Showcasing the optical properties of monocrystalline zinc phosphide thin films as an earth-abundant photovoltaic absorber

Elias Z. Stutz; Mahdi Zamani; Djamshid Damry; Lea Buswell; Rajrupa Paul; Simon Escobar Steinvall; Jean-Baptiste Leran; Jessica Boland; Mirjana Dimitrievska; Anna Fontcuberta i Morral

doi:10.1039/d1ma00922b

Showcasing the optical properties of monocrystalline zinc phosphide thin films as an earth-abundant photovoltaic absorber

Elias Z. Stutz, Mahdi Zamani, Djamshid Damry, Lea Buswell, Rajrupa Paul, Simon Escobar Steinvall, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Jessica Boland, Mirjana Dimitrievska, Anna Fontcuberta i Morral

EEE - Academic & Research

Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Zinc phosphide, Zn3P2, is a semiconductor with a high absorption coefficient in the spectral range relevant for single junction photovoltaic applications. It is made of elements abundant in the Earth's crust, opening up a pathway for large deployment of solar cell alternatives to the silicon market. Here we provide a thorough study of the optical properties of single crystalline Zn3P2 thin films grown on (100) InP by molecular beam epitaxy. The films are slightly phosphorus-rich as determined by Rutherford backscattering. We elucidate two main radiative recombination pathways: one transition at approximately 1.52 eV attributed to zone-center band-to-band electronic transitions; and a lower-energy transition observed at 1.3 eV to 1.4 eV attributed to a defect band or band tail related recombination mechanisms. We believe phosphorus interstitials are likely at the origin of this band.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1295-1303
Number of pages	9
Journal	Materials Advances
Volume	3
Issue number	2
Early online date	17 Dec 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ma00922b
Publication status	Published - 24 Jan 2022

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Terahertz, Topology, Technology: Realising the potential of nanoscale Dirac materials using near-field terahertz spectroscopy
Boland, J. (PI)
1/07/20 → 31/07/25
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Terahertz lights up the nanoscale: Exposing the ultrafast dynamics of Dirac systems via near-field terahertz spectroscopy
Boland, J. (PI)
1/09/19 → 28/02/22
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Cite this

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title = "Showcasing the optical properties of monocrystalline zinc phosphide thin films as an earth-abundant photovoltaic absorber",

abstract = "Zinc phosphide, Zn3P2, is a semiconductor with a high absorption coefficient in the spectral range relevant for single junction photovoltaic applications. It is made of elements abundant in the Earth's crust, opening up a pathway for large deployment of solar cell alternatives to the silicon market. Here we provide a thorough study of the optical properties of single crystalline Zn3P2 thin films grown on (100) InP by molecular beam epitaxy. The films are slightly phosphorus-rich as determined by Rutherford backscattering. We elucidate two main radiative recombination pathways: one transition at approximately 1.52 eV attributed to zone-center band-to-band electronic transitions; and a lower-energy transition observed at 1.3 eV to 1.4 eV attributed to a defect band or band tail related recombination mechanisms. We believe phosphorus interstitials are likely at the origin of this band.",

author = "Stutz, {Elias Z.} and Mahdi Zamani and Djamshid Damry and Lea Buswell and Rajrupa Paul and Steinvall, {Simon Escobar} and Jean-Baptiste Leran and Jessica Boland and Mirjana Dimitrievska and {Fontcuberta i Morral}, Anna",

note = "Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through project BSCGI0_157705 and by the Max Planck-EPFL Center for Molecular Nanoscience and Technology. M. D. thanks funding from H2020 through SMARTCELL project (project number: 101022257). The authors also thank EAG Laboratories for performing the Rutherford backscattering spectrometry measurements. J. L. B. also gratefully acknowledges support from EPSRC via project EP/S037438/1 and from the Leverhulme Trust via the Philip Leverhulme Prize. She would also like to thank the University of Warwick for providing access to the Warwick Centre for Ultrafast Spectroscopy (WCUS) facility and Dr Michael Staniforth for conducting the THz spectroscopy measurements during the COVID lockdown period. J. L. B. also thanks Dr Christopher Beckerleg for fruitful discussions. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Royal Society of Chemistry. This journal is {\textcopyright} The Royal Society of Chemistry.",

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doi = "10.1039/d1ma00922b",

language = "English",

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AU - Stutz, Elias Z.

AU - Zamani, Mahdi

AU - Damry, Djamshid

AU - Buswell, Lea

AU - Paul, Rajrupa

AU - Steinvall, Simon Escobar

AU - Leran, Jean-Baptiste

AU - Boland, Jessica

AU - Dimitrievska, Mirjana

AU - Fontcuberta i Morral, Anna

N1 - Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through project BSCGI0_157705 and by the Max Planck-EPFL Center for Molecular Nanoscience and Technology. M. D. thanks funding from H2020 through SMARTCELL project (project number: 101022257). The authors also thank EAG Laboratories for performing the Rutherford backscattering spectrometry measurements. J. L. B. also gratefully acknowledges support from EPSRC via project EP/S037438/1 and from the Leverhulme Trust via the Philip Leverhulme Prize. She would also like to thank the University of Warwick for providing access to the Warwick Centre for Ultrafast Spectroscopy (WCUS) facility and Dr Michael Staniforth for conducting the THz spectroscopy measurements during the COVID lockdown period. J. L. B. also thanks Dr Christopher Beckerleg for fruitful discussions. Publisher Copyright: © The Royal Society of Chemistry. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

PY - 2022/1/24

Y1 - 2022/1/24

N2 - Zinc phosphide, Zn3P2, is a semiconductor with a high absorption coefficient in the spectral range relevant for single junction photovoltaic applications. It is made of elements abundant in the Earth's crust, opening up a pathway for large deployment of solar cell alternatives to the silicon market. Here we provide a thorough study of the optical properties of single crystalline Zn3P2 thin films grown on (100) InP by molecular beam epitaxy. The films are slightly phosphorus-rich as determined by Rutherford backscattering. We elucidate two main radiative recombination pathways: one transition at approximately 1.52 eV attributed to zone-center band-to-band electronic transitions; and a lower-energy transition observed at 1.3 eV to 1.4 eV attributed to a defect band or band tail related recombination mechanisms. We believe phosphorus interstitials are likely at the origin of this band.

AB - Zinc phosphide, Zn3P2, is a semiconductor with a high absorption coefficient in the spectral range relevant for single junction photovoltaic applications. It is made of elements abundant in the Earth's crust, opening up a pathway for large deployment of solar cell alternatives to the silicon market. Here we provide a thorough study of the optical properties of single crystalline Zn3P2 thin films grown on (100) InP by molecular beam epitaxy. The films are slightly phosphorus-rich as determined by Rutherford backscattering. We elucidate two main radiative recombination pathways: one transition at approximately 1.52 eV attributed to zone-center band-to-band electronic transitions; and a lower-energy transition observed at 1.3 eV to 1.4 eV attributed to a defect band or band tail related recombination mechanisms. We believe phosphorus interstitials are likely at the origin of this band.

U2 - 10.1039/d1ma00922b

DO - 10.1039/d1ma00922b

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EP - 1303

JO - Materials Advances

JF - Materials Advances

IS - 2

ER -

Showcasing the optical properties of monocrystalline zinc phosphide thin films as an earth-abundant photovoltaic absorber

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Terahertz, Topology, Technology: Realising the potential of nanoscale Dirac materials using near-field terahertz spectroscopy

Terahertz lights up the nanoscale: Exposing the ultrafast dynamics of Dirac systems via near-field terahertz spectroscopy

Cite this