Engineering a three-dimensional, photoelectrochemically active p-NiO / i-Sb 2 S 3 junction by atomic layer deposition

Emerging Chalcogenide Thin Films for Solar Energy Harvesting Devices

Chalcogenide semiconductors offer excellent optoelectronic properties for their use in solar cells, exemplified by the commercialization of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂- and CdTe-based photovoltaic technologies. Recently, several other chalcogenides have emerged as promising photoabsorbers for energy harvesting through the conversion of solar energy to electricity and fuels. The goal of this review is to summarize the development of emerging binary (Sb₂X₃, GeX, SnX), ternary (Cu₂SnX₃, Cu₂GeX₃, CuSbX₂, AgBiX₂), and quaternary (Cu₂ZnSnX₄, Ag₂ZnSnX₄, Cu₂CdSnX₄, Cu₂ZnGeX₄, Cu₂BaSnX₄) chalcogenides (X denotes S/Se), focusing especially on the comparative analysis of their optoelectronic performance metrics, electronic band structure, and point defect characteristics. The performance limiting factors of these photoabsorbers are discussed, together with suggestions for further improvement. Several relatively unexplored classes of chalcogenide compounds (such as chalcogenide perovskites, bichalcogenides, etc.) are highlighted, based on promising early reports on their optoelectronic properties. Finally, pathways for practical applications of emerging chalcogenides in solar energy harvesting are discussed against the backdrop of a market dominated by Si-based solar cells.

Adjusting Interfacial Chemistry and Electronic Properties of Photovoltaics Based on a Highly Pure Sb2S3 Absorber by Atomic Layer Deposition

The combination of oxide and heavier chalcogenide layers in thin film photovoltaics suffers limitations associated with oxygen incorporation and sulfur deficiency in the chalcogenide layer or with a chemical incompatibility which results in dewetting issues and defect states at the interface. Here, we establish atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a tool to overcome these limitations. ALD allows one to obtain highly pure Sb₂S₃ light absorber layers, and we exploit this technique to generate an additional interfacial layer consisting of 1.5 nm ZnS. This ultrathin layer simultaneously resolves dewetting and passivates defect states at the interface. We demonstrate via transient absorption spectroscopy that interfacial electron recombination is one order of magnitude slower at the ZnS-engineered interface than hole recombination at the Sb₂S₃/P3HT interface. The comparison of solar cells with and without oxide incorporation in Sb₂S₃, with and without the ultrathin ZnS interlayer, and with systematically varied Sb₂S₃ thickness provides a complete picture of the physical processes at work in the devices.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Transparent p-Type Semiconducting Nickel Oxide Using Ni(tBu2DAD)2 and Ozone

A novel atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for nickel oxide (NiO) is developed using a recently reported diazadienyl complex, Ni(^tBu2DAD)₂, and ozone. A window of constant growth per cycle is found between 185 and 200 °C at 0.12 nm/cycle, among the highest reported for ALD NiO. For films deposited at 200 °C, grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction indicates a randomly oriented polycrystalline cubic NiO phase. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows good agreement with bulk NiO reference spectra and no detectable impurities. Atomic force microscopy reveals low root mean square roughness of 0.6 nm for an 18 nm thick film. The refractive index of 2.36 and an electronic bandgap of 3.78 eV, as determined by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, are close to reported values for bulk and thin film NiO. Finally, fabricated Ag/NiO/n-Si/In heterojunction diodes show a current-voltage asymmetry of 1.27 × 10⁴ at 2.3 V and an ideality factor of 3.5, confirming the intrinsic p-type semiconducting behavior of transparent NiO.

Synthesis and properties of ZnO/TiO2/Sb2S3 core–shell nanowire heterostructures using the SILAR technique

The successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique is found to be of high potential for the formation of ZnO core–shell nanowire heterostructures with high uniformity at moderate temperature.

Protected Light-Trapping Silicon by a Simple Structuring Process for Sunlight-Assisted Water Splitting

Macroporous layers are grown onto n-type silicon by successive photoelectrochemical etching in HF-containing solution and chemical etching in KOH. This specific latter treatment gives highly antireflective properties of the Si surface. The duration of the chemical etching is optimized to render the surface as absorbent as possible, and the morphology of the as-grown layer is characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Further functionalization of such structured Si surface is carried out by atomic layer deposition of a thin conformal and homogeneous TiO2 layer that is crystallized by an annealing at 450 °C. This process allows using such surfaces as photoanodes for water oxidation. The 40 nm thick TiO2 film acts indeed as an efficient protective layer against the photocorrosion of the porous Si in KOH, enhances its wettability, and improves the light absorption of the photoelectrode. The macroporous dual-absorber TiO2/Si has a beneficial effect on water oxidation in 1 M KOH and leads to a considerable negative shift of the onset potential of ∼400 mV as well as a 50% increase in photocurrent at 1 V vs SCE.