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Sample records for band solar cells

  1. Present status of intermediate band solar cell research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuadra, L.; Marti, A.; Luque, A.

    2004-01-01

    The intermediate band solar cell is a theoretical concept with the potential for exceeding the performance of conventional single-gap solar cells. This novel photovoltaic converter bases its superior theoretical efficiency over single-gap solar cells by enhancing its photogenerated current, via the two-step absorption of sub-band gap photons, without reducing its output voltage. This is achieved through a material with an electrically isolated and partially filled intermediate band located within a higher forbidden gap. This material is commonly named intermediate band material. This paper centres on summarising the present status of intermediate band solar cell research. A number of attempts, which aim to implement the intermediate band concept, are being followed: the direct engineering of the intermediate band material, its implementation by means of quantum dots and the highly porous material approach. Among other sub-band gap absorbing proposals, there is a renewed interest on the impurity photovoltaic effect, the quantum well solar cells and the particularly promising proposal for the use of up- and down-converters

  2. Novel semiconductor solar cell structures: The quantum dot intermediate band solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marti, A.; Lopez, N.; Antolin, E.; Canovas, E.; Stanley, C.; Farmer, C.; Cuadra, L.; Luque, A.

    2006-01-01

    The Quantum Dot Intermediate Band Solar Cell (QD-IBSC) has been proposed for studying experimentally the operating principles of a generic class of photovoltaic devices, the intermediate band solar cells (IBSC). The performance of an IBSC is based on the properties of a semiconductor-like material which is characterised by the existence of an intermediate band (IB) located within what would otherwise be its conventional bandgap. The improvement in efficiency of the cell arises from its potential (i) to absorb below bandgap energy photons and thus produce additional photocurrent, and (ii) to inject this enhanced photocurrent without degrading its output photo-voltage. The implementation of the IBSC using quantum dots (QDs) takes advantage of the discrete nature of the carrier density of states in a 0-dimensional nano-structure, an essential property for realising the IB concept. In the QD-IBSC, the IB arises from the confined electron states in an array of quantum dots. This paper reviews the operation of the first prototype QD-IBSCs and discusses some of the lessons learnt from their characterisation

  3. Novel semiconductor solar cell structures: The quantum dot intermediate band solar cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marti, A. [Instituto de Energia Solar-UPM, ETSIT de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria sn, 28040 Madrid (Spain)]. E-mail: amarti@etsit.upm.es; Lopez, N. [Instituto de Energia Solar-UPM, ETSIT de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria sn, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Antolin, E. [Instituto de Energia Solar-UPM, ETSIT de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria sn, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Canovas, E. [Instituto de Energia Solar-UPM, ETSIT de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria sn, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Stanley, C. [Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Farmer, C. [Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Cuadra, L. [Departamento de Teoria de la Senal y Comunicaciones- Escuela Politecnica Superior, Universidad de Alcala, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona, km. 33600, 28805-Alcala de Henares (Madrid) (Spain); Luque, A. [Instituto de Energia Solar-UPM, ETSIT de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria sn, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2006-07-26

    The Quantum Dot Intermediate Band Solar Cell (QD-IBSC) has been proposed for studying experimentally the operating principles of a generic class of photovoltaic devices, the intermediate band solar cells (IBSC). The performance of an IBSC is based on the properties of a semiconductor-like material which is characterised by the existence of an intermediate band (IB) located within what would otherwise be its conventional bandgap. The improvement in efficiency of the cell arises from its potential (i) to absorb below bandgap energy photons and thus produce additional photocurrent, and (ii) to inject this enhanced photocurrent without degrading its output photo-voltage. The implementation of the IBSC using quantum dots (QDs) takes advantage of the discrete nature of the carrier density of states in a 0-dimensional nano-structure, an essential property for realising the IB concept. In the QD-IBSC, the IB arises from the confined electron states in an array of quantum dots. This paper reviews the operation of the first prototype QD-IBSCs and discusses some of the lessons learnt from their characterisation.

  4. Graded band-gap engineering for increased efficiency in CZTS solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferhati, H.; Djeffal, F.

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, we propose a potential high efficiency Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4/CdS (CZTS) solar cell design based on graded band-gap engineering that can offer the benefits of improved absorption behavior and reduced recombination effects. Moreover, a new hybrid approach based on analytical modeling and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is proposed to determinate the optimal band-gap profile of the amended CZTS absorber layer to achieve further efficiency enhancement. It is found that the proposed design exhibits superior performance, where a high efficiency of 16.9% is recorded for the optimized solar cell with a relative improvement of 92%, compared with the reference cell efficiency of 8.8%. Likewise, the optimized CZTS solar cell with a graded band-gap enables achieving a higher open circuit voltage of 889 mV, a short-circuit current of 28.5 mA and a fill factor of 66%. Therefore, the optimized CZTS-based solar cell with graded-band gap paradigm pinpoints a new path toward recording high-efficiency thin-film solar cells through enhancing carrier collection and reducing the recombination rate.

  5. Development of III-Sb Quantum Dot Systems for High Efficiency Intermediate Band Solar Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huffaker, Diana [Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Hubbard, Seth [Rochester Inst. of Technology, NY (United States); Norman, Andrew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-07-31

    This project aimed to develop solar cells that can help reduce cost per watt. This work focused on developing solar cells that utilize quantum dot (QD) nanomaterials to provide multijunction solar cell efficiency at the cost of single junction solar cell. We focused on a novel concept known as intermediate band solar cells (IBSC) where an additional energy band is inserted in a single solar cell to accommodate sub-bandgap photons absorption which otherwise are lost through transmission. The additional energy band can be achieved by growing QDs within a solar cell p-n junction. Though numerous studies have been conducted to develop such QD systems, very small improvements in solar energy conversion efficiency have been reported. This is mainly due to non-optimal material parameters such as band gap, band offset etc. In this work, we identified and developed a novel QD material system that meets the requirements of IBSC more closely than the current state-of-the-art technology. To achieve these goals, we focused on three important areas of solar cell design: band structure calculations of new materials, efficient device design for high efficiency, and development of new semiconductor materials. In this project, we focused on III-Sb materials as they possess a wide range of energy bandgaps from 0.2 eV to 2eV. Despite the difficulty involved in realizing these materials, we were successfully developed these materials through a systematic approach. Materials studied in this work are AlAsSb (Aluminum Arsenide Antimonide), InAlAs (Indium Aluminum Arsenide) and InAs (Indium Arsenide). InAs was used to develop QD layers within AlAsSb and InAlAs p-n junctions. As the QDs have very small volume, up to 30 QD layers been inserted into the p-n junction to enhance light absorption. These QD multi-stack devices helped in understanding the challenges associated with the development of quantum dot solar cells. The results from this work show that the quantum dot solar cells indeed

  6. Thin-film intermediate band chalcopyrite solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuertes Marron, D.; Marti, A.; Luque, A.

    2009-01-01

    Chalcopyrite-based solar cells currently lead the efficiency tables of thin-film photovoltaic technologies. Further improvements are foreseen upon implementation of an intermediate band in the absorber layers. We present a theoretical analysis of the efficiency limit for this type of device as a function of factors such as the gap of the host, the relative position of the intermediate band with respect to the band edge and the level of light concentration used as illumination. We have also considered the impact of non-idealities on the performance of the device, particularly the effect of electronic losses related to non-radiative recombination

  7. Simulation study of InGaN intermediate-band solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Kuo-Feng; Hung, Chien-Lun; Tsai, Yao-Lung

    2016-01-01

    The performances of single-junction InGaN solar cells with various intermediate bands (IBs) have been simulated using the lifetime model of a 1D simulation program called Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures (AMPS-1D). It has been observed that the maximum efficiencies of the InGaN solar cells with one, two and three intermediate bands are 47.72%, 55.10% and 58.20%, respectively, which outperform the 25.96% efficiency of the conventional single-junction structure by far. This is primarily attributed to the outstanding capability of the light harvesting from the sub-bandgap absorption. At the optimized bandgap of 2.41 eV, two-IB InGaN solar cells with the IB positions located at 0.95–1.1 eV and 0.3–0.75 eV, respectively, may have an opportunity to realize over 50% efficiency. (paper)

  8. Lifetime enhancement for multiphoton absorption in intermediate band solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bezerra, Anibal T; Studart, Nelson

    2017-01-01

    A semiconductor structure consisting of two coupled quantum wells embedded into the intrinsic region of a p – i–n junction is proposed as an intermediate band solar cell with a photon ratchet state, which would lead to increasing the cell efficiency. The conduction subband of the right-hand side quantum well works as the intermediated band, whereas the excited conduction subband of the left-hand side quantum well operates as the ratchet state. The photoelectrons in the intermediate band are scattered through the thin wells barrier and accumulated into the ratchet subband. A rate equation model for describing the charge transport properties is presented. The efficiency of the current generation is analyzed by studying the occupation of the wells subbands, taking into account the charge dynamic behavior provided by the electrical contacts connected to the cell. The current generation efficiency depends essentially from the relations between the generation, recombination rates and the scattering rate to the ratchet state. The inclusion of the ratchet states led to both an increase and a decrease in the cell current depending on the transition rates. This suggests that the coupling between the intermediate band and the ratchet state is a key point in developing an efficient solar cell. (paper)

  9. Lifetime enhancement for multiphoton absorption in intermediate band solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezerra, Anibal T.; Studart, Nelson

    2017-08-01

    A semiconductor structure consisting of two coupled quantum wells embedded into the intrinsic region of a p-i-n junction is proposed as an intermediate band solar cell with a photon ratchet state, which would lead to increasing the cell efficiency. The conduction subband of the right-hand side quantum well works as the intermediated band, whereas the excited conduction subband of the left-hand side quantum well operates as the ratchet state. The photoelectrons in the intermediate band are scattered through the thin wells barrier and accumulated into the ratchet subband. A rate equation model for describing the charge transport properties is presented. The efficiency of the current generation is analyzed by studying the occupation of the wells subbands, taking into account the charge dynamic behavior provided by the electrical contacts connected to the cell. The current generation efficiency depends essentially from the relations between the generation, recombination rates and the scattering rate to the ratchet state. The inclusion of the ratchet states led to both an increase and a decrease in the cell current depending on the transition rates. This suggests that the coupling between the intermediate band and the ratchet state is a key point in developing an efficient solar cell.

  10. Low Band Gap Polymers for Roll-to-Roll Coated Polymer Solar Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bundgaard, Eva; Hagemann, Ole; Manceau, Matthieu

    2010-01-01

    connected cells were prepared with a total module active area of 96 cm2. The devices were tested for operational stability under simulated sunlight (AM1.5G) and natural sunlight, and the photochemical stability of the polymer was examined using a combination of UV−vis and IR spectroscopy.......We present the synthesis of a low band gap copolymer based on dithienothiophene and dialkoxybenzothiadiazole (poly(dithienothiophene-co-dialkoxybenzothiadiazole), PDTTDABT). The optical properties of the polymer showed a band gap of 1.6 eV and a sky-blue color in solid films. The polymer...... around a 1:2 mixing ratio. Roll-to-roll coated polymer solar cell devices were prepared under ambient conditions employing solution processing in all steps including the metallic back electrode that was printed as a grid giving semitransparent solar cell devices. Solar cell modules comprising 16 serially...

  11. Intermediate band solar cell simulation use InAs quantum dot in GaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hendra P, I. B.; Rahayu, F.; Sahdan, M. F.; Darma, Y.

    2015-01-01

    Intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) has become a new approach in increasing solar cell efficiency significantly. One way to create intermediate band is by proposing quantum dots (QD) technology. One of the important aspects in utilizing IBSC is the absorption of light. In this work we simulated the influence of QD arrangement in order to increase absorption coefficient and solar cell efficiency. We also simulated the influence of QD size to capture a wider light spectrum. We present a simple calculation method with low computing power demand. Results show that the increasing in quantum dot size can increase in capturing wider spectrum of light. Arrangement InAs QD in bulk material GaAs can capture wider spectrum of light and increase the absorption coefficient. The arrangement InAs QD 2 nm in GaAs bulk can increase solar cell efficiency up to 49.68%

  12. Band tailing and efficiency limitation in kesterite solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gokmen, Tayfun; Gunawan, Oki; Todorov, Teodor K.; Mitzi, David B.

    2013-09-01

    We demonstrate that a fundamental performance bottleneck for hydrazine processed kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells with efficiencies reaching above 11% can be the formation of band-edge tail states, which quantum efficiency and photoluminescence data indicate is roughly twice as severe as in higher-performing Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 devices. Low temperature time-resolved photoluminescence data suggest that the enhanced tailing arises primarily from electrostatic potential fluctuations induced by strong compensation and facilitated by a lower CZTSSe dielectric constant. We discuss the implications of the band tails for the voltage deficit in these devices.

  13. Band gap engineering of hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films for solar cell application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwivedi, Neeraj; Kumar, Sushil; Dayal, Saurabh; Rauthan, C. M. S.; Panwar, O. S.; Malik, Hitendra K.

    2012-10-01

    In this work, self bias variation, nitrogen introduction and oxygen plasma (OP) treatment approaches have been used for tailoring the band gap of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) thin films. The band gap of a-C:H and modified a- C:H films is varied in the range from 1.25 eV to 3.45 eV, which is found to be nearly equal to the full solar spectrum (1 eV- 3.5 eV). Hence, such a-C:H and modified a-C:H films are found to be potential candidate for the development of full spectrum solar cells. Besides this, computer aided simulation with considering variable band gap a-C:H and modified a- C:H films as window layer for amorphous silicon p-i-n solar cells is also performed by AFORS-HET software and maximum efficiency as ~14 % is realized. Since a-C:H is hard material, hence a-C:H and modified a-C:H films as window layer may avoid the use of additional hard and protective coating particularly in n-i-p configuration.

  14. What is the band alignment of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Crovetto, Andrea; Hansen, Ole

    2017-01-01

    The band alignment at the Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4/CdS solar cell heterojunction is a controversial issue, as different measurements and calculations point to substantially different conduction band offsets (CBO). As the actual value of the CBO has profound implications on solar cell performance, the aim...... of this work is to separate genuine process-dependent variations in the CBO from errors in its experimental determination. We argue that the two most likely mechanisms responsible for real CBO variations are Fermi level pinning (which tends to decrease the CBO) and chemical interdiffusion (which tends...... measurement approaches. Interestingly, a rough correlation can be established between the CBO measured at the Cu2ZnSnS4/CdS interface by different groups and their corresponding solar cell efficiency: lower-efficiency cells often have a large "cliff-like" offset, whereas most high-efficiency cells have...

  15. Band gap grading and photovoltaic performance of solution-processed Cu(In,Ga)S2 thin-film solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohn, So Hyeong; Han, Noh Soo; Park, Yong Jin; Park, Seung Min; An, Hee Sang; Kim, Dong-Wook; Min, Byoung Koun; Song, Jae Kyu

    2014-12-28

    The photophysical properties of CuInxGa1-xS2 (CIGS) thin films, prepared by solution-based coating methods, are investigated to understand the correlation between the optical properties of these films and the electrical characteristics of solar cells fabricated using these films. Photophysical properties, such as the depth-dependent band gap and carrier lifetime, turn out to be at play in determining the energy conversion efficiency of solar cells. A double grading of the band gap in CIGS films enhances solar cell efficiency, even when defect states disturb carrier collection by non-radiative decay. The combinational stacking of different density films leads to improved solar cell performance as well as efficient fabrication because a graded band gap and reduced shunt current increase carrier collection efficiency. The photodynamics of minority-carriers suggests that the suppression of defect states is a primary area of improvement in CIGS thin films prepared by solution-based methods.

  16. Controlling the conduction band offset for highly efficient ZnO nanorods based perovskite solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, Juan; Shi, Jiangjian; Li, Dongmei; Luo, Yanhong; Meng, Qingbo

    2015-01-01

    The mechanism of charge recombination at the interface of n-type electron transport layer (n-ETL) and perovskite absorber on the carrier properties in the perovskite solar cell is theoretically studied. By solving the one dimensional diffusion equation with different boundary conditions, it reveals that the interface charge recombination in the perovskite solar cell can be suppressed by adjusting the conduction band offset (ΔE C ) at ZnO ETL/perovskite absorber interface, thus leading to improvements in cell performance. Furthermore, Mg doped ZnO nanorods ETL has been designed to control the energy band levels. By optimizing the doping amount of Mg, the conduction band minimum of the Mg doped ZnO ETL has been raised up by 0.29 eV and a positive ΔE C of about 0.1 eV is obtained. The photovoltage of the cell is thus significantly increased due to the relatively low charge recombination

  17. Incorporation of Furan into Low Band-Gap Polymers for Efficient Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Woo, Claire H.

    2010-11-10

    The design, synthesis, and characterization of the first examples of furan-containing low band-gap polymers, PDPP2FT and PDPP3F, with substantial power conversion efficiencies in organic solar cells are reported. Inserting furan moieties in the backbone of the conjugated polymers enables the use of relatively small solubilizing side chains because of the significant contribution of the furan rings to overall polymer solubility in common organic solvents. Bulk heterojunction solar cells fabricated from furan-containing polymers and PC71BM as the acceptor showed power conversion efficiencies reaching 5.0%. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  18. Incorporation of Furan into Low Band-Gap Polymers for Efficient Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Woo, Claire H.; Beaujuge, Pierre M.; Holcombe, Thomas W.; Lee, Olivia P.; Fréchet, Jean M. J.

    2010-01-01

    The design, synthesis, and characterization of the first examples of furan-containing low band-gap polymers, PDPP2FT and PDPP3F, with substantial power conversion efficiencies in organic solar cells are reported. Inserting furan moieties in the backbone of the conjugated polymers enables the use of relatively small solubilizing side chains because of the significant contribution of the furan rings to overall polymer solubility in common organic solvents. Bulk heterojunction solar cells fabricated from furan-containing polymers and PC71BM as the acceptor showed power conversion efficiencies reaching 5.0%. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  19. Numerical modelling of high efficiency InAs/GaAs intermediate band solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imran, Ali; Jiang, Jianliang; Eric, Debora; Yousaf, Muhammad

    2018-01-01

    Quantum Dots (QDs) intermediate band solar cells (IBSC) are the most attractive candidates for the next generation of photovoltaic applications. In this paper, theoretical model of InAs/GaAs device has been proposed, where we have calculated the effect of variation in the thickness of intrinsic and IB layer on the efficiency of the solar cell using detailed balance theory. IB energies has been optimized for different IB layers thickness. Maximum efficiency 46.6% is calculated for IB material under maximum optical concentration.

  20. Field collapse due to band-tail charge in amorphous silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Qi; Crandall, R.S. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Schiff, E.A. [Syracuse Univ., NY (United States)

    1996-05-01

    It is common for the fill factor to decrease with increasing illumination intensity in hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells. This is especially critical for thicker solar cells, because the decrease is more severe than in thinner cells. Usually, the fill factor under uniformly absorbed red light changes much more than under strongly absorbed blue light. The cause of this is usually assumed to arise from space charge trapped in deep defect states. The authors model this behavior of solar cells using the Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures (AMPS) simulation program. The simulation shows that the decrease in fill factor is caused by photogenerated space charge trapped in the band-tail states rather than in defects. This charge screens the applied field, reducing the internal field. Owing to its lower drift mobility, the space charge due to holes exceeds that due to electrons and is the main cause of the field screening. The space charge in midgap states is small compared with that in the tails and can be ignored under normal solar-cell operating conditions. Experimentally, the authors measured the photocapacitance as a means to probe the collapsed field. They also explored the light intensity dependence of photocapacitance and explain the decrease of FF with the increasing light intensity.

  1. Investigation of the open-circuit voltage in wide-bandgap InGaP-host InP quantum dot intermediate-band solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aihara, Taketo; Tayagaki, Takeshi; Nagato, Yuki; Okano, Yoshinobu; Sugaya, Takeyoshi

    2018-04-01

    To analyze the open-circuit voltage (V oc) in intermediate-band solar cells, we investigated the current-voltage characteristics in wide-bandgap InGaP-based InP quantum dot (QD) solar cells. From the temperature dependence of the current-voltage curves, we show that the V oc in InP QD solar cells increases with decreasing temperature. We use a simple diode model to extract V oc at the zero-temperature limit, V 0, and the temperature coefficient C of the solar cells. Our results show that, while the C of InP QD solar cells is slightly larger than that of the reference InGaP solar cells, V 0 significantly decreases and coincides with the bandgap energy of the InP QDs rather than that of the InGaP host. This V 0 indicates that the V oc reduction in the InP QD solar cells is primarily caused by the breaking of the Fermi energy separation between the QDs and the host semiconductor in intermediate-band solar cells, rather than by enhanced carrier recombination.

  2. Anthracene-containing wide-band-gap conjugated polymers for high-open-circuit-voltage polymer solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Xue; Li, Cuihong; Lu, Zhen; Li, Guangwu; Mei, Qiang; Fang, Tao; Bo, Zhishan

    2013-07-25

    The synthesis, characterization, and photophysical and photovoltaic properties of two anthracene-containing wide-band-gap donor and acceptor (D-A) alternating conjugated polymers (P1 and P2) are described. These two polymers absorb in the range of 300-600 nm with a band gap of about 2.12 eV. Polymer solar cells with P1:PC71 BM as the active layer demonstrate a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.23% with a high Voc of 0.96 V, a Jsc of 4.4 mA cm(-2) , and a comparable fill factor (FF) of 0.53 under simulated solar illumination of AM 1.5 G (100 mW cm(-2) ). In addition, P2:PC71 BM blend-based solar cells exhibit a PCE of 1.42% with a comparable Voc of 0.89 V, a Jsc of 3.0 mA cm(-2) , and an FF of 0.53. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. A comparative study of solution-processed low- and high-band-gap chalcopyrite thin-film solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Se Jin; Moon, Sung Hwan; Min, Byoung Koun; Cho, Yunae; Kim, Ji Eun; Kim, Dong-Wook; Lee, Doh-Kwon; Gwak, Jihye; Kim, Jihyun

    2014-01-01

    Low-cost and printable chalcopyrite thin-film solar cells were fabricated by a precursor solution-based coating method with a multi-step heat-treatment process (oxidation, sulfurization, and selenization). The high-band-gap (1.57 eV) Cu(In x Ga 1−x )S 2 (CIGS) solar cell showed a high open-circuit voltage of 787 mV, whereas the low-band-gap (1.12 eV) Cu(In x Ga 1−x )(S 1−y Se y ) 2 (CIGSSe) cell exhibited a high short-circuit current density of 32.6 mA cm −2 . The energy conversion efficiencies were 8.28% for CIGS and 8.81% for CIGSSe under standard irradiation conditions. Despite similar efficiencies, the two samples showed notable differences in grain size, surface morphology, and interfacial properties. Low-temperature transport and admittance characteristics of the samples clearly revealed how their structural differences influenced their photovoltaic and electrical properties. Such analyses provide insight into the enhanced solar cell performance of the solution-processed chalcopyrite thin films. (paper)

  4. Application of the photoreflectance technique to the characterization of quantum dot intermediate band materials for solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canovas, E.; Marti, A.; Lopez, N.; Antolin, E.; Linares, P.G.; Farmer, C.D.; Stanley, C.R.; Luque, A.

