Photoconversion Optimization of Pulsed-Laser-Deposited p-CZTS/n-Si-Nanowires Heterojunction-Based Photovoltaic Devices

Abstract

We report on the achievement of novel photovoltaic devices based on the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of p-type Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) layers onto n-type silicon nanowires (SiNWs). To optimize the photoconversion efficiency of these p-CZTS/n-SiNWs heterojunction devices, both the thickness of the CZTS films and the length of the SiNWs were independently varied in the (0.3–1.0 µm) and (1–6 µm) ranges, respectively. The kësterite CZTS films were directly deposited onto the SiNWs/Si substrates by means of a one-step PLD approach at a substrate temperature of 300 °C and without resorting to any post-sulfurization process. The systematic assessment of the PV performance of the ITO/p-CZTS/n-SiNWs/Al solar cells, as a function of both SiNWs’ length and CZTS film thickness, has led to the identification of the optimal device characteristics. Indeed, an unprecedented power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as ~5.5%, a VOC of 400 mV, a JSC of 26.3 mA/cm2 and a FF of 51.8% were delivered by the devices formed by SiNWs having a length of 2.2 µm along with a CZTS film thickness of 540 nm. This PCE value is higher than the current record efficiency (of 5.2%) reported for pulsed-laser-deposited-CZTS (PLD-CZTS)-based solar cells with the classical SLG/Mo/CZTS/CdS/ZnO/ITO/Ag/MgF2 device architecture. The relative ease of depositing high-quality CZTS films by means of PLD (without resorting to any post deposition treatment) along with the gain from an extended CZTS/Si interface offered by the silicon nanowires make the approach developed here very promising for further integration of CZTS with the mature silicon nanostructuring technologies to develop novel optoelectronic devices.

Epitaxial Growth and Optical Properties of Laser Deposited CdS Thin Films

“…Figure (13) shows the voltage dependence of the dark current and photocurrent recorded for the as-deposited CdS thin lm of 340 nm. The dark current and the photocurrent increase straightly with the increase in the applied voltage in the region studied (0-7 V), and the photocurrent is greater than the dark current at the same bias voltage.…”

“…In light of this, Cadmium Sul de (CdS) have attracted and attention of many researchers in the scienti c and industrial led. To produce a thin layer of Cadmium Sul de (CdS), There are a variety of fabrication techniques used such as chemical bath deposition (CBD) [1,2], electrodeposition [3], chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) [4], successive ionic layer adsorption (SILA) [5], Spin-Coated [6 ],vacuum evaporation [7], screen printing [8], ash evaporation [9], sputtering [10], molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) [11], and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) [12,13]. Among these techniques, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), which have the following advantages (I) simple and easy: where a laser beam vaporizes a target surface, resulting in a lm with the same composition as the target.…”

Latest Development on Pulsed Laser Deposited Thin Films for Advanced Luminescence Applications

“…Recently, PLD has been used for the fabrication of different technological devices photovoltaic cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Elhmaidi et al [47] used the PLD to fabricate photovoltaic cell devices based on p-type Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) layers deposited on n-type silicon nanowires (n-SiNWs). To optimize the photoconversion efficiency of the cells, thin layers of the p-CZTS/n-SiNWs heterojunction devices with CZTS thicknesses ranging from 0.3-10 µM and SiNWs lengths ranging from 1-6 µM were fabricated.…”

Synthesis and Characterization of Cu2ZnSnS4 Thin Films Obtained by Combined Magnetron Sputtering and Pulsed Laser Deposition

“…PLD is a simple and versatile technique that is commonly used for depositing thin films of a very wide range of materials on a vast variety of substrates [ 8 , 9 ]. This technique is known for its high deposition rate, relatively easy transfer of species from the target to the substrate, and high-quality growth of thin films due to the use of high energy [ 10 , 11 ]. It offers the possibility to synthesize CZTS films in one step, using a CZTS target and heating the substrates at high temperatures or in two steps by the deposition of the metallic (Cu, Zn, and Sn) film, followed by sulfurization in an enclosed chamber, where the sulfurization or H 2 S vapors is carried out by a flow of argon or nitrogen at the heated surface of the thin film.…”