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Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications
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Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 77780

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. I. M. Dharmadasa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Materials and Engineering Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK
Interests: electrodeposition of electronic materials; semiconductors; solar energy materials; thin film solar cells; photovoltaic solar energy conversion; graded bandgap solar cells; use of clean energy for social development and reduction of poverty; solar villages
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to critical reviews and original research articles on "Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications". The main aim is to share new knowledge on this subject, by publishing the latest developments in materials and thin film photovoltaics.

Thin film photovoltaics have been stagnant for a while, but the progress during the past few years has been very impressive. For example, CdTe, CuInGaSe2, and Perovskite thin film solar cells have all demonstrated ~22% conversion efficiencies. This is mainly due to the progress in understanding and developing new materials and device structures, and improvement in processing steps. It is apparent that many issues relevant to thin film solar cells are common to most of the material systems under investigation at present.

The photovoltaic (PV) community is also focusing their research on next generation solar cells incorporating ideas, such as graded bandgap devices, nano- and micro-rod type materials, grain boundary enhanced current collection, etc., to increase the solar to electric conversion efficiency. This call for papers invites comprehensive reviews from research leaders and relevant original research articles from active researchers from this subject area.

In particular, the topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • New materials for PV applications
  • CdTe and related materials
  • CuInGaSe2 and related alloys
  • High efficiency Dye sensitized solar cells
  • Kesterites
  • Perovskites
  • Organic PV materials and devices
  • Hybrid solar cells
  • Graded bandgap multi-layer devices
  • New device concepts and architectures for next generation of solar cells

Prof. I. M. Dharmadasa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 179 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue: “Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications”
by Imyhamy M. Dharmadasa
Coatings 2020, 10(6), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10060562 - 13 Jun 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2283
Abstract
Photovoltaic (PV) technology is rapidly entering the energy market, providing clean energy for sustainable development in society, reducing air pollution. In order to accelerate the use of PV solar energy, both an improvement in conversion efficiency and reduction in manufacturing cost should be [...] Read more.
Photovoltaic (PV) technology is rapidly entering the energy market, providing clean energy for sustainable development in society, reducing air pollution. In order to accelerate the use of PV solar energy, both an improvement in conversion efficiency and reduction in manufacturing cost should be carried out continuously in the future. This can be achieved by the use of advanced thin film materials produced by low-cost growth techniques in novel device architectures. This effort intends to provide the latest research results on thin film photovoltaic solar energy materials in one place. This Special Issue presents the growth and characterisation of several PV solar energy materials using low-cost techniques to utilise in new device structures after optimisation. This will therefore provide specialists in the field with useful references and new insights into the subject. It is hoped that this common platform will serve as a stepping-stone for further development of this highly important field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

