Cd-doped ZnS thin films (0-6 at.%) were deposited by SILAR and assessed as buffer layers for thin-film solar cells. XRD shows a single zinc-blende phase, with a small lattice expansion after Cd incorporation. As the Cd content increases, transmittance decreases and the direct band gap narrows, pushing absorption further into the visible. DFT with mBJ reproduces this redshift and attributes it to Cd-related states near the band edges. Hall measurements indicate stronger n-type transport at higher Cd levels, with lower resistivity, higher mobility, and a larger electron concentration. Overall, about 6% Cd provides a workable balance between transparency, absorption, and conductivity, making ZnS:Cd a suitable buffer-layer candidate.

In this work, we investigate the effect of alloying on the magnetic properties of the semiconductor ferromagnetic Ge1-xFex/Ge(001) superlattice. The system Hamiltonian is described within the localized-spin Heisenberg model. The excitation spectrum is calculated using linear spin-wave theory. A quantitative analysis of the experimental magnetization data reveals the existence of a spin reorientation transition (SRT) at the inflection temperature (T = Tr). To explain the behavior of this magnetization, we have developed a theoretical model based on the presence of a mixture of two magnon populations: quantum magnons and classical magnons. Furthermore, the agreement between the calculated and experimental magnetization curves is very satisfactory, enabling the determination of the key magnetic parameters of the system, namely, J parallel to(x), J(perpendicular to)(x), 4(x), and Tr(x).

Nickel‐doped absorbing layers on glass substrates are successfully fabricated using the spray pyrolysis technique, significantly enhancing the efficiency of the multi‐layer solar cell structured as SLG/Mo/ Ni/ZnS/ITO/Al. The results demonstrate the impact of Ni doping on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy confirm the formation of a cubic spinel structure in the films, with crystallite sizes ranging from 11.89 to 13.11 nm. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images reveal nearly homogeneous surfaces with enhanced porous morphology, attributed to varying dopant percentages. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirms the presence of Co, O, and Ni in the films. UV–vis spectrophotometry shows improved absorbance, with the 2% Ni‐doped sample identified as optimal. SCAPS‐1D simulations based on these experimental results indicate an overall solar cell efficiency increase to 9.89% for the 2% Ni‐doped films.

The present study investigates how the acidity of the medium influences the nucleation of Cu–Sn–S elements to develop co-electrodeposited Cu2SnS3 films suitable for solar cells. The effect of solution acidity on CTS film properties was investigated by varying the pH from 1.4 to 4.4, using tartrate as a stabilizing agent for Cu and Sn through complexation. After co-deposition at a selected potential of − 0.95 (vs. SCE), and after a sulfurization step at 400 °C, the obtained results have clearly demonstrated the effect of acidity on the development of CTS films and, consequently on their physico-chemical properties. More specifically, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirmed this effect of pH, since a Cu2SnS3 phase was progressively formed as the pH increased, to crystallize at the end in a triclinic structure at pH = 4.4. EDS analysis and calculated structural parameters showed a higher pH significantly increased the crystallinity and minimized the formation of secondary phases. Similarly, SEM mapping analysis revealed a very uniform grain distribution with an optimal Cu/Sn ratio stoichiometry of 1.99, particularly at pH = 4.4, along with a slight copper deficiency favoring p-type conductivity. Furthermore, the experimentally found optical bandgap decreased from 1.34 eV at pH = 1.4 to 1.25 eV at pH = 4.4. Finally, to highlight these results, a simulative calculation was conducted within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). The comparison of experimental and theoretical results showed good agreement, with confirmation of the semi-conductive character of the CTS material, as well as its direct bandgap of the same order of magnitude 1.15 and 1.29 eV.