    2008-01-01

    Intermediate band materials rely on the creation of a new electronic band within the bandgap of a conventional semiconductor that is isolated from the conduction and valence band by a true zero density of states. Due to the presence of the intermediate band, a solar cell manufactured using these materials is capable of producing additional photocurrent, thanks to the absorption of photons with energy lower than the conventional bandgap. In this respect, the characterization of these materials by suitable techniques becomes a key element in the development of the new photovoltaic devices called intermediate band solar cells. The technique of photoreflectance is particularly suited to this purpose because it is contact-less and allows the characterization of the material without the need of actually manufacturing a complete device. Using room temperature photoreflectance we have analyzed intermediate band materials based on quantum dots and have been able to identify the energy levels involved. Also, from the photoreflectance data we have demonstrated the overlap of the wave-functions defined by the quantum dots

  5. The importance of band tail recombination on current collection and open-circuit voltage in CZTSSe solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moore, James E. [Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Hages, Charles J. [Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin (Germany); Agrawal, Rakesh; Lundstrom, Mark S.; Gray, Jeffery L. [Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States)

    2016-07-11

    Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(S,Se){sub 4} (CZTSSe) solar cells typically exhibit high short-circuit current density (J{sub sc}), but have reduced cell efficiencies relative to other thin film technologies due to a deficit in the open-circuit voltage (V{sub oc}), which prevent these devices from becoming commercially competitive. Recent research has attributed the low V{sub oc} in CZTSSe devices to small scale disorder that creates band tail states within the absorber band gap, but the physical processes responsible for this V{sub oc} reduction have not been elucidated. In this paper, we show that carrier recombination through non-mobile band tail states has a strong voltage dependence and is a significant performance-limiting factor, and including these effects in simulation allows us to simultaneously explain the V{sub oc} deficit, reduced fill factor, and voltage-dependent quantum efficiency with a self-consistent set of material parameters. Comparisons of numerical simulations to measured data show that reasonable values for the band tail parameters (characteristic energy, capture rate) can account for the observed low V{sub oc}, high J{sub sc}, and voltage dependent collection efficiency. These results provide additional evidence that the presence of band tail states accounts for the low efficiencies of CZTSSe solar cells and further demonstrates that recombination through non-mobile band tail states is the dominant efficiency limiting mechanism.

  6. Performance analysis of high efficiency InxGa1-xN/GaN intermediate band quantum dot solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chowdhury, Injamam Ul Islam; Sarker, Jith; Shifat, A. S. M. Zadid; Shuvro, Rezoan A.; Mitul, Abu Farzan

    2018-06-01

    In this subsistent fifth generation era, InxGa1-xN/GaN based materials have played an imperious role and become promising contestant in the modernistic fabrication technology because of some of their noteworthy attributes. On our way of illustrating the performance, the structure of InxGa1-xN/GaN quantum dot (QD) intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) is investigated by solving the Schrödinger equation in light of the Kronig-Penney model. In comparison with p-n homojunction and heterojunction solar cells, InxGa1-xN/GaN IBQD solar cell manifests larger power conversion efficiency (PCE). PCE strongly depends on position and width of the intermediate bands (IB). Position of IBs can be controlled by tuning the size of QDs and the Indium content of InxGa1-xN whereas, width of IB can be controlled by tuning the interdot distance. PCE can also be controlled by tuning the position of fermi energy bands as well as changing the doping concentration. In this work, maximum conversion efficiency is found approximately 63.2% for a certain QD size, interdot distance, Indium content and doping concentration.

  7. Engineered band structure for an enhanced performance on quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, Bin Bin [Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi' an 710062 (China); Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Industry, Shaanxi Institute of Technology, Xi' an 710300 (China); Wang, Ye Feng [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi' an 710062 (China); Wei, Dong; Chen, Yu; Zeng, Jing Hui, E-mail: jhzeng@ustc.edu [Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi' an 710062 (China); Cui, Bin [School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwestern University, Xi' an 710620 (China)

    2016-06-20

    A photon-to-current efficiency of 2.93% is received for the Mn-doped CdS (MCdS)-quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) using Mn:ZnO (MZnO) nanowire as photoanode. Hydrothermal synthesized MZnO are spin-coated on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass with P25 paste to serve as photoanode after calcinations. MCdS was deposited on the MZnO film by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. The long lived excitation energy state of Mn{sup 2+} is located inside the conduction band in the wide bandgap ZnO and under the conduction band of CdS, which increases the energetic overlap of donor and acceptor states, reducing the “loss-in-potential,” inhibiting charge recombination, and accelerating electron injection. The engineered band structure is well reflected by the electrochemical band detected using cyclic voltammetry. Cell performances are evidenced by current density-voltage (J-V) traces, diffuse reflectance spectra, transient PL spectroscopy, and incident photon to current conversion efficiency characterizations. Further coating of CdSe on MZnO/MCdS electrode expands the light absorption band of the sensitizer, an efficiency of 4.94% is received for QDSSCs.

  8. Ultrathin high band gap solar cells with improved efficiencies from the world's oldest photovoltaic material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todorov, Teodor K; Singh, Saurabh; Bishop, Douglas M; Gunawan, Oki; Lee, Yun Seog; Gershon, Talia S; Brew, Kevin W; Antunez, Priscilla D; Haight, Richard

    2017-09-25

    Selenium was used in the first solid state solar cell in 1883 and gave early insights into the photoelectric effect that inspired Einstein's Nobel Prize work; however, the latest efficiency milestone of 5.0% was more than 30 years ago. The recent surge of interest towards high-band gap absorbers for tandem applications led us to reconsider this attractive 1.95 eV material. Here, we show completely redesigned selenium devices with improved back and front interfaces optimized through combinatorial studies and demonstrate record open-circuit voltage (V OC ) of 970 mV and efficiency of 6.5% under 1 Sun. In addition, Se devices are air-stable, non-toxic, and extremely simple to fabricate. The absorber layer is only 100 nm thick, and can be processed at 200 ˚C, allowing temperature compatibility with most bottom substrates or sub-cells. We analyze device limitations and find significant potential for further improvement making selenium an attractive high-band-gap absorber for multi-junction device applications.Wide band gap semiconductors are important for the development of tandem photovoltaics. By introducing buffer layers at the front and rear side of solar cells based on selenium; Todorov et al., reduce interface recombination losses to achieve photoconversion efficiencies of 6.5%.

  9. Enhancing Solar Cell Efficiency Using Photon Upconversion Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Yunfei; Hao, Shuwei; Yang, Chunhui; Chen, Guanying

    2015-10-27

    Photovoltaic cells are able to convert sunlight into electricity, providing enough of the most abundant and cleanest energy to cover our energy needs. However, the efficiency of current photovoltaics is significantly impeded by the transmission loss of sub-band-gap photons. Photon upconversion is a promising route to circumvent this problem by converting these transmitted sub-band-gap photons into above-band-gap light, where solar cells typically have high quantum efficiency. Here, we summarize recent progress on varying types of efficient upconversion materials as well as their outstanding uses in a series of solar cells, including silicon solar cells (crystalline and amorphous), gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and other types of solar cells. The challenge and prospect of upconversion materials for photovoltaic applications are also discussed.

  10. Enhancing Solar Cell Efficiency Using Photon Upconversion Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunfei Shang

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Photovoltaic cells are able to convert sunlight into electricity, providing enough of the most abundant and cleanest energy to cover our energy needs. However, the efficiency of current photovoltaics is significantly impeded by the transmission loss of sub-band-gap photons. Photon upconversion is a promising route to circumvent this problem by converting these transmitted sub-band-gap photons into above-band-gap light, where solar cells typically have high quantum efficiency. Here, we summarize recent progress on varying types of efficient upconversion materials as well as their outstanding uses in a series of solar cells, including silicon solar cells (crystalline and amorphous, gallium arsenide (GaAs solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and other types of solar cells. The challenge and prospect of upconversion materials for photovoltaic applications are also discussed

  11. InGaP Heterojunction Barrier Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welser, Roger E. (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    A new solar cell structure called a heterojunction barrier solar cell is described. As with previously reported quantum-well and quantum-dot solar cell structures, a layer of narrow band-gap material, such as GaAs or indium-rich InGaP, is inserted into the depletion region of a wide band-gap PN junction. Rather than being thin, however, the layer of narrow band-gap material is about 400-430 nm wide and forms a single, ultrawide well in the depletion region. Thin (e.g., 20-50 nm), wide band-gap InGaP barrier layers in the depletion region reduce the diode dark current. Engineering the electric field and barrier profile of the absorber layer, barrier layer, and p-type layer of the PN junction maximizes photogenerated carrier escape. This new twist on nanostructured solar cell design allows the separate optimization of current and voltage to maximize conversion efficiency.

  12. Quantitative operando visualization of the energy band depth profile in solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qi; Mao, Lin; Li, Yaowen; Kong, Tao; Wu, Na; Ma, Changqi; Bai, Sai; Jin, Yizheng; Wu, Dan; Lu, Wei; Wang, Bing; Chen, Liwei

    2015-07-13

    The energy band alignment in solar cell devices is critically important because it largely governs elementary photovoltaic processes, such as the generation, separation, transport, recombination and collection of charge carriers. Despite the expenditure of considerable effort, the measurement of energy band depth profiles across multiple layers has been extremely challenging, especially for operando devices. Here we present direct visualization of the surface potential depth profile over the cross-sections of operando organic photovoltaic devices using scanning Kelvin probe microscopy. The convolution effect due to finite tip size and cantilever beam crosstalk has previously prohibited quantitative interpretation of scanning Kelvin probe microscopy-measured surface potential depth profiles. We develop a bias voltage-compensation method to address this critical problem and obtain quantitatively accurate measurements of the open-circuit voltage, built-in potential and electrode potential difference.

  13. Incorporation of ester groups into low band-gap diketopyrrolopyrrole containing polymers for solar cell applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hu, Xiaolian; Zuo, Lijian; Fu, Weifei

    2012-01-01

    To increase the open circuit voltage (VOC) of polymer solar cells based on diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) containing polymers, the weakly electron-withdrawing thiophene-3,4-dicarboxylate unit was introduced into the polymer backbone. Two ester group functionalized DPP containing polymers, PCTDPP...... with a random structure and PDCTDPP with a regular structure, were designed and synthesized by the Stille coupling reaction. The resulting copolymers exhibit broad and strong absorption bands from 350 to 1000 nm with low optical band gaps below 1.40 eV. Through cyclic voltammetry measurements, it is found...

  14. Enhanced dissociation of charge-transfer states in narrow band gap polymer:fullerene solar cells processed with 1,8-octanedithiol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moet, D.J.D.; Lenes, M.; Morana, M.; Azimi, H.; Brabec, C.J.; Blom, P.W.M.

    2010-01-01

    The improved photovoltaic performance of narrow band gap polymer:fullerene solar cells processed from solutions containing small amounts of 1,8-octanedithiol is analyzed by modeling of the experimental photocurrent. In contrast to devices that are spin coated from pristine chlorobenzene, these cells

  15. Enhanced dissociation of charge-transfer states in narrow band gap polymer : fullerene solar cells processed with 1,8-octanedithiol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moet, D. J. D.; Lenes, M.; Morana, M.; Azimi, H.; Brabec, C. J.; Blom, P. W. M.

    2010-01-01

    The improved photovoltaic performance of narrow band gap polymer:fullerene solar cells processed from solutions containing small amounts of 1,8-octanedithiol is analyzed by modeling of the experimental photocurrent. In contrast to devices that are spin coated from pristine chlorobenzene, these cells

  16. Photovoltaic efficiency of intermediate band solar cells based on CdTe/CdMnTe coupled quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prado, Silvio J.; Marques, Gilmar E.; Alcalde, Augusto M.

    2017-11-01

    In this work we show the calculation of optimized efficiencies of intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) based on Mn-doped II-VI CdTe/CdMnTe coupled quantum dot (QD) structures. We focus our attention on the combined effects of geometrical and Mn-doping parameters on optical properties and solar cell efficiency. In the framework of {k \\cdot p} theory, we accomplish detailed calculations of electronic structure, transition energies, optical selection rules and their corresponding intra- and interband oscillator strengths. With these results and by following the intermediate band model, we have developed a strategy which allows us to find optimal photovoltaic efficiency values. We also show that the effects of band admixture which can lead to degradation of optical transitions and reduction of efficiency can be partly minimized by a careful selection of the structural parameters and Mn-concentration. Thus, the improvement of band engineering is mandatory for any practical implementation of QD systems as IBSC hardware. Finally, our calculations show that it is possible to reach significant efficiency, up to  ∼26%, by selecting a restricted space of parameters such as quantum dot size and shape and Mn-concentration effects, to improve the modulation of optical absorption in the structures.

  17. Photovoltaic efficiency of intermediate band solar cells based on CdTe/CdMnTe coupled quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prado, Silvio J; Marques, Gilmar E; Alcalde, Augusto M

    2017-11-08

    In this work we show the calculation of optimized efficiencies of intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) based on Mn-doped II-VI CdTe/CdMnTe coupled quantum dot (QD) structures. We focus our attention on the combined effects of geometrical and Mn-doping parameters on optical properties and solar cell efficiency. In the framework of [Formula: see text] theory, we accomplish detailed calculations of electronic structure, transition energies, optical selection rules and their corresponding intra- and interband oscillator strengths. With these results and by following the intermediate band model, we have developed a strategy which allows us to find optimal photovoltaic efficiency values. We also show that the effects of band admixture which can lead to degradation of optical transitions and reduction of efficiency can be partly minimized by a careful selection of the structural parameters and Mn-concentration. Thus, the improvement of band engineering is mandatory for any practical implementation of QD systems as IBSC hardware. Finally, our calculations show that it is possible to reach significant efficiency, up to  ∼26%, by selecting a restricted space of parameters such as quantum dot size and shape and Mn-concentration effects, to improve the modulation of optical absorption in the structures.

  18. Chemical synthesis of Cd-free wide band gap materials for solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sankapal, B.R.; Sartale, S.D.; Ennaoui, A. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Berlin (Germany). Department of Solar Energy Research; Lokhande, C.D. [Shivaji University, Kolhapur (India). Department of Physics

    2004-07-01

    Chemical methods are nowadays very attractive, since they are relatively simple, low cost and convenient for larger area deposition of thin films. In this paper, we outline our work related to the synthesis and characterization of some wide band gap semiconducting material thin films prepared by using solution methods, namely, chemical bath deposition and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). The optimum preparative parameters are given and respective structural, surface morphological, compositional, optical, and electrical properties are described. Some materials we used in solar cells as buffer layers and achieved remarkable results, which are summarized. (author)

  19. Opening the band gap of graphene through silicon doping for the improved performance of graphene/GaAs heterojunction solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, S. J.; Lin, S. S.; Li, X. Q.; Liu, X. Y.; Wu, H. A.; Xu, W. L.; Wang, P.; Wu, Z. Q.; Zhong, H. K.; Xu, Z. J.

    2015-12-01

    Graphene has attracted increasing interest due to its remarkable properties. However, the zero band gap of monolayered graphene limits it's further electronic and optoelectronic applications. Herein, we have synthesized monolayered silicon-doped graphene (SiG) with large surface area using a chemical vapor deposition method. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the silicon atoms are doped into graphene lattice at a doping level of 2.7-4.5 at%. Electrical measurements based on a field effect transistor indicate that the band gap of graphene has been opened via silicon doping without a clear degradation in carrier mobility, and the work function of SiG, deduced from ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, was 0.13-0.25 eV larger than that of graphene. Moreover, when compared with the graphene/GaAs heterostructure, SiG/GaAs exhibits an enhanced performance. The performance of 3.4% silicon doped SiG/GaAs solar cell has been improved by 33.7% on average, which was attributed to the increased barrier height and improved interface quality. Our results suggest that silicon doping can effectively engineer the band gap of monolayered graphene and SiG has great potential in optoelectronic device applications.Graphene has attracted increasing interest due to its remarkable properties. However, the zero band gap of monolayered graphene limits it's further electronic and optoelectronic applications. Herein, we have synthesized monolayered silicon-doped graphene (SiG) with large surface area using a chemical vapor deposition method. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the silicon atoms are doped into graphene lattice at a doping level of 2.7-4.5 at%. Electrical measurements based on a field effect transistor indicate that the band gap of graphene has been opened via silicon doping without a clear degradation in carrier mobility, and the work function of SiG, deduced from ultraviolet photoelectron

  20. Effect of band-aligned double absorber layers on photovoltaic characteristics of chemical bath deposited PbS/CdS thin film solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho Yeon, Deuk; Chandra Mohanty, Bhaskar; Lee, Seung Min; Soo Cho, Yong

    2015-09-23

    Here we report the highest energy conversion efficiency and good stability of PbS thin film-based depleted heterojunction solar cells, not involving PbS quantum dots. The PbS thin films were grown by the low cost chemical bath deposition (CBD) process at relatively low temperatures. Compared to the quantum dot solar cells which require critical and multistep complex procedures for surface passivation, the present approach, leveraging the facile modulation of the optoelectronic properties of the PbS films by the CBD process, offers a simpler route for optimization of PbS-based solar cells. Through an architectural modification, wherein two band-aligned junctions are stacked without any intervening layers, an enhancement of conversion efficiency by as much as 30% from 3.10 to 4.03% facilitated by absorption of a wider range of solar spectrum has been obtained. As an added advantage of the low band gap PbS stacked over a wide gap PbS, the devices show stability over a period of 10 days.

  1. Electrical equivalent model of intermediate band solar cell using ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    presents a structure of IBSC based on ZnTe:O. The proposed model uses irradiance and temperature as ... of solar cells. They are based on different processes and properties such as photon recycling, ... The MATLAB interface was used .... ioral model of an arbitrary solar cell to amend the PSPICE simulation performance.

  2. Dye solar cells: a different approach to solar energy

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Le Roux, Lukas J

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available An attractive and cheaper alternative to siliconbased photovoltaic (PV) cells for the conversion of solar light into electrical energy is to utilise dyeadsorbed, large-band-gap metal oxide materials such as TiO2 to absorb the solar light...

  3. Asymmetric band offsets in silicon heterojunction solar cells: Impact on device performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seif, Johannes Peter, E-mail: johannes.seif@alumni.epfl.ch; Ballif, Christophe; De Wolf, Stefaan [Photovoltaics and Thin-Film Electronics Laboratory, Institute of Microengineering (IMT), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Rue de la Maladière 71b, CH-2002 Neuchâtel (Switzerland); Menda, Deneb; Özdemir, Orhan [Department of Physics, Yıldız Technical University, Davutpasa Campus, TR-34210 Esenler, Istanbul (Turkey); Descoeudres, Antoine; Barraud, Loris [CSEM, PV-Center, Jaquet-Droz 1, CH-2002 Neuchâtel (Switzerland)

    2016-08-07

    Amorphous/crystalline silicon interfaces feature considerably larger valence than conduction band offsets. In this article, we analyze the impact of such band offset asymmetry on the performance of silicon heterojunction solar cells. To this end, we use silicon suboxides as passivation layers—inserted between substrate and (front or rear) contacts—since such layers enable intentionally exacerbated band-offset asymmetry. Investigating all topologically possible passivation layer permutations and focussing on light and dark current-voltage characteristics, we confirm that to avoid fill factor losses, wider-bandgap silicon oxide films (of at least several nanometer thin) should be avoided in hole-collecting contacts. As a consequence, device implementation of such films as window layers—without degraded carrier collection—demands electron collection at the front and hole collection at the rear. Furthermore, at elevated operating temperatures, once possible carrier transport barriers are overcome by thermionic (field) emission, the device performance is mainly dictated by the passivation of its surfaces. In this context, compared to the standard amorphous silicon layers, the wide-bandgap oxide layers applied here passivate remarkably better at these temperatures, which may represent an additional benefit under practical operation conditions.

  4. Optical band gap tuning and electrical properties of polyaniline and its nanocomposites for hybrid solar cell application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, R.; Choudhary, R. B.; Kandulna, R.

    2018-05-01

    Hcl doped conducting polyaniline-CdS nanocomposite has been prepared via In-situ polymerization in which cadmium nitrate was used as a source for cadmium. The structural morphology was investigated using FESEM and the presence of fibrous polyaniline and CdS nanoparticles. The synthesis of CdS and polyaniline was confirmed using the XRD analysis. I-V characteristic was used to explore the electrical behavior of PANI and its nanocoposites. Optical properties were studied and minimum band gap with highest band absorbance was found for synergistic concentration PANI-CdS (10%) for solar cells application.

  5. Defect properties of Sn- and Ge-doped ZnTe: suitability for intermediate-band solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores, Mauricio A.

