Photovoltaic Materials

Light Absorbers

This research focuses on synthesis of thin film photovoltaic absorber materials (e.g. sulfides, oxides, nitrides) and measurement of their properties (e.g., optical absorption, electrical conductivity, work function). Such research is the first step toward the material's practical use in devices, such as photovoltaic solar cells.

Transparent Conductors

Wide band gap (WBG) semiconductors are essential for today’s electronic devices and energy applications because of their high optical transparency, controllable carrier

concentration, and tunable electrical conductivity. For example such transparent conductors (TCs), most commonly oxides (TCOs), are used as contacts in thin film solar cells.

Photovoltaic Devices

The ultimate goal of photovoltaic materials research is the practical application of new materials in useful devices such as solar cells. There is a myriad of interesting scientific challenges that arise from materials interactions, associated with integrating multiple materials with optimal properties into a single device. These include measurements of materials band offsets,

Selected Publications

Wide Band Gap Chalcogenide Semiconductors

Woods-Robinson R., Han Y., Zhang H., Ablekim T. Khan I., Persson K. A., Zakutayev A.

Chemical Reviews 120 4007 (2020)

Sputtered p-type CuxZn1-xS back contact to CdTe solar cells

Woods-Robinson, R., Ablekim, T., Norman, A.G., Johnston, S.W., Persson, K.A., Reese, M.O. and Metzger, W.K., Zakutayev, A.,

ACS Applied Energy Materials 3 5427 (2020)

Zn₂SbN₃: Growth and characterization of a metastable photoactive semiconductor

Arca, E., Perkins, J. D., Lany, S., Mis, A., Chen, B.-R., Dippo, P., Partridge, J. L., Sun, W., Holder, A., Tamboli, A. C., Toney, M. F., Schelhas, L. T., Ceder, G., Tumas, W., Teeter, G., & Zakutayev, A.

Materials Horizons 6 1669 (2019)

Trade-Offs in Thin Film Solar Cells with Layered Chalcostibite Photovoltaic Absorbers

Adam W. Welch, Lauryn L. Baranowski, Haowei Peng, Hannes Hempel, Rainer Eichberger, Thomas Unold, Stephan Lany, Colin Wolden, Andriy Zakutayev

Advanced Energy Materials, 7, 1601935, (2017)

A review of defects and disorder in multinary tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors

L. L Baranowski, P. Zawadzki, S. Lany, E.S. Toberer and A.Zakutayev

Semicond. Sci. Technol. 31 123004 (2016)

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

de Souza Lucas, F.W. and Zakutayev, A.

APL Materials, 6 084501 (2018)

Combinatorial insights into doping control and transport properties of zinc tin nitride

A. N. Fioretti, A. Zakutayev, H. Moutinho, C. Melamed, J. D. Perkins, A. G. Norman, M. Al-Jassim, E. S. Toberer and A. C. Tamboli