Publications by Sylvain Nicolay

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While employing charge transport layers (CTLs) in optoelectronic devices including hybrid perovskite solar cells is essential for high performance, using solution-processed organic semiconductor-based CTLs poses challenges for device fabrication. Cross-lin ...

In this work, we present the development of passivating contacts based on thin interfacial oxide/doped polysilicon for two side contacted c-Si solar cells. In the first part, we discuss our layer optimization towards direct metallisation, using firing thro ...

Recently, it has been shown that it is possible to tune the morphology of zinc oxide films deposited by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) while preserving good electrical conductivity. Here a closer look is taken at films depos ...

Increasing the conductivity of polycrystalline zinc oxide films without impacting the transparency is a key aspect in the race to find affordable and high quality material as replacement of indium-containing oxides. Usually, ZnO film conductivity is provid ...

The fundamental sheet conductance of graphene can be directly related to the product of its absorption coefficient, thickness and refractive index. The same can be done for graphene's fundamental opacity if the so-called thin-film limit is considered. Here ...

Conductive zinc oxide (ZnO) grown by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique possesses a rough surface that induces an efficient light scattering in thin film silicon (TF Si) solar cells, which makes this TCO an ideal candidate for contact ...

Here high-efficiency (above 21%) large-area silicon heterojunction solar cells with atomic layer deposited ZnO:Al as front- or back-side transparent conducting oxide are demonstrated. Photoconductance decay measurements indicate that the excellent chemical ...

Ethanol is used as a precursor during the growth of zinc oxide (ZnO) by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). By adding ethanol, the surface of the deposited ZnO layer is flattened and its roughness is decreased about sevenfold. The layers become ...

In this contribution, we investigate the effect of post-deposition treatments on finished non-encapsulated thin-film microcrystalline silicon solar cells and show that annealing in vacuum leads to improved electrical properties of the solar cells, particul ...

In Thin Film Silicon (TF-Si) solar cells light harvesting schemes must guarantee an efficient light trapping in the thin absorber layers without decreasing the silicon layers quality and consecutively the p-i-n diodes electrical performance. TF-Si solar ce ...

Passivating contacts are key enablers for high efficiency c-Si solar cells. Here, we present our latest advancement in terms of implementation and understanding in fired passivating contacts (FPC) used as rear p + passivating contact in p-type solar cells. ...

Thin films with tunable porosity are of high interest in applications such as gas sensing and antireflective coatings. We report a facile and scalable method to fabricate ZnO electrodes with tuneable porosity. By adjusting the substrate temperature and rat ...

Two fundamental requirements of transparent conductive oxides are high conductivity and low optical absorptance, properties strongly dependent on the free-carrier concentration of the film. The free carrier concentration is usually-tuned by the addition of ...

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are commonly used in a wide spectrum of device applications, thanks to their interesting electronic, photochromic, and electrochromic properties. Their environmental sensitivity, exploited for gas and chemical sensors, is how ...

Charge carrier collection in silicon heterojunction solar cells occurs via intrinsic/doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer stacks deposited on the crystalline silicon wafer surfaces. Usually, both the electron and hole collecting stacks are externally ...

High performance transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) have significance for optimising photovoltaic (PV) performance. The efficiency of the resulting solar cells is dependent particularly on achieving high light scattering, low resistivity and low absorpti ...

Improving the conductivity of earth-abundant transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) remains an important challenge that will facilitate the replacement of indium-based TCOs. Here, we show that a hydrogen (H-2)-plasma post-deposition treatment improves the co ...

ZnO is commonly observed and assumed to crystallize fully in a wurtzite structure. Indeed, While polytypism between a wurtzite and a zinc blende phase is often seen in some II-VI compounds, it has only rarely been observed in ZnO. Here, by means of automat ...

Perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem solar cells have the potential to reach efficiencies beyond those of silicon single-junction record devices. However, the high-temperature process of 500 °C needed for state-of-the-art mesoscopic perovskite cells has, ...

This work addresses the task of integrating reflectarray antennas on thin-film solar cell panels, as a means to save real estate, weight or cost of platforms, such as satellites or transportable autonomous antenna systems. Reflectarray unit cell families, ...

Sylvain Nicolay

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Robust Electron Transport Layers via In Situ Cross-Linking of Perylene Diimide and Fullerene for Perovskite Solar Cells

Localisation of front side passivating contacts for direct metallisation of high-efficiency c-Si solar cells

c-texture versus a-texture low pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition ZnO films: Lower resistivity despite smaller grain size

Relaxing the Conductivity/Transparency Trade-Off in MOCVD ZnO Thin Films by Hydrogen Plasma

Effect of the thin-film limit on the measurable optical properties of graphene

Polycrystalline ZnO:B grown by LPCVD as TCO for thin film silicon solar cells

Rear-emitter silicon heterojunction solar cells with atomic layer deposited ZnO:Al serving as an alternative transparent conducting oxide to In2O3:Sn

Ethanol-enriched low-pressure chemical vapor deposition ZnO bilayers: Properties and growth-A potential electrode for thin film solar cells

Post-deposition treatment of microcrystalline silicon solar cells for improved performance on rough superstrates

Light Harvesting Schemes for High Efficiency Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells

Implementation and understanding of p plus fired rear hole selective tunnel oxide passivating contacts enabling > 22% conversion efficiency in p-type c-Si solar cells

Tuning the porosity of zinc oxide electrodes: from dense to nanopillar films

Direct Imaging of Dopant Distribution in Polycrystalline ZnO Films

Parasitic Absorption Reduction in Metal Oxide-Based Transparent Electrodes: Application in Perovskite Solar Cells

Transparent Electrodes in Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells: Influence on Contact Passivation

The development of high performance SnO2:F as TCOs for thin film silicon solar cells

Hydrogen plasma treatment for improved conductivity in amorphous aluminum doped zinc tin oxide thin films

Zinc blende-wurtzite polytypism in nanocrystalline ZnO films

Zinc tin oxide as high-temperature stable recombination layer for mesoscopic perovskite/silicon monolithic tandem solar cells

Copper and transparent-conductor reflectarray elements on thin-film solar cell Panels