10 pages, 3551 KiB  
Article
Photovoltaic Characteristics of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells Added with Ethylammonium Bromide and Formamidinium Iodide
by Kousuke Nishi, Takeo Oku, Taku Kishimoto, Naoki Ueoka and Atsushi Suzuki
Coatings 2020, 10(4), 410; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10040410 - 20 Apr 2020
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4104
Abstract
Photovoltaic characteristics of solar cell devices in which ethylammonium (EA) and formamidinium (FA) were added to CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite photoactive layers were investigated. The thin films for the devices were deposited by an ordinary spin-coating technique in ambient air, [...] Read more.
Photovoltaic characteristics of solar cell devices in which ethylammonium (EA) and formamidinium (FA) were added to CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite photoactive layers were investigated. The thin films for the devices were deposited by an ordinary spin-coating technique in ambient air, and the X-ray diffraction analysis revealed changes of the lattice constants, crystallite sizes and crystal orientations. By adding FA and EA, surface defects of the perovskite layer decreased, and the photoelectric parameters were improved. In addition, the highly (100) crystal orientations and device stabilities were improved by the EA and FA addition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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11 pages, 5844 KiB  
Article
Effect of Thioacetamide Concentration on the Preparation of Single-Phase SnS and SnS2 Thin Films for Optoelectronic Applications
by Sreedevi Gedi, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam Reddy, Salh Alhammadi, Doohyung Moon, Yeongju Seo, Tulasi Ramakrishna Reddy Kotte, Chinho Park and Woo Kyoung Kim
Coatings 2019, 9(10), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9100632 - 30 Sep 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3428
Abstract
Eco-friendly tin sulfide (SnS) thin films were deposited by chemical solution process using varying concentrations of a sulfur precursor (thioacetamide, 0.50–0.75 M). Optimized thioacetamide concentrations of 0.6 and 0.7 M were obtained for the preparation of single-phase SnS and SnS2 films for [...] Read more.
Eco-friendly tin sulfide (SnS) thin films were deposited by chemical solution process using varying concentrations of a sulfur precursor (thioacetamide, 0.50–0.75 M). Optimized thioacetamide concentrations of 0.6 and 0.7 M were obtained for the preparation of single-phase SnS and SnS2 films for photovoltaic absorbers and buffers, respectively. The as-deposited SnS and SnS2 thin films were uniform and pinhole-free without any major cracks and satisfactorily adhered to the substrate; they appeared in dark-brown and orange colors, respectively. Thin-film studies (compositional, structural, optical, and electrical) revealed that the as-prepared SnS and SnS2 films were polycrystalline in nature; exhibited orthorhombic and hexagonal crystal structures with (111) and (001) peaks as the preferred orientation; had optimal band gaps of 1.28 and 2.92 eV; and exhibited p- and n-type electrical conductivity, respectively. This study presents a step towards the growth of SnS and SnS2 binary compounds for a clean and economical power source. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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9 pages, 1682 KiB  
Article
PL Study on the Effect of Cu on the Front Side Luminescence of CdTe/CdS Solar Cells
by Halina Opyrchal, Dongguo Chen, Zimeng Cheng and Ken Chin
Coatings 2019, 9(7), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9070435 - 11 Jul 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2970
Abstract
The effect of Cu on highly efficient CdTe thin solid film cells with a glass/TCO/CdS/CdTe structure subjected to CdCl2 treatment was investigated by low-temperature photoluminescence (PL). The PL of the CdS/CdTe junction in samples without Cu deposition revealed a large shift in [...] Read more.
The effect of Cu on highly efficient CdTe thin solid film cells with a glass/TCO/CdS/CdTe structure subjected to CdCl2 treatment was investigated by low-temperature photoluminescence (PL). The PL of the CdS/CdTe junction in samples without Cu deposition revealed a large shift in the bound exciton position due to the formation of CdSxTe1−x alloys with Eg (alloy) ≅ 1.557 eV at the interface region. After Cu deposition on the CdTe layer and subsequent heat treatment, a neutral acceptor-bound exciton (A0Cu,X) line at 1.59 eV and two additional band-edge peaks at 1.54 and 1.56 eV were observed, indicating an increase in the energy gap value in the vicinity of the CdTe/CdS interface to that characteristic of bulk CdTe. These results may suggest the disappearance of the intermixing phase at the CdTe/CdS interface due to the presence of Cu atoms in the junction area and the interaction of the Cu with sulfur atoms. Furthermore, an increase in the intensity of CdS-related peaks in Cu-doped samples was observed, implying that Cu atoms were incorporated into CdS after heat treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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15 pages, 3764 KiB  
Article
Factors Affecting Electroplated Semiconductor Material Properties: The Case Study of Deposition Temperature on Cadmium Telluride
by A.A. Ojo and I.M. Dharmadasa
Coatings 2019, 9(6), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9060370 - 07 Jun 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4485
Abstract
Electrodeposition of cadmium telluride (CdTe) on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) using two electrode configurations was successfully achieved with the main focus on the growth temperature. The electroplating temperatures explored ranged between 55 and 85 °C for aqueous electrolytes containing 1.5 M cadmium [...] Read more.
Electrodeposition of cadmium telluride (CdTe) on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) using two electrode configurations was successfully achieved with the main focus on the growth temperature. The electroplating temperatures explored ranged between 55 and 85 °C for aqueous electrolytes containing 1.5 M cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate (Cd(NO3)2·4H2O) and 0.002 M tellurium oxide (TeO2). The ensuing CdTe thin-films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell measurements. The electroplated CdTe thin-films exhibit a dominant (111) CdTe cubic structure, while the crystallite size increases with the increase in the electroplating temperature. The dislocation density and the number of crystallites per unit area decrease with increasing growth temperature. The optical characterization depicts that the CdTe samples show comparable absorbance and a resulting bandgap of 1.51 ± 0.03 eV for as-deposited CdTe layers. A marginal increase in the bandgap and reduction in the absorption edge slope towards lower deposition temperatures were also revealed. The annealed CdTe thin-films showed improvement in the energy bandgap as it tends towards 1.45 eV while retaining the aforementioned absorption edge slope trend. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the underlying FTO layers are well covered with increasing grain size observable relative to the increase in the deposition temperature. The energy dispersive X-ray analyses show an alteration in the Te/Cd relative to the deposition temperature. Higher Te ratio with respect to Cd was revealed at deposition temperature lower than 85 °C. The photoelectrochemical cell study shows that both p- and n-type CdTe can be electroplated and that deposition temperatures below 85 °C at 1400 mV results in p-type CdTe layers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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10 pages, 3367 KiB  