    2018-01-01

    We investigate the electronic structure and defect properties of Sn- and Ge- doped ZnTe by first-principles calculations within the DFT+GW formalism. We find that ({{{Sn}}}{{Zn}}) and ({{{Ge}}}{{Zn}}) introduce isolated energy levels deep in the band gap of ZnTe, derived from Sn-5s and Ge-4s states, respectively. Moreover, the incorporation of Sn and Ge on the Zn site is favored in p-type ZnTe, in both Zn-rich and Te-rich environments. The optical absorption spectra obtained by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation reveals that sub-bandgap absorptance is greatly enhanced due to the formation of the intermediate band. Our results suggest that Sn- and Ge-doped ZnTe would be a suitable material for the development of intermediate-band solar cells, which have the potential to achieve efficiencies beyond the single-junction limit.

  6. Theoretical Determination of Optimal Material Parameters for ZnCdTe/ZnCdSe Quantum Dot Intermediate Band Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imperato, C. M.; Ranepura, G. A.; Deych, L. I.; Kuskovsky, I. L.

    2018-03-01

    Intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) are designed to enhance the photovoltaic efficiency significantly over that of a single-junction solar cell as determined by the Shockley-Queisser limit. In this work we present calculations to determine parameters of type-II Zn1-xCdxTe/Zn1-yCdySe quantum dots (QDs) grown on the InP substrate suitable for IBSCs. The calculations are done via the self-consistent variational method, accounting for the disk form of the QDs, presence of the strained ZnSe interfacial layer, and under conditions of a strain-free device structure. We show that to achieve the required parameters relatively thick QDs are required. Barriers must contain Cd concentration in the range of 35-44%, while Cd concentration in QD can vary widely from 0% to 70%, depending on their thickness to achieve the intermediate band energies in the range of 0.50-0.73 eV. It is also shown that the results are weakly dependent on the barrier thickness.

  7. Interface band gap narrowing behind open circuit voltage losses in Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Crovetto, Andrea; Palsgaard, Mattias Lau Nøhr; Gunst, Tue

    2017-01-01

    We present evidence that bandgap narrowing at the heterointerface may be a major cause of the large open circuit voltage deficit of Cu2ZnSnS4/CdS solar cells. Bandgap narrowing is caused by surface states that extend the Cu2ZnSnS4valence band into the forbidden gap. Those surface states...... are consistently found in Cu2ZnSnS4, but not in Cu2ZnSnSe4, by first-principles calculations. They do not simply arise from defects at surfaces but are an intrinsic feature of Cu2ZnSnS4 surfaces. By including those states in a device model, the outcome of previously published temperature-dependent open circuit...... voltage measurements on Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells can be reproduced quantitatively without necessarily assuming a cliff-like conduction band offset with the CdS buffer layer. Our first-principles calculations indicate that Zn-based alternative buffer layers are advantageous due to the ability of...

  8. Charge separation dynamics in a narrow band gap polymer-PbS nanocrystal blend for efficient hybrid solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Piliego, Claudia; Manca, Marianna; Kroon, Renee; Yarema, Maksym; Szendrei, Krisztina; Andersson, Mats R.; Heiss, Wolfgang; Loi, Maria A.

    2012-01-01

    We have demonstrated efficient hybrid solar cells based on lead sulfide (PbS) nanocrystals and a narrow band gap polymer, poly[{2,5-bis(2-hexyldecyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-3,6-dioxopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-diyl}-alt-{[2,2'-(1,4-phenylene)bis-thiophene]-5,5'-diyl}], (PDPPTPT). An opportune mixing of

  9. Effectiveness of dye sensitised solar cell under low light condition using wide band dye

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sahmer, Ahmad Zahrin, E-mail: ahmadzsahmer@gmail.com; Mohamed, Norani Muti, E-mail: noranimuti-mohamed@petronas.com.my; Zaine, Siti Nur Azella, E-mail: ct.azella@gmail.com [Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia)

    2015-07-22

    Dye sensistised solar cell (DSC) based on nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} has the potential to be used in indoor consumer power application. In realizing this, the DSC must be optimized to generate power under low lighting condition and under wider visible light range. The use of wide band dye N749 which has a wider spectrum sensitivity increases the photon conversion to electron between the visible light spectrums of 390nm to 700nm. This paper reports the study on the effectiveness of the dye solar cell with N749 dye under low light condition in generating usable power which can be used for indoor consumer application. The DSC was fabricated using fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass with screen printing method and the deposited TiO{sub 2} film was sintered at 500°C. The TiO{sub 2} coated FTO glass was then soaked in the N749 dye, assembled into test cell, and tested under the standard test condition at irradiance of 1000 W/m{sup 2} with AM1.5 solar soaker. The use of the 43T mesh for the dual pass screen printing TiO{sub 2} paste gives a uniform TiO{sub 2} film layer of 16 µm. The low light condition was simulated using 1/3 filtered irradiance with the solar soaker. The fabricated DSC test cell with the N749 dye was found to have a higher efficiency of 6.491% under low light condition compared to the N719 dye. Under the standard test condition at 1 sun the N749 test cell efficiency is 4.55%. The increases in efficiency is attributed to the wider spectral capture of photon of the DSC with N749 dye. Furthermore, the use of N749 dye is more effective under low light condition as the V{sub OC} decrement is less significant compared to the latter.

  10. Molecular beam and pulsed laser deposition of ZnS:Cr for intermediate band solar cells

    OpenAIRE

    Nematollahi, Mohammadreza; Yang, Xiaodong; Aas, Lars Martin Sandvik; Ghadyani, Zahra; Kildemo, Morten; Gibson, Ursula; Reenaas, Turid Worren

    2015-01-01

    We have investigated the structural and optical properties of Cr-doped ZnS (ZnS:Cr) thin films (0–7.5 at.% Cr) for use in intermediate band solar cells. The films were grown on Si(100) in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) equipments. Introducing Cr into ZnS resulted in Cr related subbandgap absorption, but also reduced the grain size. The sub-bandgap absorption increased with increasing Cr content, and with increasing growth temperature, but did not depend on the ...

  11. Investigation of electrically active defects in InGaAs quantum wire intermediate-band solar cells using deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) technique

    OpenAIRE

    Al Saqri, Noor alhuda; Felix, Jorlandio F.; Aziz, Mohsin; Kunets, Vasyl P.; Jameel, Dler Adil; Taylor, David; Henini, M.; Abd El-sadek, Mahmmoud S.; Furrow, Colin; Ware, Morgan E.; Benamara, Mourad; Mortazavi, Mansour; Salamo, Gregory

    2016-01-01

    InGaAs quantum wire (QWr) intermediate-band solar cell based nanostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy are studied. The electrical and interface properties of these solar cell devices, as determined by current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C-V) techniques, were found to change with temperature over a wide range of 20–340 K. The electron and hole traps present in these devices have been investigated using deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). The DLTS results showed that the ...

  12. Accessing the band alignment in high efficiency Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGSSe) solar cells with an InxSy:Na buffer based on temperature dependent measurements and simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoneberg, Johannes; Ohland, Jörg; Eraerds, Patrick; Dalibor, Thomas; Parisi, Jürgen; Richter, Michael

    2018-04-01

    We present a one-dimensional simulation model for high efficiency Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 solar cells with a novel band alignment at the hetero-junction. The simulation study is based on new findings about the doping concentration of the InxSy:Na buffer and i-ZnO layers as well as comprehensive solar cell characterization by means of capacitance, current voltage, and external quantum efficiency measurements. The simulation results show good agreement with the experimental data over a broad temperature range, suggesting the simulation model with an interface-near region (INR) of approximately 100 nm around the buffer/absorber interface that is of great importance for the solar cell performance. The INR exhibits an inhomogeneous doping and defect density profile as well as interface traps at the i-layer/buffer and buffer/absorber interfaces. These crucial parameters could be accessed via their opposing behavior on the simulative reconstruction of different measurement characteristics. In this work, we emphasize the necessity to reconstruct the results of a set of experimental methods by means of simulation to find the most appropriate model for the solar cell. Lowly doped buffer and intrinsic window layers in combination with a high space charge at the front of the absorber lead to a novel band alignment in the simulated band structure of the solar cell. The presented insights may guide the strategy of further solar cell optimization including (alkali-) post deposition treatments.

  13. Physical vapor deposition and analysis of copper indium aluminum diselenide thin films for high band gap solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haimbodi, Moses Warotua

    CuInSe2 films and related alloys have been used to fabricate the highest efficiency thin film solar cells. Alloying CuInSe2 with CuAlSe2 provides a way to engineer the band gap of the resulting films from 1 to 2.7 eV, thereby providing a pathway for improving device performance. In this work, thin films of CuIn1-xAlxSe 2 obtained by multi-source PVD were characterized and investigated for their potential use as high band gap solar cells. The band gap of the films was varied by controlling the [Al]/[Al + In] ratio. Deposition of these films with varying [Cu]/[Al + In] ratios and thickness (1--4 mum) was carried out at substrate temperatures from 350--530°C. CuIn1-xAlxSe2 based solar cells have been fabricated using the structure glass/Mo/CuIn1-xAl xSe2/CdS/ZnO/grid. The effect of varying the band gap on device performance will be discussed. The highest efficiency obtained in this work is 11% using a film with Eg ≈ 1.3 eV. For high Al content, x > 0.3, device-performance decreases mainly due to poor FF similar to that observed in CuIn1-xGaxSe2 devices and is attributed to poor minority carrier collection. For CuIn1-xAlxSe2 films with x = 1, data is analyzed and presented with respect to [Cu]/[Al] and Se to total metal flux ratio, RSe/RM. Phase analysis shows that the resulting films contain different phases that depend on these parameters. Several of these films also contain concentrations of oxygen varying from 12 to 60 at. % as the [Cu]/[Al] ratio decreases. For RSe/R M > 10, a new structure we label as CuxAlySe z was observed. The oxygen content in all of the films obtained under RSe/RM > 10 vary between 1--3 at. %. Based on the Cu-Se, Al-Se, Cu-Al binary and the Cu2Se-Al2Se 3 pseudo-binary phase diagrams, a phenomenological film growth model is presented showing that the film growth kinetics are controlled by the delivery of Se.

  14. Performance of planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells under light concentration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaesha Alnuaimi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we present 2D simulation of planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells under high concentration using physics-based TCAD. The performance of planar perovskite heterojunction solar cells is examined up to 1000 suns. We analyze the effect of HTM mobility and band structure, surface recombination velocities at interfaces and the effect of series resistance under concentrated light. The simulation results revealed that the low mobility of HTM material limits the improvement in power conversation efficiency of perovskite solar cells under concentration. In addition, large band offset at perovskite/HTM interface contributes to the high series resistance. Moreover, losses due to high surface recombination at interfaces and the high series resistance deteriorate significantly the performance of perovskite solar cells under concentration.

  15. Neutral- and Multi-Colored Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyu-Tae; Guo, L Jay; Park, Hui Joon

    2016-04-11

    In this review, we summarize recent works on perovskite solar cells with neutral- and multi-colored semitransparency for building-integrated photovoltaics and tandem solar cells. The perovskite solar cells exploiting microstructured arrays of perovskite "islands" and transparent electrodes-the latter of which include thin metallic films, metal nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphenes, and transparent conductive oxides for achieving optical transparency-are investigated. Moreover, the perovskite solar cells with distinctive color generation, which are enabled by engineering the band gap of the perovskite light-harvesting semiconductors with chemical management and integrating with photonic nanostructures, including microcavity, are discussed. We conclude by providing future research directions toward further performance improvements of the semitransparent perovskite solar cells.

  16. Modified band alignment effect in ZnO/Cu2O heterojunction solar cells via Cs2O buffer insertion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eom, Kiryung; Lee, Dongyoon; Kim, Seunghwan; Seo, Hyungtak

    2018-02-01

    The effects of a complex buffer layer of cesium oxide (Cs2O) on the photocurrent response in oxide heterojunction solar cells (HSCs) were investigated. A p-n junction oxide HSC was fabricated using p-type copper (I) oxide (Cu2O) and n-type zinc oxide (ZnO); the buffer layer was inserted between the Cu2O and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and x-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy analyses were performed to characterize the electronic band structures of cells, both with and without this buffer layer. In conjunction with the measured band electronic structures, the significantly improved visible-range photocurrent spectra of the buffer-inserted HSC were analyzed in-depth. As a result, the 1 sun power conversion efficiency was increased by about three times by the insertion of buffer layer. The physicochemical origin of the photocurrent enhancement was mainly ascribed to the increased photocarrier density in the buffer layer and modified valence band offset to promote the effective hole transfer at the interface to FTO on the band-alignment model.

  17. Energy band structure tailoring of vertically aligned InAs/GaAsSb quantum dot structure for intermediate-band solar cell application by thermal annealing process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wei-Sheng; Chu, Ting-Fu; Huang, Tien-Hao

    2014-12-15

    This study presents an band-alignment tailoring of a vertically aligned InAs/GaAs(Sb) quantum dot (QD) structure and the extension of the carrier lifetime therein by rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Arrhenius analysis indicates a larger activation energy and thermal stability that results from the suppression of In-Ga intermixing and preservation of the QD heterostructure in an annealed vertically aligned InAs/GaAsSb QD structure. Power-dependent and time-resolved photoluminescence were utilized to demonstrate the extended carrier lifetime from 4.7 to 9.4 ns and elucidate the mechanisms of the antimony aggregation resulting in a band-alignment tailoring from straddling to staggered gap after the RTA process. The significant extension in the carrier lifetime of the columnar InAs/GaAsSb dot structure make the great potential in improving QD intermediate-band solar cell application.

  18. High stability of benzotriazole and benzodithiophene containing medium band-gap polymer solar cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Unay, Hande; dos Reis Benatto, Gisele A.; Beliatis, Michail J.

    2018-01-01

    The improvement of polymer solar cell stability is a challenge for the scientists and has significant implications commercially. In this study, we investigated the stability of a novel P-SBTBDT active material applied in an inverted type solar cell. Detailed stability experiments comprising shelf......-in phase with T50 from 700 to 840 h, with some P-SBTBDT solar cells did not reach T50 in the time span of the test. Degradation tests on the P-SBTBDT solar cells which were carried out under natural solar light indicated that T40 was reached after 840 h. The results of dark, light, damp and dry stability...

  19. Advances in High-Efficiency III-V Multijunction Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard R. King

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The high efficiency of multijunction concentrator cells has the potential to revolutionize the cost structure of photovoltaic electricity generation. Advances in the design of metamorphic subcells to reduce carrier recombination and increase voltage, wide-band-gap tunnel junctions capable of operating at high concentration, metamorphic buffers to transition from the substrate lattice constant to that of the epitaxial subcells, concentrator cell AR coating and grid design, and integration into 3-junction cells with current-matched subcells under the terrestrial spectrum have resulted in new heights in solar cell performance. A metamorphic Ga0.44In0.56P/Ga0.92In0.08As/ Ge 3-junction solar cell from this research has reached a record 40.7% efficiency at 240 suns, under the standard reporting spectrum for terrestrial concentrator cells (AM1.5 direct, low-AOD, 24.0 W/cm2, 25∘C, and experimental lattice-matched 3-junction cells have now also achieved over 40% efficiency, with 40.1% measured at 135 suns. This metamorphic 3-junction device is the first solar cell to reach over 40% in efficiency, and has the highest solar conversion efficiency for any type of photovoltaic cell developed to date. Solar cells with more junctions offer the potential for still higher efficiencies to be reached. Four-junction cells limited by radiative recombination can reach over 58% in principle, and practical 4-junction cell efficiencies over 46% are possible with the right combination of band gaps, taking into account series resistance and gridline shadowing. Many of the optimum band gaps for maximum energy conversion can be accessed with metamorphic semiconductor materials. The lower current in cells with 4 or more junctions, resulting in lower I2R resistive power loss, is a particularly significant advantage in concentrator PV systems. Prototype 4-junction terrestrial concentrator cells have been grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy, with preliminary measured

  20. Nano-photonic light trapping near the Lambertian limit in organic solar cell architectures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, Rana; Timmons, Erik

    2013-09-09

    A critical step to achieving higher efficiency solar cells is the broad band harvesting of solar photons. Although considerable progress has recently been achieved in improving the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells, these cells still do not absorb upto ~50% of the solar spectrum. We have designed and developed an organic solar cell architecture that can boost the absorption of photons by 40% and the photo-current by 50% for organic P3HT-PCBM absorber layers of typical device thicknesses. Our solar cell architecture is based on all layers of the solar cell being patterned in a conformal two-dimensionally periodic photonic crystal architecture. This results in very strong diffraction of photons- that increases the photon path length in the absorber layer, and plasmonic light concentration near the patterned organic-metal cathode interface. The absorption approaches the Lambertian limit. The simulations utilize a rigorous scattering matrix approach and provide bounds of the fundamental limits of nano-photonic light absorption in periodically textured organic solar cells. This solar cell architecture has the potential to increase the power conversion efficiency to 10% for single band gap organic solar cells utilizing long-wavelength absorbers.

  1. Chalcogenophene comonomer comparison in small band gap diketopyrrolopyrrole-based conjugated polymers for high-performing field-effect transistors and organic solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ashraf, Raja Shahid

    2015-01-28

    The design, synthesis, and characterization of a series of diketopyrrolopyrrole-based copolymers with different chalcogenophene comonomers (thiophene, selenophene, and tellurophene) for use in field-effect transistors and organic photovoltaic devices are reported. The effect of the heteroatom substitution on the optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties and charge carrier mobilities of these polymers is discussed. The results indicate that by increasing the size of the chalcogen atom (S < Se < Te), polymer band gaps are narrowed mainly due to LUMO energy level stabilization. In addition, the larger heteroatomic size also increases intermolecular heteroatom-heteroatom interactions facilitating the formation of polymer aggregates leading to enhanced field-effect mobilities of 1.6 cm2/(V s). Bulk heterojunction solar cells based on the chalcogenophene polymer series blended with fullerene derivatives show good photovoltaic properties, with power conversion efficiencies ranging from 7.1-8.8%. A high photoresponse in the near-infrared (NIR) region with excellent photocurrents above 20 mA cm-2 was achieved for all polymers, making these highly efficient low band gap polymers promising candidates for use in tandem solar cells. (Graph Presented).

  2. GaAsP on GaP top solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcneely, J. B.; Negley, G. H.; Barnett, A. M.

    1985-01-01

    GaAsP on GaP top solar cells as an attachment to silicon bottom solar cells are being developed. The GaAsP on GaP system offers several advantages for this top solar cell. The most important is that the gallium phosphide substrate provides a rugged, transparent mechanical substrate which does not have to be removed or thinned during processing. Additional advantages are that: (1) gallium phosphide is more oxidation resistant than the III-V aluminum compounds, (2) a range of energy band gaps higher than 1.75 eV is readily available for system efficiency optimization, (3) reliable ohmic contact technology is available from the light-emitting diode industry, and (4) the system readily lends itself to graded band gap structures for additional increases in efficiency.

  3. Thiophene-rich fused-aromatic thienopyrazine acceptor for donor–acceptor low band-gap polymers for OTFT and polymer solar cell applications

    KAUST Repository

    Mondal, Rajib

    2010-01-01

    Thiophene enriched fused-aromatic thieno[3,4-b]pyrazine systems were designed and employed to produce low band gap polymers (Eg = 1.0-1.4 eV) when copolymerized with fluorene and cyclopentadithiophene. The copolymers are mainly investigated for organic thin film transistor and organic photovoltaic applications. Molecular packing in the thin films of these polymers was investigated using Grazing incidence X-ray Scattering. Although both fluorene and cyclopentadithiophene polymers follow similar face to face π-π stacking, the latter polymers show much smaller lamellar d-spacings due to side-chain interdigitation between the lamellae. This lead to the higher charge carrier mobilities in cyclopentadithiophene polymers (up to 0.044 cm2/V.s) compared to fluorene polymers (up to 8.1 × 10-3 cm2/V.s). Power conversion efficiency of 1.4% was achieved using fluorene copolymer in solar cells with a fullerene derivative as an acceptor. Although the cyclopentadithiophene polymers show lower band gaps with higher absorption coefficients compared to fluorene copolymers, but the power conversion efficiencies in solar cells of these polymers are low due to their low ionization potentials. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2010.

  4. Effect of recombination on the open-circuit voltage of a silicon solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Von Roos, O.; Landsberg, P. T.

    1985-01-01

    A theoretical study of the influence of band-band Auger, band-trap Auger, and the ordinary Shockley-Read-Hall mechanism for carrier recombination on the open-circuit voltage VOC of a solar cell is presented. Under reasonable assumptions for the magnitude of rate constants and realistic values for trap densities, surface recombination velocities and band-gap narrowing, the maximum VOC for typical back surface field solar cells is found to lie in the range between 0.61 and 0.72 V independent of base width.

  5. Low temperature characterization of the photocurrent produced by two-photon transitions in a quantum dot intermediate band solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antolin, E.; Marti, A.; Stanley, C.R.; Farmer, C.D.; Canovas, E.; Lopez, N.; Linares, P.G.; Luque, A.

    2008-01-01

    Conceived to exceed the conversion efficiency of conventional photovoltaic devices, the intermediate band solar cell bases its operation on exploiting, besides the usual band-to-band optical transitions, the absorption of two sub-bandgap photons. For the present, the only technology used to implement an intermediate band in real devices has been the growth of an InAs/GaAs quantum dot superlattice. In practice, the obtained material shows two limitations: the narrow energy gap between conduction and intermediate band and the appearance of growth defects due to the lattice stress. The consequences are the presence of non-radiative recombination mechanisms and the thermal escape of electrons from the intermediate to the conduction band, hindering the splitting of the quasi-Fermi levels associated with the intermediate and conduction bands and the observation of photocurrent associated with the two-photon absorption. By reducing the temperature at which the devices are characterised we have suppressed the parasitic thermal mechanisms and have succeeded in measuring the photocurrent caused by the absorption of two below bandgap photons. In this work, the characterization of this photocurrent at low temperature is presented and discussed

  6. Simulation of quantum dots size and spacing effect for intermediate band solar cell application based on InAs quantum dots arrangement in GaAs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hendra, P. I. B., E-mail: ib.hendra@gmail.com; Rahayu, F., E-mail: ib.hendra@gmail.com; Darma, Y., E-mail: ib.hendra@gmail.com [Physical Vapor Deposition Laboratory, Physics of Material Electronics Research, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

    2014-03-24

    Intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) has become a promising technology in increasing solar cell efficiency. In this work we compare absorption coefficient profile between InAs quantum dots with GaAs bulk. We calculate the efficiency of GaAs bulk and GaAs doped with 2, 5, and 10 nm InAs quantum dot. Effective distances in quantum dot arrangement based on electron tunneling consideration were also calculated. We presented a simple calculation method with low computing power demand. Results showed that arrangement of quantum dot InAs in GaAs can increase solar cell efficiency from 23.9 % initially up to 60.4%. The effective distance between two quantum dots was found 2 nm in order to give adequate distance to prevent electron tunneling and wave functions overlap.

