Enhanced hetero-junction quality and performance of kesterite solar cells by aluminum hydroxide nanolayers and efficiency limitation revealed by atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy
Xie, Haibing (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Sánchez, Yudania (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Tang, PengYi (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
Espíndola-Rodríguez, Moisés (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Guc, Maxim (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Calvo-Barrio, Lorenzo (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
López-Marino, Simón (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Liu, Yu (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Morante, Joan Ramon (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Cabot, Andreu (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats)
Izquierdo-Roca, Victor (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Arbiol i Cobos, Jordi (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
Pérez-Rodríguez, Alejandro (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)
Saucedo, Edgardo (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya)

Date:	2019
Abstract:	A strategy for interface engineering of hetero-junctions in kesterite solar cells by using Al(OH) is demonstrated. The hydroxide nanolayers are prepared via a facile and fast wet chemical route, based on an aqueous solution of aluminum chlorides and thioacetamide. Considerable enhancement of open circuit voltage (V) (30-60 mV) and fill factor (FF) (10-20%) after this chemical treatment are observed, achieving a champion conversion efficiency of 9. 1% and a champion FF of 70% (among the best FF in kesterite solar cells). The functional mechanism is systematically studied by current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, temperature dependence of current-voltage and photoluminescence measurements, which reveal that Al(OH) nanolayers can effectively reduce the interface recombination and largely improve the shunt resistance. Furthermore, atomic resolution high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) evidences the epitaxial relationship of Al(OH) with kesterite and CdS, indicating the benign and effective interface passivation achieved by this chemical treatment. Finally, based on HAADF-STEM and electron energy loss spectroscopy mappings, insights into the efficiency limiting and beneficial factors for CZTSSe solar cells, as well as suggestions to further improve both the bulk and related interfaces are presented.
Grants:	European Commission 316488 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad ENE2014-56237-C4-1-R Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MAT2014-59961 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad SEV-2013-0295 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad PTA2012-7852-A Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad RYC-2011-09212 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2014/SGR-1638
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió sotmesa a revisió
Subject:	Al(OH)3 nanolayer ; Atomic-resolution scanning ; Transmission electron microscopy ; Interface passivation ; Kesterite ; Thin film solar cell
Published in:	Solar RRL, Vol. 3, issue 2 (Feb. 2019) , art. 1800279, ISSN 2367-198X

DOI: 10.1002/solr.201800279

Preprint 34 p, 1.3 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles