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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Bandgap Profiling In Cigs Solar Cells Via Valence Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy, Julia I. Deitz, Shankar Karki, Sylvain X. Marsillac, Tyler J. Grassman Mar 2018

Bandgap Profiling In Cigs Solar Cells Via Valence Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy, Julia I. Deitz, Shankar Karki, Sylvain X. Marsillac, Tyler J. Grassman

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A robust, reproducible method for the extraction of relative bandgap trends from scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) based electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is described. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by profiling the bandgap through a CuIn1-xGaxSe2 solar cell that possesses intentional Ga/(In + Ga) composition variation. The EELS-determined bandgap profile is compared to the nominal profile calculated from compositional data collected via STEM-based energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The EELS based profile is found to closely track the calculated bandgap trends, with only a small, fixed offset difference. This method, which is particularly advantageous …


Properties Of Cu(In,Ga) Se2 Thin Films And Solar Cells Deposited By Hybrid Process, S. Marsillac, H. Khatri, K. Aryal, R. W. Collins Feb 2012

Properties Of Cu(In,Ga) Se2 Thin Films And Solar Cells Deposited By Hybrid Process, S. Marsillac, H. Khatri, K. Aryal, R. W. Collins

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 solar cells were fabricated using a hybrid cosputtering/evaporation process, and efficiencies as high as 12.4% were achieved. The films were characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, glancing incidence X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, auger electron spectroscopy, and transmittance and reflectance spectroscopy, and their properties were compared to the ones of films deposited by coevaporation. Even though the films were relatively similar, the ones deposited by the hybrid process tend to have smaller grains with a slightly preferred orientation along the (112) axis and a rougher surface. Both types of films have uniform composition through the depth. Characterization of these films …


Pulsed Laser Deposition Of Graphite Counter Electrodes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Krishna P. Acharya, Himal Khatri, Sylvain Marsillac, Bruno Ullrich, Pavel Anzenbacher, Mikhail Zamkov Nov 2010

Pulsed Laser Deposition Of Graphite Counter Electrodes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Krishna P. Acharya, Himal Khatri, Sylvain Marsillac, Bruno Ullrich, Pavel Anzenbacher, Mikhail Zamkov

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We report on pulsed laser deposition of graphite onto flexible plastic and conductive glass substrates for use as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. The efficiency of as-prepared graphite electrodes was tested using CdS-sensitized solar cell architecture resulting in external quantum efficiency comparable to that of conventional platinum counter electrodes. This work highlights the possibility of using pulsed laser deposited graphite as a low-cost alternative to platinum, which could be fabricated both on flexible and rigid substrates.


Design Of Organic Tandem Solar Cells Using Pcpdtbt: Pc61 Bm And P3ht: Pc71bm, Gon Namkoong, Patrick Boland, Keejoo Lee, James Dean Jan 2010

Design Of Organic Tandem Solar Cells Using Pcpdtbt: Pc61 Bm And P3ht: Pc71bm, Gon Namkoong, Patrick Boland, Keejoo Lee, James Dean

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We conducted optical and electrical simulations with the goal of determining the optimal design for conjugated polymer-fullerene tandem solar cells using poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)- 4H-cyclopenta[2,1- b;3,4- b′] dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT): [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PC61 BM) as a bottom cell and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) as a top cell. The effects of photon density, absorption, balanced and unbalanced charge carrier transport, and bimolecular recombination in the two subcells were incorporated into the simulations. We found that the maximum energy conversion efficiency (η) is 9% when charge carrier mobilities in …


Evolution Of The Band Structure Of Β-In2 S3−3x O3x Buffer Layer With Its Oxygen Content, N. Barreau, S. Marsillac, J. C. Bernède, L. Assmann May 2003

Evolution Of The Band Structure Of Β-In2 S3−3x O3x Buffer Layer With Its Oxygen Content, N. Barreau, S. Marsillac, J. C. Bernède, L. Assmann

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The evolution of the band structure of β-In2 S3−3x O3x (BISO) thin films grown by physical vapor deposition, with composition x, is investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is shown that the energy difference between the valence-band level and the Fermi level remains nearly constant as the optical band gap of the films increases. As a consequence, the difference between the conduction band level and the Fermi level increases as much as the optical band gap of the films. The calculation of the electronic affinity [ ] of the BISO thin films shows that it decreases linearly from 4.65 …


High-Efficiency Solar Cells Based On Cu(Inal)Se[Sub 2] Thin Films, S. Marsillac, P. D. Paulson, M. W. Haimbodi, R. W. Birkmire, W. N. Shafarman Jan 2002

High-Efficiency Solar Cells Based On Cu(Inal)Se[Sub 2] Thin Films, S. Marsillac, P. D. Paulson, M. W. Haimbodi, R. W. Birkmire, W. N. Shafarman

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A Cu(InAl)Se2solar cell with 16.9% efficiency is demonstrated using a Cu(InAl)Se2thin film deposited by four-source elemental evaporation and a device structure of glass/Mo/Cu(InAl)Se2/CdS/ZnO/indium tin oxide/(Ni/Algrid)/MgF2. A key to high efficiency is improved adhesion between the Cu(InAl)Se2 and the Mo back contact layer, provided by a 5-nm-thick Ga interlayer, which enabled the Cu(InAl)Se2 to be deposited at a 530 °C substrate temperature. Film and device properties are compared to Cu(InGa)Se2 with the same band gap of 1.16 eV. The solar cells have similar behavior, with performance limited by recombination through …


Picosecond Laser Pulse Irradiation Of Crystalline Silicon, K. L. Merkle, H. Baumgart, R.H. Uebbing, F. Phillipp Jan 1982

Picosecond Laser Pulse Irradiation Of Crystalline Silicon, K. L. Merkle, H. Baumgart, R.H. Uebbing, F. Phillipp

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Morphology changes introduced by picosecond laser pulses at λ = 532 nm and 355 nm in (111) and (100) silicon samples are studied by means of optical and high-voltage electron microscopy. Depending on energy fluence, orientation and wavelength, amorphous or highly defective regions may be created. From an analysis of damage thresholds and damage depth distributions it is concluded that melting and energy confinement precedes the formation of the structural changes.