• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.03a
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• pp.400-403
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• 2012

$Cu_2ZnSnSe_4$(CZTSe) is emerged as a promising material for thin-film solar cells because of non-toxic, inexpensive and earth abundant more than $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ materials. For fabricating compound semiconductor thin-film solar cells, CdS is widely used for a buffer layer which fabricated by a chemical bath deposition method (CBD). Through the experiment, we controlled deposition temperature and mol ratio of solution conditions to find the proper grain 크기 and exact composition. The optimum CdS layers were characterized in terms of surface morphology by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The optimized CdS layer process was applied on CZTSe thin-films. The thickness of buffer layer related with device performance of solar cells which controlled by deposition time. Local surface potential of CdS/CZTSe thin-films was investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). From these results, we can deduce local electric properties with different thickness of buffer layer on CZTSe thin-films. Therefore, we investigated the effect of CdS buffer layer thickness on the CZTSe thin-films for decreasing device losses. From this study, we can suggest buffer layer thickness which contributes to efficiencies and device performance of CZTSe thin-film solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.377-377
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• 2011

Organic solar cells (OSCs) with low cost have been studied to apply on flexible substrate by solution process in low temperature [1]. In previous researches, conventional organic solar cell was composed of metal oxide anode, buffer layer such as PEDOT:PSS, photoactive layer, and metal cathode with low work function. In this structure, indium tin oxide (ITO) and Al was generally used as metal oxide anode and metal cathode, respectively. However, they showed poor reliability, because PEDOT:PSS was sensitive to moisture and air, and the low work function metal cathode was easily oxidized to air, resulting in decreased efficiency in half per day [2]. Inverted organic solar cells (IOSCs) using high work function metal and buffer layer replacing the PEDOT:PSS have focused as a solution in conventional organic solar cell. On the contrary to conventional OSCs, ZnO and TiO2 are required to be used as a buffer layer, since the ITO in IOSC is used as cathode to collect electrons and block holes. The ZnO is expected to be excellent electron transport layer (ETL), because the ZnO has the advantages of high electron mobility, stability in air, easy fabrication at room temperature, and UV absorption. In this study, the IOSCs based on poly [N-900-hepta-decanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(40,70-di-2-thienyl-20,10,30-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) : [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) were fabricated with the ZnO electron-transport layer and MoO3 hole-transport layer. Thickness of the ZnO for electron-transport layer was controlled by rotation speed in spin-coating. The PCDTBT and PC70BM were mixed with a ratio of 1:2 as an active layer. As a result, the highest efficiency of 2.53% was achieved.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.512-515
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• 2016

A new viologen derivative namely 1,1'-bis(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)-[4,4'-bipyridine]-1,1'-diium bromide (V-Pr-2OH) was synthesized and applied as a cathode buffer layer to inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on the blend of PTB7 : $PC_{71}BM$. PSCs with the structure of ITO/V-Pr-2OH/PTB7 : $PC_{71}BM/MoO_3/Ag$ as the cathode buffer layer showed the power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 7.28%, which is comparable to that of the PSCs with the structure of ITO/ZnO/PTB7 : $PC_{71}BM/MoO_3/Ag$ (7.44%) in the absence of V-Pr-2OH. This study demonstrates that a highly efficient PSCs without any high temperature heat treatment can be obtained.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.89-92
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• 2009

High-quality Al-N doped p-type ZnO thin films were deposited on Si and buffer layer/Si by DC magnetron sputtering in a mixture of $N_2$ and $O_2$ gas. The target was ceramic ZnO mixed with $Al_2O_3$ (2 wt%). The p-type ZnO thin films showed a carrier concentration in the range of $1.5{\times}10^{15}{\sim}2.93{\times}10^{17}\;cm^{-3}$, resistivity in the range of 131.2${\sim}$2.864 ${\Omega}cm$, mobility in the range of 3.99${\sim}$31.6 $cm^2V^{-1}s^{-l}$, respectively. It was easier to dope p-type ZnO films on Si substrates than on buffer layer/Si. The film grown on Si showed the highest quality of photoluminescence (PL) characteristics. The Al donor energy level depth $(E_d)$ of Al-N codoped ZnO films was reduced to about 50 meV, and the N acceptor energy level depth $(E_a)$ was reduced to 63 meV.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2011

The Gallium-doped ZnO(GZO) film deposited at a temperature of $200^{\circ}C$ and a pressure of 10 mtorr has an optical transmittance of 89.0% and a resistivity of $2.0\;m{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ because of its high crystallinity. Effect of $Al_2O_3$ oxide buffer layers on the optical and electrical properties of sputtered ZnO films were intensively investigated for developing the electrodes of opto-electronic devices which demanded high optical transmittance and low resistivity. The use of $Al_2O_3$ buffer layer could increase optical transmittance of GZO film to 90.7% at a wavelength of 550 nm by controlling optical spectrum. Resistivity of deposited GZO films were much dependent on the deposition condition of $O_2/(Ar+O_2)$ flow rate ratio during the buffer layer deposition. It is considered that the $Al_2O_3$ buffer layer could increase the carrier concentration of the GZO films by doping effect of diffused Al atoms through the rough interface.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2006.07c
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• pp.1651-1652
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• 2006

