• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.344-348
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• 2011

A layer of $TiO_2$ thin film less than ~200nm in thickness, as a blocking layer, was deposited by 13.56 MHz radio frequency magnetron sputtering method directly onto the anode electrode to be isolated from the electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). This is to prevent the electrons from back-transferring from the electrode to the electrolyte ($I^-/{I_3}^-$). The presented DSCs were fabricated with working electrode of F:$SnO_2$(FTO) glass coated with blocking $TiO_2$ layer, dye-attached nanoporous $TiO_2$ layer, gel electrolyte and counter electrode of Pt-deposited FTO glass. The effects of blocking layer were studied with respect to impedance and conversion efficiency of the cells. The, electrochemical impedances of DSCs using this electrode were $R_1$: 13.9, $R_2$: 15.0, $R_3$: 10.9 and $R_h$: $82{\Omega}$. The $R_2$ impedance related by electron movement from nanoporous $TiO_2$ to TCO showed lower than that of normal DSCs. The photo-conversion efficiency of prepared DSCs was 5.97% ($V_{oc}$: 0.75V, $J_{sc}$: 10.5 mA/$cm^2$, ff: 0.75) and approximately 1% higher than general DSCs sample.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.47-57
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• 2017

CIGS thin film solar cells are technically suitable for BIPV applications than regularly used crystalline silicon solar cells. Particularly, CIGS PV has lower temperature coefficient than crystalline silicon PV, thus decrease in power generation is lowered in CIGS PV. Moreover, CIGS PV can decrease shading loss when applied to the BIPV system, and the total annual power generation is higher than crystalline silicon. However, there are few studies on the installation factors affecting the performance of BIPV system with CIGS module. In this study, BIPV curtain wall unit with CIGS PV module was designed. To prevent increase of temperature of CIGS PV module by solar radiation, ventilation was considered at the backside of the unit. The thermal specification and electrical performance of CIGS PV of the ventilated unit was analyzed experimentally. Non-ventilated unit was also investigated and compared with ventilated unit. The results showed that the average CIGS temperature of the ventilated curtain wall unit was $6.8^{\circ}C$ lower than non-ventilated type and the efficiency and power generation performance of ventilated CIGS PV on average was, respectively, about 6% and 5.8% higher than the non-ventilated type.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.185-202
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• 2018

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells can convert solar energy, the largest potential source of renewable energy, into hydrogen fuel which can be stored, transported, and used on demand. In terms of cost competitiveness compared with fossil fuels, however, both photocatalytic efficiency and cost-effectiveness must be achieved simultaneously. Improvement of cost-effective, scalable, versatile, and eco-friendly fabrication methods has emerged as an urgent mission for PEC cells, and solution-based fabrication methods could be capable of meeting these demands. Herein, we review recent challenges for various nanostructured oxide photoelectrodes fabricated by solution-based processes. Hematite, tungsten oxide, bismuth vanadate, titanium oxide, and copper oxides are the main oxides focused on, and various strategies have been attempted with respect to these photocatalyst materials. The effects of nanostructuring, heterojunctions, and co-catalyst loading on the surface are discussed. Our review introduces notable solution-based processes for water splitting photoelectrodes and gives an outlook on eco-friendly and cost-effective approaches to solar fuel generation and innovative artificial photosynthesis technologies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.436-436
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• 2009

현재 상용화되어 있는 결정질 태양전지의 경우 높은 실리콘 가격으로 인해 저가화에 어려움을 격고 있다. 따라서 태양전지 저가화의 한 방법으로 박막태양전지가 주목을 받고 있다. P-I-N 구조의 박막태양전지에서 각 층의 thickness, activation energy, energy bandgap은 고효율 달성을 위한 중요한 요소이다. 본 논문에서는 박막태양전지 P-I-N layer의 가변을 통하여 고효율을 달성하기 위한 simulation을 수행하였다. 가변 조건으로는 p-layer의 thickness, activation energy 그리고 energy bandgap을 단계별로 변화시켰고 i-layer는 thickness를 n-layer는 thickness와 activation energy를 가변하여 최적의 조건을 찾아 분석하였다. 최종 simulation 결과 p-layer의 thickness 5nm, activation energy 0.3eV 그리고 energy bandgap 1.8eV에서, i-layer thickness 400nm, n-layer thickness 30nm, activation energy 0.2eV에서 최고 효율 11.08%를 달성하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.437-437
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• 2009

