Publications by Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall

Towards Quantitative Terahertz Characterisation of Zinc Phosphide Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Elias Zsolt Stutz, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul, Mirjana Dimitrievska, Léa Buswell

The earth-abundant and non-toxic material Zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) is a promising candidate for solar cell applications. However, growth of defect-free, high-quality thin films on substrates that can integrate with current technology (e.g. silicon) remains c ...

IEEE Computer Society2024

Investigating the Effect of Crystal Morphology on Optoelectronic Properties of Zinc Phosphide Thin Films via Optical-pump Terahertz Probe Spectroscopy

Elias Zsolt Stutz, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Mahdi Zamani, Rajrupa Paul, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Mirjana Dimitrievska, Léa Buswell

Zinc phosphide ( Zn3P2) is a promising earth-abundant material for solar cell applications but calls for the further understanding of its optoelectronic properties. In this work, we perform contact-free and noninvasive optical-pump terahertz probe (OPTP) s ...

IEEE2023

Carrier generation and collection in Zn3P2/InP heterojunction solar cells

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Franz-Josef Haug, Valerio Piazza, Julien Hurni, Joel René Sapera, Mahdi Zamani, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul, Mirjana Dimitrievska

Zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) has been lauded as a promising solar absorber material due to its functional properties and the abundance of zinc and phosphorous. In the last 4 decades, there has not been any significant improvement in the efficiencies of Zn3P2-bas ...

ELSEVIER2023

Zn/P ratio and microstructure defines carrier density and electrical transport mechanism in earth-abundant Zn3-xP2+y thin films

Mihai Adrian Ionescu, Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Valerio Piazza, Mahdi Zamani, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul, Mirjana Dimitrievska, Carlotta Gastaldi

Scalable and sustainable photovoltaic technologies require low-cost and earth-abundant semiconducting materials. Zinc phosphide is purported to be an absorber material with optimal photovoltaic properties. Herein we report the electrical properties of Zn3P ...

2023

Nanoscale Growth Initiation as a Pathway to Improve the Earth-Abundant Absorber Zinc Phosphide

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Elias Zsolt Stutz, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Mahdi Zamani, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul, Mirjana Dimitrievska

Growth approaches that limit the interface area between layers to nanoscale regions are emerging as a promising pathway to limit the interface defect formation due to mismatching lattice parameters or thermal expansion coefficient. Interfacial defect mitig ...

AMER CHEMICAL SOC2022

Showcasing the optical properties of monocrystalline zinc phosphide thin films as an earth-abundant photovoltaic absorber

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Elias Zsolt Stutz, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Mahdi Zamani, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul, Mirjana Dimitrievska, Léa Buswell

Zinc phosphide, Zn3P2, is a semiconductor with a high absorption coefficient in the spectral range relevant for single junction photovoltaic applications. It is made of elements abundant in the Earth's crust, opening up a pathway for large deployment of so ...

2022

Stoichiometry modulates the optoelectronic functionality of Zinc Phosphide (Zn3-xP2+x)

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Elias Zsolt Stutz, Santhanu Panikar Ramanandan, Mischa Samuel Flór, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Diego Armando Sandoval Salaiza, Mahdi Zamani, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul, Mirjana Dimitrievska

Predictive synthesis–structure–property relationships are at the core of materials design for novel applications. In this regard, correlations between the compositional stoichiometry variations and functional properties are essential for enhancing the perf ...

2022

van der Waals Epitaxy of Co10–xZn10–yMnx+y Thin Films: Chemical Composition Engineering and Magnetic Properties

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Dirk Grundler, Ping Che, Mohammad Hamdi, Andrea Mucchietto, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul

Topologically protected magnetic skyrmions have raised interest for future spintronics applications. One of the main challenges is the synthesis of room temperature skyrmion-hosting materials that are compatible with thin-film technology. We present an app ...

2021

Modeling the Shape Evolution of Selective Area Grown Zn3P2 Nanoislands

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Elias Zsolt Stutz, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Mahdi Zamani, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul, Vladimir Dubrovskii

Selective area growth of zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) on InP provides a pathway to high-quality semiconductor nanostructures and textured thin films made of earth-abundant elements. In the precoalescence stage, Zn3P2 emerges in the form of nanoislands undergoing ...

AMER CHEMICAL SOC2021

The path towards 1 µm monocrystalline Zn3 P2 films on InP: substrate preparation, growth conditions and luminescence properties

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, Elias Zsolt Stutz, Jean-Baptiste Leran, Mahdi Zamani, Simon Robert Escobar Steinvall, Rajrupa Paul, Reza Zamani, Mirjana Dimitrievska

Semiconductors made with earth abundant elements are promising as absorbers in future large-scale deployment of photovoltaic technology. This paper reports on the epitaxial synthesis of monocrystalline zinc phosphide (Zn_3 P_2) films with thicknesses up to ...

2021