• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.07b
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• pp.869-873
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• 2002

$Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ (CZTS) thin film is one of the candidate materials for the solar cell. It has an excellent optical absorption coefficient as well as appropriate 1.4~1.5eV band gap. The purpose of this study is replacing a half of high-cost Indium(In) atoms with low-cost Zinc(Zn) atoms and the other half with low-cost Tin(Sn) atoms in the lattice of CIS. In annealing process of thin films deposited with mixture target, the thin films were appeared the peeling. The resistivity was decreased. Thin films were deposited on ITO glass substrates using a compound target which were made by $CU_2S$, ZnS, $SnS_2$ powder were sintered in the atmosphere of Al at room temperature by rf magnetron sputtering We investigated potentialities of a low-cost material for the solar cell by measuring of thin film composition, the structure and optical properties. We could get an appropriate $Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ composition A (112) preferred orientation was appeared without annealing temperature as shown in the diffraction peaks of the CIS cells and was available for photovoltaic thin film materials. The band gap increased from 1.4 to 1.7eV as the composition ratio of Zn/Sn.. The optical absorption coefficient of the thin film was above $10^4cm^{-1}$.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.65-65
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• 2012

Copper zinc tin sulfide ($Cu_2ZnSnS_4$, CZTS) is a very promising material as a low cost absorber alternative to other chalcopyrite-type semiconductors based on Ga or In because of the abundant and economical elements. In addition, CZTS has a band-gap energy of 1.4~1.5eV and large absorption coefficient over ${\sim}10^4cm^{-1}$, which is similar to those of $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$(CIGS) regarded as one of the most successful absorber materials for high efficient solar cell. Most previous works on the fabrication of CZTS thin films were based on the vacuum deposition such as thermal evaporation and RF magnetron sputtering. Although the vacuum deposition has been widely adopted, it is quite expensive and complicated. In this regard, the solution processes such as sol-gel method, nanocrystal dispersion and hybrid slurry method have been developed for easy and cost-effective fabrication of CZTS film. Among these methods, the hybrid slurry method is favorable to make high crystalline and dense absorber layer. However, this method has the demerit using the toxic and explosive hydrazine solvent, which has severe limitation for common use. With these considerations, it is highly desirable to develop a robust, easily scalable and relatively safe solution-based process for the fabrication of a high quality CZTS absorber layer. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of a high quality CZTS absorber layer with a thickness of 1.5~2.0 ${\mu}m$ and micrometer-scaled grains using two different non-vacuum approaches. The first solution-processing approach includes air-stable non-toxic solvent-based inks in which the commercially available precursor nanoparticles are dispersed in ethanol. Our readily achievable air-stable precursor ink, without the involvement of complex particle synthesis, high toxic solvents, or organic additives, facilitates a convenient method to fabricate a high quality CZTS absorber layer with uniform surface composition and across the film depth when annealed at $530^{\circ}C$. The conversion efficiency and fill factor for the non-toxic ink based solar cells are 5.14% and 52.8%, respectively. The other method is based on the nanocrystal dispersions that are a key ingredient in the deposition of thermally annealed absorber layers. We report a facile synthetic method to produce phase-pure CZTS nanocrystals capped with less toxic and more easily removable ligands. The resulting CZTS nanoparticle dispersion enables us to fabricate uniform, crack-free absorber layer onto Mo-coated soda-lime glass at $500^{\circ}C$, which exhibits a robust and reproducible photovoltaic response. Our simple and less-toxic approach for the fabrication of CZTS layer, reported here, will be the first step in realizing the low-cost solution-processed CZTS solar cell with high efficiency.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.398-401
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• 2008

