preview all symposia

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

No abstract for this day

No abstract for this day

No abstract for this day

No abstract for this day

No abstract for this day


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