, indicating its potential application in photodetection.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Sunil Suresh, David J. Rokke, Amandine A. Drew, Essam Alruqobah, Rakesh Agrawal, Alexander R. Uhl
Summary: This article reviews the extrinsic doping concepts for CIGSSe-type absorbers fabricated by ink-based deposition routes, compares the performance of select high-efficiency ink-based devices, and offers an outlook for future process development. It suggests that the mechanisms of ink-based absorbers are fundamentally different from vacuum-based processes and require further investigation.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Mohammed A. Jabr, Abdullah M. Ali, Raid A. Ismail
Summary: In this study, a copper oxide thin film was prepared using the CW laser assisted-chemical bath deposition (LACBD) technique. The effect of laser wavelength on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of CuO film was investigated. Increasing the laser wavelength resulted in decreasing the grain size of the film and enhancing the crystallization. The p-CuO/n-Si heterojunction photodetectors exhibited two peaks of response at 450 nm and 800 nm.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shuaiqi Han, Jingjing Jiang, Xinge Liu, Bingyan Li, Kangjie Zhang, Shasha Hao, Shaotang Yu, Weibo Yan, Hao Xin
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of a chemical-bath-deposited zinc sulfoxide buffer layer in solution-processed copper indium gallium selenide solar cells. By optimizing the deposition time and annealing process, a dense and uniform zinc sulfoxide buffer layer was achieved. The resulting solar cells showed a high power conversion efficiency of 12.0%.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shaohong Yang, Wencai Zhou, Jingjing Qu, Linrui Zhang, Xiaoyu Lv, Zilong Zheng, Xiaoqing Chen, Hui Yan, Ming Zhao, Daming Zhuang
Summary: Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)(2) has distinct advantages as a photovoltaic material, allowing independent tuning of its conduction and valence bands, as well as its composition distribution. Through calculations and simulations, we achieved high-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)(2) solar cells with an efficiency of 23.29%, providing an understanding of tunable engineered band energy research.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Ahmad Khayami, Ali A. Orouji
Summary: This study explores the potential of using zinc indium sulfide (Zn,In)S as a replacement for the conventional zinc oxysulfide Zn(O,S) buffer layer in Cu(In,Ga)Se-2(CIGS) solar cells. By optimizing the indium content, gallium concentration, and conduction band offset (CBO), the efficiency of the Cu(In,Ga)Se-2/(Zn,In)S cell can be improved. The results show that the CuIn0.6Ga0.4Se2/Zn0.9In0.1S junction with a small positive CBO exhibits enhanced fill factor (FF), open-circuit voltage (V-oc), and external quantum efficiency (EQE) values, leading to a higher conversion efficiency compared to the conventional CIGS/Zn(O,S) cell.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL PLUS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Juran Kim, Jayeong Kim, Eunji Ko, Ha Kyung Park, Seokhyun Yoon, Dae-Hyung Cho, Woo-Jung Lee, Yong-Duck Chung, William Jo
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Woo-Jung Lee, Dae-Hyung Cho, Jung Min Bae, Myeong Eon Kim, Jaehun Park, Yong-Duck Chung
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Young-Hee Joo, Jae-Hyung Wi, Woo-Jung Lee, Yong-Duck Chung, Dae-Hyung Cho, Saewon Kang, Doo-Seung Um, Chang-Il Kim
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Vinaya Kumar Arepalli, Woo-Jung Lee, Yong-Duck Chung, Jeha Kim
Summary: The properties of atomic layer deposited ZnO thin films in the temperature range of 80-180 degrees C were studied, showing an increase in thickness and grain sizes with temperature. The ZnO films exhibited preferred crystal orientation along the (100) plane, except for those grown at 80 degrees C. The electrical resistivity decreased, while mobility and carrier concentrations increased with temperature. CIGS solar cells using a 70 nm-thick ZnO film deposited at 100 degrees C showed the best device characteristics.
MATERIALS SCIENCE IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jong Hun Yu, Dae-Hyung Cho, Woo-Jung Lee, Woo-Ju Kim, Seong Jun Kang, Yong-Duck Chung
Summary: By introducing quantum dots (QDs) with a CdSe/ZnS core-shell structure into Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells, the short-wavelength spectral response is enhanced, leading to an increase in short-circuit current density and efficiency.
ECS JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Crystallography
Chul Kang, Gyuseok Lee, Woo-Jung Lee, Dae-Hyung Cho, Inhee Maeng, Yong-Duck Chung, Chul-Sik Kee
Summary: Ar-ion implantation increases the THz emission and carrier dynamics of CIGS films.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Woo-Jung Lee, Dae-Hyung Cho, Jae-Hyung Wi, Jong Hun Yu, Woo-Ju Kim, Chul Kang, Seong Jun Kang, Yong-Duck Chung
Summary: The highest efficiency of CIGS solar cells was achieved at a KF PDT process time of 50s, where the K-In-Se phase formed is beneficial for solar cell performance. Additionally, photocarrier transport is more effective at low barrier heights.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jong Hun Yu, Woo-Jung Lee, Dae-Hyung Cho, Woo-Ju Kim, Seong Jun Kang, Yong-Duck Chung
Summary: By adjusting the S-to-O ratio, we used zinc oxysulfide (ZnO1-xSx) as a single active layer in a phototransistor. The incorporation of S atoms in the ZnO1-xSx layer improved the electrical properties and photoresponsivity, particularly in the UV and visible regions. The phototransistor with ZnO0.9S0.1 exhibited the highest performance, with high photoresponsivity and photosensitivity for 450 nm light. The increase in oxygen vacancies due to the incorporation of S atoms was identified as the mechanism behind the improvement in photoresponsivity.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Woo-Ju Kim, Dae-Hyung Cho, Sung-Hoon Hong, Woo-Jung Lee, Tae-Ha Hwang, Joo Yeon Kim, Yong -Duck Chung
Summary: With the increasing use of building-integrated photovoltaic technology, diffractive nanostructures are used to create colorful solar cells that blend in with their surroundings. Various colors are produced on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells using nanoscale imprinting and transfer lithography methods. The material types and pattern shapes of the nanostructures have an impact on the optical properties of the solar cells. SiO2 demonstrates higher short-circuit current density (JSC) and color quality compared to TiO2.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Woo-Jung Lee, Gyuseok Lee, Dae-Hyung Cho, Kang Chul, Nosoung Myoung, C. S. Kee, Yong-Duck Chung
Summary: Investigating the effects of H+ ion irradiation on a chalcogenide Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) thin film revealed a conversion from p- to n-type conductivity, induced by strong surface band bending and ultrafast behavior of photocarriers. The use of optical pump THz probe spectroscopy further showed the ultrafast photocarrier dynamics at surface and bulk defect states, indicating H+ ion irradiation pacifies Cu vacancy defects while generating new defect states.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON TERAHERTZ SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)