Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mona M. Khalil, Adly H. El-Sayed, M. S. Masaoud, Mahmoud A. Hamad
Summary: Films of alizarin yellow GG (AYGG)-CuCl2 blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were successfully synthesized by casting method. The dielectric properties of AYGG-Cu(II) blended with PVA are enhanced at lower frequencies, while the DC electrical resistivity of the blended film is temperature independent at low temperatures. The Al/(AYGG - Cu(II) blended with PVA)/ITO solar cell under green light illumination is most effective.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Brian M. Habersberger, Peter Hacke
Summary: This study observed that power loss caused by polarization-type potential-induced degradation (PID-p) in high-performance photovoltaic cells can be recovered through subsequent illumination and prevented in some cases through simultaneous illumination. The resistivity of different encapsulant materials affects the extent of power loss, with low resistivity materials being insensitive to high irradiance while high and intermediate resistivity materials provide some level of protection against irradiance. A simple model based on charge accumulation explains the opposing and interdependent phenomena of degradation via voltage stress and recovery via light exposure that describe a module's susceptibility to power loss.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fengjin Xia, Shuai Ma, Zhenzong Sha, Ruibin Jia, Jianguang Feng, Lifeng Dong, Jingru Tian, Liyan Yu, Hao Lv, Liang Sun
Summary: Extra sulfurization may not be necessary for synthesizing quaternary chalcogenides. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a viable method for preparing CZTS films, although post-annealing is required. A study shows that room-temperature PLD technique can enhance solar absorption of CZTS films without the need for extra sulfurization.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lujia Xu, Wenzhu Liu, Haohui Liu, Cangming Ke, Mingcong Wang, Chenlin Zhang, Erkan Aydin, Mohammed Al-Aswad, Konstantinos Kotsovos, Issam Gereige, Ahmed Al-Saggaf, Aqil Jamal, Xinbo Yang, Peng Wang, Frederic Laquai, Thomas G. Allen, Stefaan De Wolf
Summary: This study evaluates the economic impact of thermal effects on PV systems by establishing a temperature-dependent levelized cost of energy (LCOE) model and introducing a new metric, gamma. The investigation focuses on the root causes of heating in solar cells and modules, particularly in crystalline-Si (c-Si) PVs, to quantify ways to mitigate undesired heating effects.
Article
Physics, Applied
Vera N. Smolyaninova, William Korzi, Grace Yong, Anne-Marie Valente-Feliciano, David R. Beverstock, Joseph C. Prestigiacomo, Michael S. Osofsky, Igor I. Smolyaninov
Summary: This study characterized the electronic transport and optical properties of NbTiN/AlN multilayers with ultrathin NbTiN layers, confirming their unique hyperbolic metamaterial properties. It was found that enhancing electron-electron interaction in superconductors can increase the superconductive transition temperature, T-c. Additionally, the metamaterial engineering approach was shown to be effective in enhancing critical fields in the superconducting hyperbolic metamaterials.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Fan Luo, Zhongxia Duan, Yuyang Zhang, Yajing Shang
Summary: The industrial preparation of high magnetic permeability and low magnetic loss MnZn ferrite involved extrusion with a large aspect ratio using a three-phase asynchronous machine, followed by high-temperature sintering in a tube furnace. Increasing sintering temperature and oxygen partial pressure initially improved effective permeability and quality factor of the MnZn ferrite, reaching optimal values at 1260 degrees C and 3% oxygen partial pressure, respectively. The thermal conductivity showed a parabolic trend with oxygen partial pressure, peaking at 3%, while total magnetic loss exhibited a valley bottom temperature that shifted to higher values with increased oxygen partial pressure. MnZn ferrite prepared with 3% oxygen partial pressure demonstrated the lowest total loss at 90 degrees C.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Meenakshi Sahu, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam Reddy, Bomyung Kim, Bharati Patro, Chinho Park, Woo Kyoung Kim, Pratibha Sharma
Summary: In this study, Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS)-absorber nanoparticles were prepared using an easy and cost-effective method with non-toxic solvents. The effects of annealing and Na incorporation on the properties of CZTS thin films were investigated. Photovoltaic devices were successfully fabricated with an efficiency of 0.16%. This study provides a potential route for the cost-effective fabrication of CZTS-based photovoltaic devices.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kristi Timmo, Maris Pilvet, Katri Muska, Mare Altosaar, Valdek Mikli, Reelika Kaupmees, Raavo Josepson, Juri Krustok, Maarja Grossberg-Kuusk, Marit Kauk-Kuusik
