SEP Collaborative: Routes to Earth Abundant Kesterite-based Thin Film Photovoltaic Materials

SEP 合作：通往地球丰富的基于锌黄锡矿的薄膜光伏材料的途径

• 批准号: 1230924
• 负责人: Zi-Kui Liu
• 金额: $ 57万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1230924&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SEP; Collaborative; Routes; Earth; Abundant

The NSF Sustainable Energy pathways (SEP) Program, under the umbrella of the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) initiative, will support the research program of Prof. Timothy Anderson and co-workers at the University of Florida, Prof. Zi-Kui Liu and co-workers at Pennsylvania State University, and Prof. Angus Rockett and co-workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to develop new Earth abundent-based thin film photovoltaic materials. The use of Earth abundent materials is required for a sustainable energy pathway that includes significant photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation capacity. The recent demonstration of a 10.1% efficient cell using earth abundant Cu2ZnSn(SxSe1-x)4 (CZTSe) has elevated this absorber to one of the most promising sustainable material for high penetration PV. Developing a fundamental knowledge of the material properties of CZTS is needed to underpin its rapid development. The aim of this program is to define a self-consistent framework that describes the thermochemistry and reaction kinetics for the CZTSSe system. This framework can then inspire intelligent process innovation, for example, rapid CZTSSe synthesis pathways, precursor structures defining optimal Se distribution, or processing conditions minimizing bulk recombination centers. The CALculation of PHAse Diagram (CALPHAD) approach will be used to assess experimental data in the literature, supplemented by first-principles calculations of unknown thermochemical properties, to produce a full description of the thermodynamic properties of this 5-component system. The assessment will also provide insight into the point defect chemistry necessary to link processing conditions to device performance. Reaction pathways will be investigated using high temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) experiments coupled with materials characterization and first-principles calculations to assist in creating a species mobility database for this earth abundant system. Significant adoption of sustainable PV would clearly have a tremendous global impact. The greatest benefits accrue to the 1 billion people without reliable or any access to electricity. Two programs are proposed to facilitate bringing PV to those areas. An economist with considerable expertise in electricity generation in developing countries will conduct economic and behavioral studies to better understand the barriers to PV deployment in the developing world. This activity will be complemented by engaging undergraduate multidisciplinary capstone design teams to define affordable and reliable individual PV systems, while collaborating with PV manufacturers. Each PhD student will participate in an internship at one of our collaborating national labs as well as engage an undergraduate student in their research. The team also has an interest in new faculty development. A workshop designed to help new faculty start quickly, now being taught to new and prospective chemical engineer faculty, will be adapted for the chemistry and materials science communities. Ultimately, solar energy is the principal source of our energy, producing our fossil fuels, biomass, wind, and solar thermal resources, and of course, electricity by direct conversion using a solar cell. The cost of solar panels is decreasing rapidly as we learn how to manufacture more efficient panels at large scale. Indeed the historical price has decreased 22% every time the installed world capacity doubles, and they are now providing electricity that is less than the retail cost of electricity in many parts of the world. The installed capacity of solar panels world-wide, however, is very small percentage of the total production (1%). The panel manufacturing cost is mainly in the cost of the materials and building the manufacturing plant. At high deployment of solar panels, the limited supply/high cost of some elements will prohibit their use. This research will focus on solar cells using the earth abundant elements copper, zinc, tin, sulfur and a possibly selenium to ensure cheap materials cost. The rate of manufacturing thin film solar cells is normally limited by the rate to form the compound that absorbs the light. This program aims to understand how to make these materials at very high rates. Higher rates translate into higher throughput of cells, and thus more output for a manufacturing plant.

在NSF科学，可持续性工程和教育（SEE）倡议的保护下，NSF可持续能源道路（SEP）计划将支持佛罗里达大学蒂莫西·安德森教授和同事的研究计划urbana-champaign开发新地球的薄膜光伏材料。可持续能量通路需要使用大量材料，其中包括大量光伏（PV）发电能力。最近，使用Earth Foraunt Cu2ZNSN（SXSE1-X）4（CZTSE）将10.1％效率的细胞的演示升高到了高渗透PV的最有希望的可持续材料之一。 需要对CZT的材料特性发展基本知识来支持其快速发展。 该程序的目的是定义一个自洽的框架，该框架描述了CZTSSE系统的热化学和反应动力学。 然后，该框架可以激发智能过程创新，例如快速CZTSSE合成途径，定义最佳SE分布的前体结构或最小化批量重组中心的处理条件。 相图（Calphad）方法的计算将用于评估文献中的实验数据，并补充了未知热化学性质的第一原理计算，以完整描述该5组分系统的热力学特性。 该评估还将提供有关将处理条件与设备性能联系起来所需的点缺陷化学反应的洞察力。 将使用高温X射线衍射（HTXRD）实验与材料表征和第一原理计算一起研究反应途径，以帮助创建该地球丰富系统的物种移动性数据库。可持续PV的大量采用显然会产生巨大的全球影响。 没有可靠或获得任何电力的10亿人的最大好处。 提出了两个计划，以方便将PV带到这些领域。 在发展中国家，具有大量专业知识的经济学家将进行经济和行为研究，以更好地了解发展中国家光伏部署的障碍。 这项活动将通过与本科多学科的盖石设计团队合作来定义负担得起且可靠的单独的PV系统，并与PV制造商合作，以补充这项活动。 每个博士生将在我们的一个合作的国家实验室中参加实习，并让一名本科生参与研究。 该团队还对新的教师发展感兴趣。 一个旨在帮助新教师迅速开始的研讨会，现在将教授新的和潜在的化学工程师教师，将适用于化学和材料科学社区。最终，太阳能是我们能源的主要来源，生产我们的化石燃料，生物量，风和太阳能资源，当然，使用太阳能电池直接转换来电力。 当我们学习如何大规模制造更有效的面板时，太阳能电池板的成本正在迅速降低。 实际上，每当安装世界能力加倍时，历史价格都会下降22％，现在它们提供的电力低于世界许多地区的零售电量。 但是，全球太阳能电池板的安装能力是总产量的很小比例（1％）。 面板制造成本主要取决于材料的成本和建造制造厂。 在太阳能电池板的高度部署下，某些要素的供应/高成本将禁止其使用。 这项研究将使用地球丰富元素铜，锌，锡，硫和可能的硒来关注太阳能电池，以确保廉价的材料成本。 制造薄膜太阳能电池的速率通常受到吸收光的化合物的速率的限制。 该计划旨在了解如何以非常高的速度制造这些材料。 较高的速率转化为细胞的更高吞吐量，因此为制造工厂提供了更多的产出。