  7. Polymethylmethacrylate-based luminescent solar concentrators with bottom-mounted solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yi; Sun, Song; Kang, Rui; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Ningning; Yan, Wenhao; Xie, Wei; Ding, Jianjun; Bao, Jun; Gao, Chen

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrators on dye-doped plates were studied. • The mechanism of transport process was proposed. • The fabricated luminescent solar concentrator achieved a gain of 1.38. • Power conversion efficiency of 5.03% was obtained with cell area coverage of 27%. • The lowest cost per watt of $1.89 was optimized with cell area coverage of 18%. - Abstract: Luminescent solar concentrators offer an attractive approach to concentrate sunlight economically without tracking, but the narrow absorption band of luminescent materials hinders their further development. This paper describes bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrators on dye-doped polymethylmethacrylate plates that absorb not only the waveguided light but also the transmitted sunlight and partial fluorescent light in the escape cone. A series of bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrators with size of 78 mm × 78 mm × 7 mm were fabricated and their gain and power conversion efficiency were investigated. The transport process of the waveguided light and the relationship between the bottom-mounted cells were studied to optimize the performance of the device. The bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrator with cell area coverage of 9% displayed a cell gain of 1.38, to our best knowledge, which is the highest value for dye-doped polymethylmethacrylate plate luminescent solar concentrators. Power conversion efficiency as high as 5.03% was obtained with cell area coverage of 27%. Furthermore, the bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrator was found to have a lowest cost per watt of $1.89 with cell area coverage of 18%. These results suggested that the fabricated bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrator may have a potential in low-cost building integrated photovoltaic application

  8. Band alignment measurements at heterojunction interfaces in layered thin film solar cells & thermoelectrics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Fang

    2011-12-01

    Public awareness of the increasing energy crisis and the related serious environmental concerns has led to a significantly growing demand for alternative clean and renewable energy resources. Thin film are widely applied in multiple renewable energy devices owing to the reduced amount of raw materials and increase flexibility of choosing from low-cost candidates, which translates directly into reduced capital cost. This is a key driving force to make renewable technology competitive in the energy market. This thesis is focused on the measurement of energy level alignments at interfaces of thin film structures for renewable energy applications. There are two primary foci: II -VI semiconductor ZnSe/ZnTe thin film solar cells and Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 thin film structures for thermoelectric applications. In both cases, the electronic structure and energy band alignment at interfaces usually controls the carrier transport behavior and determines the quality of the device. High-resolution photoemission spectroscopy (lab-based XPS & synchrotron-based UPS) was used to investigate the chemical and electronic properties of epitaxial Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 thin films, in order to validate the anticipated band alignment at interfaces in Bi 2Te3/Sb2Te3 superlattices as one favoring electron-transmission. A simple, thorough two-step treatment of a chemical etching in dilute hydrochloric acid solution and a subsequent annealing at ˜150°C under ultra-high vacuum environment is established to remove the surface oxides completely. It is an essential step to ensure the measurements on electronic states are acquired on stoichimetric, oxide-free clean surface of Bi 2Te3 and Sb2Te3 films. The direct measurement of valence band offsets (VBO) at a real Sb 2Te3/Bi2Te3 interface is designed based on the Kraut model; a special stacking film structure is prepared intentionally: sufficiently thin Sb2Te3 film on top of Bi2Te 3 that photoelectrons from both of them are collected simultaneously. From a

  9. 宽光谱太阳能电池%Broad-Spectrum Solar Cell

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    李承辉; 王锴; 郑玮; 王致祥; 刘建; 游效曾

    2012-01-01

    太阳能电池的光谱响应特性和光电转换效率与光伏材料的微观能带结构及其宏观组装方式密切相关。无论使用哪种光伏材料,普通单结或单层太阳能电池都只能对部分波段的太阳光进行有效利用。宽光谱研究的目标是要使太阳能电池更好地利用太阳光谱所覆盖的全部波段范围的能量,从而提高太阳能电池光电转换效率。本文从化学角度综述了实现宽光谱太阳能电池的基本方法和当前的研究进展,其中包括叠层太阳能电池、中间带太阳能电池、量子点太阳能电池、热光伏太阳能电池、上转换和下转换、分子基柔性太阳能电池等方法。%Due to the energy crisis, utilization of renewable energy sources has been intensively investigated in recent years. Among a variety of renewable energy sources, solar energy is a sustainable alternative option that can be utilized in various ways and can be used for many applications. Converting directly the sunlight to electricity through solar cells is the most common and effective way to use solar energy. The spectral response and overall photo-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of solar cells are closely correlated to the micro band-gap structure and macro assembly process of photovoltaie materials. A solar cell can effectively utilize photons with energy hu close to the semiconductor band gap E,. Photons with energy smaller than the band gap are not absorbed. On the other hand, photons with energy larger than the band gap are absorbed, but the excess energy hu - Eg is not used effectively due to thermalization. Therefore, a normal single junction or single layer solar cell can only use part of the solar radiation no matter what kind of photovoltaic materials are used. Broad-spectrum solar cell aims to use most of the solar energy effectively via several structures or methods: Tandem solar cells, intermediate-band solar cells, quantum dot solar cells

  10. Simulation of perovskite solar cells with inorganic hole transporting materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Yan; Xia, Zhonggao; Liu, Yiming

    2015-01-01

    Device modeling organolead halide perovskite solar cells with planar architecture based on inorganic hole transporting materials (HTMs) were performed. A thorough understanding of the role of the inorganic HTMs and the effect of band offset between HTM/absorber layers is indispensable for further...... improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE). Here, we investigated the effect of band offset between inorganic HTM/absorber layers. The solar cell simulation program adopted in this work is named wxAMPS, an updated version of the AMPS tool (Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structure)....

  11. Numerical modelling of CIGS/CdS solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devi, Nisha; Aziz, Anver; Datta, Shouvik

    2018-05-01

    In this work, we design and analyze the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cell using simulation software "Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator in One Dimension (SCAPS-1D)". The conventional CIGS solar cell uses various layers, like intrinsic ZnO/Aluminium doped ZnO as transparent oxide, antireflection layer MgF2, and electron back reflection (EBR) layer at CIGS/Mo interface for good power conversion efficiency. We replace this conventional model by a simple model which is easy to fabricate and also reduces the cost of this cell because of use of lesser materials. The new designed model of CIGS solar cell is ITO/CIGS/OVC/CdS/Metal contact, where OVC is ordered vacancy compound. From this simple structure, even at very low illumination we are getting good results. We simulate this CIGS solar cell model by varying various physical parameters of CIGS like thickness, carrier density, band gap and temperature.

  12. Charge separation dynamics in a narrow band gap polymer-PbS nanocrystal blend for efficient hybrid solar cells

    OpenAIRE

    Piliego, Claudia; Manca, Marianna; Kroon, Renee; Yarema, Maksym; Szendrei, Krisztina; Andersson, Mats R.; Heiss, Wolfgang; Loi, Maria A.

    2012-01-01

    We have demonstrated efficient hybrid solar cells based on lead sulfide (PbS) nanocrystals and a narrow band gap polymer, poly[{2,5-bis(2-hexyldecyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-3,6-dioxopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-diyl}-alt-{[2,2'-(1,4-phenylene)bis-thiophene]-5,5'-diyl}], (PDPPTPT). An opportune mixing of the two materials led to the formation of an energetically favorable bulk hetero-junction with a broad spectral response. Using a basic device structure, we reached a power conversion efficiency of s...

  13. Solar cell fabricated on welded thin flexible silicon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hessmann Maik Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a thin-film crystalline silicon solar cell with an AM1.5 efficiency of 11.5% fabricated on welded 50 μm thin silicon foils. The aperture area of the cell is 1.00 cm2. The cell has an open-circuit voltage of 570 mV, a short-circuit current density of 29.9 mA cm-2 and a fill factor of 67.6%. These are the first results ever presented for solar cells on welded silicon foils. The foils were welded together in order to create the first thin flexible monocrystalline band substrate. A flexible band substrate offers the possibility to overcome the area restriction of ingot-based monocrystalline silicon wafers and the feasibility of a roll-to-roll manufacturing. In combination with an epitaxial and layer transfer process a decrease in production costs can be achieved.

  14. Efficient Near-Infrared-Transparent Perovskite Solar Cells Enabling Direct Comparison of 4-Terminal and Monolithic Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Werner, Jérémie; Barraud, Loris; Walter, Arnaud; Bräuninger, Matthias; Sahli, Florent; Sacchetto, Davide; Tétreault, Nicolas; Paviet-Salomon, Bertrand; Moon, Soo-Jin; Allebé, Christophe; Despeisse, Matthieu; Nicolay, Sylvain; De Wolf, Stefaan; Niesen, Bjoern; Ballif, Christophe

    2016-01-01

    Combining market-proven silicon solar cell technology with an efficient wide band gap top cell into a tandem device is an attractive approach to reduce the cost of photovoltaic systems. For this, perovskite solar cells are promising high-efficiency top cell candidates, but their typical device size (

  15. Trifluoromethyl-Substituted Large Band-Gap Polytriphenylamines for Polymer Solar Cells with High Open-Circuit Voltages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuwang Yi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Two large band-gap polymers (PTPACF and PTPA2CF based on polytriphenylamine derivatives with the introduction of electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl groups were designed and prepared by Suzuki polycondensation reaction. The chemical structures, thermal, optical and electrochemical properties were characterized in detail. From the UV-visible absorption spectra, the PTPACF and PTPA2CF showed the optical band gaps of 2.01 and 2.07 eV, respectively. The cyclic voltammetry (CV measurement displayed the deep highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO energy levels of −5.33 and −5.38 eV for PTPACF and PTPA2CF, respectively. The hole mobilities, determined by field-effect transistor characterization, were 2.5 × 10−3 and 1.1 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 S−1 for PTPACF and PTPA2CF, respectively. The polymer solar cells (PSCs were tested under the conventional device structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymer:PC71BM/PFN/Al. All of the PSCs showed the high open circuit voltages (Vocs with the values approaching 1 V. The PTPACF and PTPA2CF based PSCs gave the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs of 3.24% and 2.40%, respectively. Hence, it is a reliable methodology to develop high-performance large band-gap polymer donors with high Vocs through the feasible side-chain modification.

  16. Theoretical and Experimental Study of Plasmonic Polymer Solar Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mirsafaei, Mina; Adam, Jost; Madsen, Morten

    The organic bulk hetero-junction solar cell has remarkable advantages such as low cost, mechanical flexibility and simple process techniques. Recently, low-band gap photoactive materials have obtained a significant attention due to their potential to absorb a wider range of the solar spectrum...... to attain higher power conversion efficiencies. Many low-band gap photoactive materials, however, still show a relatively low external quantum efficiency of less than 60% [1]. One possible approach to improve the device performance is to increase the light absorption in the active layer. This may, amongst...... other approaches, be achieved by using nano- or micro-structures that trap light at specific wavelengths [2], or by using the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of metal nanoparticles in the devices. In this work, we theoretically studied planar polymer solar cell based on finite-difference time...

  17. Dual Band a-Si:H Solar-Slot Antenna for 2.4/5.2GHz WLAN Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. V. Shynu

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available A simple and compact design of solar-slot antenna for dual band 2.4/5.2GHz wireless local area networks (WLAN applications is proposed. The design employs amorphous silicon (a-Si:H solar cells in polyimide substrate with an embedded twin strip slot structure to generate dual resonant frequencies. A T-shaped microstripline feed is used to excite the twin slot in the a-Si:H solar cell. The measured impedance bandwidths for the proposed solar antenna are 25.9% (642 MHz centered at 2.482 GHz and 8.2% (420 MHz centered at 5.098 GHz. The measured gain at 2.4 and 5.2 GHz are 3.1 dBi and 2.1 dBi respectively.

  18. Progress in thin-film silicon solar cells based on photonic-crystal structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishizaki, Kenji; De Zoysa, Menaka; Tanaka, Yoshinori; Jeon, Seung-Woo; Noda, Susumu

    2018-06-01

    We review the recent progress in thin-film silicon solar cells with photonic crystals, where absorption enhancement is achieved by using large-area resonant effects in photonic crystals. First, a definitive guideline for enhancing light absorption in a wide wavelength range (600–1100 nm) is introduced, showing that the formation of multiple band edges utilizing higher-order modes confined in the thickness direction and the introduction of photonic superlattice structures enable significant absorption enhancement, exceeding that observed for conventional random scatterers. Subsequently, experimental evidence of this enhancement is demonstrated for a variety of thin-film Si solar cells: ∼500-nm-thick ultrathin microcrystalline silicon cells, few-µm-thick microcrystalline silicon cells, and ∼20-µm-thick thin single-crystalline silicon cells. The high short-circuit current densities and/or efficiencies observed for each cell structure confirm the effectiveness of using multiple band-edge resonant modes of photonic crystals for enhancing broadband absorption in actual solar cells.

  19. Low band gap S,N-heteroacene-based oligothiophenes as hole-transporting and light absorbing materials for efficient perovskite-based solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Qin, Peng

    2014-07-15

    Novel low band gap oligothiophenes incorporating S,N-heteropentacene central units were developed and used as hole-transport materials (HTMs) in solid-state perovskite-based solar cells. In addition to appropriate electronic energy levels, these materials show high photo-absorptivity in the low energy region, and thus can contribute to the light harvesting of the solar spectrum. Solution-processed CH3NH3PbI3-based devices using these HTMs achieved power conversion efficiencies of 9.5-10.5% in comparison with 7.6% obtained by reference devices without HTMs. Photoinduced absorption spectroscopy gave further insight into the charge transfer behavior between photoexcited perovskites and the HTMs. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

  20. Low band gap S,N-heteroacene-based oligothiophenes as hole-transporting and light absorbing materials for efficient perovskite-based solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Qin, Peng; Kast, Hannelore; Nazeeruddin, Mohammad K.; Zakeeruddin, Shaik M.; Mishra, Amaresh; Bä uerle, Peter; Grä tzel, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Novel low band gap oligothiophenes incorporating S,N-heteropentacene central units were developed and used as hole-transport materials (HTMs) in solid-state perovskite-based solar cells. In addition to appropriate electronic energy levels, these materials show high photo-absorptivity in the low energy region, and thus can contribute to the light harvesting of the solar spectrum. Solution-processed CH3NH3PbI3-based devices using these HTMs achieved power conversion efficiencies of 9.5-10.5% in comparison with 7.6% obtained by reference devices without HTMs. Photoinduced absorption spectroscopy gave further insight into the charge transfer behavior between photoexcited perovskites and the HTMs. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

  1. Simulation design of P–I–N-type all-perovskite solar cells with high efficiency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Hui-Jing; Wang Wei-Chao; Gu Yi-Fan

    2017-01-01

    According to the good charge transporting property of perovskite, we design and simulate a p–i–n-type all-perovskite solar cell by using one-dimensional device simulator. The perovskite charge transporting layers and the perovskite absorber constitute the all-perovskite cell. By modulating the cell parameters, such as layer thickness values, doping concentrations and energy bands of n-, i-, and p-type perovskite layers, the all-perovskite solar cell obtains a high power conversion efficiency of 25.84%. The band matched cell shows appreciably improved performance with widen absorption spectrum and lowered recombination rate, so weobtain a high J sc of 32.47 mA/cm 2 . The small series resistance of the all-perovskite solar cell also benefits the high J sc . The simulation provides a novel thought of designing perovskite solar cells with simple producing process, low production cost and high efficient structure to solve the energy problem. (paper)

  2. Design issues for optimum solar cell configuration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Atul; Thakur, Ajay D.

    2018-05-01

    A computer based simulation of solar cell structure is performed to study the optimization of pn junction configuration for photovoltaic action. The fundamental aspects of photovoltaic action viz, absorption, separation collection, and their dependence on material properties and deatails of device structures is discussed. Using SCAPS 1D we have simulated the ideal pn junction and shown the effect of band offset and carrier densities on solar cell performance. The optimum configuration can be achieved by optimizing transport of carriers in pn junction under effect of field dependent recombination (tunneling) and density dependent recombination (SRH, Auger) mechanisms.

  3. Multi-Material Front Contact for 19% Thin Film Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joop van Deelen

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The trade-off between transmittance and conductivity of the front contact material poses a bottleneck for thin film solar panels. Normally, the front contact material is a metal oxide and the optimal cell configuration and panel efficiency were determined for various band gap materials, representing Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS, CdTe and high band gap perovskites. Supplementing the metal oxide with a metallic copper grid improves the performance of the front contact and aims to increase the efficiency. Various front contact designs with and without a metallic finger grid were calculated with a variation of the transparent conductive oxide (TCO sheet resistance, scribing area, cell length, and finger dimensions. In addition, the contact resistance and illumination power were also assessed and the optimal thin film solar panel design was determined. Adding a metallic finger grid on a TCO gives a higher solar cell efficiency and this also enables longer cell lengths. However, contact resistance between the metal and the TCO material can reduce the efficiency benefit somewhat.

  4. Quantum-Dot-Based Solar Cells: Recent Advances, Strategies, and Challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Mee Rahn; Ma, Dongling

    2015-01-02

    Among next-generation photovoltaic systems requiring low cost and high efficiency, quantum dot (QD)-based solar cells stand out as a very promising candidate because of the unique and versatile characteristics of QDs. The past decade has already seen rapid conceptual and technological advances on various aspects of QD solar cells, and diverse opportunities, which QDs can offer, predict that there is still ample room for further development and breakthroughs. In this Perspective, we first review the attractive advantages of QDs, such as size-tunable band gaps and multiple exciton generation (MEG), beneficial to solar cell applications. We then analyze major strategies, which have been extensively explored and have largely contributed to the most recent and significant achievements in QD solar cells. Finally, their high potential and challenges are discussed. In particular, QD solar cells are considered to hold immense potential to overcome the theoretical efficiency limit of 31% for single-junction cells.

  5. Chalcopyrite semiconductors for quantum well solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Afshar, Maziar; Sadewasser, Sascha; Albert, Juergen; Lehmann, Sebastian; Abou-Ras, Daniel; Lux-Steiner, Martha C. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, Berlin (Germany); Marron, David Fuertes [Instituto de Energia Solar - ETSIT, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s.n., 28040 Madrid (Spain); Rockett, Angus A. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, 1304 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Raesaenen, Esa [Nanoscience Center, Department of Physics University of Jyvaeskylae, FI-40014 Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

    2011-11-15

    The possibilities of using highly absorbing chalcopyrite semiconductors of the type Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} in a quantum well solar cell structure are explored. Thin alternating layers of 50 nm CuInSe{sub 2} and CuGaSe{sub 2} were grown epitaxially on a GaAs(100) substrate. The optical properties of a resulting structure of three layers indicate charge carrier confinement in the low band gap CuInSe{sub 2} layer. By compositional analysis interdiffusion of In and Ga at the interfaces was found. The compositional profile was converted into a conduction-band diagram, for which the quantization of energy levels was numerically confirmed using the effective-mass approximation. The results provide a promising basis for the future development of chalcopyrite-type quantum well structures and their application, i.e. in quantum well solar cells. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  6. Numerical simulation of the impurity photovoltaic effect in silicon solar cells doped with thallium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Baoxing; Zhou Jicheng; Chen Yongmin

    2010-01-01

    Many attempts have been made to increase the efficiency of solar cells by introducing a deep impurity level in the semiconductor band gap. Since Tl may be the most suitable impurity for crystalline Si solar cells, the impurity photovoltaic (IPV) effect in silicon solar cell doped with thallium as impurity was investigated by the numerical solar cell simulator SCAPS. Results show that the IPV effect of thallium extends the spectral sensitivity in the sub-band gap range from 1000 to about 1400 nm. When the Tl concentration (N t ) is lower than the base doping density (N D ), the short-circuit current density and efficiency increase with increasing N t . But they decrease rapidly as the impurity density exceeds the shallow base doping density (N t >N D ). The optimum Tl concentration is about equal to the base doping density. For the Si solar cells with high internal reflection coefficients, the IPV effect becomes appreciable (ΔJ sc ∼9 mA/cm 2 and Δη∼2%).

  7. Improved optical properties of InAs quantum dots for intermediate band solar cells by suppression of misfit strain relaxation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, H. [Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504 (United States); School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6106 (United States); Prioli, R. [Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504 (United States); Departamento de Física, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Marques de São Vicente 225, Rio de Janeiro 22452-900 RJ (Brazil); Fischer, A. M.; Ponce, F. A., E-mail: ponce@asu.edu [Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504 (United States); Kawabata, R. M. S.; Pinto, L. D.; Souza, P. L. [LabSem, CETUC, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Marques de São Vicente 225, Rio de Janeiro 22452-900 RJ (Brazil); Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutores – DISSE – PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Jakomin, R. [Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutores – DISSE – PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Campus de Xerem, UFRJ, Duque de Caxias-RJ (Brazil); Pires, M. P. [Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutores – DISSE – PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Instituto de Física, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro-RJ (Brazil)

    2016-07-21

    The properties of InAs quantum dots (QDs) have been studied for application in intermediate band solar cells. It is found that suppression of plastic relaxation in the QDs has a significant effect on the optoelectronic properties. Partial capping plus annealing is shown to be effective in controlling the height of the QDs and in suppressing plastic relaxation. A force balancing model is used to explain the relationship between plastic relaxation and QD height. A strong luminescence has been observed from strained QDs, indicating the presence of localized states in the desired energy range. No luminescence has been observed from plastically relaxed QDs.

