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

NSF可持续能源途径（SEP）计划，在NSF科学，工程和可持续发展教育（SEES）倡议的保护伞下，将支持佛罗里达大学的蒂莫西安德森教授和同事，宾夕法尼亚州立大学的刘子奎教授和同事的研究计划，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的安格斯罗基特教授及其同事开发了新的基于地球丰度的薄膜光伏材料。使用地球上丰富的材料是可持续能源途径所必需的，包括大量的光伏发电能力。最近使用地球丰富的Cu 2 ZnSn（SxSe 1-x）4（CZTSe）的10.1%效率电池的示范已经将这种吸收剂提升为用于高渗透PV的最有前途的可持续材料之一。 发展CZTS的材料特性的基础知识是必要的，以支持其快速发展。 该计划的目的是定义一个自洽的框架，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工艺创新，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加工条件。 计算相图（CALPHAD）方法将用于评估文献中的实验数据，并辅以未知热化学性质的第一性原理计算，以全面描述该5组分系统的热力学性质。 该评估还将深入了解将处理条件与器械性能联系起来所需的点缺陷化学。 反应途径将使用高温X射线衍射（HTXRD）实验结合材料表征和第一性原理计算进行研究，以帮助为这个地球丰富的系统创建物种迁移率数据库。显著采用可持续光伏显然将产生巨大的全球影响。 最大的好处是10亿没有可靠电力或没有任何电力供应的人。 提出了两个方案，以促进光伏发电到这些地区。 一位在发展中国家发电方面具有相当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。 这项活动将通过参与本科多学科顶点设计团队来补充，以定义负担得起的和可靠的个人光伏系统，同时与光伏制造商合作。 每个博士生将参加在我们的合作国家实验室之一实习，以及从事本科生在他们的研究。 该团队还对新教师的发展感兴趣。 一个旨在帮助新教师快速启动的研讨会，现在正在教授新的和未来的化学工程师教师，将适应化学和材料科学界。最终，太阳能是我们能源的主要来源，生产我们的化石燃料，生物质，风能和太阳能热资源，当然，还有使用太阳能电池直接转换的电力。 随着我们学会如何大规模生产更高效的太阳能电池板，太阳能电池板的成本正在迅速下降。 事实上，每当世界装机容量翻一番时，历史价格就会下降22%，而且他们现在提供的电力低于世界许多地区的零售电力成本。 然而，全球太阳能电池板的装机容量仅占总产量的很小比例（1%）。 面板制造成本主要为材料成本及建造制造厂房成本。 在太阳能电池板的高度部署中，某些元件的有限供应/高成本将禁止其使用。 这项研究将集中在太阳能电池使用地球丰富的元素铜，锌，锡，硫和可能的硒，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形成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。 更高的速率转化为更高的细胞通量，从而为制造工厂提供更多的产量。

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.