Dataset Information

ZnS Ultrathin Interfacial Layers for Optimizing Carrier Management in Sb₂S₃-based Photovoltaics.

ABSTRACT: Antimony chalcogenides represent a family of materials of low toxicity and relative abundance, with a high potential for future sustainable solar energy conversion technology. However, solar cells based on antimony chalcogenides present open-circuit voltage losses that limit their efficiencies. These losses are attributed to several recombination mechanisms, with interfacial recombination being considered as one of the dominant processes. In this work, we exploit atomic layer deposition (ALD) to grow a series of ultrathin ZnS interfacial layers at the TiO₂/Sb₂S₃ interface to mitigate interfacial recombination and to increase the carrier lifetime. ALD allows for very accurate control over the ZnS interlayer thickness on the ångström scale (0-1.5 nm) and to deposit highly pure Sb₂S₃. Our systematic study of the photovoltaic and optoelectronic properties of these devices by impedance spectroscopy and transient absorption concludes that the optimum ZnS interlayer thickness of 1.0 nm achieves the best balance between the beneficial effect of an increased recombination resistance at the interface and the deleterious barrier behavior of the wide-bandgap semiconductor ZnS. This optimization allows us to reach an overall power conversion efficiency of 5.09% in planar configuration.

SUBMITTER: Buttner P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7975279 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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ZnS Ultrathin Interfacial Layers for Optimizing Carrier Management in Sb<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>-based Photovoltaics.

Büttner Pascal P Scheler Florian F Pointer Craig C Döhler Dirk D Yokosawa Tadahiro T Spiecker Erdmann E Boix Pablo P PP Young Elizabeth R ER Mínguez-Bacho Ignacio I Bachmann Julien J

ACS applied materials & interfaces 20210305 10

Antimony chalcogenides represent a family of materials of low toxicity and relative abundance, with a high potential for future sustainable solar energy conversion technology. However, solar cells based on antimony chalcogenides present open-circuit voltage losses that limit their efficiencies. These losses are attributed to several recombination mechanisms, with interfacial recombination being considered as one of the dominant processes. In this work, we exploit atomic layer deposition (ALD) to ...[more]

PMID: 33667064

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Project description:In photovoltaic devices, more effective transfer of dissociated electrons and holes from the active layer to the respective electrodes will result in higher fill factors and short-circuit current densities and, thus, enhanced power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). Planar perovskite photovoltaics feature an active layer that can provide a large exciton diffusion length, reaching several micrometers, but require efficient carrier transport layers for charge extraction. In this study, we employed two nanocomposite carrier transfer layers-an electron transport layer (ETL) comprising [6,6]phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) doped with the small molecule 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen), to enhance the electron mobility, and a hole transfer layer (HTL) comprising poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) doped with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets, to enhance the hole mobility. We used ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the energy levels of these composite ETLs and HTLs; atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to probe their surface structures; and transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering to decipher the structures of the ETLs. Adding a small amount (less than 1%) of Bphen allowed us to tune the energy levels of the ETL and decrease the size of the PC61BM clusters and, therefore, generate more PC61BM aggregation domains to provide more pathways for electron transport, leading to enhanced PCEs of the resulting perovskite devices. We used quantitative pump-probe data to resolve the carrier dynamics from the perovskite to the ETL and HTL, and observed a smaller possibility of carrier recombination and a shorter injection lifetime in the perovskite solar cell doubly modified with carrier transport layers, resulting in an enhancement of the PCE. The PCE reached 16% for a planar inverted perovskite device featuring an ETL incorporating 0.5 wt% Bphen within PC61BM and 0.1 wt% MoS2 within PEDOT:PSS; this PCE is more than 50% higher than the value of 10.2% for the corresponding control device.

Project description:Electrical transport parameters for active layers in silicon (Si) wafer solar cells are determined from free carrier optical absorption using non-contacting optical Hall effect measurements. Majority carrier transport parameters [carrier concentration (N), mobility (μ), and conductivity effective mass (m*)] are determined for both the n-type emitter and p-type bulk wafer Si of an industrially produced aluminum back surface field (Al-BSF) photovoltaic device. From measurements under 0 and ±1.48 T external magnetic fields and nominally "dark" conditions, the following respective [n, p]-type Si parameters are obtained: N = [(3.6 ± 0.1) × 1018 cm-3, (7.6 ± 0.1) × 1015 cm-3]; μ = [166 ± 6 cm2/Vs, 532 ± 12 cm2/Vs]; and m* = [(0.28 ± 0.03) × me, (0.36 ± 0.02) × me]. All values are within expectations for this device design. Contributions from photogenerated carriers in both regions of the p-n junction are obtained from measurements of the solar cell under "light" 1 sun illumination (AM1.5 solar irradiance spectrum). From analysis of combined dark and light optical Hall effect measurements, photogenerated minority carrier transport parameters [minority carrier concentration (Δp or Δn) and minority carrier mobility (μh or μe)] under 1 sun illumination for both n- and p-type Si components of the solar cell are determined. Photogenerated minority carrier concentrations are [(7.8 ± 0.2) × 1016 cm-3, (2.2 ± 0.2) × 1014 cm-3], and minority carrier mobilities are [331 ± 191 cm2/Vs, 766 ± 331 cm2/Vs], for the [n, p]-type Si, respectively, values that are within expectations from literature. Using the dark majority carrier concentration and the effective equilibrium minority carrier concentration under 1 sun illumination, minority carrier effective lifetime and diffusion length are calculated in the n-type emitter and p-type wafer Si with the results also being consistent with literature. Solar cell device performance parameters including photovoltaic device efficiency, open circuit voltage, fill factor, and short circuit current density are also calculated from these transport parameters obtained via optical Hall effect using the diode equation and PC1D solar cell simulations. The calculated device performance parameters are found to be consistent with direct current-voltage measurement demonstrating the validity of this technique for electrical transport property measurements of the semiconducting layers in complete Si solar cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first method that enables determination of both minority and majority carrier transport parameters in both active layers of the p-n junction in a complete solar cell.

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ZnS Ultrathin Interfacial Layers for Optimizing Carrier Management in Sb₂S₃-based Photovoltaics.

Publications

ZnS Ultrathin Interfacial Layers for Optimizing Carrier Management in Sb<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>-based Photovoltaics.

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ZnS Ultrathin Interfacial Layers for Optimizing Carrier Management in Sb2S3-based Photovoltaics.

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ZnS Ultrathin Interfacial Layers for Optimizing Carrier Management in Sb<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>-based Photovoltaics.

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OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

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ZnS Ultrathin Interfacial Layers for Optimizing Carrier Management in Sb₂S₃-based Photovoltaics.