Dr. Feng Yan, Associate Professor of Materials Science in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy at Arizona State University, will give a seminar titled "Interface Engineering for the Efficient Antimony Chalcogenides Thin Film Energy Devices" to the interested faculty and students at Discovery Park.

Abstract

Antimony chalcogenide (Sb2X3, X=S, Se, Te) thin film solar cells have garnered significant interest due to their optimal bandgap, high absorption coefficient, and earth-abundant constituent elements. Interface engineering plays a pivotal role in optimizing the performance of these solar cells, as the interfaces between different layers critically influence charge carrier dynamics. This talk focuses on systematically investigating and engineering interfaces in Sb2X3-based thin film solar cells to enhance their efficiency and stability. Precise control over interface properties was achieved by employing techniques such as sputtering and chemical bath deposition (CBD). The introduction of buffer layers, passivation treatments, and surface modifications were explored to mitigate recombination losses and improve charge extraction. Advanced characterization methods including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), were utilized to analyze the interfacial properties and their impact on device performance. The findings highlight the critical importance of interface quality and the potential of tailored interface engineering to unlock higher efficiencies in antimony chalcogenide thin film solar cells. This work provides a pathway for further optimization and commercial viability of Sb2X3 solar cells, contributing to the advancement of sustainable photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical technologies.

Bio

Dr. Feng Yan is a tenured associate professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the School for Engineering of Transport, Matter, and Energy at Arizona State University (ASU). He was an assistant professor and associate professor with tenure in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alabama (UA). Before joining UA, he worked as a senior development engineer at the advanced research department of First Solar, Inc., Perrysburg, (Ohio, US), focusing on high-efficiency CdTe thin film solar cells research. Dr. Yan earned his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science from the National University of Singapore in 2012. After that, he received his postdoctoral training at Drexel University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University from 2011 to 2013. Dr. Yan’s research interest is to design and discover the structure-properties-processing relationships in advanced electronic and photonic materials and devices for clean energy harvesting and conversion. His research has been sponsored by NSF, DOE, NASA, and USDA. and ORAU as lead principal investigator, including the 2020 NSF CAREER Awardee and 2018 ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awardee. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, including Nature Energy, Joule, Nature Communications, ACS Nano, etc. Dr. Yan is a member of the Materials Research Society (MRS), American Chemistry Society (ACS), IEEE PVSC, and TMS.