Direct fabrication of arrays of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 micro solar cells by sputtering for micro-concentrator photovoltaics

in Materials & Design (2023)

Inkjet-printed indium sulfide buffer layer for Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 thin film solar cells

in Thin Solid Films (2022)

We report an environmentally friendly inkjet-printed indium sulfide (In2S3) buffer layer using benign chemistry and processing conditions. A pre-synthesized indium-thiourea compound is dissolved in a ... [more ▼]

We report an environmentally friendly inkjet-printed indium sulfide (In2S3) buffer layer using benign chemistry and processing conditions. A pre-synthesized indium-thiourea compound is dissolved in a mixture of water and ethanol, inkjet printed on a Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 absorber and annealed in air. The buffer layer shows a β-In2S3 structure with few organic impurities and band gap in the range of 2.3 eV. An ultraviolet ozone treatment applied to the surface of the absorber prior to inkjet printing of the precursor is used to improve the wettability of the ink and therefore the surface coverage of the buffer on the absorber layer. The device with a fully covering In2S3 layer shows better open circuit voltage and fill factor than the device with a partially covering In2S3 layer. The best In2S3 device showed a light to electric power conversion efficiency similar to the reference cadmium sulfide buffer layer device. Good wettability conditions are therefore essential for higher efficiency solar cells when the buffer layer is inkjet-printed. [less ▲]

The impact of strain on growth mode in chemical vapor deposited mono- and few-layer MoS2

in AIP Adv. (2022), 12(6), 065010

The development of high-quality chemical vapor-deposited mono- and few-layer MoS2 is of high relevance for future applications in functional devices. Consequently, a detailed understanding of the growth ... [more ▼]

The development of high-quality chemical vapor-deposited mono- and few-layer MoS2 is of high relevance for future applications in functional devices. Consequently, a detailed understanding of the growth mode and the parameters affecting it is important. Here, we show for the case of mono- and few-layer MoS2 grown on Muscovite mica, how strain and temperature impact the growth mode. We show how misleading the determination of the number of MoS2 layers is, solely based on Raman spectroscopy due to the occurrence of strain and changes in the growth mode. A combination of atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and ab initio calculations reveal that that the growth at 500 dgree C synthesis temperature exhibits a strained layer-by-layer growth of up to three mono-layers, whereas at 700 degree C, a strain release occurs and layer-by-layer growth is confined to the first mono-layer only. We relate the occurrence of strain to the formation of gas bubbles below the MoS2 film, escaping the mica sheets during high temperature synthesis. Our analysis shows that mica substrates can be used to study strain in 2D materials without the need to apply external stress and that a detailed knowledge of the MoS2 morphology is necessary to correctly interpret the Raman results. [less ▲]

Indium-free CIGS analogues: general discussion

in Faraday Discussions (2022)

Waste- and Cd-Free Inkjet-Printed Zn(O,S) Buffer for Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 Thin-Film Solar Cells

in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces (2021), 13

Solution-based synthesis of kesterite thin film semiconductors

in Journal of Physics : Energy (2020)

Micro‐sized thin‐film solar cells via area‐selective electrochemical deposition for concentrator photovoltaics application

in scientific reports (2020)

Atmospheric-Pressure Synthesis of Atomically Smooth, Conformal, and Ultrathin Low‑k Polymer Insulating Layers by Plasma-Initiated and Ultrathin Low‑k Polymer Insulating Layers by Plasma-Initiated

in ACS Applied Polymer Materials (2020)

Thin-film micro-concentrator solar cells

in Journal of Physics : Energy (2020)

Cu2SnS3 based thin film solar cells from chemical spray pyrolysis

in Thin Solid Films (2019), 669