Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

P-N junction

P-N junction

A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Synergistic Sono-Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics: Unlocking the Potential of Heterojunctions and Piezoactive Composite Membranes.

Polymers·2026

Same author

Evaporation-Induced Phase Transitions in Free-Standing Plasmonic Nanoparticle Assemblies.

Nano letters·2026

Same author

Electrospun Polyurethane-Based Nanofibrous Membranes Functionalized with UiO-66-NH<sub>2</sub> for Water Remediation.

Polymers·2026

Same author

Parallel alignment of electric and magnetic transition dipole moments in chiral additives can boost the oxygen evolution reaction.

Communications chemistry·2026

Same author

Resolving Complex Multiscale Structure of Magneto- and Electroactive Polymer Composites With an Ionic Liquid.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Same author

Design and fabrication of plasmonic hedgehog-shaped covalent organic framework nanocomposites for indirect SERS-based ultradetection of water contaminant terbutryn.

Nanoscale·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Harvesting Solar Energy by Means of Charge-Separating Nanocrystals and Their Solids

Harvesting Solar Energy by Means of Charge-Separating Nanocrystals and Their Solids

Published on: August 23, 2012

Towards All-Non-Vacuum-Processed Photovoltaic Systems: A Water-Based Screen-Printed Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ Photoabsorber with a

Bruna F Gonçalves^1,2,3, Viviana Sousa¹, José Virtuoso^1,4

¹International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, 4715-330 Braga, Portugal.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)

|July 14, 2023

Summary

Researchers developed sustainable, solution-processed solar cells using printing and coating methods. This approach achieved a record 6.6% efficiency for screen-printed copper indium gallium selenide (Cu(In,Ga)Se2) photovoltaic devices.

Keywords:

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 all-non-vacuum processing photovoltaics screen printing sustainable inks

More Related Videos

Fabrication of Robust Nanoscale Contact between a Silver Nanowire Electrode and CdS Buffer Layer in CuIn,GaSe2 Thin-film Solar Cells

Fabrication of Robust Nanoscale Contact between a Silver Nanowire Electrode and CdS Buffer Layer in CuIn,GaSe2 Thin-film Solar Cells

Published on: July 19, 2019

Close-Space Sublimation-Deposited Ultra-Thin CdSeTe/CdTe Solar Cells for Enhanced Short-Circuit Current Density and Photoluminescence

Close-Space Sublimation-Deposited Ultra-Thin CdSeTe/CdTe Solar Cells for Enhanced Short-Circuit Current Density and Photoluminescence

Published on: March 6, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Harvesting Solar Energy by Means of Charge-Separating Nanocrystals and Their Solids

Harvesting Solar Energy by Means of Charge-Separating Nanocrystals and Their Solids

Published on: August 23, 2012

Fabrication of Robust Nanoscale Contact between a Silver Nanowire Electrode and CdS Buffer Layer in CuIn,GaSe2 Thin-film Solar Cells

Fabrication of Robust Nanoscale Contact between a Silver Nanowire Electrode and CdS Buffer Layer in CuIn,GaSe2 Thin-film Solar Cells

Published on: July 19, 2019

Close-Space Sublimation-Deposited Ultra-Thin CdSeTe/CdTe Solar Cells for Enhanced Short-Circuit Current Density and Photoluminescence

Close-Space Sublimation-Deposited Ultra-Thin CdSeTe/CdTe Solar Cells for Enhanced Short-Circuit Current Density and Photoluminescence

Published on: March 6, 2020

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Renewable Energy
Chemical Engineering

Background:

Advances in copper indium gallium selenide (Cu(In,Ga)Se2) photovoltaic systems are significant.
High-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells typically require energy-intensive vacuum processing.
Solution-based printing and coating offer cost-effective, high-throughput alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop sustainable, solution-processed photovoltaic systems based on Cu(In,Ga)Se2.
To explore the integration of printing, coating, and chemical bath deposition for fabricating solar cell components.
To establish new efficiency records for non-vacuum processed Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells.

Main Methods:

Formulation of water and ethanol-based inks for photoabsorber, buffer, and conductive layers.
Screen printing of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 photoabsorber, followed by selenization.
Chemical bath deposition of cadmium sulfide buffer layer and sputtering of top conductive layers.

Main Results:

A record 6.6% power conversion efficiency was achieved for a screen-printed Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell.
An all-non-vacuum processed device with spray-coated layers yielded 2.2% efficiency.
Demonstrated the viability of sustainable, low-cost fabrication methods for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells.

Conclusions:

Solution-processed Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells represent a significant step towards sustainable energy.
Printing and coating techniques can effectively replace high-energy vacuum processes.
Further optimization of non-vacuum methods holds promise for efficient and affordable solar energy generation.