• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.67-74
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• 2023

The earth-abundant element-based Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (CZTSSe) thin film solar cells (TFSCs) have attracted greater attention in the photovoltaic (PV) community due to their rapid development in device power conversion efficiency (PCE) >13%. In the present work, we demonstrated the fine-tuning of the bandgap in the CZTSSe TFSCs by altering the sulfur (S) to the selenium (Se) chalcogenide ratio. To achieve this, the CZTSSe absorber layers are fabricated with different S/(S+Se) ratios from 0.02 to 0.08 of their weight percentage. Further compositional, morphological, and optoelectronic properties are studied using various characterization techniques. It is observed that the change in the S/(S+Se) ratios has minimal impact on the overall Cu/(Zn+Sn) composition ratio. In contrast, the S and Se content within the CZTSSe absorber layer gets altered with a change in the S/(S+Se) ratio. It also influences the overall absorber quality and gets worse at higher S/(S+Se). Furthermore, the device performance evaluated for similar CZTSSe TFSCs showed a linear increase and decrease in the open circuit voltage (V_oc) and short circuit current density (J_sc) of the device with an increasing S/(S+Se) ratio. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) measured also exhibited a linear blue shift in absorption edge, increasing the bandgap from 1.056 eV to 1.228 eV, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.259-273
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• 2012

Chalcogenide-based semiconductors, such as $CuInSe_2$, $CuGaSe_2$, Cu(In,Ga)$Se_2$ (CIGS), and CdTe have attracted considerable interest as efficient materials in thin film solar cells (TFSCs). Currently, CIGS and CdTe TFSCs have demonstrated the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 11% in module production. However, commercialized CIGS and CdTe TFSCs have some limitations due to the scarcity of In, Ga, and Te and the environmental issues associated with Cd and Se. Recently, kesterite CZTS, which is one of the In- and Ga- free absorber materials, has been attracted considerable attention as a new candidate for use as an absorber material in thin film solar cells. The CZTS-based absorber material has outstanding characteristics such as band gap energy of 1.0 eV to 1.5 eV, high absorption coefficient on the order of $10^4cm^{-1}$, and high theoretical conversion efficiency of 32.2% in thin film solar cells. Despite these promising characteristics, research into CZTS-based thin film solar cells is still incomprehensive and related reports are quite few compared to those for CIGS thin film solar cells, which show high efficiency of over 20%. The recent development of kesterite-based CZTS thin film solar cells is summarized in this work. The new challenges for enhanced performance in CZTS thin films are examined and prospective issues are addressed as well.

• Electronic Materials Letters
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.669-677
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• 2018

In this work, the high ${\kappa}$ $Zr_xAl_{1-x}O_y$ films with a different Zr concentration have been deposited by atomic layer deposition, and the effect of Zr concentrations on the structure, chemical composition, surface morphology and dielectric properties of $Zr_xAl_{1-x}O_y$ films is analyzed by Atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and capacitance-frequency measurement. The effect of Zr concentrations of $Zr_xAl_{1-x}O_y$ gate insulator on the electrical property and stability under negative bias illumination stress (NBIS) or temperature stress (TS) of ZnSnO (ZTO) TFTs is firstly investigated. Under NBIS and TS, the much better stability of ZTO TFTs with $Zr_xAl_{1-x}O_y$ film as a gate insulator is due to the suppression of oxygen vacancy in ZTO channel layer and the decreased trap states originating from the Zr atom permeation at the $ZTO/Zr_xAl_{1-x}O_y$ interface. It provides a new strategy to fabricate the low consumption and high stability ZTO TFTs for application.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.453.1-453.1
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• 2014

Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), which is commonly used in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), is a promising material of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) because of advantages such as high chemical stability, high resistance, high optical transparency (>80% at 550nm), and low electrical resistivity (${\sim}10-4{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$). Especially, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been actively studied since Gratzel's research group required FTO substrate as a charge collector. When FTO substrates are used in DSSCs, photo-injected electrons may experience recombination at interface between dye-bonded semiconductor oxides ($TiO_2$) on FTO substrate and the electrolyte. To solve these problems, one is that because recombination at FTO substrate cannot be neglected, thin $TiO_2$ layer on FTO substrate as a blocking layer was introduced. The other is to control the morphology of surface on FTO substrate to reduce a loss of electrons. The structural, electrical, and optical characteristics of morphology controlled-FTO thin films as TCO materials were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Hall Effect Measurement, and UV spectrophotometer. The performance of DSSCs fabricated with morphology controlled FTO substrates was performed using Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE). We will discuss these results in detail in Conference.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2002

ITO thin films with thickness of 3000 $\AA$ were fabricated by rf magnetron sputtering system with a 10 mol % SnO$_2$-90 mol % In$_2$O$_3$target at various substrate temperature and annealing temperature in air. And we investigated structural, electrical and optical characteristics of them. It's resistivity, carrier concentration and Hall mobility was 2$\times$10$\^$-4/ Ωcm, 7$\times$10$\^$20/∼ 9$\times$10$\^$20/ cm$\^$-3/ and 21∼23 cm$^2$/V$.$sec respectively. And it's optical transmittance and energy band gap was above 85 % in the visible range and 3.53 eV respectively.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.676-680
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• 2010

