Materials World Network: Pulsed Laser Processing of Electrodeposited Chalcopyrite Photovoltaic Absorber Layers

犹他大学和卢森堡大学的这项国际合作研究项目致力于利用电沉积和脉冲激光退火法合成用于薄膜光伏的高质量黄铜矿半导体。研究验证了两个假设：1)相对较高的总通量脉冲激光退火对电沉积前驱体薄膜的退火是有效的，并且可以得到具有良好的光伏和结晶性能的黄铜矿半导体相；2)相对较低的总通量脉冲激光退火对于减少预先退火的黄铜矿薄膜中的特定电子和结构缺陷是有效的。研究了脉冲激光退火热处理对电沉积法制备的模型黄铜矿CuInSe_2的成分、物相、晶型、光电和电子缺陷性质的影响，以及在电沉积膜中掺入Ga替代In的情况。这项工作的预期结果与快速发展的薄膜光伏电池富土材料领域相关。犹他州的本科生和犹他州和卢森堡的研究生在参与的实验室参加跨学科、材料科学和化学研究活动。该奖项由材料研究部和国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

This international collaborative research project between investigators at the University of Utah and the University of Luxembourg addresses the synthesis of high-quality chalcopyrite semiconductors for thin film photovoltaics using electrodeposition and pulsed laser annealing. The investigation examines two hypotheses: 1) relatively-high total fluence pulsed laser annealing is effective at annealing electrodeposited precursor films and can result in chalcopyrite semiconductor phases having good photovoltaic and crystalline properties and, 2) relatively-low total fluence pulsed laser annealing is effective at reducing specific electronic and structural defects in previously-annealed chalcopyrite thin films. The effects of pulsed laser annealing on the composition, phase, crystalline, optoelectronic, and electronic defect properties of a model chalcopyrite, CuInSe2, prepared by electrodeposition, as well as the incorporation of Ga as substitute for In in the electrodeposited films, is investigated. Anticipated results from this work are relevant to the rapidly-developing field of earth-abundant materials for thin film photovoltaic cells. Undergraduate students at Utah and graduate students at both Utah and Luxembourg take part in interdisciplinary, materials science and chemistry research activities at the participating laboratories.This award is co-funded by the Division of Materials Research and the Office of International Science and Engineering.