  8. Synthesis of Bi_2S_3 quantum dots for sensitized solar cells by reverse SILAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Navjot; Sharma, J.; Tripathi, S. K.

    2016-01-01

    Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar cells (QDSSC) have great potential to replace silicon-based solar cells. Quantum dots of various materials and sizes could be used to convert most of the visible light into the electrical current. This paper put emphasis on the synthesis of Bismuth Sulphide quantum dots and selectivity of the anionic precursor by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption Reaction (SILAR). Bismuth Sulfide (Bi_2S_3) (group V – Vi semiconductor) is strong contestant for cadmium free solar cells due to its optimum band gap for light harvesting. Optical, structural and electrical measurements are reported and discussed. Problem regarding the choice of precursor for anion extraction is discussed. Band gap of the synthesized quantum dots is 1.2 eV which does not match with the required energy band gap of bismuth sulfide that is 1.7 eV.

  9. Synthesis of Bi2S3 quantum dots for sensitized solar cells by reverse SILAR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Navjot; Sharma, J.; Tripathi, S. K.

    2016-05-01

    Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar cells (QDSSC) have great potential to replace silicon-based solar cells. Quantum dots of various materials and sizes could be used to convert most of the visible light into the electrical current. This paper put emphasis on the synthesis of Bismuth Sulphide quantum dots and selectivity of the anionic precursor by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption Reaction (SILAR). Bismuth Sulfide (Bi2S3) (group V - Vi semiconductor) is strong contestant for cadmium free solar cells due to its optimum band gap for light harvesting. Optical, structural and electrical measurements are reported and discussed. Problem regarding the choice of precursor for anion extraction is discussed. Band gap of the synthesized quantum dots is 1.2 eV which does not match with the required energy band gap of bismuth sulfide that is 1.7eV.

  10. Broad-band anti-reflection coupler for a : Si thin-film solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lo, S.-S.; Chen, C.-C.; Garwe, Frank; Pertch, Thomas

    2007-01-01

    This work numerically demonstrates a new anti-reflection coupler (ARC) with high coupling efficiency in a Si substrate solar cell. The ARC in which the grating is integrated on a glass encapsulation and a three-layer impedance match layer is proposed. A coupling efficiency of 90% is obtained at wavelengths between 350 and 1200 nm in the TE and TM modes when the incident angle is less than 30 0 . In comparison with a 1μm absorber layer, the integrated absorption of an a-Si thin-film solar cell without a new ARC is doubled, at long wavelengths (750 nm ≤ λ ≤ 1200 nm), as calculated by FDTD method

  11. Simple down conversion nano-crystal coatings for enhancing Silicon-solar cells efficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gur Mittelman

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Utilizing self-assembled nano-structured coatings on top of existing solar cells has thepotential to increase the total quantum efficiency of the cell using a simple and cheap process. In ourwork we have exploited the controlled absorption of nano-crystal with different band gaps to realizedown conversion artificial antennas that self-assembled on the device surface. The UV sun light isconverted to the visible light enhancing the solar cell performance in two complementary routes; a.protecting the solar cell and coatings from the UV illumination and therefore reducing the UVradiation damage. b. enhancing the total external quantum efficiency of the cell by one percent. Thisis achieved using a simple cheap process that can be adjusted to many different solar cells.

  12. CDTE alloys and their application for increasing solar cell performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swanson, Drew E.

    Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin film solar is the largest manufactured solar cell technology in the United States and is responsible for one of the lowest costs of utility scale solar electricity at a purchase agreement of $0.0387/kWh. However, this cost could be further reduced by increasing the cell efficiency. To bridge the gap between the high efficiency technology and low cost manufacturing, a research and development tool and process was built and tested. This fully automated single vacuum PV manufacturing tool utilizes multiple inline close space sublimation (CSS) sources with automated substrate control. This maintains the proven scalability of the CSS technology and CSS source design but with the added versatility of independent substrate motion. This combination of a scalable deposition technology with increased cell fabrication flexibility has allowed for high efficiency cells to be manufactured and studied. The record efficiency of CdTe solar cells is lower than fundamental limitations due to a significant deficit in voltage. It has been modeled that there are two potential methods of decreasing this voltage deficiency. The first method is the incorporation of a high band gap film at the back contact to induce a conduction-band barrier that can reduce recombination by reflecting electrons from the back surface. The addition of a Cd1-x MgxTe (CMT) layer at the back of a CdTe solar cell should induce this desired offset and reflect both photoelectrons and forward-current electrons away from the rear surface. Higher collection of photoelectrons will increase the cells current and the reduction of forward current will increase the cells voltage. To have the optimal effect, CdTe must have reasonable carrier lifetimes and be fully depleted. To achieve this experimentally, CdTe layers have been grown sufficiently thin to help produce a fully depleted cell. A variety of measurements including performance curves, transmission electron microscopy, x

  13. Tantalum Nitride Electron-Selective Contact for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Xinbo

    2018-04-19

    Minimizing carrier recombination at contact regions by using carrier‐selective contact materials, instead of heavily doping the silicon, has attracted considerable attention for high‐efficiency, low‐cost crystalline silicon (c‐Si) solar cells. A novel electron‐selective, passivating contact for c‐Si solar cells is presented. Tantalum nitride (TaN x ) thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition are demonstrated to provide excellent electron‐transporting and hole‐blocking properties to the silicon surface, due to their small conduction band offset and large valence band offset. Thin TaNx interlayers provide moderate passivation of the silicon surfaces while simultaneously allowing a low contact resistivity to n‐type silicon. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 20% is demonstrated with c‐Si solar cells featuring a simple full‐area electron‐selective TaNx contact, which significantly improves the fill factor and the open circuit voltage (Voc) and hence provides the higher PCE. The work opens up the possibility of using metal nitrides, instead of metal oxides, as carrier‐selective contacts or electron transport layers for photovoltaic devices.

  14. Calcium doped MAPbI3 with better energy state alignment in perovskite solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Chaojie; Zhang, Jing; Hou, Dagang; Gan, Xinlei; Sun, Hongrui; Zeng, Zhaobing; Chen, Renjie; Tian, Hui; Xiong, Qi; Zhang, Ying; Li, Yuanyuan; Zhu, Yuejin

    2018-05-01

    The organic-inorganic perovskite material with better energy alignment in the solar cell device will have a profound impact on the solar cell performance. It is valuable to tune the energy states by element substitution and doping in perovskites. Here, we present that Ca2+ is incorporated into CH3NH3PbI3, which up-shifts the valence band maximum and the conduction band minimum, leading to a difference between the bandgap and the Fermi level in the device. Consequently, Ca2+ incorporation results in an enhancement of the photovoltage and photocurrent, achieving a summit efficiency of 18.3% under standard 1 sun (AM 1.5). This work reveals the doped perovskite to improve the solar cell performance by tuning the energy state.

  15. Back-contacted back-junction silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mangersnes, Krister

    2010-10-15

    have developed a two-dimensional BC-BJ silicon solar cell device model. The simulations, which are based on the finite element method, have been performed with the ATLAS device simulator within the Silvaco simulation framework from Silvaco Inc., USA. The device model has been used to optimize the design of a BC-BJ silicon solar cell based on experimental results obtained during the work with this thesis. The model is able to quantitatively predict the performance of cells with different designs, qualities, and dimensions through optical and electrical simulations, and thereby giving us a good indication of the efficiency potential of the cell structure. It has also given us valuable insight into the physics determining the performance of a BC-BJ silicon solar cell. From this insight, important conclusions regarding the design rules of this type of solar cell devices could be drawn. Finally, the device model was used to investigate quantum mechanical tunneling mechanisms in the junction between the adjacent, highly-doped regions of opposite polarity on the backside of the cell. Through the simulations we found some simple design rules that need to be followed in order to avoid shunting-like behavior due to unwanted trap-assisted tunneling in the lateral tunneling junction. At the same time, band-to-band tunneling entails potential current breakdowns at low to moderate reverse biases. This implies that local hot-spots can be avoided since the heat distribution under reverse bias will be distributed throughout the whole junction area. Thus, by careful optimization and tailoring of the doping profiles, the tunneling may enable the use of back-junction silicon solar cells in a solar module without the need for bypass diodes. (Author)

  16. Detailed balance theory of excitonic and bulk heterojunction solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirchartz, Thomas; Mattheis, Julian; Rau, Uwe

    2008-12-01

    A generalized solar cell model for excitonic and classical bipolar solar cells describes the combined transport and interaction of electrons, holes, and excitons in accordance with the principle of detailed balance. Conventional inorganic solar cells, single-phase organic solar cells and bulk heterojunction solar cells, i.e., nanoscale mixtures of two organic materials, are special cases of this model. For high mobilities, the compatibility with the principle of detailed balance ensures that our model reproduces the Shockley-Queisser limit irrespective of how the energy transport is achieved. For less ideal devices distinct differences become visible between devices that are described by linear differential equations and those with nonlinear effects, such as a voltage-dependent collection in bipolar p-i-n -type devices. These differences in current-voltage characteristics are also decisive for the validity of the reciprocity theorem between photovoltaic quantum efficiency and electroluminescent emission. Finally, we discuss the effect of band offset at the heterointerface in a bulk heterojunction cell and the effect of the average distances between these heterointerfaces on the performance of a solar cell in order to show how our detailed balance model includes also these empirically important quantities.

  17. Fabrication and characterization of organic solar cells using metal complex of phthalocyanines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kida, Tomoyasu, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.jp; Suzuki, Atsushi, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.jp; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.jp; Oku, Takeo, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.jp [Department of Materials Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture 2500 Hassaka, Hikone, Shiga 522-8533 (Japan)

    2015-02-27

    Fabrication and characterization of organic solar cells using shuttle-cock-type phthalocyanines were carried out. Photovoltaic properties of the solar cells with inverted structures were investigated by current density-voltage characteristics. Effects of phase transition between H and J aggregates on the photovoltaic and optical properties were investigated. The photovoltaic mechanisms, energy levels and band gap of active layers were discussed.

  18. Optimization of carrier multiplication for more effcient solar cells: the case of Sn quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allan, Guy; Delerue, Christophe

    2011-09-27

    We present calculations of impact ionization rates, carrier multiplication yields, and solar-power conversion efficiencies in solar cells based on quantum dots (QDs) of a semimetal, α-Sn. Using these results and previous ones on PbSe and PbS QDs, we discuss a strategy to select QDs with the highest carrier multiplication rate for more efficient solar cells. We suggest using QDs of materials with a close to zero band gap and a high multiplicity of the bands in order to favor the relaxation of photoexcited carriers by impact ionization. Even in that case, the improvement of the maximum solar-power conversion efficiency appears to be a challenging task. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  19. Band Alignment for Rectification and Tunneling Effects in Al2O3 Atomic-Layer-Deposited on Back Contact for CdTe Solar Cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yantao; Xin, Chao; Feng, Yancong; Lin, Qinxian; Wang, Xinwei; Liang, Jun; Zheng, Jiaxin; Lin, Yuan; Pan, Feng

    2016-10-11

    The present work intends to explain why ultrathin Al 2 O 3 atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) on the back contact with rectification and tunneling effects can significantly improve the performance of CdTe solar cells in our previous work [ Liang , J. ; et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2015 , 107 , 013907 ]. Herein, we further study the mechanism through establishing the interfacial energy band diagram configuration of the ALD Al 2 O 3 /Cu x Te by experiment of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and first-principles calculations and conclude to find the band alignment with optimized layer thickness (about 1 nm ALD Al 2 O 3 ) as the key factor for rectification and tunneling effects.

  20. Fullerene-Free Organic Solar Cells with an Efficiency of 10.2% and an Energy Loss of 0.59 eV Based on a Thieno[3,4-c]Pyrrole-4,6-dione-Containing Wide Band Gap Polymer Donor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadmojo, Wisnu Tantyo; Wibowo, Febrian Tri Adhi; Ryu, Du Yeol; Jung, In Hwan; Jang, Sung-Yeon

    2017-09-27

    Although the combination of wide band gap polymer donors and narrow band gap small-molecule acceptors achieved state-of-the-art performance as bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layers for organic solar cells, there have been only several of the wide band gap polymers that actually realized high-efficiency devices over >10%. Herein, we developed high-efficiency, low-energy-loss fullerene-free organic solar cells using a weakly crystalline wide band gap polymer donor, PBDTTPD-HT, and a nonfullerene small-molecule acceptor, ITIC. The excessive intermolecular stacking of ITIC is efficiently suppressed by the miscibility with PBDTTPD-HT, which led to a well-balanced nanomorphology in the PBDTTPD-HT/ITIC BHJ active films. The favorable optical, electronic, and energetic properties of PBDTTPD-HT with respect to ITIC achieved panchromatic photon-to-current conversion with a remarkably low energy loss (0.59 eV).

  1. Band engineering in core/shell ZnTe/CdSe for photovoltage and efficiency enhancement in exciplex quantum dot sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Shuang; Shen, Qing; Mora-Seró, Iván; Wang, Jin; Pan, Zhenxiao; Zhao, Ke; Kuga, Yuki; Zhong, Xinhua; Bisquert, Juan

    2015-01-27

    Even though previously reported CdTe/CdSe type-II core/shell QD sensitizers possess intrinsic superior optoelectronic properties (such as wide absorption range, fast charge separation, and slow charge recombination) in serving as light absorbers, the efficiency of the resultant solar cell is still limited by the relatively low photovoltage. To further enhance photovoltage and cell efficiency accordingly, ZnTe/CdSe type-II core/shell QDs with much larger conduction band (CB) offset in comparison with that of CdTe/CdSe (1.22 eV vs 0.27 eV) are adopted as sensitizers in the construction of quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). The augment of band offset produces an increase of the charge accumulation across the QD/TiO2 interface under illumination and induces stronger dipole effects, therefore bringing forward an upward shift of the TiO2 CB edge after sensitization and resulting in enhancement of the photovoltage of the resultant cell devices. The variation of relative chemical capacitance, Cμ, between ZnTe/CdSe and reference CdTe/CdSe cells extracted from impedance spectroscopy (IS) characterization under dark and illumination conditions clearly demonstrates that, under light irradiation conditions, the sensitization of ZnTe/CdSe QDs upshifts the CB edge of TiO2 by the level of ∼ 50 mV related to that in the reference cell and results in the enhancement of V(oc) of the corresponding cell devices. In addition, charge extraction measurements have also confirmed the photovoltage enhancement in the ZnTe/CdSe cell related to reference CdTe/CdSe cell. Furthermore, transient grating (TG) measurements have revealed a faster electron injection rate for the ZnTe/CdSe-based QDSCs in comparison with the CdSe cells. The resultant ZnTe/CdSe QD-based QDSCs exhibit a champion power conversion efficiency of 7.17% and a certified efficiency of 6.82% under AM 1.5 G full one sun illumination, which is, as far as we know, one of the highest efficiencies for liquid-junction QDSCs.

  2. Hybrid density functional theory study of Cu(In1−xGaxSe2 band structure for solar cell application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu-Dong Chen

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Cu(In1−xGaxSe2 (CIGS alloy based thin film photovoltaic solar cells have attracted more and more attention due to its large optical absorption coefficient, long term stability, low cost and high efficiency. However, the previous theoretical investigation of this material with first principle calculation cannot fulfill the requirement of experimental development, especially the accurate description of band structure and density of states. In this work, we use first principle calculation based on hybrid density functional theory to investigate the feature of CIGS, with B3LYP applied in the CuIn1−xGaxSe2 stimulation of the band structure and density of states. We report the simulation of the lattice parameter, band gap and chemical composition. The band gaps of CuGaSe2, CuIn0.25Ga0.75Se2, CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2, CuIn0.75Ga0.25Se2 and CuInSe2 are obtained as 1.568 eV, 1.445 eV, 1.416 eV, 1.275 eV and 1.205 eV according to our calculation, which agree well with the available experimental values. The band structure of CIGS is also in accordance with the current theory.

  3. Simulation optimizing of n-type HIT solar cells with AFORS-HET

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Yao; Xiao, Shaoqing; Zhang, Xiumei; Gu, Xiaofeng

    2017-07-01

    This paper presents a study of heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) solar cells based on n-type silicon substrates by a simulation software AFORS-HET. We have studied the influence of thickness, band gap of intrinsic layer and defect densities of every interface. Details in mechanisms are elaborated as well. The results show that the optimized efficiency reaches more than 23% which may give proper suggestions to practical preparation for HIT solar cells industry.

  4. Atmospheric solar heating rate in the water vapor bands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Ming-Dah

    1986-01-01

    The total absorption of solar radiation by water vapor in clear atmospheres is parameterized as a simple function of the scaled water vapor amount. For applications to cloudy and hazy atmospheres, the flux-weighted k-distribution functions are computed for individual absorption bands and for the total near-infrared region. The parameterization is based upon monochromatic calculations and follows essentially the scaling approximation of Chou and Arking, but the effect of temperature variation with height is taken into account in order to enhance the accuracy. Furthermore, the spectral range is extended to cover the two weak bands centered at 0.72 and 0.82 micron. Comparisons with monochromatic calculations show that the atmospheric heating rate and the surface radiation can be accurately computed from the parameterization. Comparisons are also made with other parameterizations. It is found that the absorption of solar radiation can be computed reasonably well using the Goody band model and the Curtis-Godson approximation.

  5. Photovoltaic conversion efficiency of InN/InxGa1-xN quantum dot intermediate band solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Afkir, N.; Feddi, E.; Dujardin, F.; Zazoui, M.; Meziane, J.

    2018-04-01

    The behavior of InN/InxGa1-xN spherical quantum dots solar cell is investigated, considering the internal electric field induced by the polarization of the junction. In order to determine the position of the intermediate band (IB), we present an efficient numerical technique based on difference finite method to solve the 3D time-independent Schrödinger's equation in spherical coordinates. The resultant n × n Hamiltonian matrix when considering n discrete points in spatial direction is diagonalized in order to calculate energy levels. Thus, the interband and intersubband transitions are determined, taking into consideration the effect of the internal electric field, size dots, interdot distances, and indium content on the energy levels, optical transition, photo-generated current density, open-circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency of the QD-IBSCs.

  6. Characterization of InP and InGaN quantum dots for single photon sources and AlGaInAs quantum dots in intermediate band solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kremling, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    This thesis describes the characterization of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) in different material systems with potential applications as single photon emitters or intermediate band solar cells. All investigations were carried out by means of optical spectroscopy methods. First, the theoretical background regarding the physics of QDs with respect to their electronic structure and their associated statistical properties are presented. Especially peculiarities of photon statistics of light are explained. Moreover, a closer look at the physics of solar cells and the respective carrier transport is given. Then experimental methods, which were used to characterize the QD-samples, are briefly explained. First, the components and techniques of optical spectroscopy for the study of individual, isolated QDs are described. Second, different experimental technologies for the characterization of solar cells are discussed. The method for measuring the two-photon-absorption process is explained in detail. The section of experimental results begins with studies of individual and spectrally isolated InP QD. Due to the low surface density of one QD per μm 2 , it is possible to study the physical properties of individual QDs optically without additional lateral sample structuring. Based on power and polarization dependent measurements, various luminescence peaks of a single QD were associated with different exciton states. In addition, the QDs were tested subject to an external magnetic field in a Faraday configuration. Finally, the temporal photon statistics of a single QD was tested using autocorrelation measurement. Afterwards, InP QDs manufactured by cyclic material deposition with growth interruptions were investigated by means of PL spectroscopy. Based on excitation power and time-resolved measurements on the QD ensemble, a bimodal QD distribution of type-I and type-II band alignment was observed. In addition, different exciton states were identified on spectrally isolated

  7. Matrix elements of intraband transitions in quantum dot intermediate band solar cells: the influence of quantum dot presence on the extended-state electron wave-functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nozawa, Tomohiro; Arakawa, Yasuhiko

    2014-01-01

    The intraband transitions which are essential for quantum dot intermediate band solar cells (QD IBSCs) are theoretically investigated by estimating the matrix elements from a ground bound state, which is often regarded as an intermediate band (IB), to conduction band (CB) states for a structure with a quantum dot (QD) embedded in a matrix (a QD/matrix structure). We have found that the QD pushes away the electron envelope functions (probability densities) from the QD region in almost all quantum states above the matrix CB minimum. As a result, the matrix elements of the intraband transitions in the QD/matrix structure are largely reduced, compared to those calculated assuming the envelope functions of free electrons (i.e., plane-wave envelope functions) in a matrix structure as the final states of the intraband transitions. The result indicates the strong influence of the QD itself on the intraband transitions from the IB to the CB states in QD IBSC devices. This work will help in better understanding the problem of the intraband transitions and give new insight, that is, engineering of quantum states is indispensable for the realization of QD IBSCs with high solar energy conversion efficiencies. (paper)

  8. Simulation of High Efficiency Heterojunction Solar Cells with AFORS-HET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Lisheng; Chen Fengxiang; Ai Yu

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, the high efficiency TCO/a-Si:H (n)/a-Si:H(i)/c-Si(p)/uc-Si(p + )/Al HIT (heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer) solar cells was analyzed and designed by AFORS-HET software. The influences of emitter, intrinsic layer and back surface field (BSF) on the photovoltaic characteristics of solar cell were discussed. The simulation results show that the key role of the intrinsic layer inserted between the a-Si:H and crystalline silicon substrate is to decrease the interface states density. If the interface states density is lower than 10 10 cm -2 V -1 thinner intrinsic layer is better than thicker one. The increase of the thickness of the emitter will decrease the short-current density and affect the conversion efficiency. Microcrystalline BSF can increase conversion efficiency more than 2 percentage points compared with HIT solar cell with no BSF. But this BSF requires the doping concentration must exceed 10 20 cm -3 . Considered the band mismatch between crystalline silicon and microcrystalline silicon, the optimal band gap of microcrystalline silicon BSF is about 1.4-1.6eV.