Inkjet printing is commonly used in the controlled deposition of solutions of functional materials in specific locations on a substrate, and it can provide easy and fast deposition of polymer films over a large area. which could become a way to manufacturer low cost solar cells. In the present study, inkjet printing technology is adopted to deposit functional layers of PEDOT/PSS solutions and P3HT/PCBM blends for organic solar cell. The results show that merging of separately deposited ink droplets into a continuous, pinhole-free organic thin film could be achieved by a balance between ink property and substrate treatment. As a result, a power conversion efficiency of 2.0% has been accomplished a solar cells applying inkjet technology.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2005

The stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for the $CuInSe_2$ single crystal thin film was prepared from horizontal furnace. Using extrapolation method of X-ray diffraction patterns for the polycrystal $CuInSe_2$, it was found tetragonal structure whose lattice constant $a_0$ and $c_0$ were $5.783\;{\AA}$ and $11.621\;{\AA}$, respectively. To obtain the $CuInSe_2$ single crystal thin film, $CuInSe_2$ mixed crystal was deposited on throughly etched GaAs(100) by the HWE(Hot Wall Epitaxy) system. The source and substrate temperature were $620^{\circ}C$ and $410^{\circ}C$ respectively. The crystalline structure of $CuInSe_2$ single crystal thin film was investigated by the double crystal X-ray diffraction(DCXD). Hall effect on this sample was measured by the method of Van der Pauw and studied on carrier density and mobility depending on temperature. From Hall data, the mobility was likely to be decreased by impurity scattering in the temperature range 30 K to 100 K and by lattice scattering in the temperature range 100 K to 293 K. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CuInSe_2$ obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g(T)=1.1851\;eV-(8.99{\times}10^{-4}\;eV/K)T^2/(T+153\;K)$. The open-circuit voltage, short current density, fill factor, and conversion efficiency of $n-CdS/p-CuGaSe_2$ heterojunction solar cells under $80\;mW/cm^2$ illumination were found to be 0.51V, $29.3\;mA/cm^2$, 0.76 and 14.3 %, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 2018

The stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for the $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co single crystal thin film was prepared from horizontal furnace. Using extrapolation method of X-ray diffraction patterns for the polycrystal $CaAl_2Se_4$, it was found orthorhomic structure whose lattice constant $a_0$, $b_0$ and $c_0$ were 6.4818, $11.1310{\AA}$ and $11.2443{\AA}$, respectively. To obtain the $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co single crystal thin film, $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co mixed crystal was deposited on throughly etched Si (100) by the HWE (Hot Wall Epitaxy) system. The source and substrate temperature were $600^{\circ}C$ and $440^{\circ}C$ respectively. The crystalline structure of $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co single crystal thin film was investigated by the double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXD). Hall effect on this sample was measured by the method of Van der Pauw and studied on carrier density and mobility depending on temperature. From Hall data, the mobility was likely to be decreased by impurity scattering in the temperature range 30 K to 100 K and by lattice scattering in the temperature range 100 K to 293 K. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g(T)=3.8239eV-(4.9823{\times}10^{-3}eV/K)T_2/(T+559K)$. The open-circuit voltage, short current density, fill factor, and conversion efficiency of $p-Si/p-CaAl_2Se_4$: Co heterojunction solar cells under $80mW/cm^2$ illumination were found to be 0.42 V, $25.3mA/cm^2$, 0.75 and 9.96%, respectively.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.121.2-121.2
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• 2011

Aluminum-doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) is considered as an excellent candidate to replace Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), which is widely used as transparent conductive oxide (TCO) for electronic devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic solar cells (OSCs). In the present study, AZO thin film was applied to the transparent electrode of a channel-shaped flexible organic solar cell using a low-temperature selective-area atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. AZO thin films were deposited on Poly-Ethylene-Naphthalate (PEN) substrates with Di-Ethyl-Zinc (DEZ) and Tri-Methyl-Aluminum (TMA) as precursors and $H_2O$ as an oxidant for the atomic layer deposition at the deposition temperature of $130^{\circ}C$. The pulse time of TMA, DEZ and $H_2O$, and purge time were 0.1 second and 20 second, respectively. The electrical and optical properties of the AZO films were characterized as a function of film thickness. The 300 nm-thick AZO film grown on a PEN substrate exhibited sheet resistance of $87{\Omega}$/square and optical transmittance of 84.3% at a wavelength between 400 and 800 nm.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.88-94
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• 2014

