Comparison of Various Thin-Film-Based Absorber Materials: A Viable Approach for Next-Generation Solar Cells

Evaluating Pb-based and Pb-free Halide Perovskites for Solar-Cell Applications: A Simulation Study

Metal halide Pb-based and Pb-free perovskite crystal structures are an essential class of optoelectronic materials due to their significant optoelectronic properties, optical absorption and tuneable emission spectrum properties. However, the most efficient optoelectronic devices were based on the Pb as a monovalent cation, but its toxicity is a significant hurdle for commercial device applications. Thus, replacing the toxic Pb with Pb-free alternatives (such as tin (Sn)) for diverse photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications is essential. Moreover, replacing the volatile methylammonium (MA) with cesium (Cs) leads to the development of an efficient perovskite absorber layer with improved optical & thermal stability and stabilized photoconversion efficiency. This paper discusses the correlation between the experimental and theoretical work for the Pb-based and Pb-free perovskites synthesised using the hot-injection method at different temperatures. Here, simulation is also carried out using the help of SCAPS-1D software to study the effect of various parameters of CsSnI3 and CsPbI3 layers on solar cell performance. This experimental and theoretical comparative study of the Hot-injection method synthesised CsPbI3 and CsSnI3 perovskites is rarely investigated for optoelectronic applications.

Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Cadmium Telluride Structures on Hexagonal Boron Nitride

We investigate the feasibility of the epitaxial growth of a three-dimensional semiconductor on a two-dimensional substrate. In particular, we report for the first time the molecular beam epitaxy growth of cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum wells on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The presence of the quantum wells is confirmed by photoluminescence measurements conducted at helium temperatures. Growth of the quantum wells on two-dimensional, almost perfectly flat hBN appears to be very different from growth on bulk substrates; in particular, it requires 70-100 °C lower temperatures.

One-Step Hydrothermal Synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 Nanoparticles as an Efficient Visible Light Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Congo Red Azo Dye

A hydrothermal method was successfully employed to synthesize kesterite Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and optical ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy were used for characterization of structural, chemical, morphological, and optical properties. XRD results confirmed that a nanocrystalline CZTS phase corresponding to the kesterite structure was formed. Raman analysis confirmed the existence of single pure phase CZTS. XPS results revealed the oxidation states as Cu⁺, Zn²⁺, Sn⁴⁺, and S^2-. FESEM and TEM micrograph images revealed the presence of nanoparticles with average sizes between 7 nm to 60 nm. The synthesized CZTS nanoparticles bandgap was found to be 1.5 eV which is optimal for solar photocatalytic degradation applications. The properties as a semiconductor material were evaluated through the Mott-Schottky analysis. The photocatalytic activity of CZTS has been investigated through photodegradation of Congo red azo dye solution under solar simulation light irradiation, proving to be an excellent photo-catalyst for CR where 90.2% degradation could be achieved in just 60 min. Furthermore, the prepared CZTS was reusable and can be repeatedly used to remove Congo red dye from aqueous solutions.

Influence of Doping Concentration and Thickness of Regions on the Performance of InGaN Single Junction-Based Solar Cells: A Simulation Approach

The impact of doping concentration and thickness of n-InGaN and p-InGaN regions on the power conversion efficiency of single junction-based InGaN solar cells was studied by the Silvaco ATLAS simulation software. The doping concentration 5 × 1019 cm−3 and 1 × 1015 cm−3 were optimized for n-InGaN and p-InGaN regions, respectively. The thickness of 300 nm was optimized for both n-InGaN and p-InGaN regions. The highest efficiency of 22.17% with Jsc = 37.68 mA/cm2, Voc = 0.729 V, and FF = 80.61% was achieved at optimized values of doping concentration and thickness of n-InGaN and p-InGaN regions of InGaN solar cells. The simulation study shows the relevance of the Silvaco ATLAS simulation tool, as well as the optimization of doping concentration and thickness of n- and p-InGaN regions for solar cells, which would make the development of high-performance InGaN solar cells low-cost and efficient.