  9. Synthesis of Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3} quantum dots for sensitized solar cells by reverse SILAR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Navjot; Sharma, J. [University Institute of Emerging Areas in Science and Technology Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160025 (India); Tripathi, S. K., E-mail: surya@pu.ac.in, E-mail: surya-tr@yahoo.com [University Institute of Emerging Areas in Science and Technology Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160025 (India); Department of Physics, Center of Advanced Study in Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160 014 (India)

    2016-05-06

    Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar cells (QDSSC) have great potential to replace silicon-based solar cells. Quantum dots of various materials and sizes could be used to convert most of the visible light into the electrical current. This paper put emphasis on the synthesis of Bismuth Sulphide quantum dots and selectivity of the anionic precursor by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption Reaction (SILAR). Bismuth Sulfide (Bi{sub 2}S{sub 3}) (group V – Vi semiconductor) is strong contestant for cadmium free solar cells due to its optimum band gap for light harvesting. Optical, structural and electrical measurements are reported and discussed. Problem regarding the choice of precursor for anion extraction is discussed. Band gap of the synthesized quantum dots is 1.2 eV which does not match with the required energy band gap of bismuth sulfide that is 1.7 eV.

  10. W-doped TiO2 photoanode for high performance perovskite solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Jinwang; Zhang, Jing; Yue, Guoqiang; Lu, Xingwei; Hu, Ziyang; Zhu, Yuejin

    2016-01-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) with dispersed W-doping shows its capability for efficient electron collection from perovskite to TiO 2 in perovskite solar cell. The conduction band (CB) of TiO 2 moves downward (positive shift) with increasing the tungsten (W) content, which enlarges the energy gap between the CB of TiO 2 and the perovskite. Thus, the efficiency of electron injection from perovskite to TiO 2 is increased. Due to the increased electron injection, W-doped TiO 2 (≤0.2% W content) enhances the short-circuit photocurrent (J sc ) of perovskite solar cell and improves the performance of perovskite solar cell. Perovskite solar cell with 0.1% W-doped photoanode obtains the highest power conversion efficiency (η = 10.6%), which shows enhancement by 13% in J sc and by 17% in η, as compared with the undoped TiO 2 perovskite solar cell.

  11. Influence of interface preparation on minority carrier lifetime for low bandgap tandem solar cell materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szabo, Nadine; Sagol, B. Erol; Seidel, Ulf; Schwarzburg, Klaus; Hannappel, Thomas [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    III-V semiconductor compounds grown by MOVPE are implemented in todays state-of-the-art third generation multi-junction solar cells. The current record multi junction solar cell grown on germanium, having Ge, Ga(In)As and GaInP as subcells, reached a record efficiency of 41.6%. The efficiency of these multi junction solar cells could be significantly increased, if its low bandgap Ge subcell would be replaced by a more efficient tandem. For this purpose the low bandgap materials InGaAs and InGaAsP are suitable. The bandgap composition of these materials allows a better yield of the solar spectrum. Based on InGaAs/InGaAsP absorber materials we have developed a low bandgap tandem solar cell with optimized bandgaps. Results of time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) for the IR-bandgap compounds InGaAsP (1.03 eV)/InGaAs (0.73 eV) are presented. The lifetime of minority carriers is one of the most important properties of solar cell absorber materials. We show on the example of the low band gap tandem cell how the choice of the materials, the quality of the bulk, the optimization of the band gap energies and the preparation of the critical interfaces are essential to build a high efficiency solar cell. The quality of the bulk and the preparation of the critical interfaces are essential for the growth of the double heterostructure (DHS).

  12. Opening the band gap of graphene through silicon doping for the improved performance of graphene/GaAs heterojunction solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, S J; Lin, S S; Li, X Q; Liu, X Y; Wu, H A; Xu, W L; Wang, P; Wu, Z Q; Zhong, H K; Xu, Z J

    2016-01-07

    Graphene has attracted increasing interest due to its remarkable properties. However, the zero band gap of monolayered graphene limits it's further electronic and optoelectronic applications. Herein, we have synthesized monolayered silicon-doped graphene (SiG) with large surface area using a chemical vapor deposition method. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the silicon atoms are doped into graphene lattice at a doping level of 2.7-4.5 at%. Electrical measurements based on a field effect transistor indicate that the band gap of graphene has been opened via silicon doping without a clear degradation in carrier mobility, and the work function of SiG, deduced from ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, was 0.13-0.25 eV larger than that of graphene. Moreover, when compared with the graphene/GaAs heterostructure, SiG/GaAs exhibits an enhanced performance. The performance of 3.4% silicon doped SiG/GaAs solar cell has been improved by 33.7% on average, which was attributed to the increased barrier height and improved interface quality. Our results suggest that silicon doping can effectively engineer the band gap of monolayered graphene and SiG has great potential in optoelectronic device applications.

  13. Numerical Optimization of a Bifacial Bi-Glass Thin-Film a-Si:H Solar Cell for Higher Conversion Efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berrian, Djaber; Fathi, Mohamed; Kechouane, Mohamed

    2018-02-01

    Bifacial solar cells that maximize the energy output per a square meter have become a new fashion in the field of photovoltaic cells. However, the application of thin-film material on bifacial solar cells, viz., thin-film amorphous hydrogenated silicon ( a- Si:H), is extremely rare. Therefore, this paper presents the optimization and influence of the band gap, thickness and doping on the performance of a glass/glass thin-film a- Si:H ( n- i- p) bifacial solar cell, using a computer-aided simulation tool, Automat for simulation of hetero-structures (AFORS-HET). It is worth mentioning that the thickness and the band gap of the i-layer are the key parameters in achieving higher efficiency and hence it has to be handled carefully during the fabrication process. Furthermore, an efficient thin-film a- Si:H bifacial solar cell requires thinner and heavily doped n and p emitter layers. On the other hand, the band gap of the p-layer showed a dramatic reduction of the efficiency at 2.3 eV. Moreover, a high bifaciality factor of more than 92% is attained, and top efficiency of 10.9% is revealed under p side illumination. These optimizations demonstrate significant enhancements of the recent experimental work on thin-film a- Si:H bifacial solar cells and would also be useful for future experimental investigations on an efficient a- Si:H thin-film bifacial solar cell.

  14. Generalized detailed balance theory of solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kirchartz, Thomas

    2009-12-12

    experimental part of this thesis uses this reciprocity theorem to better interpret electroluminescence measurements of crystalline silicon, Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} and GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells. The investigation of crystalline silicon focusses on the quantification of recombination and light trapping using both spectral as well as spatial electroluminescence measurements. Temperature dependent measurements of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} devices characterize the solar cells in terms of their compositional inhomogeneity, which would lead to inhomogeneous band gaps. However, the electroluminescence measurements reveal that the highly efficient cells don't show significant lateral variations of the band gap. For multi-junction cells, electroluminescence measurements accomplish the task of measuring the internal voltages of all individual subcells at a given injection current. From the internal voltages, information on recombination and diode ideality of each individual cell is obtained. (orig.)

  15. Reversible electron–hole separation in a hot carrier solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Limpert, S; Bremner, S; Linke, H

    2015-01-01

    Hot-carrier solar cells are envisioned to utilize energy filtering to extract power from photogenerated electron–hole pairs before they thermalize with the lattice, and thus potentially offer higher power conversion efficiency compared to conventional, single absorber solar cells. The efficiency of hot-carrier solar cells can be expected to strongly depend on the details of the energy filtering process, a relationship which to date has not been satisfactorily explored. Here, we establish the conditions under which electron–hole separation in hot-carrier solar cells can occur reversibly, that is, at maximum energy conversion efficiency. We thus focus our analysis on the internal operation of the hot-carrier solar cell itself, and in this work do not consider the photon-mediated coupling to the Sun. After deriving an expression for the voltage of a hot-carrier solar cell valid under conditions of both reversible and irreversible electrical operation, we identify separate contributions to the voltage from the thermoelectric effect and the photovoltaic effect. We find that, under specific conditions, the energy conversion efficiency of a hot-carrier solar cell can exceed the Carnot limit set by the intra-device temperature gradient alone, due to the additional contribution of the quasi-Fermi level splitting in the absorber. We also establish that the open-circuit voltage of a hot-carrier solar cell is not limited by the band gap of the absorber, due to the additional thermoelectric contribution to the voltage. Additionally, we find that a hot-carrier solar cell can be operated in reverse as a thermally driven solid-state light emitter. Our results help explore the fundamental limitations of hot-carrier solar cells, and provide a first step towards providing experimentalists with a guide to the optimal configuration of devices. (paper)

  16. Introduction to solar cell production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Gyeong Hae; Lee, Jun Sin

    2009-08-01

    This book introduces solar cell production. It is made up eight chapters, which are summary of solar cell with structure and prospect of the business, special variable of solar cell on light of the sun and factor causing variable of solar cell, production of solar cell with surface texturing, diffusion, metal printing dry and firing and edge isolation, process of solar cell on silicone wafer for solar cell, forming of electrodes, introduction of thin film solar cell on operating of solar cell, process of production and high efficiency of thin film solar cell, sorting of solar cell and production with background of silicone solar cell and thin film solar cell, structure and production of thin film solar cell and compound solar cell, introduction of solar cell module and the Industrial condition and prospect of solar cell.

  17. Material challenges for solar cells in the twenty-first century: directions in emerging technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almosni, Samy; Delamarre, Amaury; Jehl, Zacharie; Suchet, Daniel; Cojocaru, Ludmila; Giteau, Maxime; Behaghel, Benoit; Julian, Anatole; Ibrahim, Camille; Tatry, Léa; Wang, Haibin; Kubo, Takaya; Uchida, Satoshi; Segawa, Hiroshi; Miyashita, Naoya; Tamaki, Ryo; Shoji, Yasushi; Yoshida, Katsuhisa; Ahsan, Nazmul; Watanabe, Kentaro; Inoue, Tomoyuki; Sugiyama, Masakazu; Nakano, Yoshiaki; Hamamura, Tomofumi; Toupance, Thierry; Olivier, Céline; Chambon, Sylvain; Vignau, Laurence; Geffroy, Camille; Cloutet, Eric; Hadziioannou, Georges; Cavassilas, Nicolas; Rale, Pierre; Cattoni, Andrea; Collin, Stéphane; Gibelli, François; Paire, Myriam; Lombez, Laurent; Aureau, Damien; Bouttemy, Muriel; Etcheberry, Arnaud; Okada, Yoshitaka; Guillemoles, Jean-François

    2018-01-01

    Photovoltaic generation has stepped up within the last decade from outsider status to one of the important contributors of the ongoing energy transition, with about 1.7% of world electricity provided by solar cells. Progress in materials and production processes has played an important part in this development. Yet, there are many challenges before photovoltaics could provide clean, abundant, and cheap energy. Here, we review this research direction, with a focus on the results obtained within a Japan-French cooperation program, NextPV, working on promising solar cell technologies. The cooperation was focused on efficient photovoltaic devices, such as multijunction, ultrathin, intermediate band, and hot-carrier solar cells, and on printable solar cell materials such as colloidal quantum dots.

  18. Rational Strategies for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Jangwon; Noh, Jun Hong; Seok, Sang Il

    2016-03-15

    A long-standing dream in the large scale application of solar energy conversion is the fabrication of solar cells with high-efficiency and long-term stability at low cost. The realization of such practical goals depends on the architecture, process and key materials because solar cells are typically constructed from multilayer heterostructures of light harvesters, with electron and hole transporting layers as a major component. Recently, inorganic-organic hybrid lead halide perovskites have attracted significant attention as light absorbers for the fabrication of low-cost and high-efficiency solar cells via a solution process. This mainly stems from long-range ambipolar charge transport properties, low exciton binding energies, and suitable band gap tuning by managing the chemical composition. In our pioneering work, a new photovoltaic platform for efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) was proposed, which yielded a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12%. The platform consisted of a pillared architecture of a three-dimensional nanocomposite of perovskites fully infiltrating mesoporous TiO2, resulting in the formation of continuous phases and perovskite domains overlaid with a polymeric hole conductor. Since then, the PCE of our PSCs has been rapidly increased from 3% to over 20% certified efficiency. The unprecedented increase in the PCE can be attributed to the effective integration of the advantageous attributes of the refined bicontinuous architecture, deposition process, and composition of perovskite materials. Specifically, the bicontinuous architectures used in the high efficiency comprise a layer of perovskite sandwiched between mesoporous metal-oxide layer, which is a very thinner than that of used in conventional dye-sensitized solar cells, and hole-conducting contact materials with a metal back contact. The mesoporous scaffold can affect the hysteresis under different scan direction in measurements of PSCs. The hysteresis also greatly depends on

  19. Dye sensitized solar cells. How do they work?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laurie M, Peter

    2008-01-01

    Dye sensitized solar cells (DSC), also known as Gratzel cells, harvest sunlight using a dye adsorbed onto the high surface area of a porous nanocrystalline titanium dioxide film. Photoexcitation of the dye results in the injection of electrons into the conduction band of the oxide. The dye is regenerated in its original state by donation of electrons from iodide ions presenting an electrolyte that permeates the porous oxide film. The regeneration cycle is completed at a platinum coated cathode at which tri-iodide ions are reduced to iodide ions. DSC has achieved solar conversion efficiencies of over 10% in the laboratory, with best module efficiencies of around 8%. This lecture will describe the fabrication of the basic DSC and discuss the basic Physics and Chemistry of the cell. (Full text)

  20. Temperature and 8 MeV electron irradiation effects on GaAs solar cells

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    GaAs solar cells hold the record for the highest single band-gap cell efficiency. Successful application of these cells in advanced space-borne systems demand characterization of cell properties like dark current under different ambient conditions and the stability of the cells against particle irradiation in space. In this paper ...

  1. Comparative study of the role of Ga in CIGS solar cells with different thickness

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Anjun, E-mail: haj211@mail.sim.ac.cn [Institute of Photo Electronics Thin Film Devices and Technique of Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Research Center for New Energy Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 235 Chengbei Road, Jiading, Shanghai 201800 (China); Sun, Yun; Zhang, Yi [Institute of Photo Electronics Thin Film Devices and Technique of Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Liu, Xiaohui; Meng, Fanying; Liu, Zhengxin [Research Center for New Energy Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 235 Chengbei Road, Jiading, Shanghai 201800 (China)

    2016-01-01

    Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films with thickness of 1 μm and 2 μm are prepared by co-evaporation process, and the different Ga/(Ga + In) are achieved by varying the temperature of Ga source. The morphology, structure, minimum band gap, and performance of solar cells are comparatively studied. As Ga/(Ga + In) increases, little changes can be observed in the crystal quality of 1 μm CIGS films, while the grain size of 2 μm films decreases significantly. (112) diffraction peak intensities of the 1 μm and 2 μm films decrease and increase, respectively. In the case of the same Ga/(Ga + In), the minimum band gap values of 1 μm films are larger than that of 2 μm films, and the difference becomes large with Ga/(Ga + In) increasing. The minimum band gap values of 1 μm films are more sensitive to variation of the Ga/(Ga + In). As Ga/(Ga + In) increases, a more improvement of the efficiency of solar cells with thickness of 1 μm is obtained due to the large enhancement of the open-circuit voltage, and the efficiency reaches the maximum value when Ga/(Ga + In) is about 0.37. - Highlights: • The role of Ga in CIGS solar cells with different thickness is comparatively studied. • Effect of Ga on the material properties of 1 μm and 2 μm films is totally different. • The minimum band gap of thinned films is more sensitive to variation of Ga/(Ga + In). • Efficiency of thinned solar cells increases more significantly with Ga increasing.

  2. Photovoltaic solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielson, Gregory N.; Gupta, Vipin P.; Okandan, Murat; Watts, Michael R.

    2015-09-08

    A photovoltaic solar concentrator is disclosed with one or more transverse-junction solar cells (also termed point contact solar cells) and a lens located above each solar cell to concentrate sunlight onto the solar cell to generate electricity. Piezoelectric actuators tilt or translate each lens to track the sun using a feedback-control circuit which senses the electricity generated by one or more of the solar cells. The piezoelectric actuators can be coupled through a displacement-multiplier linkage to provide an increased range of movement of each lens. Each lens in the solar concentrator can be supported on a frame (also termed a tilt plate) having three legs, with the movement of the legs being controlled by the piezoelectric actuators.

  3. Observation of the subgap optical absorption in polymer-fullerene blend solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goris, L.; Poruba, A.; Hod'akova, L.; Vanecek, M.; Haenen, K.; Nesladek, M.; Wagner, P.; Vanderzande, D.; Schepper, L. de; Manca, J. V.

    2006-01-01

    This letter reports on highly sensitive optical absorption measurements on organic donor-acceptor solar cells, using Fourier-transform photocurrent spectroscopy (FTPS). The spectra cover an unprecedented dynamic range of eight to nine orders of magnitude making it possible to detect defect and disorder related sub-band gap transitions. Direct measurements on fully encapsulated solar cells with an active layer of poly[2-methoxy-5-(3 ' ,7 ' -dimethyl-octyloxy)]-p-phenylene-vinylene: (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric-acid (1:4 weight ratio) enabled a study of the intrinsic defect generation due to UV illumination. Solar cell temperature annealing effects in poly(3-hexylthiophene):PCBM (1:2 weight ratio) cells and the induced morphological changes are related to the changes in the absorption spectrum, as determined with FTPS

  4. Superior stability for perovskite solar cells with 20% efficiency using vacuum co-evaporation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xuejie; Yang, Dong; Yang, Ruixia; Yang, Bin; Yang, Zhou; Ren, Xiaodong; Zhang, Jian; Niu, Jinzhi; Feng, Jiangshan; Liu, Shengzhong Frank

    2017-08-31

    Chemical composition and film quality are two key figures of merit for large-area high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. To date, all studies on mixed perovskites have used solution-processing, which results in imperfect surface coverage and pin-holes generated during solvent evaporation, execrably influencing the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells. Herein, we report our development using a vacuum co-evaporation deposition method to fabricate pin-hole-free cesium (Cs)-substituted perovskite films with complete surface coverage. Apart from the simplified procedure, the present method also promises tunable band gap, reduced trap-state density and longer carrier lifetime, leading to solar cell efficiency as high as 20.13%, which is among the highest reported for planar perovskite solar cells. The splendid performance is attributed to superior merits of the Cs-substituted perovskite film including tunable band gap, reduced trap-state density and longer carrier lifetime. Moreover, the Cs-substituted perovskite device without encapsulation exhibits significantly higher stability in ambient air compared with the single-component counterpart. When the Cs-substituted perovskite solar cells are stored in dark for one year, the PCE remains at 19.25%, degrading only 4.37% of the initial efficiency. The excellent stability originates from reduced lattice constant and relaxed strain in perovskite lattice by incorporating Cs cations into the crystal lattice, as demonstrated by the positive peak shifts and reduced peak width in X-ray diffraction analysis.

  5. Numerical Analysis of Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide-Based Solar Cells by SCAPS-1D

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Ouédraogo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We used a one-dimensional simulation program Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator in 1 Dimension (SCAPS-1D to investigate Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide- (CIGS- based solar cells properties. Starting with a conventional ZnO-B/i-ZnO/CdS/CIGS structure, we simulated the parameters of current-voltage characteristics and showed how the absorber layer thickness, hole density, and band gap influence the short-circuit current density (Jsc, open-circuit voltage (Voc, fill factor (FF, and efficiency of solar cell. Our simulation results showed that all electrical parameters are greatly affected by the absorber thickness (w below 1000 nm, due to the increase of back-contact recombination and very poor absorption. Increasing hole density (p or absorber band gap (Eg improves Voc and leads to high efficiency, which equals value of 16.1% when p = 1016 cm−3 and Eg=1.2 eV. In order to reduce back-contact recombination, the effect of a very thin layer with high band gap inserted near the back contact and acting as electrons reflector, the so-called back-electron reflector (EBR, has been investigated. The performances of the solar cells are significantly improved, when ultrathin absorbers (w < 500 nm are used; the corresponding gain of Jsc due to the EBR is 3 mA/cm2. Our results are in good agreement with those reported in the literature from experiments.

  6. Barrier potential design criteria in multiple-quantum-well-based solar-cell structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohaidat, Jihad M.; Shum, Kai; Wang, W. B.; Alfano, R. R.

    1994-01-01

    The barrier potential design criteria in multiple-quantum-well (MQW)-based solar-cell structures is reported for the purpose of achieving maximum efficiency. The time-dependent short-circuit current density at the collector side of various MQW solar-cell structures under resonant condition was numerically calculated using the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. The energy efficiency of solar cells based on the InAs/Ga(y)In(1-y)As and GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As MQW structues were compared when carriers are excited at a particular solar-energy band. Using InAs/Ga(y)In(1-y)As MQW structures it is found that a maximum energy efficiency can be achieved if the structure is designed with barrier potential of about 450 meV. The efficiency is found to decline linearly as the barrier potential increases for GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As MQW-structure-based solar cells.

  7. Processes for chalcopyrite-based solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lux-Steiner, M.C.; Ennaoui, A.; Fischer, C.-H.; Jaeger-Waldau, A.; Klaer, J.; Klenk, R.; Koenenkamp, R.; Matthes, T.; Scheer, R.; Siebentritt, S.; Weidinger, A. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin GmbH (Germany)

    2000-02-21

    This contribution deals with the investigations of chalcopyrite solar cells. Main attention is paid to absorber materials with band gaps larger than 1.5 eV. Besides the different efforts to modify and optimise stoichiometric CuInS{sub 2} films, novel deposition technologies for CuGaSe{sub 2} films and buffer layers as well as alternative buffer layers were studied and compared. With ZnSe as alternative buffer layer on Cu(InGa)(S,Se){sub 2} absorbers developed by SSI Camarillo and Siemens Solar, Munich, total area efficiencies up to 13.7% and active area efficiencies up to 15.7% could be reached, respectively. For CuInS{sub 2} two important results were achieved. The efficiency of Cu-poor CuInS{sub 2} cells could be increased to 8.3%. Standard Cu-rich prepared devices led to a new record efficiency of 12.5%. (orig.)

