• 한국재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국재료학회 2011년도 추계학술발표대회
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• pp.35.1-35.1
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• 2011

New photovoltaic (PV) materials and manufacturing approaches are needed for meeting the demand for lower-cost solar cells. The prototypal thin-film photovoltaic absorbers (CdTe and $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$) can achieve solar conversion efficiencies of up to 20% and are now commercially available, but the presence of toxic (Cd,Se) and expensive elemental components (In, Te) is a real issue as the demand for photovoltaics rapidly increases. To overcome these limitations, there has been substantial interest in developing viable alternative materials, such as $Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ (CZTS) is an emerging solar absorber that is structurally similar to CIGS, but contains only earth abundant, non-toxic elements and has a near optimal direct band gap energy of 1.4~1.6 ev and a large absorption coefficient of ${\sim}10^4\;cm^{-1}$. The CZTS absorber layers are grown and investigated by various fabrication methods, such as thermal evaporation, e-beam evaporation with a post sulfurization, sputtering, non-vacuum sol-gel, pulsed laser, spray-pyrolysis method and electrodeposition technique. In the present work, we report an alternative method for large area deposition of CZTS thin films that is potentially high throughput and inexpensive when used to produce monolithically integrated solar panel modules. Specifically, we have developed an aqueous chemical approach based on chemical bath deposition (CBD) with a subsequent sulfurization heat treatment. Samples produced by our method were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, absorbance and photoluminescence. The results show that this inexpensive and relatively benign process produces thin films of CZTS exhibiting uniform composition, kesterite crystal structure, and good optical properties. A preliminary solar cell device was fabricated to demonstrate rectifying and photovoltaic behavior.

• 공업화학전망
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.13-24
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• 2017

태양전지는 온실 가스 감축에 효과가 큰 기후 변화 대응 기술이다. 현재 상업화에 성공한 실리콘 태양전지의 뒤를 이어 박막 태양전지, 페로브스카이트 태양전지 등 차세대 태양전지가 가격과 효율 등을 극복하기 위하여 매우 많이 연구되고 있다. CZT(S,Se) 박막 태양전지는 차세대 태양전지의 유력 후보군인 CIGS, CdTe, 페로브스카이트 태양전지 등에 비해 범용 무독성 원소를 광흡수층으로 사용한다는 장점을 가지고 있지만 아직까지는 이들보다 효율이 낮아 상용화하기에는 많은 문제를 가지고 있다. CZT(S,Se) 박막태양전지의 기본적인 물성, 공정 등을 알아보고 고효율을 달성하는 방법에 대하여 알아보고자 한다.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제29권6호
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• pp.862-868
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• 1996

Cadmium sulfide is commonly used as the window material for thin film solar cells, and can be prepared by several techniques such as sputtering, spray pyrolysis, close spaced sublimation (CSS), thermal evaporation, solution growth methods, etc. In this study, CdS films were deposited by thermal evaporation, close spaced sublimation, and solution growth methods, respectively, and the effects of the methods on physical properties of polycrystalline CdS deposited on ITO/glass were investigated. Also, the effects of variously prepared CdS thin films on the physical properties of CdTe deposited on the CdS were investigated. The thickness of polycrystalline CdS films was maintained at $0.3\mu\textrm{m}$ except for the solution grown CdS when $0.2\mu\textrm{m}$ thick CdS was deposited. After the deposition, all the samples were annealed at $400^{\circ}C$ or $500^{\circ}C$ in H2 atmosphere. To investigate physical properties of the deposited and annealed CdS thin films, UV-VIS spectro-photometry, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and cross sectional transmission electron microscopy(XTEM) were used to analyze grain size, crystal structure, preferred orientation, optical properties, etc. The annealed CdS showed the bandedge transition at 510nm and the optical transmittance high than 80% for all of the variously deposited films. XRD results showed that CdS thin films variously deposited and annealed had the same hexagonal structures, however, showed different preferred orientations. CSS grown CdS had [103] preferred orientation, thermally evaporated CdS had [002], and CdS grown by the solution growth had no preferred orientation. The largest grain size was obtained for the CSS grown CdS while the least grain size was obtained for the solution grown CdS. Some of the physical properties of CdTe deposited on the CdS thin film such as grain size at the junction and grain orientation were affected by the physical properties of CdS thin films.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2008년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.104-104
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• 2008

