Solution Processed Inorganic Thin-Film Photovoltaic Devices

位于拉夫堡大学的可再生能源系统技术中心(CREST)获得了EPSRC的资助，以开展一项使用溶液处理技术开发薄膜太阳能电池的研究计划。拉夫堡在该项目中扮演的角色名为“溶液处理无机薄膜光伏器件(SolPV)”，旨在利用可扩展的制造技术，依靠胺-硫醇溶液化学，开发功率转换效率在15%以上的铜铟镓二硒(或CIGS)薄膜太阳能电池。其中一些关键策略包括：优化吸收体前驱体的形成，以实施基于溶液处理的可扩展制造方法(如喷涂、开槽模具等)。设计热处理策略，以实现吸收体的受控再结晶和成分分级。吸收体/缓冲器界面的界面工程，以提高太阳能电池的性能，包括最终去除含镉化合物。学生将致力于薄膜CIGS太阳能电池的制造、表征和分析，目的是提高设备的性能。使用各种结构、组成和光电子表征技术和分析方法，博士生将致力于了解器件中的基本限制过程，最终将功率转换效率提高到15%以上。

The Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST), at Loughborough University have been awarded funding from the EPSRC to undertake a program of research to develop thin film solar cells using solutionprocessing techniques. Loughborough's role in the project, named ""Solution-Processed Inorganic Thin-Film Photovoltaic Devices (SolPV)" aims to develop copper indium gallium diselenide (or CIGS) thin film solar cells with power conversion efficiencies above 15% using scalable manufacturing techniques, reliant on amine-thiol solution chemistry.Some of the key strategies include:Optimisation of the absorber precursor formation to implement scalable manufacturing methods based on solution processing (such as spray coating, slot die, etc).Design thermal processing strategies to achieve controlled recrystallisation and compositional grading of the absorber.Interface engineering of the absorber/buffer interface to improve solar cell performance, including the ultimate removal of cadmium containing compounds.The student will work on the fabrication, characterisation and analysis of thin film CIGS solar cells, with an aim to improve the device performance. Using a variety of structural, composition, and opto-electronic characterisation techniques and analysis methods, the PhD student will aim to develop an understanding of the fundamental limiting processes seen in the devices, to ultimately improve power conversion efficiencies to above 15%.