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

这是犹他大学和卢森堡大学的国际合作研究项目，旨在利用电沉积和脉冲激光退火技术合成用于薄膜光伏电池的高质量黄铜矿半导体。该研究检验了两个假设：1)相对高的总通量脉冲激光退火在电沉积前驱体薄膜的退火中是有效的，并且可以导致黄铜矿半导体相具有良好的光伏和晶体性能；2)相对低的总通量脉冲激光退火在以前退火的黄铜矿薄膜中有效减少特定的电子和结构缺陷。研究了脉冲激光退火对电沉积制备的CuInSe2模型黄铜矿的组成、物相、晶体、光电性能和电子缺陷性能的影响，以及在电沉积薄膜中加入Ga代替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的地球丰富材料领域有关。犹他大学的本科生以及犹他大学和卢森堡大学的研究生在参与实验室参加跨学科、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.