Real-time electron nanoscopy of photovoltaic absorber formation from kesterite nanoparticles

Yongtao Qu; See Wee Chee; Martial Duchamp; Stephen Campbell; Guillaume Zoppi; Vincent Barrioz; Yvelin Giret; Thomas J. Penfold; Apoorva Chaturvedi; Utkur Mirsaidov; Neil Beattie

doi:10.1021/acsaem.9b01732

Real-time electron nanoscopy of photovoltaic absorber formation from kesterite nanoparticles

Yongtao Qu, See Wee Chee, Martial Duchamp, Stephen Campbell, Guillaume Zoppi, Vincent Barrioz, Yvelin Giret, Thomas J. Penfold, Apoorva Chaturvedi, Utkur Mirsaidov, Neil Beattie

Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals are annealed in a Se-rich atmosphere inside a transmission electron microscope. During the heating phase, a complete S-Se exchange reaction occurs while the cation sublattice and morphology of the nanocrystals are preserved. At the annealing temperature, growth of large Cu2ZnSnSe4 grains with increased cation ordering is observed in real-time. This
yields an annealing protocol which is transferred to an industrially-similar solar cell fabrication process resulting in a 33% increase in the device open circuit voltage. The approach can be applied to improve the performance of any photovoltaic technology that requires annealing because of the criticality of the process step.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	122-128
Journal	ACS Applied Energy Materials
Volume	3
Issue number	1
Early online date	19 Dec 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.9b01732
Publication status	Published - 27 Jan 2020

Keywords

Kesterite
photovoltaics
in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Annealing
Cation ordering

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1021/acsaem.9b01732Licence: CC BY

ae-2019-01732w.R2_Proof_hiAccepted author manuscript, 3.05 MB
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Cite this

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title = "Real-time electron nanoscopy of photovoltaic absorber formation from kesterite nanoparticles",

abstract = "Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals are annealed in a Se-rich atmosphere inside a transmission electron microscope. During the heating phase, a complete S-Se exchange reaction occurs while the cation sublattice and morphology of the nanocrystals are preserved. At the annealing temperature, growth of large Cu2ZnSnSe4 grains with increased cation ordering is observed in real-time. Thisyields an annealing protocol which is transferred to an industrially-similar solar cell fabrication process resulting in a 33% increase in the device open circuit voltage. The approach can be applied to improve the performance of any photovoltaic technology that requires annealing because of the criticality of the process step.",

keywords = "Kesterite, photovoltaics, in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Annealing, Cation ordering",

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doi = "10.1021/acsaem.9b01732",

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T1 - Real-time electron nanoscopy of photovoltaic absorber formation from kesterite nanoparticles

AU - Qu, Yongtao

AU - Chee, See Wee

AU - Duchamp, Martial

AU - Campbell, Stephen

AU - Zoppi, Guillaume

AU - Barrioz, Vincent

AU - Giret, Yvelin

AU - Penfold, Thomas J.

AU - Chaturvedi, Apoorva

AU - Mirsaidov, Utkur

AU - Beattie, Neil

PY - 2020/1/27

Y1 - 2020/1/27

N2 - Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals are annealed in a Se-rich atmosphere inside a transmission electron microscope. During the heating phase, a complete S-Se exchange reaction occurs while the cation sublattice and morphology of the nanocrystals are preserved. At the annealing temperature, growth of large Cu2ZnSnSe4 grains with increased cation ordering is observed in real-time. Thisyields an annealing protocol which is transferred to an industrially-similar solar cell fabrication process resulting in a 33% increase in the device open circuit voltage. The approach can be applied to improve the performance of any photovoltaic technology that requires annealing because of the criticality of the process step.

AB - Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals are annealed in a Se-rich atmosphere inside a transmission electron microscope. During the heating phase, a complete S-Se exchange reaction occurs while the cation sublattice and morphology of the nanocrystals are preserved. At the annealing temperature, growth of large Cu2ZnSnSe4 grains with increased cation ordering is observed in real-time. Thisyields an annealing protocol which is transferred to an industrially-similar solar cell fabrication process resulting in a 33% increase in the device open circuit voltage. The approach can be applied to improve the performance of any photovoltaic technology that requires annealing because of the criticality of the process step.

KW - Kesterite

KW - photovoltaics

KW - in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

KW - Annealing

KW - Cation ordering

U2 - 10.1021/acsaem.9b01732

DO - 10.1021/acsaem.9b01732

M3 - Article

SN - 2574-0962

VL - 3

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EP - 128

JO - ACS Applied Energy Materials

JF - ACS Applied Energy Materials

IS - 1

ER -

Real-time electron nanoscopy of photovoltaic absorber formation from kesterite nanoparticles

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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