In this study, we explored the effect of copper precursors on the photovoltaic properties of eco-friendly and earthabundant Cu2SnS3 (CTS) thin films deposited by the easy and economical SILAR method. Comprehensive characterization revealed the critical role of copper precursors in shaping the structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of CTS films. XRD, Raman spectroscopy and HRTEM revealed the successful formation of the Cu2SnS3 phase, with the coexistence of the tetragonal and cubic structures. SEM images demonstrated considerable impact of the copper precursor on the morphology of the CTS films, revealing good surface compactness when using the acetate precursor. A uniform Cu-Sn-S distribution with a value close to the ideal stoichiometry of 2:1:3 of Cu2SnS3 is verified by EDX. The direct optical bandgap energy showed a correlation with the copper precursor, giving values between 1.37 eV and 1.45 eV, ideal for use as absorber layers. Electrical Hall effect measurements carried out on the grown CTS layers exhibited a Hall mobility of 0.38 cm2/V.s for copper sulfate and 0.592 cm2/V.s for chloride and 3.56 cm2/Vs for acetate with p-type conductivity and a carrier concentration between 2.688 x 1021cm-3 and 6.672 x 1021 cm-3. Furthermore, the photovoltaic performance of solar cells based on CTS thin films, as prepared in this study, was measured using the SCAPS-1D simulator. The solar cell-based CTS films fabricated using the copper acetate precursor achieved an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.85 % and an improved open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 739.85 mV. These results highlight an innovative and cost-effective solution for the production of scalable solar cells using copper acetate as a precursor in the SILAR synthesis of CTS thin films, avoiding the high costs and technical challenges associated with vacuum deposition techniques.

The current research examines the role of salt crystallization, a major factor in atmospheric pollution in coastal regions, on the degradation of biocalcarenite stones used in monuments in the Rabat-Sal & eacute; area of Morocco. Focusing on Bouknadel and Bouskoura stones samples, the study conducted seven cycles of imbibition and desiccation with Na2SO4 and NaCl solutions (70 g/L and 100 g/L) to simulate marine aerosol effects. Additionally, capillary absorption was measured, and mass changes were documented after immersion in distilled water. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were utilized to evaluate the chemical, mineralogical, and textural properties of the stones. The findings revealed that Bouknadel stone, despite its higher porosity (38 +/- 9%), exhibited greater resistance to salt damage than Bouskoura stone (25 +/- 5% porosity). This variation in response is attributed to differences in mineral composition, notably the presence of quartz in Bouknadel stone and sulfur in Bouskoura stone. Bouskoura stones faced significant deterioration, especially with Na2SO4, linked to the crystallization of thenardite. In contrast, Bouknadel stones maintained structural integrity despite halite crystal formation. These results underscore the importance of mineralogical composition and porosity in assessing stone susceptibility to salt degradation, offering critical insights for the conservation of cultural heritage in coastal ecosystems.

In this study, we investigated the influence of tin concentration on the physical properties of eco-friendly CTS thin-film based solar cells deposited by means of the SILAR route. The results were discussed through several characterization techniques. XRD revealed the formation of Cu2SnS3 phase, along with peaks of CuS and Cu4S7 secondary phases, which diminished with increasing tin concentration. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the tetragonal crystalline structure of CTS films with (112) as the preferred orientation. The direct optical bandgap energy of the synthesized CTS films increased from 1.42 to 1.56 eV as the concentration of tin rose from 0.08 to 0.12 M. Electrical Hall effect measurements performed on the grown CTS layers revealed a p-type conductivity with hall mobility in the range 0.38–2.135 cm2/Vs and a carrier concentration between 3.93 × 1021 cm−3 and 7.68 × 1021 cm−3. Furthermore, using SCAPS-1D solar cell simulation software, the photovoltaic performance of the CTS-S1, CTS-S2 and CTS-S3 absorber layers has been evaluated. Despite the fact that the CTS-S1 absorber layer has more secondary phases and slightly lower mobility than the CTS-S2 and CTS-S3 layers, its excellent optical properties, including a high absorption coefficient (> 104 cm−1) and an optimal bandgap energy of 1.42 eV, enabled it to achieve the best efficiency of 8.46

Thin films of pure and zinc-doped nanostructures have been successfully grown using the spray pyrolysis technique. Different characterization techniques were used to study the impact of zinc incorporation into the material at different concentrations (0–6

This study highlights our optimization of the co-electrodeposition duration of Cu, Sn, and S on the titanium substrate in order to further improve the properties of Cu2SnS3 thin films in photovoltaic applications. After cyclic voltammetry identifying the potential for simultaneous Cu, Sn and S deposit, "Cu-Sn-S" layers were electrodeposited for deposition durations ranging from 10→20min. Structurally, X-ray-diffraction and Raman-spectroscopy have confirmed the formation of the single Cu2SnS3-phase, crystallizing in the triclinic system after 20min of electrodeposition. For this duration, the morphological SEM-EDX profile revealed a highly uniform distribution of grains with very optimal sizes for solar cell applications. To reinforce these conclusions, an optical analysis was carried out in the visible wavelength range, highlighting a strong absorption of the developed sample. In addition, the optical gap estimate, indicates that Cu2SnS3 exihibts a direct transition with a bandgap varying from 1.22 to 1.49eV when the deposition time is increased from 10→20min.