Article
A Deep Insight into the Electronic Properties of CIGS Modules with Monolithic Interconnects Based on 2D Simulations with TCAD
by Ricardo Vidal Lorbada, Thomas Walter, David Fuertes Marrón, Tetiana Lavrenko and Dennis Muecke
Coatings 2019, 9(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9020128 - 19 Feb 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3776
Abstract
The aim of this work is to provide an insight into the impact of the P1 shunt on the performance of ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2/Mo modules with monolithic interconnects. The P1 scribe is a pattern that separates the back contact of two adjacent cells [...] Read more.
The aim of this work is to provide an insight into the impact of the P1 shunt on the performance of ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2/Mo modules with monolithic interconnects. The P1 scribe is a pattern that separates the back contact of two adjacent cells and is filled with Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS). This scribe introduces a shunt that can affect significantly the behavior of the device, especially under weak light conditions. Based on 2D numerical simulations performed with TCAD, we postulate a mechanism that affects the current flow through the P1 shunt. This mechanism is similar to that of a junction field effect transistor device with a p-type channel, in which the current flow can be modulated by varying the thickness of the channel and the doping concentration. The results of these simulations suggest that expanding the space charge region (SCR) into P1 reduces the shunt conductance in this path significantly, thus decreasing the current flow through it. The presented simulations demonstrate that two fabrication parameters have a direct influence on the extension of the SCR, which are the thickness of the absorber layer and its acceptor concentration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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12 pages, 5416 KiB  
Article
Enhancement for Potential-Induced Degradation Resistance of Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells via Anti-Reflection Coating by Industrial PECVD Methods
by Tsung-Cheng Chen, Ting-Wei Kuo, Yu-Ling Lin, Chen-Hao Ku, Zu-Po Yang and Ing-Song Yu
Coatings 2018, 8(12), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8120418 - 22 Nov 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4387
Abstract
The issue of potential-induced degradation (PID) has gained more concerns due to causing the catastrophic failures in photovoltaic (PV) modules. One of the approaches to diminish PID is to modify the anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer upon the front surface of crystalline silicon solar [...] Read more.
The issue of potential-induced degradation (PID) has gained more concerns due to causing the catastrophic failures in photovoltaic (PV) modules. One of the approaches to diminish PID is to modify the anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer upon the front surface of crystalline silicon solar cells. Here, we focus on the modification of ARC films to realize PID-free step-by-step through three delicate experiments. Firstly, the ARC films deposited by direct plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and by indirect PECVD were investigated. The results showed that the efficiency degradation of solar cells by indirect PECVD method is up to −33.82%, which is out of the IEC 62804 standard and is significantly more severe than by the direct PECVD method (−0.82%). Next, the performance of PID-resist for the solar cell via indirect PECVD was improved significantly (PID reduced from −31.82% to −2.79%) by a pre-oxidation step, which not only meets the standard but also has higher throughput than direct PECVD. Lastly, we applied a novel PECVD technology, called the pulsed-plasma (PP) PECVD method, to deal with the PID issue. The results of the HF-etching rate test and FTIR measurement indicated the films deposited by PP PECVD have higher potential against PID in consideration of less oxygen content in this film. That demonstrated the film properties were changed by applied a new control of freedom, i.e., PP method. In addition, the 96 h PID result of the integrated PP method was only −2.07%, which was comparable to that of the integrated traditional CP method. In summary, we proposed three effective or potential approaches to eliminate the PID issue, and all approaches satisfied the IEC 62804 standard of less than 5% power loss in PV modules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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13 pages, 4239 KiB  
Article
Facile Solution Spin-Coating SnO2 Thin Film Covering Cracks of TiO2 Hole Blocking Layer for Perovskite Solar Cells
by Haiyan Ren, Xiaoping Zou, Jin Cheng, Tao Ling, Xiao Bai and Dan Chen
Coatings 2018, 8(9), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8090314 - 06 Sep 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 9417
Abstract
The hole blocking layer plays an important role in suppressing recombination of holes and electrons between the perovskite layer and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). Morphological defects, such as cracks, at the compact TiO2 hole blocking layer due to rough FTO surface seriously [...] Read more.
The hole blocking layer plays an important role in suppressing recombination of holes and electrons between the perovskite layer and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). Morphological defects, such as cracks, at the compact TiO2 hole blocking layer due to rough FTO surface seriously affect performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we employ a simple spin-coating SnO2 thin film solution to cover cracks of TiO2 hole blocking layer for PSCs. The experiment results indicate that the TiO2/SnO2 complementary composite hole blocking layer could eliminate the serious electrical current leakage existing inside the device, extremely reducing interface defects and hysteresis. Furthermore, a high efficiency of 13.52% was achieved for the device, which is the highest efficiency ever recorded in PSCs with spongy carbon film deposited on a separated FTO-substrate as composite counter electrode under one sun illumination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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Review

