Journal
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
Volume 5, Issue 10, Pages -Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201402180
Keywords
copper-zinc-tin-sulfide; selenide; elemental distribution; grain boundaries; kesterite; NanoAuger
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Funding
- U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program [DE- EE0006334]
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The effort to develop earth-abundant kesterite solar cells has led to an approximate doubling of the power conversion efficiency over the past five years to 12.6%, primarily due to increases in short-circuit current and fill factor; open-circuit voltage has resisted similar change, limiting further efficiency improvement. In the present investigation, Auger nanoprobe spectroscopy, X-ray/ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and device characterization are used to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of grain boundaries and interfaces in limiting performance in kesterite-based devices. High photovoltaic performance is found to correlate with grain boundaries that are Cu-depleted and enriched with SnOx. The formation of this bulk-like oxide at grain boundaries with type I band offset provides a unique effective passivation that limits electron-hole recombination. Building on these new insights, photovoltaic device simulations are performed that show optimized electrostatic designs can compensate for bulk defects, allowing efficiencies closer to the theoretical limit.
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