Combinatorial Chemical Bath Deposition of CdS Contacts for Chalcogenide Photovoltaics

Mokurala, Krishnaiah; Baranowski, Lauryn L.; Lucas, Francisco Willian de Souza; Siol, Sebastian; Hest, Maikel F.A.M. van; Mallick, Sudhanshu; Bhargava, Parag; Zakutayev, Andriy

doi:10.1021/acscombsci.6b00074

Cited by 24 publications

(26 citation statements)

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“…The high‐throughput experimental approach excels in observation of trends and in screening, which enable efficient material optimization. The deposition of sample libraries needs to introduce gradient elements such as composition, temperature, thickness, and deposition time . RTE technique as a close‐space plane source evaporation system has demonstrated an efficient method to obtain high performance Sb 2 S 3 and Sb 2 Se 3 planar solar cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐throughput method to deposit continuous composition spread Sb₂(Se_xS_1 − x)₃thin film for photovoltaic application

Deng

Yuan

Yang

et al. 2018

Progress in Photovoltaics

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Sb 2 (Se x S 1 − x ) 3 alloy materials with tunable bandgaps combining the advantages of Sb 2 S 3 and Sb 2 Se 3 showed high potential in low cost, non-toxicity, and high stability solar cells. The composition dependence of device performance becomes indispensable to study. However, traditional approaches often implement 1 composition at a time, which easily lead to long period and systematic errors. The present work developed a high-throughput experimental method, close-space dual-plane-source evaporation (CDE) method, to successfully deposit continuous composition spread Sb 2 (Se x S 1 − x ) 3 library at 1 time. On the surface of the obtained film, the x value of Se content evolved from 0.09 to 0.84 by a series of complementary characterizations. At depth direction, the alloy film kept high crystallinity and composition consistency. Solar cell arrays (19 × 6) were fabricated to investigate the relationship between compositions and performances. As the increase of Se content, the conversion efficiency first increased from 1.8% to 5.6% and then decreased to 5%. The V oc and J sc demonstrated an opposite evolution trend. The champion device with the composition of Sb 2 (Se 0.68 S 0.32 ) 3 achieved the V oc and J sc trade-off exceeding the performances of Sb 2 S 3 (2.43%) and Sb 2 Se 3 (4.97%) devices. Cryogenic and transient characterizations were utilized to investigate the distinct performance evolution mechanism. There existed shallow defect levels in Se-rich alloys and deep defects in sulfur-rich ones. The widely tuned absorber compositions combined with distinct defect characters induced to the large variation of device performance. The present continuous composition spread Sb 2 (Se x S 1 − x ) 3 film and their CDE fabrication technique were expected to efficiently screen materials and promote the development of antimony chalcogenide solar cells.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐throughput method to deposit continuous composition spread Sb₂(Se_xS_1 − x)₃thin film for photovoltaic application

Deng

Yuan

Yang

et al. 2018

Progress in Photovoltaics

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“…In recent years, high‐throughput combinatorial materials science methodology has gained tremendous interest. Combinatorial deposition followed by spatially resolved, automated characterization offers the promise of rapid and efficient materials screening, optimization, and discovery . Figure B shows the three integral steps of combinatorial high‐throughput phase screening: combinatorial synthesis, spatially resolved properties mapping, and automated data analysis.…”

Section: Accessing Metastable Phase Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

Accessing Metastability in Heterostructural Semiconductor Alloys

Siol

2019

Physica Status Solidi (a)

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The increasing demand for novel inorganic materials with targeted functionality motivates moving beyond the area of traditionally explored near‐equilibrium materials by incorporating metastable phase space into materials design and discovery. It has recently been shown that heterostructural semiconductor alloys can exhibit increased regions of metastable phase space as compared to their isostructural counterparts. This phase space is accessible using non‐equilibrium deposition techniques, providing ample opportunities for the synthesis of novel, metastable, single‐phase alloys. In addition, the composition‐dependent structural transitions in heterostructural systems provide additional degrees of freedom for the tuning of functional properties. This perspective gives insight into the design of heterostructural semiconductor alloys and highlights their potential for future materials discovery. It is shown how combinatorial, non‐equilibrium physical vapor deposition can be used to effectively screen and access previously uncharted metastable phase space in such systems. In addition, it is demonstrated how differences in mixing enthalpies for different structures can be utilized to stabilize new alloy polymorphs with useful properties that cannot be found in either of the alloying endmembers. Finally, it is discussed how this conceptual approach can be used to screen high‐throughput computational databases, potentially revealing numerous materials systems where such novel metastable polymorphs can be discovered.

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“…While high-throughput techniques are commonly used in other areas of materials science (i.e. novel materials for thin lm PV [23][24][25][26] or materials by design 27,28 ) such combinatorial approaches are rather uncommon in TE research. 29,30 Combinatorial thin lm deposition was performed using radio frequency (RF) magnetron cosputtering from multiple targets leading to composition gradients along the substrate, and resulting in combinatorial sample libraries (see Fig.…”

Section: Combinatorial Screeningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solubility limits in quaternary SnTe-based alloys

et al. 2017

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The controlled decomposition of metastable alloys is an attractive route to form nanostructured thermoelectric materials with reduced thermal conductivity. The ternary SnTe-MnTe and SnTe-SnSe heterostructural alloys have been demonstrated as promising materials for thermoelectric applications.In this work, the quaternary Sn 1Ày Mn y Te 1Àx Se x phase space serves as a relevant model system to explore how a combination of computational and combinatorial-growth methods can be used to study equilibrium and non-equilibrium solubility limits. Results from first principle calculations indicate low equilibrium solubility for x,y < 0.05 that are in good agreement with results obtained from bulk equilibrium synthesis experiments and predict significantly higher spinodal limits. An experimental screening using sputtered combinatorial thin film sample libraries showed a remarkable increase in nonequilibrium solubility for x,y > 0.2. These theoretical and experimental results were used to guide the bulk synthesis of metastable alloys. The ability to reproduce the non-equilibrium solubility levels in bulk materials indicates that such theoretical calculations and combinatorial growth can inform bulk synthetic routes. Further, the large difference between equilibrium and non-equilibrium solubility limits in Sn 1Ày Mn y Te 1Àx Se x indicates these metastable alloys are attractive in terms of nano-precipitate formation for potential thermoelectric applications.

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Combinatorial Chemical Bath Deposition of CdS Contacts for Chalcogenide Photovoltaics

Cited by 24 publications

References 50 publications

High‐throughput method to deposit continuous composition spread Sb₂(Se_xS_1 − x)₃thin film for photovoltaic application

High‐throughput method to deposit continuous composition spread Sb₂(Se_xS_1 − x)₃thin film for photovoltaic application

Accessing Metastability in Heterostructural Semiconductor Alloys

Solubility limits in quaternary SnTe-based alloys

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Combinatorial Chemical Bath Deposition of CdS Contacts for Chalcogenide Photovoltaics

Cited by 24 publications

References 50 publications

High‐throughput method to deposit continuous composition spread Sb2(SexS1 − x)3thin film for photovoltaic application

High‐throughput method to deposit continuous composition spread Sb2(SexS1 − x)3thin film for photovoltaic application

Accessing Metastability in Heterostructural Semiconductor Alloys

Solubility limits in quaternary SnTe-based alloys

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Product

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High‐throughput method to deposit continuous composition spread Sb₂(Se_xS_1 − x)₃thin film for photovoltaic application

High‐throughput method to deposit continuous composition spread Sb₂(Se_xS_1 − x)₃thin film for photovoltaic application