Most TCOs such as ITO, AZO(Al-doped ZnO), FTO(F-doped $SnO_2$) etc., which have been widely used in LCD, touch panel, solar cell, and organic LEDs etc. as transparent electrode material reveal n-type conductivity. But in order to realize transparent circuit, transparent p-n junction, and introduction of transparent p-type materials are prerequisite. Additional prerequisite condition is optical transparency in visible spectral region. Oxide based materials usually have a wide optical bandgap more than ~3.0 eV. In this study, single-phase transparent semiconductor of $SrCu_2O_2$, which shows p-type conductivity, have been synthesized by 2-step solid state reaction at $950^{\circ}C$ under $N_2$ atmosphere, and single-phase $SrCu_2O_2$ thin films of p-type TCOs have been deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on alkali-free glass substrate from single-phase target at $500^{\circ}C$, 1% $H_2$/(Ar + $H_2$) atmosphere. 3% $H_2$/(Ar + $H_2$) resulted in formation of second phases. Hall measurements confirmed the p-type nature of the fabricated $SrCu_2O_2$ thin films. The electrical conductivity, mobility of carrier and carrier density $5.27{\times}10^{-2}S/cm$, $2.2cm^2$/Vs, $1.53{\times}10^{17}/cm^3$ a room temperature, respectively. Transmittance and optical band-gap of the $SrCu_2O_2$ thin films revealed 62% at 550 nm and 3.28 eV. The electrical and optical properties of the obtained $SrCu_2O_2$ thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering were compared with those deposited by PLD and e-beam.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.07b
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• pp.874-877
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• 2004

We carried out this subject to observe electrochemical properties of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn- glycero-3-phosphocholine(DOPC) mixed with fatty acid containing azobenzene group by using cyclic voltammetry with a three-electrode system, An Ag/AgCl reference electrode, a platinum wire counter electrode and LB film-coated ITO working electrode in $NaClO_4$ solution. We investigated the photoisomerization and electrochemical property of the organic ultra thin film of fatty acid containing azobenzene was prepared on the hydrophilic ITO(idium tin oxide) glass plate by LB method. As a result, the absorption spectra of BASH and DOPC of mixture LB films was induced to photoisomerization by alternating irradiation of ultraviolet and visible light. A measuring range was reduced from initial potential to -1350mV, continuously oxidized to 1650 mV and measured to the initial point. The scan rate were 50, 100, 150 and 200 mV/s. As a results, LB films of BASH-DMPC appeared reversible process caused by the reduction-oxidation current from the cyclic voltammogram.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.245-248
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• 2010

Sn doped $In_2O_3$ (ITO) and ITO/Ni/ITO (INI) multilayer films were deposited on the glass substrates with a reactive magnetron sputtering system without intentional substrate heating and then the influence of the Ni interlayer on the methanol gas sensitivity of ITO and INI film sensors were investigated. Although both ITO and INI film sensors have the same thickness of 100 nm, INI sensors have a sandwich structure of ITO 50 nm/Ni 5 nm/ITO 45 nm. The changes in the gas sensitivity of the film sensors caused by methanol gas ranging from 100 to 1000 ppm were measured. It is observed that the INI film sensors show the higher sensitivity than that of the ITO single layer sensors. Finally, it can be concluded that the INI film sensor have the potential to be used as improved methanol gas sensors.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2024

The creation of vertically aligned one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures through the decoration of n-type tin oxide (SnO₂) on p-type chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃) constitutes an effective strategy for enhancing gas sensing performance. These heterostructures are deposited in multiple stages using a glancing angle deposition technique with an electron beam evaporator, resulting in a reduction in the surface porosity of the nanorods as SnO₂ is incorporated. In comparison to Cr₂O₃ films, the bare Cr₂O₃ nanorods exhibits a response 3.3 times greater to 50 ppm H₂S at 300℃, while the SnO₂-decorated Cr₂O₃ nanorods demonstrate an eleven-fold increase in response. Furthermore, when subjected to various gases (CH₄, H₂S, CO₂, H₂), a notable selectivity toward H₂S is observed. This study paves the way for the development of p-type semiconductor sensors with heightened selectivity and sensitivity towards H₂S, thus advancing the prospects of gas sensor technology.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.99.1-99.1
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• 2012

The thin-film photovoltaic absorbers (CdTe and $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$) can achieve solar conversion efficiencies of up to 20% and are now commercially available, but the presence of toxic (Cd,Se) and expensive elemental components (In, Te) is a real issue as the demand for photovoltaics rapidly increases. To overcome these limitations, there has been substantial interest in developing viable alternative materials, such as $Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ (CZTS) is an emerging solar absorber that is structurally similar to CIGS, but contains only earth abundant, non-toxic elements and has a near optimal direct band gap energy of 1.4 - 1.6 eV and a large absorption coefficient of ~104 $cm^{-1}$. The CZTS absorber layers are grown and investigated by various fabrication methods, such as thermal evaporation, e-beam evaporation with a post sulfurization, sputtering, non-vacuum sol-gel, pulsed laser, spray-pyrolysis method and electrodeposition technique. In the present work, we report an alternative aqueous chemical approach based on chemical bath deposition (CBD) method for large area deposition of CZTS thin films. Samples produced by our method were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, absorbance and photoluminescence. The results show that this inexpensive and relatively benign process produces thin films of CZTS exhibiting uniform composition, kesterite crystal structure, and some factors like triethanolamine, ammonia, temperature which strongly affect on the morphology of CZTS film.