Thin-film solar cells based on CTX (X = S, Se) are gaining interest due to their excellent optoelectronic qualities, as well as the affordability and non-toxicity of their constituent elements. In this work, a novel CTX-based solar cell structure with a p + -CTS back surface field (BSF) layer was numerically investigated using the SCAPS-1D program. A comparison was conducted between CTX solar cells with and without the BSF layer. A thin p + -CTS layer between the molybdenum (Mo) back contact and the CTX absorber layer significantly reduced recombination losses while increasing open-circuit voltage, enhancing a solar cell's overall efficiency. Further tuning of numerous material properties, including bandgap energy, thickness, and doping concentration, for both absorbers CTX and BSF resulted in an enhancement in overall photovoltaic performance. The optimum efficiencies for Mo/p + -CTS/CTS/CdS/ZnO/Al:ZnO/Al and Mo/p + -CTS/CTSe/CdS/ZnO/Al:ZnO/Al solar cells were 6.74

In this work, the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method was used to synthesize and study the effect of immersion time in cationic and anionic solutions on the physical properties of zinc sulfide thin films (ZSTF). ZSTF were deposited onto glass substrates. X-ray diffraction analysis of the as-deposited ZSTF films revealed the formation of polycrystalline cubic structures with a dominant (111) orientation. These films exhibited improved crystallinity following 2 h of sulfurization at 400 °C. Using the absorption coefficient measurement, the gap energies of ZSTF for the immersion times 30 s, 40 s and 50 s were 3.84 eV, 3.8 eV, and 3.74 eV, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed a rough grainy morphology, and the obtained layers are formed with the stoichiometry of Zn and S. A density functional theory simulation was performed to calculate the gap energies of ZSTF, by generalized gradient approximation. The obtained results have shown a direct optical gap within the interval 2–2.5 eV. To improve the accuracy of electronic property calculations, using the TB-mBJ approximation, the energy gap was found to range between 3.61 and 3.82 eV These results are in good agreement with the experimental findings, which can promote the development of such materials for photovoltaic applications.

The (SnS) thin films were prepared by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR), a versatile and simple method. The cationic and anionic solutions SnCl2.2H2O 2 .2H 2 O and Na2S.9H2O 2 S.9H 2 O respectively were used as precursor materials, which will be deposited on glass substrates to study the effect of rinsing temperature on the properties of our thin films. The structural, morphological, and optical properties were investigated by using X-ray diffraction, Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and spectrophotometer. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that the deposited SnS thin films have an orthorhombic crystal structure. Uniform deposition of the material over the entire glass substrate was shown by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The optical band gap energy ranged from 1.5 to 1.82eV for direct transitions and from 0.6 to 0.95eV for indirect transitions.

The present contribution reports on the performance of CIGS-based solar cells using Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS) to study the replacement of the CdS buffer layer by others. The principle idea behind this investigation is the improvement of CIGS solar cells conversion efficiency by using buffer layers of non-toxic and abundant materials. The four buffer layers of ZnSe, Zn(O, S), In2S3, and SnS2 have substituted the CdS in the Glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/ZnO/ZnO:Al/MgF2 structure. SCAPS software was used to analyze the effects of buffer layer thickness, buffer layer donor density, buffer layer defect density, absorber layer thickness, and temperature on photovoltaic parameters: open-circuit voltage Voc, short-circuit current density Jsc, Fill Factor FF, and efficiency η. The obtained results indicated that ZnSe, Zn(O, S), In2S3, and SnS2 are good alternative buffer layers with an efficiency of around 28.3%.