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different alkali salts on the properties of CZTS crystals and their influence on MGL solar cells. LiI-grown crystals exhibit different characteristics in terms of crystallinity and lattice parameters. CsI and LiI-grown powders show higher levels of crystallinity. MGL solar cells based on CZTS powder grown in CsI demonstrate the highest power conversion efficiency.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kristi Timmo, Maris Pilvet, Katri Muska, Mare Altosaar, Valdek Mikli, Reelika Kaupmees, Raavo Josepson, Juri Krustok, Maarja Grossberg-Kuusk, Marit Kauk-Kuusik
Summary: This study investigates the influence of different alkali salts on the properties of CZTS powders and the characteristics of MGL solar cells. The results show that the morphology and composition of the crystals are affected by the nature of the flux materials. Different alkali salts result in different crystallinities and band gap energy values of the CZTS powders. The MGL solar cell based on CZTS powder grown in CsI exhibits the highest power conversion efficiency of 10.9%.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jiaxiong Xu
Summary: This study investigates the influence of hole concentration on the performance of thin film solar cells using chalcogenide Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorber through simulation. The results show that at lower hole concentration, the effect of hole concentration is dominant, resulting in enhancement of built-in electric field and narrowing of space-charge region. The optimal hole concentration is found to be around 1 x 10(15)-1 x 10(17) cm(-3). However, for high defect concentration cases, the increase in hole concentration weakens the electric field and leads to inferior photovoltaic properties. Therefore, reducing defect concentration and optimizing hole concentration are crucial for improving the solar cell properties.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Tarun Chandel, Ranjana Sharma, Ashwani Kumar, Dixit Prasher
Summary: In this work, quaternary nanostructured Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were deposited on ITO glass substrates via spray pyrolysis method, and the effect of inter-molar concentration variations of copper and zinc on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the films were investigated. The films were characterized using advanced techniques such as X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The results confirmed the presence of kesterite tetragonal phase with favored orientation along (112) plane, and showed that the films had a uniform morphology with variations in nanoplate sizes. The films also exhibited a slight nonstoichiometry in the chemical composition ratio.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Anies Mutiari, Theodoros Dimopoulos, Martin Bauch, Ankit Mittal, Matthias Weil, Rachmat Adhi Wibowo
Summary: The study demonstrated the implementation of ultrathin dielectric/metal/dielectric layers of AZO/Ag/AZO as a transparent electrode in CZTS photovoltaic device, achieving high CZTS absorption without substrate heating. The optical simulations were used to design the optimum thickness of the layers, resulting in a transparent electrode with high transmittance, low sheet resistance, and high figure-of-merit.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Ignacio Estevez Espinoza, Yasuhiro Matsumoto Kuwabara, Mauricio Ortega Lopez, J. Octavio Estevez Espinoza
Summary: Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were successfully deposited on glass-slide substrates by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, showing kesterite as the predominant phase. Analysis of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis absorbance spectra, and Tauc plots provided detailed information on the structural, optical, and electronic properties of the CZTS films. All prepared CZTS films exhibited p-type conductivity, as confirmed by Hall measurements.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mainak Pal, Andreas Kreisel, W. A. Atkinson, P. J. Hirschfeld
Summary: Theoretical studies of disordered d-wave superconductors have mainly focused on optimally doped models with strong scatterers, but it is necessary to also study the weaker scattering associated with dopant atoms in order to address recent controversies about overdoped cuprates. In this study, simple models of such systems are investigated using the self-consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) framework and compared to disorder-averaged results using the self-consistent T-matrix-approximation (SCTMA). The SCTMA performs well overall, except for highly disordered systems with strongly suppressed superfluid density.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Arpan Kundu, Marco Govoni, Han Yang, Michele Ceriotti, Francois Gygi, Giulia Galli
Summary: The study investigates the impact of quantum vibronic coupling on the electronic properties of carbon allotropes, utilizing path integral first principles molecular dynamics combined with a colored noise thermostat. By avoiding common approximations and only adding a moderate computational cost to FPMD simulations, the approach is suitable for large supercells needed for describing amorphous solids. The research predicts the effect of electron-phonon coupling on the fundamental gap of amorphous carbon and reveals a larger zero-phonon renormalization of the band gap in diamond than previously reported.
PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS
(2021)
