Research activities of the

SOLID STATE PHYSICS AND THIN FILMS LABORATORY

Cadi Ayyad University
Marrakech-Morocco

Contact:
Prof. Abdelkader OUTZOURHIT
aoutzour@uca.ma

Solid State Physics and

Permanent researchers: 18
thin
films
laboratory
PhD students: 14
Research theme: renewable energies from

materials to systems
Creation date: 1984

Research
activities
Materials

Devices

Systemes

Photovoltaic materials and devices (Kesterites,

Perovskites, a-Si:H, hybride cells..)

Energy storage materials and technologies (nanofluids, nano-composites, electrode materials for
batteries and super capacitors (intercalated
graphite, graphene/oxide nanoparticles)
Integration of renewable energy systems:
desalination, decentralized electrification,
decentralized production of hydrogen..
Hybrid renewable energy systems and micro grids

Thin film Production

Facilities
Radio-frequency sputtering station with 3

targets.
Sequential deposition of 3 materials;
Reactive sputering: hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen.
Thermal evaporation(2)
Electrodeposition (Potentiostat/ Galvanostat PAR

273A)
Spin coating

Caracterisation Facilities
X-ray diffraction
DRX, GIDRX, X-ray reflectance
Spectrophotometer UV-VIS-NIR
With an integrating sphere(200nm-3200 nm).
Optical parameters: n, , d et Eg.
Colorimetric parameters
Electrical measurements as a function of

temperature.

Working temperature 10 K to 300K

I-V measurements
Capacitance and conductance measurements
Spectral response

Photo- electrochemical measurements (cyclic

voltammetry, corrosion, galvanostatic and

potentiostatic, and electrochemical impedance
measurements..)

Recent Research
Actvities of the Lab

1.Nano-structured materials
Nanostructured oxides for hybrid solar cells and photo catalysis
Fabrication methods
Chemical methods (spin-coating for films)
Electrochemical methods (nanowires, nanopourous matrices ,..)
Nanoporous alumina

ZnO nanorods
Potentiostat/
Galvanostat
WE
CE

RE

Nanoporous Titanium oxide

Air/O
2
H2 O

2. Nanofluides/

Objectives :
nanocomposites

Cu2O/Glycerol

Enhance thermal conductivity of fluids

Nanofluides
Enhance thermal energy storage capacity of

certain materials (nanocomposites)

Fabricate nano-fluides and nano-composites

Determine thermo-physical properties
Materials for super capacitors and battery

electrodes

450

105

400

Ex. Natural graphite

Cap. mAh/g

300
95

250
200

90
150

CAPACITY

100

85

CF

50
0

80
0

50

100

Cycle number

150

200

Coulombic Efciency (%)

100

350

3. I-III-VI2 Semi-conductors
Studied

Materials (thin films):

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 CuInTe2, CuAlTe2

4. II VI Semiconductors
Studied Materials: ZnS, ZnTe, CdS,
CdTe, a-CdTeO3

brut
recuit

* CdTe
+ ZnTe

CdxZn1-xTe
Sequential rf-sputtering+annealing

Intensit (ua)

RF-sputtering, CDB
+

20

30

40

2 (degrs)

50

60

5. Fabrication of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films

and solar cells
-Electro-deposition
-Spin coating without
sulfurization

Cu
Sn
Zn
S

Ag
ZnO:Al
ZnO:i
CdS
CZTS
Mo

6. Planar Heterojunction Perovskite solar ce

Perovskite structure
ABX3
A=CH3NH3
B=Pb,Sn
X=I, Br,Cl

Ag
CH3NH3Pb(I(1-x)Brx)3
ZnO
FTO

0,000008

Glass

0,000006

Dark
Light

current(A)

0,000004

0,000002

0,000000

No hole transporting layer

Needs further optimisation
For tandem cells

-0,000002

-0,000004
0,00

0,05

0,10

Applied voltage (V)

0,15

0,20

In collaboration with Faculty of

Sciences Gabes-Tunisia (PECVD)
Optimisation of the deposition
condition for Solar-grade Si thin
films

BO1

BO3

BO7

7. Hybrid Renewable Energy systems

Hybrid PV-Wind plant for
decentralized electrification
of Lkaria (Essaouira)

Monitoring of the Plant

Perspectives
Optimize CZTS cells(substitute S with Te,

improve crystallinity , reduce losses,..)

Optimize perovskite top cell (1.8 eV) for
tandem cells using Silicon hetero-junction Cells
as the bottom device
Si hetero-junction solar cells (Thin films on cSi)
a-Si:H solar cells with light trapping schemes
a-Si:H for BIPV (on ceramic tiles for example..)