The effects of selenization pressure on the structural, optical and electrical properties of the CIGS thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering using a single quaternary target were investigated. At selenization pressures lower than atmospheric pressure, CIGS thin films formed non-stoichiometric compounds due to deficiencies of Se vapor. In contrast, when selenization process was conducted at above atmospheric pressure, the residence time of Se vapor inside the tube increased so that the Se element could be incorporated within vacant sites of the CIGS structure, resulting in the formation of stoichiometric CIGS thin films. High quality CIGS thin films could be obtained when the selenization process was performed at pressures greater than atmospheric and $550^{\circ}C$.

Light-emitting chromophores have been separated from silica spheres modified the surface with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (TMSPM). The photoluminescence characteristics of the chromophores were investigated with various excitation wavelengths. The TMSPM was attached to the surface of silica spheres at $75^{\circ}C$. Large number of round shaped particles of the TMSPM was on the surface of silica spheres after 3 h reaction. The TMPSM was completely covered on the surface of the spheres after 6 h reaction. The surface modified silica spheres were soaked into acetone and stored for 20 days at ambient condition. The solution color slowly changed from light yellow to deep yellow with the increase of the storing time. The FTIR absorption peaks at 3348, 2869, 2927, 1715, 1453/1377, 1296, and $1120cm^{-1}$ represent C-OH, $R-CH_3$, $R_2-CH_2$, -C=O, C-H, C=C-H, and Si-O-Si absorption, respectively. The FTIR absorption peak at $1715cm^{-1}$ representing the ester -C=O stretching vibration for silica spheres stored for 20 days was increased compared with the spheres without aging. The UV-visible absorption peaks were at 4.51 eV (275 nm) and 3.91 eV (317 nm). There were two luminescence peaks at 2.51 eV (495 nm) and 2.25 eV (550 nm). The emission at 2.51 eV was dominant peak when the excitation energy was higher than 2.58 eV, and emission at 2.25 eV became dominant peak when the excitation energy was lower than 2.58 eV.

Third-generation photovoltaics are of low cost based on solution processes and are targeting a high efficiency. To meet the commercial demand, however, significant improvements of both efficiency and stability are required. In this sense, interfacial engineering can be useful key to solve these issues because trap sites and interfacial energy barrier and/or chemical instability at organic/organic and organic/inorganic interfaces are critical factors of efficiency and stability degradation. Here, we thoroughly review the interfacial engineering strategies applicable to three representative third-generation photovoltaics - organic, perovskite, colloidal quantum dot solar cell devices.

III-V compound semiconductor based thin film solar cells promise relatively higher power conversion efficiencies and better device reliability. In general, the thin film III-V solar cells are fabricated by an epitaxial lift-off process, which requires an $Al_xGa_{1-x}As$ ($x{\geq}0.8$) sacrificial layer and an inverted solar cell structure. However, the device performance of the inversely grown solar cell could be degraded due to the different internal diffusion conditions. In this study, InGaP/GaAs double-junction solar cells are inversely grown by MOCVD on GaAs (100) substrates. The thickness of the GaAs base layer is reduced to minimize the thermal budget during the growth. A wide band gap p-AlGaAs/n-InGaP tunnel junction structure is employed to connect the two subcells with minimal electrical loss. The solar cell structures are transferred on to thin metal films formed by Au electroplating. An AlAs layer with a thickness of 20 nm is used as a sacrificial layer, which is removed by a HF:Acetone (1:1) solution during the epitaxial lift-off process. As a result, the flexible InGaP/GaAs solar cell was fabricated successfully with an efficiency of 27.79% under AM1.5G illumination. The efficiency was kept at almost the same value after bending tests of 1,000 cycles with a radius of curvature of 10 mm.

$Cu_{1.8}Zn_{1.2}(Sn_{1-x}Ge_x)S_4$ (CZTGeS) nanocrystals were mechanochemically synthesized from elemental precursor powders without using any organic solvents and any additives. The composition of CZTGeS nanocrystals were systematically varied with different Ge mole fraction (x) from 0.1 to 0.9. The XRD, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution TEM, and diffuse reflectance studies show that the as-synthesized CZTGeS nanocrystals exhibited consistent changes in various structural and optical properties as a function of x, such as lattice parameters, wave numbers for $A_1$ Raman vibration mode, interplanar distances (d-spacing), and optical bandgap energies. The bandgap energy of the synthesized CZTGeS nanocrystals gradually increases from 1.40 to 1.61 eV with increasing x from 0.1 to 0.9, demonstrating that Ge-doping is useful means to tune the bandgap of mechanochemically synthesized nanocrystals-based kesterite thin-film solar cells. The preliminary solar cell performance is presented with an efficiency of 3.66%.

We discussed various cover glass substrates available for photovoltaic (PV) modules, and investigated the fabrication methods of light trapping structures for the efficiency enhancement of PV modules: wet and dry etching or laser and direct patternings. We also introduced the analysis of haze at etched glass surfaces as a function of wavelength and also presented a anti-reflection coating technology for PV module.

Recently industry has voiced a need for optimally designing the production process of low-cost, high-quality ingots by improving productivity and reducing production costs with the Czochralski process. Crystalline defect control is important for the production of high-quality ingots. Also oxygen is one of the most important impurities that influence crystalline defects in single crystals. Oxygen is dissolved into the silicon melt from the silica crucible and incorporated into the crystalline a far larger amount than other additives or impurities. Then it is eluted during the cooling process, there by causing various defect. Excessive quantities of oxygen degrade the quality of silicone. However an appropriate amount of oxygen can be beneficial. because it eliminates metallic impurities within the silicone. Therefore, when growing crystals, an attempt should be made not to eliminate oxygen, but to uniformly maintain its concentration. Thus, the control of oxygen concentration is essential for crystalline growth. At present, the control of oxygen concentration is actively being studied based on the interdependence of various factors such as crystal rotation, crucible rotation, argon flow, pressure, magnet position and magnetic strength. However for methods using a magnetic field, the initial investment and operating costs of the equipment affect the wafer pricing. Hence in this study simulations were performed with the purpose of producing low-cost, high-quality ingots through the development of a process to optimize oxygen concentration without the use of magnets and through the following. a process appropriate to the defect-free range was determined by regulating the pulling rate of the crystals.