• Korean Journal of Crystallography
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.212-223
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• 2000

A stochiometric mix of CuInTe₂ polycrystal was prepared in a honizonatal furnace. To obtain the single crystal thin films, CuInTe₂ mixed crystal was deposited on throughly etched GaAs(100) by the HWE system. The source and substrate temperatures were 610℃ and 450℃ respectively, and the thickness of the deposited single crystal thin film was 2.4㎛. CuInTe₂ single crystal thin film was proved to be the optimal growth condition when the excition emission spectrum was the strongest at 1085.3 nm(1.1424 eV) of photoluminescence spectrum at 10 K, and also FWHM of Double Crystal X-ray Rocking Curve (DCRC) was the smallest, 129 arcsec. The Hall effect on this sample was measured by the method of Van der Pauw, and the carrier density and mobility dependent on temperature were 9.57x10/sup 22/ electron/㎥, 1.31x10/sup -2/㎡/V·s at 293 K, respectively. The ΔCr(Crystal field splitting) and the ΔSo (spin orbit coupling splitting( measured at f10K from the photocurrent peaks in the short wavelength of the CuInTe₂ single crystal thin film were about 0.1200 eV, 0.2833 eV respectively. From the PL spectra of CuInTe₂ single crystal thin film at 10 K, the free exciton (E/sub x/) was determined to be 1064.5 nm(1.1647 eV) and the donor-bound exciton(D/sup 0/, X) and acceptor-bound exciton (A/sup 0/, X) were determined to be 1085.3 nm(1.1424 eV) and 1096.8 nm(1.1304 eV0 respectively. And also, the donor-acciptor pair (DAP)P/sub 0/, DAP-replica P₁, DAP-replica P₂ and self-activated (SA) were determined to be 1131 nm (1.0962 eV), 1164 nm(1.0651 eV), 1191.1 nm(1.0340 eV) and 1618.1 nm (0.7662 eV), respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.97-97
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• 2013

Recently, Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSS), which is one of the In- and Ga- free absorber materials, has been attracted considerable attention as a new candidate for use as an absorber material in thin film solar cells. The CZTSS-based absorber material has outstanding characteristics such as band gap energy of 1.0 eV to 1.5 eV, high absorption coefficient on the order of 104 cm-1, and high theoretical conversion efficiency of 32.2% in thin film solar cells. Despite these promising characteristics, research into CZTSS based thin film solar cells is still incomprehensive and related reports are quite few compared to those for CIGS thin film solar cells, which show high efficiency of over 20%. I will briefly overview the recent technological development of CZTSS thin film solar cells and then introduce our research results mainly related to sputter based process. CZTSS thin film solar cells are prepared by sulfurization of stacked both metallic and sulfide precursors. Sulfurization process was performed in both furnace annealing system and rapid thermal processing system using S powder as well as 5% diluted H2S gas source at various annealing temperatures ranging from $520^{\circ}C$ to $580^{\circ}C$. Structural, optical, microstructural, and electrical properties of absorber layers were characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Hall-measurement, TRPL, etc. The effects of processing parameters, such as composition ratio, sulfurization pressure, and sulfurization temperature on the properties of CZTSS absorber layers will be discussed in detail. CZTSS thin film solar cell fabricated using metallic precursors shows maximum cell efficiency of 6.9% with Jsc of 25.2 mA/cm2, Voc of 469 mV, and fill factor of 59.1% and CZTS thin film solar cell using sulfide precursors shows that of 4.5% with Jsc of 19.8 mA/cm2, Voc of 492 mV, and fill factor of 46.2%. In addition, other research activities in our lab related to the formation of CZTS absorber layers using solution based processes such as electro-deposition, chemical solution deposition, nano-particle formation will be introduced briefly.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.361-361
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• 2011

