Cross-sectional Kelvin probe force microscopy on III-V epitaxial multilayer stacks: challenges and perspectives.

Multilayer III-V-based solar cells are complex devices consisting of many layers and interfaces. The study and the comprehension of the mechanisms that take place at the interfaces is crucial for efficiency improvement. In this work, we apply frequency-modulated Kelvin probe force microscopy under ambient conditions to investigate the capability of this technique for the analysis of an InP/GaInAs(P) multilayer stack.

Surface Photovoltage Study of Metal Halide Perovskites Deposited Directly on Crystalline Silicon.

Perovskite (PVK) films deposited directly on n-type crystalline Si substrates were investigated by two operating modes of the surface photovoltage (SPV) method: (i) the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) mode and (ii) the Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). By scanning from 900 to 600 nm in the MIS mode, we consecutively studied the relatively fast processes of carrier generation, transport, and recombination first in Si, then on both sides of the PVK/Si interface, and finally in the PVK layer and its surface. The PVK optical absorption edge was observed in the range of 1.

Band-Gap Tuning Induced by Germanium Introduction in Solution-Processed Kesterite Thin Films.

In the last few decades, the attention of scientific community has been driven toward the research on renewable energies. In particular, the photovoltaic (PV) thin-film technology has been widely explored to provide suitable candidates as top cells for tandem architectures, with the purpose of enhancing current PV efficiencies. One of the most studied absorbers, made of earth-abundant elements, is kesterite CuZnSnS (CZTS), showing a high absorption coefficient and a band gap around 1.