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Title: A review of defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors [Defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors studied by experiment and theory]

Abstract

Defects are critical to understanding the electronic properties of semiconducting compounds, for applications such as light-emitting diodes, transistors, photovoltaics, and thermoelectrics. In this review, we describe our work investigating defects in tetrahedrally bonded, multinary semiconductors, and discuss the place of our research within the context of publications by other groups. We applied experimental and theory techniques to understand point defects, structural disorder, and extended antisite defects in one semiconductor of interest for photovoltaic applications, Cu2SnS3. We contrast our findings on Cu2SnS3 with other chemically related Cu-Sn-S compounds, as well as structurally related compounds such as Cu2ZnSnS4 and Cu(In,Ga)Se2. We find that evaluation of point defects alone is not sufficient to understand defect behavior in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors. In the case of Cu2SnS3 and Cu2ZnSnS4, structural disorder and entropy-driven cation clustering can result in nanoscale compositional inhomogeneities which detrimentally impact the electronic transport. Therefore, it is not sufficient to assess only the point defect behavior of new multinary tetrahedrally bonded compounds; effects such as structural disorder and extended antisite defects must also be considered. Altogether, this review provides a framework for evaluating tetrahedrally bonded semiconducting compounds with respect to their defect behavior for photovoltaic and other applications, and suggests newmore » materials that may not be as prone to such imperfections.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [2]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1335216
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1331714
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5K00-66840
Journal ID: ISSN 0268-1242
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Semiconductor Science and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 31; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 0268-1242
Publisher:
IOP Publishing
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; thin film deposition; density functional theory; Earth abundant materials; next generation photovoltaics; compound semiconductors; point defects; cation site disorder

Citation Formats

Baranowski, Lauryn L., Zawadzki, Pawel, Lany, Stephan, Toberer, Eric S., and Zakutayev, Andriy. A review of defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors [Defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors studied by experiment and theory]. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1088/0268-1242/31/12/123004.
Baranowski, Lauryn L., Zawadzki, Pawel, Lany, Stephan, Toberer, Eric S., & Zakutayev, Andriy. A review of defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors [Defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors studied by experiment and theory]. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0268-1242/31/12/123004
Baranowski, Lauryn L., Zawadzki, Pawel, Lany, Stephan, Toberer, Eric S., and Zakutayev, Andriy. 2016. "A review of defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors [Defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors studied by experiment and theory]". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0268-1242/31/12/123004. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1335216.
@article{osti_1335216,
title = {A review of defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors [Defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors studied by experiment and theory]},
author = {Baranowski, Lauryn L. and Zawadzki, Pawel and Lany, Stephan and Toberer, Eric S. and Zakutayev, Andriy},
abstractNote = {Defects are critical to understanding the electronic properties of semiconducting compounds, for applications such as light-emitting diodes, transistors, photovoltaics, and thermoelectrics. In this review, we describe our work investigating defects in tetrahedrally bonded, multinary semiconductors, and discuss the place of our research within the context of publications by other groups. We applied experimental and theory techniques to understand point defects, structural disorder, and extended antisite defects in one semiconductor of interest for photovoltaic applications, Cu2SnS3. We contrast our findings on Cu2SnS3 with other chemically related Cu-Sn-S compounds, as well as structurally related compounds such as Cu2ZnSnS4 and Cu(In,Ga)Se2. We find that evaluation of point defects alone is not sufficient to understand defect behavior in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors. In the case of Cu2SnS3 and Cu2ZnSnS4, structural disorder and entropy-driven cation clustering can result in nanoscale compositional inhomogeneities which detrimentally impact the electronic transport. Therefore, it is not sufficient to assess only the point defect behavior of new multinary tetrahedrally bonded compounds; effects such as structural disorder and extended antisite defects must also be considered. Altogether, this review provides a framework for evaluating tetrahedrally bonded semiconducting compounds with respect to their defect behavior for photovoltaic and other applications, and suggests new materials that may not be as prone to such imperfections.},
doi = {10.1088/0268-1242/31/12/123004},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1335216}, journal = {Semiconductor Science and Technology},
issn = {0268-1242},
number = 12,
volume = 31,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Thu Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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Cited by: 61 works
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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Research Update: Emerging chalcostibite absorbers for thin-film solar cells
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