  8. Plasmon-Assisted Efficiency Enhancement of Eu3+-Doped Tellurite Glass-Covered Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, Bismarck C.; Gómez-Malagón, L. A.; Gomes, A. S. L.; Garcia, J. A. M.; Kassab, L. R. P.

    2017-12-01

    Rare-earth-doped tellurite glass containing metallic nanoparticles can be exploited to manage the solar spectrum in order to increase solar cell efficiency. It is therefore possible to modify the incident solar spectrum profile to the spectrum that optimizes the solar cell recombination process by covering the solar cell with plasmonic luminescent downshifting layers. With this approach, the losses due to thermalization are minimized and the efficiency is increased. Due to the down-conversion process that couples the plasmon resonance of the metallic nanoparticles and the rare-earth electronic energy levels, it is possible to convert photons from the ultraviolet region to the visible and near-band-gap region of the semiconductor. It is demonstrated here that plasmon-assisted efficiency enhancements of 14.0% and 34.5% can be obtained for commercial Si and GaP solar cells, respectively, covered with Eu3+-doped TeO2-ZnO glass containing silver nanoparticles.

  9. Multi-Material Front Contact for 19% Thin Film Solar Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deelen, J. van; Tezsevin, Y.; Barink, M.

    2016-01-01

    The trade-off between transmittance and conductivity of the front contact material poses abottleneck for thin film solar panels. Normally, the front contact material is a metal oxide and the optimal cell configuration and panel efficiency were determined for various band gap materials, representing

  10. Enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells performances by improving electron density in conduction band of nanostructure TiO2 electrode with using a metalloporphyrin as additional dye

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mojiri-Foroushani, M.; Dehghani, H.; Salehi-Vanani, N.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► N719 and ZnTCPP dyes were used in a sequential adsorption process. ► By using two dyes, improved the performance of the cell. ► Density of electrons in the conduction band of TiO 2 electrodes improved. -- Abstract: A zinc(II)-porphyrin dye with four carboxyphenyl moiety of ancillary (ZnTCPP) was studied as a sensitizer in combination with a ruthenium complex (N719) in co-sensitized solar cells. The high molar extinction coefficient (ε) of porphyrin dyes leads to high light absorption in the dye-sensitized TiO 2 electrode. In spite of the high ε of porphyrin dyes, they usually have a narrow absorption band and also to suffer from dye aggregation due to their planar structural nature. This causes lower efficiencies of the DSSCs for the porphyrins than the ruthenium complexes. Co-sensitization of two or more dyes with complementary absorption spectra on TiO 2 film is an important method to further enhance the IPCE response and energy conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells. Interestingly, when the ZnTCPP electrode was used to assemble a co-sensitized solar cell by additional adsorption of N719 dye, the efficiency improved to 6.35% (in comparison to N719 that the efficiency was 4.74%). The results indicated that the co-sensitized device shows enhancements of photovoltaic performance not only in short-circuit current density (J SC ) but also in open-circuit voltage (V OC ). In the present study we have been shown that co-sensitization of a zinc(II)-porphyrin with N719 dye changes the energy levels of the TiO 2 electrode and in result produces further improvement for its device performance

  11. Partially filled intermediate band of Cr-doped GaN films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sonoda, S.

    2012-01-01

    We investigated the band structure of sputtered Cr-doped GaN (GaCrN) films using optical absorption, photoelectron yield spectroscopy, and charge transport measurements. It was found that an additional energy band is formed in the intrinsic band gap of GaN upon Cr doping, and that charge carriers in the material move in the inserted band. Prototype solar cells showed enhanced short circuit current and open circuit voltage in the n-GaN/GaCrN/p-GaN structure compared to the GaCrN/p-GaN structure, which validates the proposed concept of an intermediate-band solar cell.

  12. Material challenges for solar cells in the twenty-first century: directions in emerging technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delamarre, Amaury; Jehl, Zacharie; Suchet, Daniel; Cojocaru, Ludmila; Giteau, Maxime; Behaghel, Benoit; Julian, Anatole; Ibrahim, Camille; Tatry, Léa; Wang, Haibin; Kubo, Takaya; Uchida, Satoshi; Segawa, Hiroshi; Miyashita, Naoya; Tamaki, Ryo; Shoji, Yasushi; Yoshida, Katsuhisa; Ahsan, Nazmul; Watanabe, Kentaro; Inoue, Tomoyuki; Sugiyama, Masakazu; Nakano, Yoshiaki; Hamamura, Tomofumi; Toupance, Thierry; Olivier, Céline; Chambon, Sylvain; Vignau, Laurence; Geffroy, Camille; Cloutet, Eric; Hadziioannou, Georges; Cavassilas, Nicolas; Rale, Pierre; Cattoni, Andrea; Collin, Stéphane; Gibelli, François; Paire, Myriam; Lombez, Laurent; Aureau, Damien; Bouttemy, Muriel; Etcheberry, Arnaud; Okada, Yoshitaka

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Photovoltaic generation has stepped up within the last decade from outsider status to one of the important contributors of the ongoing energy transition, with about 1.7% of world electricity provided by solar cells. Progress in materials and production processes has played an important part in this development. Yet, there are many challenges before photovoltaics could provide clean, abundant, and cheap energy. Here, we review this research direction, with a focus on the results obtained within a Japan–French cooperation program, NextPV, working on promising solar cell technologies. The cooperation was focused on efficient photovoltaic devices, such as multijunction, ultrathin, intermediate band, and hot-carrier solar cells, and on printable solar cell materials such as colloidal quantum dots. PMID:29707072

  13. Dielectric Scattering Patterns for Efficient Light Trapping in Thin-Film Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Lare, Claire; Lenzmann, Frank; Verschuuren, Marc A; Polman, Albert

    2015-08-12

    We demonstrate an effective light trapping geometry for thin-film solar cells that is composed of dielectric light scattering nanocavities at the interface between the metal back contact and the semiconductor absorber layer. The geometry is based on resonant Mie scattering. It avoids the Ohmic losses found in metallic (plasmonic) nanopatterns, and the dielectric scatterers are well compatible with nearly all types of thin-film solar cells, including cells produced using high temperature processes. The external quantum efficiency of thin-film a-Si:H solar cells grown on top of a nanopatterned Al-doped ZnO, made using soft imprint lithography, is strongly enhanced in the 550-800 nm spectral band by the dielectric nanoscatterers. Numerical simulations are in good agreement with experimental data and show that resonant light scattering from both the AZO nanostructures and the embedded Si nanostructures are important. The results are generic and can be applied on nearly all thin-film solar cells.

  14. Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the optical properties of strain-free quantum ring solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Strain-free GaAs/Al0.33Ga0.67As quantum rings are fabricated by droplet epitaxy. Both photoresponse and photoluminescence spectra confirm optical transitions in quantum rings, suggesting that droplet epitaxial nanomaterials are applicable to intermediate band solar cells. The effects of post-growth annealing on the quantum ring solar cells are investigated, and the optical properties of the solar cells with and without thermal treatment are characterized by photoluminescence technique. Rapid thermal annealing treatment has resulted in the significant improvement of material quality, which can be served as a standard process for quantum structure solar cells grown by droplet epitaxy. PMID:23281811

  15. Deep absorption band in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films and solar cells observed by transparent piezoelectric photothermal spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shirakata, Sho; Atarashi, Akiko [Faculty of Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Yagi, Masakazu [Kagawa National College of Technology, Mitoyo-shi 769-1192 (Japan)

    2015-06-15

    The photo-acoustic spectroscopy (PAS) using a transparent piezoelectric photo-thermal (Tr-PPT) method was carried out on Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films (both CIGS/Mo/SLG and CdS/CIGS/Mo/SLG) and solar cells (ZnO/CdS/CIGS/Mo/SLG). Using the Tr-PPT method, the high background absorption in the below gap region observed in both a microphone and a conventional transducer PAS spectra was strongly reduced. This high background absorption came from the CIGS/Mo interface. This result proves that the Tr-PPT PAS is the surface sensitive method. In the below-band region, a bell-shape deep absorption band has been observed at 0.76 eV, in which a full-width at the half-maximum value was 70-120 meV. This deep absorption band was observed for both CdS/CIGS/Mo/SLG and ZnO/CdS/CIGS/Mo/SLG structures. The peak energy of the absorption band was independent of the alloy composition for 0.25≤Ga/III≤0.58. Intensity of the PA signal was negatively correlated to the Na concentration at the CIGS film surface. The origin of the 0.76 eV peak is discussed with relation to native defects such as a Cu-vacancy-related defect (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  16. Biophotovoltaics: Natural pigments in dye-sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hug, Hubert; Bader, Michael; Mair, Peter; Glatzel, Thilo

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Natural pigments are photosensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). • Efficiency is still lower compared to synthetic pigments. • The use of natural pigments such as carotenoids and polyphenols is cheap. • General advantages of DSSCs are flexibility, color and transparency. • Usage under diffuse light and therefore, indoor applications are possible. - Abstract: Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) which are also called Graetzel cells are a novel type of solar cells. Their advantages are mainly low cost production, low energy payback time, flexibility, performance also at diffuse light and multicolor options. DSSCs become more and more interesting since a huge variety of dyes including also natural dyes can be used as light harvesting elements which provide the charge carriers. A wide band gap semiconductor like TiO 2 is used for charge separation and transport. Such a DSSC contains similarities to the photosynthetic apparatus. Therefore, we summarize current available knowledge on natural dyes that have been used in DSSCs which should provide reasonable light harvesting efficiency, sustainability, low cost and easy waste management. Promising natural compounds are carotenoids, polyphenols and chlorophylls

  17. Wide Band-Gap 3,4-Difluorothiophene-Based Polymer with 7% Solar Cell Efficiency: an Alternative to P3HT

    KAUST Repository

    Wolf, Jannic Sebastian; Cruciani, Federico; El Labban, Abdulrahman; Beaujuge, Pierre

    2015-01-01

    We report on a wide band-gap polymer donor composed of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) and 3,4-difluorothiophene ([2F]T) units (Eopt ~2.1 eV), and show that the fluorinated analog PBDT[2F]T performs significantly better than its non-fluorinated counterpart PBDT[2H]T in BHJ solar cells with PC71BM. While control P3HT- and PBDT[2H]T-based devices yield PCEs of ca. 4% and 3% (Max.) respectively, PBDT[2F]T-based devices reach PCEs of ca. 7%, combining a large Voc of ca. 0.9 V and short-circuit current values (ca. 10.7 mA/cm2) comparable to those of the best P3HT-based control devices.

  18. Wide Band-Gap 3,4-Difluorothiophene-Based Polymer with 7% Solar Cell Efficiency: an Alternative to P3HT

    KAUST Repository

    Wolf, Jannic Sebastian

    2015-05-27

    We report on a wide band-gap polymer donor composed of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b\\']dithiophene (BDT) and 3,4-difluorothiophene ([2F]T) units (Eopt ~2.1 eV), and show that the fluorinated analog PBDT[2F]T performs significantly better than its non-fluorinated counterpart PBDT[2H]T in BHJ solar cells with PC71BM. While control P3HT- and PBDT[2H]T-based devices yield PCEs of ca. 4% and 3% (Max.) respectively, PBDT[2F]T-based devices reach PCEs of ca. 7%, combining a large Voc of ca. 0.9 V and short-circuit current values (ca. 10.7 mA/cm2) comparable to those of the best P3HT-based control devices.

  19. Solar Photovoltaic Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mickey, Charles D.

    1981-01-01

    Reviews information on solar radiation as an energy source. Discusses these topics: the key photovoltaic material; the bank theory of solids; conductors, semiconductors, and insulators; impurity semiconductors; solid-state photovoltaic cell operation; limitations on solar cell efficiency; silicon solar cells; cadmium sulfide/copper (I) sulfide…

  20. Two-dimensional simulation of GaAsSb/GaAs quantum dot solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunrugsa, Maetee

    2018-06-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) simulation of GaAsSb/GaAs quantum dot (QD) solar cells is presented. The effects of As mole fraction in GaAsSb QDs on the performance of the solar cell are investigated. The solar cell is designed as a p-i-n GaAs structure where a single layer of GaAsSb QDs is introduced into the intrinsic region. The current density–voltage characteristics of QD solar cells are derived from Poisson’s equation, continuity equations, and the drift-diffusion transport equations, which are numerically solved by a finite element method. Furthermore, the transition energy of a single GaAsSb QD and its corresponding wavelength for each As mole fraction are calculated by a six-band k · p model to validate the position of the absorption edge in the external quantum efficiency curve. A GaAsSb/GaAs QD solar cell with an As mole fraction of 0.4 provides the best power conversion efficiency. The overlap between electron and hole wave functions becomes larger as the As mole fraction increases, leading to a higher optical absorption probability which is confirmed by the enhanced photogeneration rates within and around the QDs. However, further increasing the As mole fraction results in a reduction in the efficiency because the absorption edge moves towards shorter wavelengths, lowering the short-circuit current density. The influences of the QD size and density on the efficiency are also examined. For the GaAsSb/GaAs QD solar cell with an As mole fraction of 0.4, the efficiency can be improved to 26.2% by utilizing the optimum QD size and density. A decrease in the efficiency is observed at high QD densities, which is attributed to the increased carrier recombination and strain-modified band structures affecting the absorption edges.

  1. Engineered nanomaterials for solar energy conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mlinar, Vladan

    2013-02-01

    Understanding how to engineer nanomaterials for targeted solar-cell applications is the key to improving their efficiency and could lead to breakthroughs in their design. Proposed mechanisms for the conversion of solar energy to electricity are those exploiting the particle nature of light in conventional photovoltaic cells, and those using the collective electromagnetic nature, where light is captured by antennas and rectified. In both cases, engineered nanomaterials form the crucial components. Examples include arrays of semiconductor nanostructures as an intermediate band (so called intermediate band solar cells), semiconductor nanocrystals for multiple exciton generation, or, in antenna-rectifier cells, nanomaterials for effective optical frequency rectification. Here, we discuss the state of the art in p-n junction, intermediate band, multiple exciton generation, and antenna-rectifier solar cells. We provide a summary of how engineered nanomaterials have been used in these systems and a discussion of the open questions.

  2. (Sr,Ba)(Si,Ge)2 for thin-film solar-cell applications: First-principles study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Mukesh; Umezawa, Naoto; Imai, Motoharu

    2014-01-01

    In order to meet the increasing demand for electric power generation from solar energy conversion, the development of efficient light absorber materials has been awaited. To this end, the electronic and optical properties of advanced alkaline-earth-metals disilicides and digermanides (SrSi 2 , BaSi 2 , SrGe 2 , and BaGe 2 ) are studied by means of the density functional theory using HSE06 exchange-correlation energy functional. Our calculations show that all these orthorhombic structured compounds have fundamental indirect band gaps in the range E g ≈ 0.89–1.25 eV, which is suitable for solar cell applications. The estimated lattice parameters and band gaps are in good agreement with experiments. Our calculations show that the electronic band structures of all four compounds are very similar except in the vicinity of the Γ-point. The valence band of these compounds is made up by Si(Ge)-p states, whereas the conduction band is composed of Sr(Ba)-d states. Their band alignments are carefully determined by estimating the work function of each compound using slab model. The optical properties are discussed in terms of the complex dielectric function ε(ω) = ε 1 (ω) + iε 2 (ω). The static and high-frequency dielectric constants are calculated, taking into account the ionic contribution. The absorption coefficient α(ω) demonstrates that a low energy dispersion of the conduction band, which results in a flat conduction band minimum, leads to large optical activity in these compounds. Therefore, alkaline-earth-metals disilicides and digermanides possess great potential as light absorbers for applications in thin-film solar cell technologies.

  3. Limiting efficiency of generalized realistic c-Si solar cells coupled to ideal up-converters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Craig M.; Conibeer, Gavin J.

    2012-11-01

    The detailed balance model of photovoltaic up-conversion is revised for the specific case of a c-Si solar cell under the AM1.5G solar spectrum. The limiting efficiency of an ideal solar cell with a band gap of 1.117 eV may be increased from approximately 33% to 40% with ideal up-conversion. However, real solar cells do not demonstrate the step-function absorption characteristic assumed in the standard detailed balance model. Here, we use tabulated Si refractive index data to develop a generalized model of a realistic conventional c-Si solar cell. The model incorporates optical design and material parameters such as free carrier absorption that have a non-trivial impact on the operation of the up-conversion layer. While these modifications are shown to decrease the absolute limiting efficiency, the benefit of up-conversion is shown to be relatively greater.

  4. Wide band gap solar cells with high stabilized performance. Annual technical report, 15 July 1995--15 July 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wronski, C R; Collins, R W; Fujiwara, H [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); and others

    1997-01-01

    This report describes work on an improved understanding of stability in materials and silicon solar cells. Topics include novel intrinsic materials optimization; solar cells optimized for p- and i-layer performance; novel p-type materials; interfaces; and device modeling.

  5. Computer analysis of microcrystalline silicon hetero-junction solar cell with lumerical FDTD/DEVICE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riaz, Muhammad; Earles, S. K.; Kadhim, Ahmed; Azzahrani, Ahmad

    The computer analysis of tandem solar cell, c-Si/a-Si:H/μc-SiGe, is studied within Lumerical FDTD/Device 4.6. The optical characterization is performed in FDTD and then total generation rate is transported into DEVICE for electrical characterization. The electrical characterization of the solar cell is carried out in DEVICE. The design is implemented by staking three sub cells with band gap of 1.12eV, 1.50eV and 1.70eV, respectively. First, single junction solar cell with both a-Si and μc-SiGe absorbing layers are designed and compared. The thickness for both layers are kept the same. In a single junction, solar cell with a-Si absorbing layer, the fill factor and the efficiency are noticed as FF = 78.98%, and η = 6.03%. For μc-SiGe absorbing layer, the efficiency and fill factor are increased as η = 7.06% and FF = 84.27%, respectively. Second, for tandem thin film solar cell c-Si/a-Si:H/μc-SiGe, the fill factor FF = 81.91% and efficiency η = 9.84% have been noticed. The maximum efficiency for both single junction thin film solar cell c-Si/μc-SiGe and tandem solar cell c-Si/a-Si:H/μc-SiGe are improved with check board surface design for light trapping.

  6. Tunable Narrow Band Gap Absorbers For Ultra High Efficiency Solar Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bedair, Salah M. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Hauser, John R. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Elmasry, Nadia [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Colter, Peter C. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Bradshaw, G. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Carlin, C. Z. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Samberg, J. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Edmonson, Kenneth [Spectrolab, Inc., Sylmar, CA (United States)

    2012-07-31

    We report on a joint research program between NCSU and Spectrolab to develop an upright multijunction solar cell structure with a potential efficiency exceeding the current record of 41.6% reported by Spectrolab. The record efficiency Ge/GaAs/InGaP triple junction cell structure is handicapped by the fact that the current generated by the Ge cell is much higher than that of both the middle and top cells. We carried out a modification of the record cell structure that will keep the lattice matched condition and allow better matching of the current generated by each cell. We used the concept of strain balanced strained layer superlattices (SLS), inserted in the i-layer, to reduce the bandgap of the middle cell without violating the desirable lattice matched condition. For the middle GaAs cell, we have demonstrated an n-GaAs/i-(InGaAs/GaAsP)/p-GaAs structure, where the InxGa1-xAs/GaAs1-yPy SLS is grown lattice matched to GaAs and with reduced bandgap from 1.43 eV to 1.2 eV, depending upon the values of x and y.

  7. SnS nanoparticles to boost CuInS2 solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prastani, C.

    2015-01-01

    To make photovoltaics a competitive energy source it is essential to increase its energy conversion efficiency. Quantum dots can play an important role to overcome the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Theoretically, a quantum dot based Intermediate Band solar cell can reach an efficiency of 63.2%

  8. Enhanced Electron Photoemission by Collective Lattice Resonances in Plasmonic Nanoparticle-Array Photodetectors and Solar Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhukovsky, Sergei; Babicheva, Viktoriia; Uskov, Alexander

    2014-01-01

    We propose to use collective lattice resonances in plasmonic nanoparticle arrays to enhance and tailor photoelectron emission in Schottky barrier photodetectors and solar cells. We show that the interaction between narrow-band lattice resonances (the Rayleigh anomaly) and broader-band individual-particle...... excitations (localized surface plasmon resonances) leads to stronger local field enhancement. In turn, this causes a significant increase of the photocurrent compared to the case when only individual-particle excitations are present. The results can be used to design new photodetectors with highly selective......, tunable spectral response, which are able to detect photons with the energy below the semiconductor bandgap. The findings can also be used to develop solar cells with increased efficiency....

  9. Colloidal quantum dot solar cells exploiting hierarchical structuring

    KAUST Repository

    Labelle, André J.

    2015-02-11

    Extremely thin-absorber solar cells offer low materials utilization and simplified manufacture but require improved means to enhance photon absorption in the active layer. Here, we report enhanced-absorption colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells that feature transfer-stamped solution-processed pyramid-shaped electrodes employed in a hierarchically structured device. The pyramids increase, by up to a factor of 2, the external quantum efficiency of the device at absorption-limited wavelengths near the absorber band edge. We show that absorption enhancement can be optimized with increased pyramid angle with an appreciable net improvement in power conversion efficiency, that is, with the gain in current associated with improved absorption and extraction overcoming the smaller fractional decrease in open-circuit voltage associated with increased junction area. We show that the hierarchical combination of micron-scale structured electrodes with nanoscale films provides for an optimized enhancement at absorption-limited wavelengths. We fabricate 54.7° pyramid-patterned electrodes, conformally apply the quantum dot films, and report pyramid CQD solar cells that exhibit a 24% improvement in overall short-circuit current density with champion devices providing a power conversion efficiency of 9.2%.