Cu(InGa)(SeS2) (CIGS) thin film solar cells have recently reached an efficiency of 20%. Recent studies suggest a double graded band gap structure of the CIGS absorber layer to be a key issue in the production of high efficiency thin film solar cell using by sputtering process method. In this study, Cu(InGa)(SeS2) absorbers were manufactured by selenization and surfulization, we have deposited CIG precusor by sputtering and Se layer by evaporation before selenization. The objective of this study is to find out surfulization effects to improve Voc and to compare with non-surfulization Cu(InGa)Se2 absorbers. Even if we didn't analysis Ga depth profile of Cu(InGa)(SeS2) absorbers, we confirmed increasing of Eg and Voc through surlization process. In non-surfulization Cu(InGa)Se2 absorbers, Eg and Voc are 0.96eV and 0.48V. Whereas Eg and Voc of Cu(InGa)(SeS2) absorbers are 1.16eV and 0.57V. And the efficiency of 9.58% was achieved on 0.57cm2 sized SLG substrate. In this study, we will be discussed to improve Eg and Voc through surfulization and the other method without H2S. gas.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.318.2-318.2
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• 2014

The high contact resistance is still one of the major issues to be resolved in CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells. CdTe/Metal Schottky contact induced a high contact resistance in CdS/CdTe solar cells. It has been reported that the work function of CdTe thin film is more than 5.7 eV. There has not been a suitable back contact metal, because CdTe thin film has a high work function. In a few decades, some buffer layer was reported to improve a back contact problem. Buffer layers which are Te, $Sb_2Te_3$, $Cu_2Te$, ZnTe:Cu and so on was inserted between CdTe and metal electrode. A formed buffer layers made a tunnel junction. Hole carriers which was excited in CdTe film by light absorption was transported from CdTe to back metal electrode. In this report, we reported the variation of solar cell performance with different buffer layer at the back contact of CdTe thin film solar cell.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 2017

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) light harvesting structures are highly attracted because of their high light harvesting capacity and charge collection efficiencies. In this study, we have fabricated $Cu_2ZnSn(S_xSe_{1-x})_4$ based 3D thin film solar cells on PR patterned Molybdenum (Mo) substrates using photolithography technique. Specifically, Mo patterns were deposited on PR patterned Mo substrates by sputtering and the thin Cu-Zn-Sn stacked layer was deposited over this Mo patterns by sputtering technique. The stacked Zn-Sn-Cu precursor thin films were sulfo-selenized to form CZTSSe pattern. Finally, CZTSSe absorbers were coated with thin CdS layer using chemical bath deposition and ZnO window layer was deposited over CZTSSe/CdS using DC sputtering technique. Fabricated 3-D solar cells were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) to study their structural, compositional and morphological properties, respectively. The 3% efficiency is achieved for this kind of solar cell. Further efforts will be carried out to improve the performance of solar cell through various optimizations.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.85.2-85.2
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• 2010

$Cu_2ZnSnSe_4$ (CZTSe) is one of candidate to alternate $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ as solar absorber material for solar cell. The expensive elements of In and Ga are replaced by Zn and Sn, respectively to lower the material cost. In this study we fabricated CZTSe thin film by selenization of single precursor layer consisted metallic constituent. Precursor compositions ratio were selected to have Cu-poor and Zn-rich content and prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. Thermal processing was applied to introduce selenium into as-deposited films at temperatures ranging from 350 to 500 for time up to 120 minutes. Single precursor films showed amorphous structure and consist of individual elements of Cu, Zn, and Sn. It was confirmed by XRD analysis that synthesis of CZTSe compound is occurred from lower temperature process, although concurrently additional phases such as binary cooper selenides are also existed. The quality of CZTSe crystal was improved as temperature increased. We also investigated the optical and electrical properties of as-selenized CZTSe as well.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.68-73
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• 2020

