Transmission Electron Microscopy of Chalcogenide Thin-Film Photovoltaic Materials

Yanfa Yan; Mowafak M. Al-Jassim

doi:10.1016/j.cossms.2011.10.001

Transmission Electron Microscopy of Chalcogenide Thin-Film Photovoltaic Materials

Yanfa Yan, Mowafak M. Al-Jassim

Materials Science

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Scopus Citations

Abstract

Thin-film photovoltaic modules hold great promise to produce sustainable, low-cost, and clean electricity from sunlight, because thin-film solar cells can potentially be fabricated by economical, high-volume manufacturing techniques. However, to achieve high sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency, thin-film solar cells require sophisticated control on interface formation and materials qualities. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides unique methods to access this information at the nanometer scale. In this paper, we provide a brief review on TEM studies of the interfaces, microstructure, and lattice defects in chalcogenide thin-film photovoltaic materials. We analyze the potential effects of the observed interface formation and materials quality that could affect the performance of solar cells.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	39-44
Number of pages	6
Journal	Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cossms.2011.10.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cossms.2011.10.001
State	Published - 2012

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-5200-53016

Keywords

CdTe
CIGS
Defect
Interface
Photovoltaic
Solar cell
TEM

Access to Document

Cite this

@article{b60a9dd1b2904c209c0b8390e65024ce,

title = "Transmission Electron Microscopy of Chalcogenide Thin-Film Photovoltaic Materials",

abstract = "Thin-film photovoltaic modules hold great promise to produce sustainable, low-cost, and clean electricity from sunlight, because thin-film solar cells can potentially be fabricated by economical, high-volume manufacturing techniques. However, to achieve high sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency, thin-film solar cells require sophisticated control on interface formation and materials qualities. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides unique methods to access this information at the nanometer scale. In this paper, we provide a brief review on TEM studies of the interfaces, microstructure, and lattice defects in chalcogenide thin-film photovoltaic materials. We analyze the potential effects of the observed interface formation and materials quality that could affect the performance of solar cells.",

keywords = "CdTe, CIGS, Defect, Interface, Photovoltaic, Solar cell, TEM",

author = "Yanfa Yan and Al-Jassim, {Mowafak M.}",

year = "2012",

doi = "10.1016/j.cossms.2011.10.001",

language = "American English",

volume = "16",

pages = "39--44",

journal = "Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science",

issn = "1359-0286",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Transmission Electron Microscopy of Chalcogenide Thin-Film Photovoltaic Materials

AU - Yan, Yanfa

AU - Al-Jassim, Mowafak M.

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Thin-film photovoltaic modules hold great promise to produce sustainable, low-cost, and clean electricity from sunlight, because thin-film solar cells can potentially be fabricated by economical, high-volume manufacturing techniques. However, to achieve high sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency, thin-film solar cells require sophisticated control on interface formation and materials qualities. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides unique methods to access this information at the nanometer scale. In this paper, we provide a brief review on TEM studies of the interfaces, microstructure, and lattice defects in chalcogenide thin-film photovoltaic materials. We analyze the potential effects of the observed interface formation and materials quality that could affect the performance of solar cells.

AB - Thin-film photovoltaic modules hold great promise to produce sustainable, low-cost, and clean electricity from sunlight, because thin-film solar cells can potentially be fabricated by economical, high-volume manufacturing techniques. However, to achieve high sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency, thin-film solar cells require sophisticated control on interface formation and materials qualities. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides unique methods to access this information at the nanometer scale. In this paper, we provide a brief review on TEM studies of the interfaces, microstructure, and lattice defects in chalcogenide thin-film photovoltaic materials. We analyze the potential effects of the observed interface formation and materials quality that could affect the performance of solar cells.

KW - CdTe

KW - CIGS

KW - Defect

KW - Interface

KW - Photovoltaic

KW - Solar cell

KW - TEM

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84858797963&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.cossms.2011.10.001

DO - 10.1016/j.cossms.2011.10.001

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84858797963

SN - 1359-0286

VL - 16

SP - 39

EP - 44

JO - Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science

JF - Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science

IS - 1

ER -

Transmission Electron Microscopy of Chalcogenide Thin-Film Photovoltaic Materials

Abstract

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this