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14 pages, 5023 KiB  
Review
Review of CdTe1−xSex Thin Films in Solar Cell Applications
by Martina Lingg, Stephan Buecheler and Ayodhya N. Tiwari
Coatings 2019, 9(8), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9080520 - 15 Aug 2019
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 9619
Abstract
Recent improvements in CdTe thin film solar cells have been achieved by using CdTe1−xSex as a part of the absorber layer. This review summarizes the published literature concerning the material properties of CdTe1−xSex and its [...] Read more.
Recent improvements in CdTe thin film solar cells have been achieved by using CdTe1−xSex as a part of the absorber layer. This review summarizes the published literature concerning the material properties of CdTe1−xSex and its application in current thin film CdTe photovoltaics. One of the important properties of CdTe1−xSex is its band gap bowing, which facilitates a lowering of the CdTe band gap towards the optimum band gap for highest theoretical efficiency. In practice, a CdTe1−xSex gradient is introduced to the front of CdTe, which induces a band gap gradient and allows for the fabrication of solar cells with enhanced short-circuit current while maintaining a high open-circuit voltage. In some device structures, the addition of CdTe1−xSex also allows for a reduction in CdS thickness or its complete elimination, reducing parasitic absorption of low wavelength photons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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17 pages, 1857 KiB  
Review
Encapsulation of Organic and Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review
by Ashraf Uddin, Mushfika Baishakhi Upama, Haimang Yi and Leiping Duan
Coatings 2019, 9(2), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9020065 - 23 Jan 2019
Cited by 189 | Viewed by 24064
Abstract
Photovoltaic is one of the promising renewable sources of power to meet the future challenge of energy need. Organic and perovskite thin film solar cells are an emerging cost-effective photovoltaic technology because of low-cost manufacturing processing and their light weight. The main barrier [...] Read more.
Photovoltaic is one of the promising renewable sources of power to meet the future challenge of energy need. Organic and perovskite thin film solar cells are an emerging cost-effective photovoltaic technology because of low-cost manufacturing processing and their light weight. The main barrier of commercial use of organic and perovskite solar cells is the poor stability of devices. Encapsulation of these photovoltaic devices is one of the best ways to address this stability issue and enhance the device lifetime by employing materials and structures that possess high barrier performance for oxygen and moisture. The aim of this review paper is to find different encapsulation materials and techniques for perovskite and organic solar cells according to the present understanding of reliability issues. It discusses the available encapsulate materials and their utility in limiting chemicals, such as water vapour and oxygen penetration. It also covers the mechanisms of mechanical degradation within the individual layers and solar cell as a whole, and possible obstacles to their application in both organic and perovskite solar cells. The contemporary understanding of these degradation mechanisms, their interplay, and their initiating factors (both internal and external) are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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17 pages, 2180 KiB  
Review
Electroplating of Semiconductor Materials for Applications in Large Area Electronics: A Review
by Ayotunde Adigun Ojo and Imyhamy Mudiy Dharmadasa
Coatings 2018, 8(8), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8080262 - 27 Jul 2018
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 7994
Abstract
The attributes of electroplating as a low-cost, simple, scalable, and manufacturable semiconductor deposition technique for the fabrication of large-area and nanotechnology-based device applications are discussed. These strengths of electrodeposition are buttressed experimentally using techniques such as X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, [...] Read more.
The attributes of electroplating as a low-cost, simple, scalable, and manufacturable semiconductor deposition technique for the fabrication of large-area and nanotechnology-based device applications are discussed. These strengths of electrodeposition are buttressed experimentally using techniques such as X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and photoelectrochemical cell studies. Based on the results of structural, morphological, compositional, optical, and electronic properties evaluated, it is evident that electroplating possesses the capabilities of producing high-quality semiconductors usable for producing excellent devices. In this paper we will describe the progress of electroplating techniques mainly for the deposition of semiconductor thin film materials and their treatment processes, and fabrication of solar cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications)
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