Journal
SOLAR RRL
Volume 5, Issue 4, Pages -Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/solr.202100020
Keywords
cations; CZTSSe; indoor; substitutions; thin film solar cells
Funding
- Pre-Project Planning and Precedent Research Project (2020) by Green Energy Institute [2020-1-R01]
- Human Resources Development Program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) - Korean Government Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy [20194030202470]
- Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) - Korean Government Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
- Priority Research Centers Program [2019R1A6A1A11051471]
- National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
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In this study, the strategic approach of substituting silver (Ag) and germanium (Ge) cations to cure deep-level defects in kesterites showed significant improvement in device performance under low light intensity conditions. Specifically, the Ag-doped CZTSSe device exhibited the highest performance levels, attributed to reduced energy level of deep-level defects and improved carrier separation process.
Recent efficiency advancements in kesterites have reinforced the use of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)(4) (CZTSSe) in indoor photovoltaic applications. However, the performance of kesterites under low light intensity conditions is mainly hindered by deep-level defects. In this study, a strategic approach of silver (Ag) and germanium (Ge) cation substitution to cure these defects are employed. The Ag-doped CZTSSe (CZTSSe:Ag) and Ge-doped (CZTSSe:Ge) samples experimentally demonstrated a significant improvement in kesterite device performance under all intensities of LED and white fluorescent lamp conditions are prepared. Interestingly, the CZTSSe:Ag device exhibited the highest performance levels, i.e., 1.2-1.5 and 2.5-3 times better than those of Ge-doped CZTSSe:Ge and undoped CZTSSe, respectively. This improved device performance is mainly attributed to the reduced energy level of deep-level defects in CZTSSe:Ag. Moreover, these defects assisted in the generation of a larger potential difference between the grain boundary and grain interior in the CZTSSe:Ag sample, attracting minority carriers near the grain boundary. Consequently, the improved carrier separation process reduced the carrier recombination losses and enhanced the power output under low light intensity conditions. This Ag and Ge cation substitution in kesterite is found to be an effective approach to improve the device performance under low light intensity conditions.
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