Ternary chalcogenide Cu2SnS3 (CTS) has emerged as a relevant compound for solar energy harvesting owing to its favorable optoelectronic properties. The aim of this study was to conduct a numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D software to determine the optimal conditions for an efficient CTS solar cell. The research focused on how the bandgap (Eg) design affects the optical properties and photovoltaic performance (PV) of a CTS solar cell. The correlation between the Eg width and bulk defect density (Nt), as well as the CTS/CdS interface defect density (Nit) of CTS thin films, was also investigated. The results revealed that the increase in Eg significantly improves the external quantum efficiency (EQE), power conversion efficiency (PCE), and open-circuit voltage (Voc) of the solar cells. In addition, a remarkable decrease in recombination rate was observed. For Eg values of 1.1 eV and 1.18 eV, the solar cell demonstrated a minimal recombination rate of 5 x 1020 cm-3 and a high PCE of 5%. The contour plot of Nt as a function of Eg confirmed that Eg and Nt values of 1.18 eV and 5 x 1016 cm-3, respectively, provide higher efficiency. Furthermore, the results highlighted the importance of limiting Nit to below 5 x 1014 cm-3 at the CTS/CdS junction. Under optimum conditions, the output parameters of the CTS solar cell were calculated to be 6.30% for the PCE, 46.64% for the fill factor (FF), 33.89 mA/cm2 for the shortcircuit current (Jsc), and 398.2 mV for Voc.

Herein, lead sulphide (PbS) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at different deposition temperatures of 30, 40, 50 and 60 degrees C by using the chemical bath deposition (CBD). X-Ray diffraction, UV-vis-NIR-Infrared spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the effect of deposition temperature on the characteristic properties of the PbS thin films. The crystal identification through X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the increasing in deposition temperature caused the increasing in grains sizes, and these sizes were found to be between 39.46 and 45.35 nm. Furthermore, it was found that the optical band gap Eg decreases from 0.97 eV to 0.87 eV when the deposition temperature increases. The present results set the foundations to further study the Lead sulphide (PbS) thin films as a promising material for various optoelectronic applications.

Numerical simulation has been performed to improve the performance of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cells by replacing CdS with Zn1−xSnxO buffer layer. The influences of thickness, donor concentration and defect density of buffer layers on the performance of CZTS solar cells were investigated. It has been found that Zn1−xSnxO buffer layer for Sn content of 0.20 is better for CZTS solar cell. A higher efficiency can be achieved with thinner buffer layer. The optimized solar cell demonstrated a maximum power conversion efficiency of 13%.

The aim of this paper is to optimize a new structure of Cu2SnS3 (CTS) thin-film based solar cells by using the one-dimensional solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS 1D). We proposed ZnS as a non-toxic buffer layer and ITO as a window layer, neither of which has been reported with a CTS absorber layer. The effects of various parameters that affect CTS thin-film solar cell performance, such as thickness of the absorber layer, carrier concentration, band gap, and temperature, are investigated. The generation and recombination rates in both structures, Mo/CTS/ZnS/ITO and Mo/CTS/CdS/ITO, are studied. The results reveal that solar cell performance is enhanced within the range of 5e(+16)-2e(+17) cm(-3) of carrier concentration and 1.3-1.5 eV of band gap of CdS. The recombination rate at the CTS/ZnS interface is significantly lower compared to the CTS/CdS interface, indicating good conduction band alignment between the CTS absorber and ZnS buffer. Under the optimum parameters, power conversion efficiency (PCE) of CTS-based solar cells was boosted from 16.53% to 17.05% when ZnS was used as a buffer layer instead of CdS.

Two ZnO thin films have been chemically elaborated on glass substrates by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method using two different complexing agents, ammonia and ammonium hydroxide. X-ray diffraction study confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure for both films that are polycrystalline with preferential direction (002). Scanning electron microscopy showed an agglomeration of small grains throughout the substrate surfaces, with morphological changes and the existence of an uncovered part of substrates. The film prepared using NH4OH showed a higher transmittance. The optical band gap values for the films are close to 3.36 and 3.33 eV, respectively.

In this study the thin films of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Nickel (Ni) doped ZnO were successfully synthesized by the simple modified successive ion layer adsorption and reaction method, with 30 cycles of dipping a substrate directly in cationic and anionic precursors without rinsing in water. The effect of nickel doping with this method was investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the wurtzite structure of ZnO in the thin films, without any secondary phases. A decrease in grain size and cell parameters was observed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis showed that Ni significantly affects the morphology of thin films. UV-visible spectra are obtained in the wavelength range between 300 nm to 1100 nm. A decrease in band gap from 3.23 eV to 3.11 eV was observed. First principal calculation was used to reveal the effect of Ni on electronic and magnetic properties. It showed that ZnO and Ni doped ZnO exhibits a direct band gap semiconductor and Ni-3d electrons are the primary source of magnetic momentum in ZnO matrix.