The structural, optical and electrical properties of sputter-deposited CIGS films were directly influenced by the sputtering process parameters such as substrate temperature, working pressure, RF power and distance between target and substrate. CIGS thin films deposited by using a quaternary target revealed to be Se deficient due to Se low vapor pressure. This Se deficiency affected the overall stoichiometry of the films, causing the films to be Cu-rich. Current tends to pass through the Cu-Se channels which act as the shunting path increasing the film conductivity. The crystal structure of CIGS thin films depends on the substrate orientation due to the influence of surface morphology, grain size and stress of Mo substrate. The excess of Cu was removed from the CIGS films by KCN treatment, achieving a suitable Cu concentration (referred as Cu-poor) for the fabrication of solar cell. Due to high Cu concentrations on the CIGS film surface induced by Cu-Se phases after CIGS film deposition, KCN treatment proved to be necessary for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells. Also during KCN treatment, dislocation density and lattice parameter decreased as excess Cu was removed, resulting in increase of bandgap and the decrease of conductivity of CIGS films. It was revealed that Cu-Se secondary phase could be removed by KCN wet etching of CIGS films, allowing the fabrication of high efficiency absorber layer.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.9
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• pp.890-895
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• 1999

The recent important issue in solar cell fabrication is to adopt thin film silicon solar cells on cheap substrates. However, thin cells demand new grid design concept that all the contacts(to the emitter and base) be located on the front surface. Hence, the aim of the investigation presented in this paper was to determine the potential and the basic limitation of the design. With this concept, an interdigitated front grid structure was realized and cells were fabricated through a set of photolithography processes. Confirmed efficiencies of up to 11.5% were achieved on bonded SOI wafers with a cell thickness of 50$\mu\textrm{m}$ in the case of finger spacing more than $\mu\textrm{m}$ and a base width of 35$\mu\textrm{m}$. It was also shown from the results that the design rules for optimizing the base fraction and reducing the shadowing fraction are noted as an important technique to realize high-efficiency thin silicon solar cells.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.103.2-103.2
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• 2011

비정질 실리콘 태양전지의 효율을 증가하기 위하여 많이 사용되는 방법 중 하나는 입사되는 빛의 산란을 증가하여 태양전지의 광흡수를 증가시키는 방법이다. 이를 위하여 양극전극으로 사용되는 TCO층의 일정한 패턴 처리를 통하여 광산란을 증가시키는 방법이 사용되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 나노 임프린트 리소그래피방법을 사용하여 Ag 나노로드를 증착한 기판을 제조하고 이를 비정질 실리콘 태양전지에 적용하였다. 실험결과, 그림과 같이 높이와 너비가 300nm 정도로 일정한 패턴의 Ag 나노로드를 제조하였다. 또한, 그 위에 증착된 Si 박막의 경우, 나노로드 전체를 감싸는 돔 형태로 성장하였다. 이와 같은 나노로드 위에 substrate n-i-p 구조의 비정질 박막 태양전지를 증착하고 그 특성변화를 분석하고자 하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2001.07a
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• pp.463-466
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• 2001

This detailed study of electrical, crystallographic and optical properties in Al doped ZnO thin films prepared by Facing Targets Sputtering(FTS), where strong internal magnets were contained in target holders to confine the plasma between the targets is described. Optimal transmittance and resistivity was obtained by controlling flow ratio of O$_2$gas. When the O$_2$ gas ratio of 0.25 and substrate temperature R.T., ZnO:Al thin film deposited had strongly oriented c-axis and the lower resistivity ( <10$\^$-4/ $\Omega$cm). The optical transmittance was above 80% in visible range.