International Business Machines Corporation

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Byungha Shin

Jeehwan Kim

Supratik Guha

Christos Dimitrios Dimitrakopoulos

Talia S Gershon

Nestor Alexander Bojarczuk, Jr

Hongsik Park

Teodor Krassimirov Todorov

David Brian Mitzi

Mark T Winkler

Keith E Fogel

Mahadevaiyer Krishnan

Marinus Hopstaken

Yu Zhu

Bonhyeong Koo

Segi Byun

A photovoltaic device and method include a substrate, a conductive layer formed on the substrate and an absorber layer formed on the conductive layer from a Cu&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;Sn containing chalcogenide material. An emitter layer is formed on the absorber layer and a buffer layer is formed on the emitter layer including an atomic layer deposition (ALD) layer. A transparent conductor layer is formed on the buffer layer.

Atomic layer deposition for photovoltaic devices

The present disclosure relates to a photoelectrode including a catalyst retaining layer, a method of preparing the same, and a photoelectrochemical cell including the photoelectrode.

Photoelectrode including catalyst retaining layer, method of preparing the same, and photoelectrochemical cell including photoelectrode

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a nitrogen-doped CZTSSe layer for a solar cell is disclosed. A substrate is mounted in a vacuum chamber. A plurality of effusion cells are placed within the vacuum chamber in order to evaporate copper, zinc, tin, sulfur, and/or selenium to form elemental vapors in a region proximate the substrate. An RF-based nitrogen source delivers a nitrogen plasma in the region proximal to the substrate. The elemental vapors and the nitrogen plasma form a gas mixture in the region near the substrate, which then react at the substrate to form a CZTSSe absorber layer for a solar cell.

In situ nitrogen doping of co-evaporated copper-zinc-tin-sulfo-selenide by nitrogen plasma

A method for forming a photovoltaic device includes forming an absorber layer with a granular structure on a conductive layer; conformally depositing an insulating protection layer over the absorber layer to fill in between grains of the absorber layer; and planarizing the protection layer and the absorber layer. A buffer layer is formed on the absorber layer, and a top transparent conductor layer is deposited over the buffer layer.

Protective insulating layer and chemical mechanical polishing for polycrystalline thin film solar cells

A method for forming nanostructures includes bonding a flexible substrate to a crystalline semiconductor layer having a two-dimensional material formed on a side opposite the flexible substrate. The crystalline semiconductor layer is stressed in a first direction to initiate first cracks in the crystalline semiconductor layer. The first cracks are propagated through the crystalline semiconductor layer and through the two-dimensional material. The stress of the crystalline semiconductor layer is released to provide parallel structures including the two-dimensional material on the crystalline semiconductor layer.

Self-formation of high-density arrays of nanostructures

Method of forming high-density arrays of nanostructures

Techniques for epitaxial growth of CZT(S,Se) materials on Si are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming an epitaxial kesterite material is provided which includes the steps of: selecting a Si substrate based on a crystallographic orientation of the Si substrate; forming an epitaxial oxide interlayer on the Si substrate to enhance wettability of the epitaxial kesterite material on the Si substrate, wherein the epitaxial oxide interlayer is formed from a material that is lattice-matched to Si; and forming the epitaxial kesterite material on a side of the epitaxial oxide interlayer opposite the Si substrate, wherein the epitaxial kesterite material includes Cu, Zn, Sn, and at least one of S and Se, and wherein a crystallographic orientation of the epitaxial kesterite material is based on the crystallographic orientation of the Si substrate. A method of forming an epitaxial kesterite-based photovoltaic device and an epitaxial kesterite-based device are also provided.

Epitaxial growth of CZT(S,Se) on silicon

Embodiments relate to a method including forming a layer of copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) on a first layer of molybdenum (Mo) and annealing the CZTS layer and the first Mo layer to form a layer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) between the layer of CZTS and the first layer of Mo. The method includes forming a back contact on a first surface of the CZTS layer opposite the first Mo layer and separating the first Mo layer and the MoSlayer from the CZTS layer to expose a second surface of the CZTS layer opposite the first surface. The method further includes forming a buffer layer on the second surface of the CZTS layer.

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White Plains, NY, United States of America

Byungha Shin