Metal Chalcogenide Thin Film based Solar Cells and Supercapacitor: A review

Semiconductor and semiconductor manufacturing devices have been the fundamental basis of progress for several decades in each industry and nations scientific and technological growth. Thin films are promising materials for optoelectronic device applications. Thin films could be used for supercapacitors due to low cost, high power density, good specific capacitance, fast charging and discharging. Generally, supercapacitors are used in many applications requiring rapid charge and discharge cycles rather than long-term compact energy storage. Thin films solar cells such as amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride and copper indium gallium selenide are currently being developed worldwide. Because of these films rising power conversion efficiencies, minimum material usage, and lower production cost. In the recent years, there are several methods have been implemented, studied and tested in order to improve power conversion efficiency of solar cells. In this review, the main focus has been on materials such as thin films (metal telluride and metal sulfide) and discuss the up-to-date progress achieved in the field of supercapacitor. We expected that these materials are promising candidate for next generation energy-related applications. On the other hand, we also discuss recent thin film solar cells designs and how to improve the performance of solar cell as well. The photovoltaic parameters such as fill factor, open circuit voltage, short circuit current, and power conversion efficiency, were highlighted for the solar cell prepared under different conditions

Aqueous-Solution Synthesized p‑Type Cu₂Se_0.96Te_{0.04–<i>x</i>}I_<i>x</i>/Cu₂O Composite and Thermoelectric Performance of TEG Made of 6 Pairs of p‑Leg Cu₂Se_0.96Te_0.02I_0.02/Cu₂O Composite and n‑Leg InSb_0.94Bi_0.06

Cu2Se-based thermoelectric materials exhibit high dimensionless figure of merit (zT) values at elevated temperatures (900–1000 K) but relatively lower zT values at intermediate temperatures, approximately 500 K. We synthesized a series of polycrystalline Cu2Se0.96Te0.04–xIx/Cu2O composites (where x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03) using an energy-efficient synthesis method conducted at room temperature, followed by heat treatment at 923 K for 6 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the monoclinic crystal structure of the α phase. The introduction of iodine doping at Te sites introduced electron carriers to p-type Cu2Se0.96Te0.04, reducing the hole carrier concentration. Consequently, the electrical resistivity increased, and the thermopower exhibited a significant increase. The incorporation of electron carriers into the p-type Cu2Se0.96Te0.04/Cu2O composites resulted in an enhanced power factor within the medium-temperature range. Specifically, at 500 K, the Cu2Se0.96Te0.02I0.02/Cu2O (x = 0.02) composites demonstrated the highest power factor among the series of Cu2Se0.96Te0.04–xIx/Cu2O composites, measuring 9.1 μW cm–1 K–2. According to the weighted mobility analysis, it is clear that the x = 0.02 composite possesses the optimal carrier concentration, which accounts for its superior power factor compared to the other composites in the series. Furthermore, the Cu2Se0.96Te0.02I0.02/Cu2O composites and Cu2Se0.96Te0.04/Cu2O composites displayed zT values of 0.49 and 0.33, respectively, at 550 K. Additionally, iodine doping led to an enhancement in the average zT values between 450 and 550 K. Therefore, electron doping in p-type materials presents itself as a viable strategy for shifting the operating temperature of a thermoelectric device from high to medium temperature. We successfully fabricated a thermoelectric generator comprising 6 pairs of p-leg Cu2Se0.96Te0.02I0.02/Cu2O composites and n-leg InSb0.94Bi0.06. This TEG achieved impressive results, including a maximum output voltage, power output, power density, and efficiency of 0.115 V, 10.6 μW, 35.1 μW cm–2, and 1.74% at a temperature difference (ΔT) of 120 K

Recent Developments on the Properties of Chalcogenide Thin Films

Chalcogenide thin films have attracted a great deal of attention for decades because of their unique properties. The recent developments on thin film-based supercapacitor applications were reported. As a result of sustained efforts, the experimental findings revealed remarkable properties with enhanced fabrication methods. The properties of perovskite solar cells were discussed in terms of crystal structure and phase transition, electronic structure, optical properties, and electrical properties. Perovskite solar cell has gained attention due to its high absorption coefficient with a sharp absorption edge, high photoluminescence quantum yield, long charge carrier diffusion lengths, large mobility, high defect tolerance, and low surface recombination velocity. The thin film-based gas sensors are used for equally the identification and quantification of gases, and hence should be both selective and sensitive to a required target gas in a mixture of gases. Metal chalcogenide materials are considered excellent absorber materials in photovoltaic cell applications. These materials exhibited excellent absorption coefficient and suitable band gap value to absorb the maximum number of photons from sun radiation. The photovoltaic parameters were strongly dependent on various experimental conditions