Crystal chemistry investigations on photovoltaic chalcogenides
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Alain Lafond
Abstract
Chalcogenides have strong potential applications for thin-film photovoltaics due to their high light absorption coefficient and because their band gap can be easily tuned as desired via appropriate chemical substitutions. The thin-film fabrication processes lead unavoidably to local slight variations of the compositions. The ability of photovoltaic materials to accommodate such disparities in composition of the absorber is a critical point to achieve high photovoltaic conversion efficiency. This chapter sums up the results of fundamental chemical crystallographic investigations on compounds derived from Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) and from CuInS2 (CIGS). From this study, the pseudo-ternary diagrams (Cu2(S,Se)-Zn(S,Se)-Sn(S,Se)2, and Cu2S-In2S3-Ga2S3) can be proposed and could serve as support to better understand the lower photovoltaic performances of sulphides compared to selenides in both systems.
Abstract
Chalcogenides have strong potential applications for thin-film photovoltaics due to their high light absorption coefficient and because their band gap can be easily tuned as desired via appropriate chemical substitutions. The thin-film fabrication processes lead unavoidably to local slight variations of the compositions. The ability of photovoltaic materials to accommodate such disparities in composition of the absorber is a critical point to achieve high photovoltaic conversion efficiency. This chapter sums up the results of fundamental chemical crystallographic investigations on compounds derived from Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) and from CuInS2 (CIGS). From this study, the pseudo-ternary diagrams (Cu2(S,Se)-Zn(S,Se)-Sn(S,Se)2, and Cu2S-In2S3-Ga2S3) can be proposed and could serve as support to better understand the lower photovoltaic performances of sulphides compared to selenides in both systems.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Foreword V
- Contents VII
- List of contributors IX
- 1 In situ tools for the exploration of structure–property relationships 1
- 2 Understanding stacking disorder in layered functional materials using powder diffraction 55
- Crystal chemistry investigations on photovoltaic chalcogenides 93
- 4 Energy band gap variations in chalcogenide compound semiconductors: influence of crystal structure, structural disorder, and compositional variations 123
- 5 Halide semiconductors: symmetry relations in the perovskite type and beyond 153
- 6 Structural ordering in ceria-based suboxides applied for thermochemical water splitting 185
- 7 The influence of electrode material crystal structure on battery performance 217
- 8 Hydroborates as novel solid-state electrolytes 265
- 9 Crystallographic challenges in corrosion research 291
- 10 Crystallographic diffraction techniques and density functional theory: two sides of the same coin? 317
- 11 Crystallographic deviants: modelling symmetry shirkers 339
- Index 355
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Foreword V
- Contents VII
- List of contributors IX
- 1 In situ tools for the exploration of structure–property relationships 1
- 2 Understanding stacking disorder in layered functional materials using powder diffraction 55
- Crystal chemistry investigations on photovoltaic chalcogenides 93
- 4 Energy band gap variations in chalcogenide compound semiconductors: influence of crystal structure, structural disorder, and compositional variations 123
- 5 Halide semiconductors: symmetry relations in the perovskite type and beyond 153
- 6 Structural ordering in ceria-based suboxides applied for thermochemical water splitting 185
- 7 The influence of electrode material crystal structure on battery performance 217
- 8 Hydroborates as novel solid-state electrolytes 265
- 9 Crystallographic challenges in corrosion research 291
- 10 Crystallographic diffraction techniques and density functional theory: two sides of the same coin? 317
- 11 Crystallographic deviants: modelling symmetry shirkers 339
- Index 355
