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Thin films: from growth to processing and applications

A

Thin-film chalcogenide materials for PV and solar energy conversion

Chalcogenide-based materials are key for sustainable, large-scale energy production. These direct bandgap semiconductors enable low-cost, efficient thin-film PV and solar-to-molecule applications. They offer high material utilization, stability, and compatibility with flexible substrates, ideal for tandem devices.

Scope:

Proven material systems like CdTe and CIGSe have reached efficiencies above 22% in laboratories and over 20% in commercial modules. Research continues on kesterites, Sb-based chalcogenides, and chalcogenide perovskites for single and multijunction applications.

Beyond photovoltaics, chalcogenide semiconductors are also being explored for solar-to-molecules conversion, including photoelectrochemical water splitting, CO₂ reduction, and PV-driven electrolysis. Their stability under environmental stressors, low manufacturing costs, high material utilization, and short energy payback times make them relevant for sustainable energy technologies.

A key advantage of chalcogenide semiconductors is their tunable optoelectronic properties, allowing tailored material combinations for high-efficiency tandem and multijunction devices. This approach provides pathways to exceed single-junction efficiency limits and advance thin-film PV performance.

This symposium will cover advances in chalcogenide materials, including fundamental properties, device engineering, process optimization, and solar-to-molecules applications. Discussions will address current challenges and industrialization efforts, linking semiconductor physics, photovoltaics, and solar-to-fuel technologies.

The program will feature invited and contributed talks, poster sessions, and discussions. The Young Scientist Tutorial will continue, supporting collaboration and knowledge exchange among early-career researchers.

Hot topics to be covered by the symposium:

  • Chalcogenide PV: Theory, modeling, and simulations
  • Sustainable PV: Scalable, eco-friendly processing
  • Novel chalcogenides: Composition tuning for performance
  • Thin-film growth: Theoretical and experimental advances
  • Defects & interfaces: Grain boundaries, alkali treatments
  • Heterostructures & transport: Buffer layers, contacts
  • Characterization: Material, electrical, and interface analysis
  • Integrated PV: BIPV, semi-transparency, device tuning
  • Industrialization: Scaling, manufacturing, diagnostics
  • Multijunction PV: Tandem designs, integration
  • Flexible PV: Novel substrates, stability
  • Light management: Optical enhancements
  • Beyond PV: Solar fuels, PEC, PV-EC

Scientific Committee:

  • Marcus Bär – HZB
  • Shogo Ishizuka – AIST
  • Oana Cojocaru-Merédin – University of Freiburg
  • Daniel Abou-Ras – HZB
  • Romain Carron – EMPA
  • Susanne Siebentritt – University of Luxembourg
  • Edgardo Saucedo – UPC
  • Akira Yamada – Institute of Science Tokyo
  • Jan Keller – Uppsala University
  • Byungha Shin – KAIST
  • Lorelle Mansfield – NREL

Confirmed invited speakers:

  • Harry Mönig – Universität Münster
  • Lydia Helena Wong – NTU
  • Chunlei Yang – CAS
  • Christian Kaufmann – HZB
  • Charlotte Platzer Björkman – Uppsala University
  • Hiroki Sugimoto – PXP Corporation
  • Alejandro Pérez Rodríguez – IREC
  • Albert Polman – AMOLF
  • Maarja Grossberg-Kuusk – Tallinn University of Technology
  • Rafael Jaramillo – MIT
  • Raquel Caballero – CSIC–Institute of Optics
  • James Becker – First Solar

Publication & Prize Announcement:

A prize for best talk/best poster will be supported by IOP Publishing. The symposium organizers warmly invite participants to contribute a manuscript based on, or related to, their E-MRS presentations to a dedicated focus collection in JPhys Energy.

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Symposium organizers
Bart VERMANG (Main organizer A)University of Hasselt / imec

Institute for Materials Research (imo-imomec), Hasselt University, Wetenschapspark 1, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium

bart.vermang@uhasselt.be
Martina SCHMID (Main organizer B)University of Duisburg-Essen

Faculty of Physics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 1, 47057 Duisburg, Germany

martina.schmid@uni-due.de
Sascha SADEWASSERInternational Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL)

Av. Mestre José Veiga, 4715-330 Braga, Portugal

sascha.sadewasser@inl.int
Xiaojing HAOUniversity of New South Wales (UNSW)

School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

xj.hao@unsw.edu.au
Yukiko KAMIKAWANational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Department of Energy and Environment, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan

yukiko-kamikawa@aist.go.jp