title: Alkali-templated surface nanopatterning of chalcogenide thin films: a novel approach toward solar cells with enhanced efficiency.
abstract: Concepts of localized contacts and junctions through surface passivation layers are already advantageously applied in Si wafer-based photovoltaic technologies. For Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells, such concepts are generally not applied, especially at the heterojunction, because of the lack of a simple method yielding features with the required size and distribution. Here, we show a novel, innovative surface nanopatterning approach to form homogeneously distributed nanostructures (<30 nm) on the faceted, rough surface of polycrystalline chalcogenide thin films. The method, based on selective dissolution of self-assembled and well-defined alkali condensates in water, opens up new research opportunities toward development of thin film solar cells with enhanced efficiency.
authors.affiliation: †Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reinhard
authors.affiliation: †Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bissig
authors.affiliation: †Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pianezzi
authors.affiliation: †Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagendorfer
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Information Engineering, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 181A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sozzi
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Information Engineering, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 181A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menozzi
authors.affiliation: †Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gretener
authors.affiliation: †Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiwaki
authors.affiliation: †Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buecheler
authors.affiliation: †Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ayodhya N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Tiwari
mesh_terms: D000468:Alkalies / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D012993:Solar Energy; D013472:Sunlight; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000468:Alkalies; D014867:Water
keywords: Cu(In,Ga)Se2; alkali elements; nanopatterns; passivation; solar cells; templates