현재 상용화되어 있는 결정질 태양전지의 경우 높은 실리콘 가격으로 인해 저가화에 어려움을 격고 있다. 따라서 태양전지 저가화의 한 방법으로 박막태양전지가 주목을 받고 있다. P-I-N 구조의 박막태양전지에서 I-layer 각 층의 thickness, activation energy, energy bandgap은 고효율 달성을 위한 중요한 요소이다. 본 논문에서는 박막태양전지 P-I-N layer의 가변을 통하여 고효율을 달성하기 위한 simulation을 수행하였다. 가변 조건으로는 p-layer의 thickness, activation energy 그리고 energy bandgap을 단계별로 변화시켰고 i-layer는 thickness를 n-layer는 thickness와 activation energy를 가변하여 최적의 조건을 찾아 분석하였다. 최종 simulation 결과 p-layer의 thickness 5nm, activation energy 0.3eV 그리고 energy bandgap 1.8eV에서, i-layer thickness 400nm, n-layer thickness 30nm, activation energy 0.2eV에서 최고 효율 11.08%를 달성하였다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.106.2-106.2
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• 2011

다층 박막 구조로 이루어진 CdS/CdTe 태양전지의 경우, 각각의 박막이 다양한 제조 공정을 거치면서 물성특성의 변화를 겪게 된다. 각각의 박막이 고온의 열처리 공정과, $CdCl_2$ 용액 처리 및 후면 산화막 제거 공정 등을 거치게 되면서 겪게 되는 물성 변화 분석을 살펴보고자 한다. 각각의 박막 제조 방식은 일반적으로 사용되는 방식으로, CdS의 경우는 용액성장법(Chemical Bath Deposition, CBD), CdTe의 경우는 근접승화법(Closed Space Sublimaition, CSS)을 사용했으며, X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) 등을 이용하여 분석하였다. 각각의 셀 제조 공정을 거치면서 CdS, CdTe 박막들은 결정, 광 특성, 성분 변화를 보였다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.201-202
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• 2009

ZnO:Al transparent conductive films for solar cells were deposited on the glass substrates at room temperature by facing target sputtering (FTS) method. The sputtering targets were 100 mm diameter disks of 2w.t..%. AZO and Zn metal. ZnO:Al thin films were deposited as a function film thickness. A base pressure was $2{\times}10^{-6}$torr, and a working pressure was 1mTorr. The properties of thin films on the structural, electrical and optical properties of the deposited films were investigated using a four-point probe (Chang-min), an X-ray diffraction (Rigaku), a Hall Effect measurement (Ecopia), an UV/VIS spectrometer (HP) and a $\alpha$-step (Tencor). The lowest resistivity of film was $5.67{\times}10^{-4}[{\Omega}-cm]$ at 500nm. The average transmittance of over 80% was seen in the visible range.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.03a
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• pp.149-152
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• 2012

$Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ (CIGS) is one of the most promising photovoltaic materials because of large conversion efficiency which has been achieved with an optimum Ga/(In+Ga) composition in $CuIn_{1-x}Ga_xSe_2$ (X~0.3). The Ga/(In+Ga) content is important to determine band gap, solar cell performances and carrier behaviors at grain boundary (GB). Effects of Ga/(In+Ga) content on physical properties of the CIGS layers have been extensively studied. In previous research, it is reported that GB is not recombination center of CIGS thin-film solar cells. However, GB recombination and electron-hole pair behavior studies are still lacking, especially influence of with different X on CIGS thin-films. We obtained the GB surface potential, local current and I-V characteristic of different X (00.7 while X~0.3 showed higher potential than 100 mV on GBs. Higher potential on GBs appears positive band bending. It can decrease recombination loss because of carrier separation. Therefore, we suggest recombination and electron-hole behaviors at GBs depending on composition of X.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.425-425
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• 2008

The transparent conducting oxides(TCOs) are widely used as electrodes for most flat panel display devices(FPDs), electrodes in solar cells and organic light emitting diodes(OLED). Among them, indium oxide materials are mostly used due to its high electrical conductivity and a high transmittance in the visible spectrum. The present study reports on a study of the electrical and optical properties of IGZO thin films prepared on glass and PET substrates by the combinational magnetron sputtering. We use the targets of IZO and Ga2O3 for the deposition process. In some case the deposition process is coupled with the End-Hall ion-beam treatment onto the substrates before the sputtering. In addition we control the deposition rate to optimize the film quality and to minimize the surface roughness. Then we investigate the effects of the Ar gas pressure and RF power during the sputtering process upon the electrical, optical and morphological properties of thin films. The properties of prepared IGZO thin films have been analyzed by using the XRD, AFM, a-step, 4-point probe, and UV spectrophotometer.