Development of High-Performance Hole Transport Materials by Isovalent Impurities

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K19094
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 36:Inorganic materials chemistry, energy-related chemistry, and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Matsuzaki Kosuke 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, エレクトロニクス・製造領域, 主任研究員 (40571500)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 太陽電池 / ドーピング / 複合欠陥

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hole transport and photo absorption layers used in solar cells require high-performance p-type semiconductors that exhibit high mobility, and Cu(I) semiconductor have recently been considered as candidates. However, the carrier concentration in the p-type semiconductor, which is necessary for optimizing device performance, is difficult to control because the commonly used impurity doping with substitutional impurities cannot be used for monovalent Cu ions, which are a constituent element of the Cu(I) semiconductor. In this study, both experimental and theoretical investigations have shown that isovalent alkali metals are effective impurity dopants to improve hole concentration in several Cu(I) semiconductors.

Free Research Field

無機電子材料

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で開発したp型ドーピング法は、半導体素子に広く使われている基盤技術であり、太陽電池の性能向上につながると考えられる。また、アルカリ不純物による銅一価半導体の正孔ドーピングのメカニズムが明らかになり、未解明となっているCIS系太陽電池の性能向上に不可欠なアルカリ不純物の役割解明につながることが期待される。