OPEN DAY Kesterite Solar Cells, C.M. Ruiz, D. Duché, J.J. Simon and L. Escoubas Aix-Marseille University - IM2NP, CNRS (UMR 7334), FRANCE Equipe Optoélectronique et Photovoltaïque Marseille 20 th November 2014
2 Presentation Outline 1. My introduction 2. Kesterite solar cells 3. The project Kestcells 4. My work: objectives and results 5. Working in Kestcells
3 CV Master of Science (2012) in Micro and Nanotechnologies for Integrated Systems Politecnico di Torino (ITA) - INPG (FRA) - EPFL (CH) Final Project performed at NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER (California, USA) - 2011 Development of a TiO2 thin film coated Fiber Solar Cell Bachelor Degree (2009) in Electronics Engineering Politecnico di Torino (ITA) other Energy Harvesting related projects (2010) Simulations of Piezoelectric Nanogenerators - GaN Nanowire arrays Simulations of a Hybrid Piezo/Solar scavening device - GaN/AlGaN nanowires
4 Photovoltaics - Different types of materials (semiconductors) can be used as absorber!! - Mostly p-type
5 Generation Separation - Collection Photons BUFFER junction ABSORBER e - /h + generation e - /h + separation Electric field (buffer-absorber junction)
6 Solar Cell main categories Different Absorber = Different Technology Homojunction (Si, GaAs,..) Multijunctions Thin Films: Organic Inorganic KESTERITE
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8 NREL Colorado National Renewable Energy Laboratory
9 More Efficiencent More Expensive Objective of the research in Photovoltaics: More Efficiencent Less Expensive Non Toxic. good Industrial scalability Less Expensive (sometimes) Less Efficiencent
10 Kesterite an emerging technology Silicon > 50 years of research Kesterite ~ 20 years More Efficient? Less Expensive? Less Toxic? Industrial Scalability? Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Image of a Kesterite solar cell cross section
11 Inorganic Thin Film Solar cells : CIGS vs Kesterite Kesterite CZTS or CZTSe or CZTSSe Copper Zinc Tin & CIGS Copper Indium Gallium Selenide Many similarities: CIGS is an older/more-mature technology Crystal Units of CIGS vs Kesterite Sulfide Selenide SEM of a CIGS cell Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Image of a Kesterite solar cell cross section
12 CIGS vs Kesterite (CZTS) CZTS CIGS Zn & Sn are cheaper and more abundant elements than In & Ga CIGS + 8% +7% + 1,8% 1976 1990 2000 2014 5% 13% 19,9% 21,7% Structure of a CIGS/CZTS solar cell or CZTS CZTS + 6% + 5,8% 1996 2008 2014 0,66% 6,8% 12,6% Katagiri Katagiri IBM Less expensive Efficiency Industrial Scalability Less Toxic
13 Kesterite Is an emerging solar cell technology (not mature yet) Marketable technologies needs > 20% efficiency Kesterite key points: Not expensive Less toxic than other technologies Good Industrial Compatibility More research is necessary to boost the efficiency A prototype CZTS solar cell (from IBM)
KESTCELLS : training for sustainable low cost PV technologies What is it? A Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) For training 12 PhD students and 2 Postdocs On advanced thin film PV technologies: CZTS solar cells MOTIVATION: To ensure the further strategic development of PV technologies in Europe as required by the Technology Roadmap for PV Energy of the European Commission The KESTCELLS Consortium: strong and complementary expertise in CIGS and CZTSSe 7 European Countries: France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, England, Luxemburg, Switzerland Timeframe: Sep 2012 Sep 2016
KESTCELLS: organization and expected results The Working Packages (WPs) WP1 Fundamental properties of Kesterites (UL, UAM, IREC, FUB) WP2 Development of absorbers by PVD and chemical based processes (NU, UU-ASC, IREC) WP3 Implementation of solar cells (HZB/E-I2, EMPA) WP4 Cell & process monitoring (NEXCIS, HZB/E-I3) WP5 Modelling & design (AMU) WP6 Industrial scale up, transferability and exploitation (ASNT, NEXCIS) Expected results: to develop cost efficient thin film solar cells based on Kesterites with efficiency > 10% using processes with low environmental impact.
3/5 My work in Kestcells: Modeling & Design + Characterizations Simulation Software: Programming Languages: Optical Characterizations: Ellipsometer Integrating Sphere (RT) Profilometer
My work in Kestcells: Objectives To create an optical and electrical model of the Kesterite solar cells To optimize the solar cell designs in the kestcells consortium To improve the theoretical understanding of the physics of the Kesterite cells MgF2 ITO/ZnO CdS CZTS 1D/2D models and Results Simulations/Analysis Optical optimizations of a real cell from IREC
2/5 KESTCELLS : 12 PhD students in 11 European Research Center
2/5 KESTCELLS : 12 PhD students in 11 European Research Center MOBILITY: - recruited researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity in the country of the host organization, for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to his/her recruitment under the project. SECONDMENTS: the researcher spends a total of 4-5 months in 2/3 of the other involved institutions Participation in 5 Workshops Two intensive courses in management and bussines Project Meetings every 6 months
2/5 My experiences in Kestcells : first 2 years March 2013 : Project Meeting in Sweden September 2013: Project Meeting and Workshop in Luxembourg October-December 2013 : Secondment in Berlin (HZB) 3 months March 2014: Project Meeting and Workshop in Berlin May 2014: Project Meeting in Bruxelles September 2014: Project Meeting in England October 2014: 1 week Business school in Barcelona (ESADE) --- Future Experiences --- Secondment in Barcelona (IREC) - 1 month Secondment in Seville (Abengoa) 1 month 1 week Business school in Barcelona (ESADE)
2/5 How to find/apply for a Marie Curie PhD position? http://cordis.europa.eu Other projects like Kestcells are started every year : You can find them on the CORDIS website Follow the application instructions Hopefully you will be invited for an interview in the institution The institution will interview several candidates for a period of about 1 month The selected candidate later will be officially contacted by the institution and the adventure starts!!!
22 THANK YOU www.kestcells.eu http://cordis.europa.eu