Due to its favorable optical properties, Cu₂SnS₃ (CTS) is a promising material for thin film solar cells. Doping, which modifies the absorber properties, is one way to improve the conversion efficiency of CTS solar cells. In this work, CTS solar cells with selenium doping were fabricated on a flexible substrate using sputtering method and the effect of doping on the properties of CTS solar cells was investigated. In XRD analysis, a shift in the CTS peaks can be observed due to the doped selenium. XRF analysis confirmed the different ratios of Cu/Sn and (S+Se)/(Cu+Sn) depending on the amount of selenium doping. Selenium doping can help to lower the chemical potential of sulfur. This effectively reduces the point defects of CTS thin films. Overall improved electrical properties were observed in the CTS solar cell with a small amount of selenium doping, and a notable conversion efficiency of 1.02 % was achieved in the CTS solar cell doped with 1 at% of selenium.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.76-77
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• 2005

Single crystal $CuAlSe_2$ layers were grown on thoroughly etched semi-insulating GaAs(100) substrate at 410$^{\circ}C$ with hot wall epitaxy (HWE) system by evaporating $CuAlSe_2$ source at $680^{\circ}C$. The crystalline structure of the single crystal thin films was investigated by the photoluminescence(PL) and double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXO). The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CuAlSe_2$ obtained from the absorpt ion spectra was wel1 described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g$(T) = 2.8382 eV - ($8.86\times10^{-4}$ eV/H)$T_2$/(T + 155K). After the as-grown single crystal $CuAlSe_2$ thin films were annealed in Cu-, Se-, and Al-atmospheres, the origin of point defects of single crystal $CuAlSe_2$ thin films has been investigated by PL at 10 K. The native defects of $V_{cd}$, $V_{se}$, $Cd_{int}$, and $Se_{int}$ obtained by PL measurements were classified as donors or acceptors. And we concluded that the heat-treatment in the Cu-atmosphere converted single crystal $CuAlSe_2$ thin films to an optical n-type. Also. we confirmed that hi in $CuAlSe_2$/GaAs did not form the native defects because Al in single crystal $CuAlSe_2$ thin films existed in the form of stable bonds.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.50 no.12
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• pp.607-613
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• 2001

Molybdenum thin films were deposited on the soda lime glass(SLG) substrates by direct-current planar magnetron sputtering, with a sputtering power density of $4.44W/cm^2$. The working pressure was varied from 0.5 mtorr to 20 mtorr to gain a better understanding of the effect of sputtering pressure on the morphology and microstructure of the Mo film. Thin films of $CU(InGa)Se_2$ (CIGS) were deposited on the Mo-coated glass by three stage co-evaporation process. The highest efficiency device was obtained at the maximum value of the tensive stress. The morphology of Mo-coated films were examined by using scanning electron microscopy The film's microstructure, such as the preferred orientation, the full width at half-maximum(FWHM), and the residual intrinsic stress were examined by X-ray diffraction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.234-238
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• 2004

A stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for $CuInSe_2$ single crystal thin films was prepared from horizontal electric furnace. To obtain the single crystal thin films, $CuInSe_2$ mixed crystal was deposited on thoroughly etched semi-insulating GaAs(100) substrate by the hot wall epitaxy (HWE) system. The source and substrate temperatures were $620^{\circ}C$ and $410^{\circ}C$, respectively. The crystalline structure of the single crystal thin films was investigated by the photoluminescence and double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXD). The carrier density and mobility of $CuInSe_2$ single crystal thin films measured with Hall effect by van der Pauw method are $9.62{\times}10^{l6}\;cm^{-3}$ and $296\;cm^2/V{\cdot}s$ at 293 K, respectively. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CuInSe_2$ obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g(T)\;=\;1.1851\;eV\;-\;(8.99{\times}10^{-4}\;eV/K)T^2/(T+153K)$. The crystal field and the spin-orbit splitting energies for the valence band of the $CuInSe_2$ have been estimated to be 0.0087 eV and 0.2329 eV at 10K, respectively, by means of the photocurrent spectra and the Hopfield quasicubic model. These results indicate that the splitting of the ${\Delta}_{so}$ definitely exists in the $\Gamma_6$ states of the valence band of the $CuInSe_2$. The three photocurrent peaks observed at 10K are ascribed to the $A_1-$, $B_1-$, and $C_1$-exciton peaks for n = 1.