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2011년도 제40회 동계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.185-185
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• 2011

ZnTe semiconductor is very attractive materials for optoelectronic devices in the visible green spectral region because of it has direct bandgap of 2.26 eV. The prototypes of ZnTe light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been reported [1], showing that their green emission peak closely matches the most sensitive region of the human eye. Another application to photovoltaics proved that ZnTe is useful for the production of high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells [2,3]. By using the pulse laser deposition system, ZnTe thin films were deposited on ZnO thin layer, which is grown on (0001) Al2O3substrates. To produce the plasma plume from an ablated ZnO and ZnTe target, a pulsed (10 Hz) YGA:Nd laser with energy density of 95 mJ/$cm^2$ and wavelength of 266 nm by a nonlinear fourth harmonic generator was used. The laser spot focused on the surface of the ZnO and ZnTe target by using an optical lens was approximately 1 mm2. The base pressure of the chamber was kept at a pressure around $10^{-6}$ Torr by using a turbo molecular pump. The oxygen gas flow was controlled around 3 sccm by using a mass flow controller system. During the ZnTe deposition, the substrate temperature was $400^{\circ}C$ and the ambient gas pressure was $10^{-2}$ Torr. The structural properties of the samples were analyzed by XRD measurement. The optical properties were investigated by using the photoluminescence spectra obtained with a 325 nm wavelength He-Cd laser. The film surface and carrier concentration were analyzed by an atomic force microscope and Hall measurement system.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제32권11호
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• pp.481-488
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• 2022

The Cu₂ZnSn(S_xSe_1-x)₄ (CZTSSe) absorbers are promising thin film solar cells (TFSCs) materials, to replace existing Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) and CdTe photovoltaic technology. However, the best reported efficiency for a CZTSSe device, of 13.6 %, is still too low for commercial use. Recently, partially replacing the Zn²⁺ element with a Cd²⁺element has attracting attention as one of the promising strategies for improving the photovoltaic characteristics of the CZTSSe TFSCs. Cd²⁺ elements are known to improve the grain size of the CZTSSe absorber thin films and improve optoelectronic properties by suppressing potential defects, causing short-circuit current (J_sc) loss. In this study, the structural, compositional, and morphological characteristics of CZTSSe and CZCTSSe thin films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), and Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), respectively. The FE-SEM images revealed that the grain size improved with increasing Cd²⁺ alloying in the CZTSSe thin films. Moreover, there was a slight decrease in small grain distribution as well as voids near the CZTSSe/Mo interface after Cd²⁺ alloying. The solar cells prepared using the most promising CZTSSe absorber thin films with Cd²⁺ alloying (8 min. 30 sec.) exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.33 %, J_sc of 34.0 mA/cm², and fill factor (FF) of 62.7 %, respectively.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.566-572
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• 2020

