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Preparation of a cuins2 nanoparticle ink and application in a selenization-free, solution-processed superstrate solar cell

Cheshme Khavar, A. H ; Sharif University of Technology | 2015

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  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201500749
  3. Publisher: Wiley-VCH Verlag , 2015
  4. Abstract:
  5. We report a study on chalcopyrite solar cells fabricated by low-cost, nonvacuum, and selenization-free methods. Superstrate-type CuInS2 (CIS) thin-film solar cells were prepared by sequential ink deposition. The CIS film was formed from a stable low-carbon ink, which was synthesized at low temperature (<120 °C). The CIS nanoparticle ink was prepared with n-butylamine and acetic acid as the solvent and stabilizer, respectively. The viscous and stable ink that formed through the dispersion of the final nanoparticles in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) could be deposited readily onto the substrate. The major features of the obtained ink are the small amount of impurity phases and negligible carbon residue (ca. 2.8%). The obtained ink was used for the fabrication of superstrate solar-cell devices with a glass/FTO/TiO2/In2S3/CIS/carbon (FTO = fluorine-doped tin oxide) structure. The performance of the solar cells was improved by optimizing different synthetic and geometric parameters, including the sulfur source, reaction time, reaction temperature, buffer-layer thickness and second annealing temperature. The best cells were obtained by using inks with thiourea as the sulfur source, and a high current density of 21 mA/cm2 and 5.2% efficiency were obtained. This current density is the highest among those reported for solution-based superstrate CIS solar cells and is comparable to those of solar cells fabricated with a selenization step at high temperature. The ink is stable, and the efficiency of the device fabricated with ink aged for 100 d is ca. 12% less than that of the device fabricated with fresh ink
  6. Keywords:
  7. Nanoparticles ; Semiconductors ; Solar cells ; Solution processing ; Thin films
  8. Source: European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry ; Volume 2015, Issue 35 , November , 2015 , Pages 5793–5800 ; 14341948 (ISSN)
  9. URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejic.201500749/abstract;jsessionid=FCD3C09B385829A30CFFA129A2B5B0F2.f01t03