In this study, the 2-step methode by ALD equipment was used to improve the characteristics of ZnO thin films used in a piezoelectric layer when the FBAR devices of a SMR type are fabricated. The Height of formed buffer layer was $400{\AA}$ and ZnO thin film of $13600{\AA}$ was deposited by RF sputter on the buffer layer. When ZnO thin films are deposited, deposition conditions such as pressure, injection time of source and purge time were changed variously. The characteristics of piezoelectric layer such as a crystal orientation and micro-structure of deposited ZnO thin films were studied by SEM, AFM and XRD.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.265-271
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• 2016

We analyzed the interface characteristics of Zn-based thin-film buffer layers formed by a sulfur thermal cracker on a $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ (CIGS) light-absorber layer. The analyzed Zn-based thin-film buffer layers are processed by a proposed method comprising two processes - Zn-sputtering and cracker-sulfurization. The processed buffer layers are then suitable to be used in the fabrication of highly efficient CIGS solar cells. Among the various Zn-based film thicknesses, an 8 nm-thick Zn-based film shows the highest power conversion efficiency for a solar cell. The band alignment of the buffer/CIGS was investigated by measuring the band-gap energies and valence band levels across the depth direction. The conduction band difference between the near surface and interface in the buffer layer enables an efficient electron transport across the junction. We found the origin of the energy band structure by observing the chemical states. The fabricated buffer/CIGS layers have a structurally and chemically distinct interface with little elemental inter-diffusion.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.431-431
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• 2016

Typical Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS)-based solar cells have a buffer layer between CIGS absorber layer and transparent ZnO front electrode, which plays an important role in improving the cell performance. Among various buffer materials, chemical bath deposition (CBD)-ZnS is being steadily studied to alternative to conventional CdS and the efficiency of CBD-ZnS/CIGS solar cell shows the comparable values with that of CdS/CIGS solar cell. The intriguing thing is that reversible changes occur after exposure to illumination due to the metastable defect states in completed ZnS/CIGS solar cell, which induces an improvement of solar cell performance. Thus, it implies that the understanding of metastable defects in CBD-ZnS/CIGS solar cell is important issue. In this study, we fabricate the ITO/i-ZnO/CBD-ZnS/CIGS/Mo/SLG solar cells by controlling the NH4OH mole concentration (from 2 M to 3.5 M) of CBD-ZnS buffer layer and observe their conversion efficiency with and without light soaking for 1 hr. From the results, NH4OH mole concentration and light exposure can significantly affect the CBD-ZnS/CIGS solar cell performance. In order to investigate that which layer can contain metastable defect states to influence on solar cell performance, impedance spectroscopy and capacitance profiling technique with exposure to illumination have been applied to CBD-ZnS/CIGS solar cell. These techniques give a very useful information on the density of states within the bandgap of CIGS, free carriers density, and light-induced metastable effects. Here, we present the rearranged charge distribution after exposure to illumination and suggest the origin of the metastable defect states in CBD-ZnS/CIGS solar cell.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2009

The optimal condition of low temperature deposition of transparent conductive Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films is studied by RF magnetron sputtering method. To achieve enhanced-electrical property and good crystallites quality, we tried to deposit on glass using a two-step growth process. This process was to deposit AZO buffer layer with optimal growth condition on glass in-situ state. The AZO film grown at rf 120 W on buffer layer prepared at RF $50{\sim}60\;W$ shows the electrical resistivity $3.9{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}cm$, Carrier concentration $1.22{\times}10^{21}/cm^3$, and mobility $9.9\;cm^2/Vs$ in these results, The crystallinity of AZO film on buffer layer was similar to that of AZO film on glass with no buffer later but the electrical properties of the AZO film were 30% improved than that of the AZO film with no buffer layer. Therefore, the cause of enhanced electrical properties was explained to be dependent on degree of crystallization and on buffer layer's compressive stress by variation of $Ar^+$ ion impinging energy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.115-115
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• 2009

Epitaxial ZnO film was grown on Si(111) substrate with oxidazed CrN buffer by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). The growth and structural properties are investigated. The single crystalline growth was revealed by in-situ RHEED analysis. Crystalline quality of ZnO film grown on oxidized CrN buffer was investigated by the X-ray rocking curves. The FWHMs of (0002) XRCs was $1.379^{\circ}$. This value was smaller than the ZnO film grown directly on (111) Si substrate.