In the recent years, thin film solar cells (TFSCs) have emerged as a viable replacement for crystalline silicon solar cells and offer a variety of choices, particularly in terms of synthesis processes and substrates (rigid or flexible, metal or insulator). Among the thin-film absorber materials, SnS has great potential for the manufacturing of low-cost TFSCs due to its suitable optical and electrical properties, non-toxic nature, and earth abundancy. However, the efficiency of SnS-based solar cells is found to be in the range of 1 ~ 4 % and remains far below those of CdTe-, CIGS-, and CZTSSe-based TFSCs. Aside from the improvement in the physical properties of absorber layer, enormous efforts have been focused on the development of suitable buffer layer for SnS-based solar cells. Herein, we investigate the device performance of SnS-based TFSCs by introducing double buffer layers, in which CdS is applied as first buffer layer and ZnMgO films is employed as second buffer layer. The effect of the composition ratio (Mg/(Mg+Zn)) of RF sputtered ZnMgO films on the device performance is studied. The structural and optical properties of ZnMgO films with various Mg/(Mg+Zn) ratios are also analyzed systemically. The fabricated SnS-based TFSCs with device structure of SLG/Mo/SnS/CdS/ZnMgO/AZO/Al exhibit a highest cell efficiency of 1.84 % along with open-circuit voltage of 0.302 V, short-circuit current density of 13.55 mA cm^-2, and fill factor of 0.45 with an optimum Mg/(Mg + Zn) ratio of 0.02.

• 한국태양에너지학회 논문집
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.93-99
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• 2011

To guarantee more exact maximum power of solar cell module, it is absolutely required to have performance characteristics of various solar cells. Today, there are many types of solar simulator for large area measurement. But it is very opaque how to select the best one for various solar cell module like crystalline silicon solar cell, high efficiency solar cell, amorphous silicon thin film solar cell, CdTe and CIGS solar cell module. So, in this paper 4 types of photovoltaic module were selected to compare the electrical characteristics by changing light pulse duration time and voltage scan direction. Light pulse duration time was varied from 10msec to 800msec. And two types of voltage scan directions, Voc->Isc and Isc->Voc were selected. From this results, optimum measuring condition was suggested and electrical variation was analysed for each types of solar cell module. The detail description is specified as the following paper.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.104-110
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• 2001

Structural, optical and electrical properties of Cd$_{1-x}$ Zn$_{x}$S films deposited by chemical bath deposition(CBD), which is a very attractive method for low-cost and large-area solar cells, are presented. Especially, in order to control more effectively the zinc component of the films, zinc acetate, which was used as the zinc source, was added in the reaction solution after preheating the reaction solution and the pH of the reaction solution decreased with increasing the concentration of zinc acetate. The films prepared after preheating and pH control had larger zinc component and higher optical band gap. The crystal structures of Cd$_{1-x}$ Zn$_{x}$S films was a wurtzite type with a preferential orientation of the (002) plane and the lattice constants of the films changed from the value for CdS to those for ZnS with increasing the mole ratio of the zinc acetate. The minimum lattice mismatch between Cd$_{1-x}$ Zn$_{x}$S and CdTe were 2.7% at the mole ratio of (ZnAc$_2$)/(CdAc$_2$+ZnAc$_2$)=0.4. As the more zinc substituted for Cd in the films, the optical transmittance improved, while the absorption edge shifted toward a shorterwavelength. the photoconductivity of the films was higher than the dark conductivity, while the ratio of those increased with increasing the mole ratio of zinc acetate. acetate.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제31권11호
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• pp.619-625
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• 2021

Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (CZTSSe) based thin-film solar cells have attracted growing attention because of their earth-abundant and non-toxic elements. However, because of their large open-circuit voltage (V_oc)-deficit, CZTSSe solar cells exhibit poor device performance compared to well-established Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)₂ (CIGS) and CdTe based solar cells. One of the main causes of this large V_oc-deficit is poor absorber properties for example, high band tailing properties, defects, secondary phases, carrier recombination, etc. In particular, the fabrication of absorbers using physical methods results in poor surface morphology, such as pin-holes and voids. To overcome this problem and form large and homogeneous CZTSSe grains, CZTSSe based absorber layers are prepared by a sputtering technique with different RTA conditions. The temperature is varied from 510 ℃ to 540 ℃ during the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. Further, CZTSSe thin films are examined with X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, IPCE, Energy dispersive spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy techniques. The present work shows that Cu-based secondary phase formation can be suppressed in the CZTSSe absorber layer at an optimum RTA condition.