  10. Recent Advances in the Inverted Planar Structure of Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Lei; You, Jingbi; Guo, Tzung-Fang; Yang, Yang

    2016-01-19

    Inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite solar cells research could be traced back to 2009, and initially showed 3.8% efficiency. After 6 years of efforts, the efficiency has been pushed to 20.1%. The pace of development was much faster than that of any type of solar cell technology. In addition to high efficiency, the device fabrication is a low-cost solution process. Due to these advantages, a large number of scientists have been immersed into this promising area. In the past 6 years, much of the research on perovskite solar cells has been focused on planar and mesoporous device structures employing an n-type TiO2 layer as the bottom electron transport layer. These architectures have achieved champion device efficiencies. However, they still possess unwanted features. Mesoporous structures require a high temperature (>450 °C) sintering process for the TiO2 scaffold, which will increase the cost and also not be compatible with flexible substrates. While the planar structures based on TiO2 (regular structure) usually suffer from a large degree of J-V hysteresis. Recently, another emerging structure, referred to as an "inverted" planar device structure (i.e., p-i-n), uses p-type and n-type materials as bottom and top charge transport layers, respectively. This structure derived from organic solar cells, and the charge transport layers used in organic photovoltaics were successfully transferred into perovskite solar cells. The p-i-n structure of perovskite solar cells has shown efficiencies as high as 18%, lower temperature processing, flexibility, and, furthermore, negligible J-V hysteresis effects. In this Account, we will provide a comprehensive comparison of the mesoporous and planar structures, and also the regular and inverted of planar structures. Later, we will focus the discussion on the development of the inverted planar structure of perovskite solar cells, including film growth, band alignment, stability, and hysteresis. In the film growth part, several

  11. Strategies for the optimization of organic solar cells. Doped transport layers and novel oligothiophenes with reduced band gap; Strategien zur Optimierung organischer Solarzellen. Dotierte Transportschichten und neuartige Oligothiophene mit reduzierter Bandluecke

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uhrich, Christian

    2008-03-11

    derivatives used as photoactive materials were investigated. By the attachment of electron withdrawing end groups, the ionization potential of the oligothiophenes is increased and the optical band gap is reduced at the same time. The investigated thiophene derivative DCV3T acts as an acceptor in combination with the commonly used donor-materials. A back- and forth-transfer of excitation energy is observed in blends of DCV3T and fullerene C{sub 60}. In these blends, excitons are not separated into free charge carriers. This back and forth transfer leads to an enhancement of the density of triplet excitons on DCV3T. These excitons have a potentially high diffusion length due to the long lifetime of triplet excitons. This effect was utilized in the organic solar cells. (orig.)

  12. Diketopyrrolopyrrole Polymers for Organic Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Weiwei; Hendriks, Koen H; Wienk, Martijn M; Janssen, René A J

    2016-01-19

    fullerenes via solution processing. The width of these fibers and the photon energy loss, defined as the energy difference between optical band gap and open-circuit voltage, together govern to a large extent the quantum efficiency for charge generation in these blends and thereby the power conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic devices. Lowering the photon energy loss and maintaining a high quantum yield for charge generation is identified as a major pathway to enhance the performance of organic solar cells. This can be achieved by controlling the structural purity of the materials and further control over morphology formation. We hope that this Account contributes to improved design strategies of DPP polymers that are required to realize new breakthroughs in organic solar cell performance in the future.

  13. Effects of reverse bias on the efficiency of dye solar cells

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Le Roux, Lukas J

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Dye-sensitised solar cells (DSC) have attracted much attention during the last few years due to their high efficiencies and their potentially low production costs. The technology is based on a thin layer of nano sized, high band gap (3.2 eV) TiO2...

  14. Model of Organic Solar Cell Photocurrent Including the Effect of Charge Accumulation at Interfaces and Non-Uniform Carrier Generation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Torto, Lorenzo; Cester, Andrea; Rizzo, Antonio

    2017-01-01

    We developed an improved model to fit the photocurrent density versus voltage in organic solar cells. The model has been validated by fitting data from P3HT:PCBM solar cells. Our model quantitatively accounts for the band bending near the electrodes caused by charge accumulation in the active layer...

  15. Slow light enhanced singlet exciton fission solar cells with a 126% yield of electrons per photon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, Nicholas J.; Congreve, Daniel N.; Baldo, Marc A.; Goldberg, David; Menon, Vinod M.

    2013-01-01

    Singlet exciton fission generates two triplet excitons per absorbed photon. It promises to increase the power extracted from sunlight without increasing the number of photovoltaic junctions in a solar cell. We demonstrate solar cells with an external quantum efficiency of 126% by enhancing absorption in thin films of the singlet exciton fission material pentacene. The device structure exploits the long photon dwell time at the band edge of a distributed Bragg reflector to achieve enhancement over a broad range of angles. Measuring the reflected light from the solar cell establishes a lower bound of 137% for the internal quantum efficiency

  16. Slow light enhanced singlet exciton fission solar cells with a 126% yield of electrons per photon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thompson, Nicholas J.; Congreve, Daniel N.; Baldo, Marc A., E-mail: vmenon@qc.cuny.edu, E-mail: baldo@mit.edu [Energy Frontier Research Center for Excitonics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Goldberg, David; Menon, Vinod M., E-mail: vmenon@qc.cuny.edu, E-mail: baldo@mit.edu [Department of Physics, Queens College and Graduate Center, The City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367 (United States)

    2013-12-23

    Singlet exciton fission generates two triplet excitons per absorbed photon. It promises to increase the power extracted from sunlight without increasing the number of photovoltaic junctions in a solar cell. We demonstrate solar cells with an external quantum efficiency of 126% by enhancing absorption in thin films of the singlet exciton fission material pentacene. The device structure exploits the long photon dwell time at the band edge of a distributed Bragg reflector to achieve enhancement over a broad range of angles. Measuring the reflected light from the solar cell establishes a lower bound of 137% for the internal quantum efficiency.

  17. Synthesis and characterization of copper antimony tin sulphide thin films for solar cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ali, N., E-mail: nisar.ali@utm.my [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor (Malaysia); Department of Physics, Govt. Post Graduate Jehanzeb College Saidu Sharif, Swat, 19200 (Pakistan); Hussain, A. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor (Malaysia); Ahmed, R., E-mail: rashidahmed@utm.my [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor (Malaysia); Wan Shamsuri, W.N. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor (Malaysia); Fu, Y.Q., E-mail: richard.fu@northumbria.ac.uk [Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Environment, University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST (United Kingdom)

    2016-12-30

    Highlights: • A new and novel material for solar cell applications is demonstrated as a replacement for toxic and expansive compounds. • The materials used in this compound are abundant and low cost. • Compound exhibit unusual optical and electrical properties. • The band gap was found to be comparable with that of GaAs. - Abstract: Low price thin film modules based on Copper antimony tin sulphide (CATS) are introduced for solar harvesting to compete for the already developed compound semiconductors. Here, CATS thin films were deposited on soda lime glass by thermal evaporation technique followed by a rapid thermal annealing in an argon atmosphere. From Our XRD analysis, it was revealed that the annealed samples were poly-crystalline and their crystallinity was improved with increasing annealing temperature. The constituent elements and their corresponding chemical states were identified using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The obtained optical band gap of 1.4 eV for CATS thin film is found nearly equal to GaAs – one of the highly efficient thin film material for solar cell technology. Furthermore, our observed good optical absorbance and low transmittance for the annealed CATS thin films in the visible region of light spectrum assured the aptness of the CATS thin films for solar cell applications.

  18. Self-organized InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot arrays for use in high-efficiency intermediate-band solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shoji, Yasushi; Okada, Yoshitaka; Akimoto, Katsuhiro

    2013-01-01

    We have investigated the material properties of multi-layer stacked InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs (311)B substrates. Symmetrical lens-shaped QDs were observed along [01-1], while their shape was asymmetric along the [-233] azimuth surrounded by two different dominant facets. Further, QDs were vertically aligned in the [311] direction when viewed along [01-1], while the alignment was inclined with respect to the growth direction when viewed along [-233]. The inclination angle of vertical alignment QDs became monotonically smaller from 22° to 2° with decreasing spacer layer thickness from 40 to 20 nm. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements showed that multi-stacked QDs with thinner spacer layers resulted in increased PL decay times. We believe that an electronically coupled QD state or an intermediate band was formed, if the spacer layer thickness was reduced below 20 nm in this material system. For an InGaAs/GaAs QD solar cell grown on a GaAs (311)B substrate, the external quantum efficiency showed a clear increase in the longer wavelength range due to an additive contribution from the QD layers. Furthermore, photocurrent production due to two-step absorption of sub-bandgap photons, which is a key element that is necessary to be demonstrated for an increase in the efficiency of a single-junction solar cell beyond the Shockley-Queisser, was observed at room temperature under one sun condition. This photocurrent production increased under a forward-bias regime as the QDs were partially filled with carriers under the bias.

  19. Reduced energy offset via substitutional doping for efficient organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Xiao; Sun, Weifu; Zhang, Qin; Ruan, Kelian; Cheng, Yuanyuan; Xu, Haijiao; Xu, Zhongyuan; Li, Qinghua

    2015-06-01

    Charge carrier transport in bulk heterojunction that is central to the device performance of solar cells is sensitively dependent on the energy level alignment of acceptor and donor. However, the effect of energy level regulation induced by nickel ions on the primary photoexcited electron transfer and the performance of P3HT/TiO2 hybrid solar cells remains being poorly understood and rarely studied. Here we demonstrate that the introduction of the versatile nickel ions into TiO2 nanocrystals can significantly elevate the conduction and valence band energy levels of the acceptor, thus resulting in a remarkable reduction of energy level offset between the conduction band of acceptor and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of donor. By applying transient photoluminescence and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopies, we demonstrate that the electron transfer becomes more competitive after incorporating nickel ions. In particular, the electron transfer life time is shortened from 30.2 to 16.7 ps, i.e., more than 44% faster than pure TiO2 acceptor, thus leading to a notable increase of power conversion efficiency in organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells. This work underscores the promising virtue of engineering the reduction of 'excess' energy offset to accelerate electron transport and demonstrates the potential of nickel ions in applications of solar energy conversion and photon detectors.

  20. Theoretical analysis of the influence of defect parameters on photovoltaic performances of composition graded InGaN solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorge, V.; Migan-Dubois, A.; Djebbour, Z.; Pantzas, K.; Gautier, S.; Moudakir, T.; Suresh, S.; Ougazzaden, A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► We have modeled a p–i–n InGaN-based solar cell with gradual bandgap layers. ► InGaN defects have been modeled by two band tails and one localized energy level. ► Energetic position and band tail widths have a low effect on device efficiency. ► The localized defect FWHM has a significant impact on performance. ► The efficiency drops radically when the defect density is higher than the P-doping. - Abstract: In this paper, we have used simulations to evaluate the impact of the distribution of electrically active defects on the photovoltaic performances of InGaN-based solar cell. The simulations were carried out using Silvaco's ATLAS software. We have modeled a P-GaN/Grad-InGaN/i-In 0.53 Ga 0.47 N/Grad-InGaN/N-ZnO where Grad-InGaN corresponds to an InGaN layer with a graded composition. This layer is inserted to eliminate the band discontinuities at the interface between InGaN and the GaN and ZnO layers. The defects were modeled through the introduction of band tails and a Gaussian distribution of defects in i-InGaN material. We have evaluated the influence of band tail widths as well as the parameters of the Gaussian distribution (i.e. defect density, mean position and standard deviation) on the short-circuit current, the open-circuit voltage and the fill-factor (efficiency) of the solar cell. These results have allowed us to identify key structural parameters useful for the optimization of InGaN solar cells, as well as to give realistic estimates of the performances of such cells.

  1. Theoretical analysis of the influence of defect parameters on photovoltaic performances of composition graded InGaN solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gorge, V.; Migan-Dubois, A. [LGEP, UMR 8507, CNRS, SUPELEC, UPMC, Universite Paris-Sud 11, 11 rue Joliot-Curie, Plateau de Moulon, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Djebbour, Z., E-mail: zakaria.djebbour@uvsq.fr [LGEP, UMR 8507, CNRS, SUPELEC, UPMC, Universite Paris-Sud 11, 11 rue Joliot-Curie, Plateau de Moulon, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Department of Physics and Engineering Science, University of Versailles UVSQ, 45 Av. Des Etats Unis, 78035 Versailles (France); Pantzas, K. [Georgia Institute of Technology, GT-Lorraine, 2 rue Marconi, 57 070 Metz (France); UMI 2958 Georgia Tech, CNRS, 2 rue Marconi, 57 070 Metz (France); Gautier, S. [UMI 2958 Georgia Tech, CNRS, 2 rue Marconi, 57 070 Metz (France); LMOPS, UMR 7132, CNRS, University of Metz, Supelec, 2 rue E. Belin, 57 070 Metz (France); Moudakir, T.; Suresh, S. [UMI 2958 Georgia Tech, CNRS, 2 rue Marconi, 57 070 Metz (France); Ougazzaden, A. [Georgia Institute of Technology, GT-Lorraine, 2 rue Marconi, 57 070 Metz (France); UMI 2958 Georgia Tech, CNRS, 2 rue Marconi, 57 070 Metz (France)

    2013-02-01

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We have modeled a p-i-n InGaN-based solar cell with gradual bandgap layers. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer InGaN defects have been modeled by two band tails and one localized energy level. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Energetic position and band tail widths have a low effect on device efficiency. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The localized defect FWHM has a significant impact on performance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The efficiency drops radically when the defect density is higher than the P-doping. - Abstract: In this paper, we have used simulations to evaluate the impact of the distribution of electrically active defects on the photovoltaic performances of InGaN-based solar cell. The simulations were carried out using Silvaco's ATLAS software. We have modeled a P-GaN/Grad-InGaN/i-In{sub 0.53}Ga{sub 0.47}N/Grad-InGaN/N-ZnO where Grad-InGaN corresponds to an InGaN layer with a graded composition. This layer is inserted to eliminate the band discontinuities at the interface between InGaN and the GaN and ZnO layers. The defects were modeled through the introduction of band tails and a Gaussian distribution of defects in i-InGaN material. We have evaluated the influence of band tail widths as well as the parameters of the Gaussian distribution (i.e. defect density, mean position and standard deviation) on the short-circuit current, the open-circuit voltage and the fill-factor (efficiency) of the solar cell. These results have allowed us to identify key structural parameters useful for the optimization of InGaN solar cells, as well as to give realistic estimates of the performances of such cells.

  2. Difluorobenzothiadiazole based two-dimensional conjugated polymers with triphenylamine substituted moieties as pendants for bulk heterojunction solar cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. H. Lee

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Three donor/acceptor (D/A-type two-dimensional polythiophenes (PTs; PBTFA13, PBTFA12, PBTFA11 featuring difluorobenzothiadiazole (DFBT derivatives as the conjugated (acceptor units in the polymer backbone and tertbutyl–substituted triphenylamine (tTPA-containing moieties as (donor pendants have been synthesized and characterized. These PTs exhibited good thermal stabilities, broad absorption spectra, and narrow optical band gaps. The cutoff wavelength of the UV–Vis absorption band was red-shifted upon increasing the content of the DFBT units in the PTs. Bulk heterojunction solar cells having an active layer comprising blends of the PTs and fullerene derivatives [6,6] phenyl-C61/71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM/PC71BM were fabricated; their photovoltaic performance was strongly dependent on the content of the DFBT derivative in the PT. Incorporating a suitable content of the DFBT derivative in the polymer backbone enhanced the solar absorption ability and conjugation length of the PTs. The photovoltaic properties of the PBTFA13-based solar cells were superior to those of the PBTFA11- and PBTFA12-based solar cells.

  3. Adjustment of Conduction Band Edge of Compact TiO2 Layer in Perovskite Solar Cells Through TiCl4 Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, Takurou N; Miyadera, Tetsuhiko; Funaki, Takashi; Cojocaru, Ludmila; Kazaoui, Said; Chikamatsu, Masayuki; Segawa, Hiroshi

    2017-10-25

    Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) without a mesoporous TiO 2 layer, that is, planar-type PSCs exhibit poorer cell performance as compared to PSCs with a porous TiO 2 layer, owing to inefficient electron transfer from the perovskite layer to the compact TiO 2 layer in the former case. The matching of the conduction band levels of perovskite and the compact TiO 2 layer is thus essential for enhancing PSC performance. In this study, we demonstrate the shifting of the conduction band edge (CBE) of the compact TiO 2 layer through a TiCl 4 treatment, with the aim of improving PSC performance. The CBE of the compact TiO 2 layer was shifted to a higher level through the TiCl 4 treatment and then shifted in the opposite direction, that is, to a lower level, through a subsequent heat treatment. These shifts in the CBE were reflected in the PSC performance. The TiCl 4 -treated PSC showed an increase in the open-circuit voltage of more than 150 mV, as well as a decrease of 100 mV after being heated at 450 °C. On the other hand, the short-circuit current decreased after the treatment but increased after heating at temperatures higher than 300 °C. The treated PSC subjected to subsequent heating at 300 °C exhibited the best performance, with the power conversion efficiency of the PSC being 17% under optimized conditions.

  4. Reconstructing the energy band electronic structure of pulsed laser deposited CZTS thin films intended for solar cell absorber applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandiyan, Rajesh; Oulad Elhmaidi, Zakaria; Sekkat, Zouheir; Abd-lefdil, Mohammed; El Khakani, My Ali

    2017-02-01

    We report here on the use of pulsed KrF-laser deposition (PLD) technique for the growth of high-quality Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films onto Si, and glass substrates without resorting to any post sulfurization process. The PLD-CZTS films were deposited at room temperature (RT) and then subjected to post annealing at different temperatures ranging from 200 to 500 °C in Argon atmosphere. The X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the PLD films crystallize in the characteristic kesterite CZTS structure regardless of their annealing temperature (Ta), but their crystallinity is much improved for Ta ≥ 400 °C. The PLD-CZTS films were found to exhibit a relatively dense morphology with a surface roughness (RMS) that increases with Ta (from ∼14 nm at RT to 70 nm at Ta = 500 °C with a value around 40 nm for Ta = 300-400 °C). The optical bandgap of the PLD-CZTS films, was derived from UV-vis transmission spectra analysis, and found to decrease from 1.73 eV for non-annealed films to ∼1.58 eV for those annealed at Ta = 300 °C. These band gap values are very close to the optimum value needed for an ideal solar cell absorber. In order to achieve a complete reconstruction of the one-dimensional energy band structure of these PLD-CZTS absorbers, we have combined both XPS and UPS spectroscopies to determine their chemical bondings, the position of their valence band maximum (relative to Fermi level), and their work function values. This enabled us to sketch out, as accurately as possible, the band alignment of the heterojunction interface formed between CZTS and both CdS and ZnS buffer layer materials.

  5. Recent trends in mesoscopic solar cells based on molecular and nanopigment light harvesters

    KAUST Repository

    Grä tzel, Carole; Zakeeruddin, Shaik M.

    2013-01-01

    Mesoscopic solar cells are one of the most promising photovoltaic technologies among third generation photovoltaics due to their low cost and high efficiency. The morphology of wide-band semiconductors, sensitized with molecular or nanosized light harvesters, used as electron collectors contribute substantially to the device performance. Recent developments in the use of organic-inorganic layer structured perovskites as light absorbers and as electron or hole transport materials allows reduction in the thickness of photoanodes to the submicron level and have raised the power conversion efficiency of solid state mesoscopic solar cells above the 10% level.

  6. Four-cell solar tracker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berdahl, C. M.

    1981-01-01

    Forty cm Sun tracker, consisting of optical telescope and four solar cells, stays pointed at Sun throughout day for maximum energy collection. Each solar cell generates voltage proportional to part of solar image it receives; voltages drive servomotors that keep image centered. Mirrored portion of cylinder extends acquisition angle of device by reflecting Sun image back onto solar cells.

  7. An overview of crystalline silicon solar cell technology: Past, present, and future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sopian, K.; Cheow, S. L.; Zaidi, S. H.

    2017-09-01

    Crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell, ever since its inception, has been identified as the only economically and environmentally sustainable renewable resource to replace fossil fuels. Performance c-Si based photovoltaic (PV) technology has been equal to the task. Its price has been reduced by a factor of 250 over last twenty years (from ˜ 76 USD to ˜ 0.3 USD); its market growth is expected to reach 100 GWP by 2020. Unfortunately, it is still 3-4 times higher than carbon-based fuels. With the matured PV manufacturing technology as it exists today, continuing price reduction poses stiff challenges. Alternate manufacturing approaches in combination with thin wafers, low (< 10 x) optical enhancement with Fresnel lenses, band-gap engineering for enhanced optical absorption, and newer, advanced solar cell configurations including partially transparent bifacial and back contact solar cells will be required. This paper will present a detailed, cost-based analysis of advanced solar cell manufacturing technologies aimed at higher (˜ 22 %) efficiency with existing equipment and processes.

  8. Nanocrystal Solar Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gur, Ilan [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2006-01-01

    This dissertation presents the results of a research agenda aimed at improving integration and stability in nanocrystal-based solar cells through advances in active materials and device architectures. The introduction of 3-dimensional nanocrystals illustrates the potential for improving transport and percolation in hybrid solar cells and enables novel fabrication methods for optimizing integration in these systems. Fabricating cells by sequential deposition allows for solution-based assembly of hybrid composites with controlled and well-characterized dispersion and electrode contact. Hyperbranched nanocrystals emerge as a nearly ideal building block for hybrid cells, allowing the controlled morphologies targeted by templated approaches to be achieved in an easily fabricated solution-cast device. In addition to offering practical benefits to device processing, these approaches offer fundamental insight into the operation of hybrid solar cells, shedding light on key phenomena such as the roles of electrode-contact and percolation behavior in these cells. Finally, all-inorganic nanocrystal solar cells are presented as a wholly new cell concept, illustrating that donor-acceptor charge transfer and directed carrier diffusion can be utilized in a system with no organic components, and that nanocrystals may act as building blocks for efficient, stable, and low-cost thin-film solar cells.

  9. Performance Study of CdS/Co-Doped-CdSe Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoping Zou

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to optimize the charge transfer path in quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs, we employed successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method to dope CdSe with Co for fabricating CdS/Co-doped-CdSe QDSCs constructed with CdS/Co-doped-CdSe deposited on mesoscopic TiO2 film as photoanode, Pt counter electrode, and sulfide/polysulfide electrolyte. After Co doping, the bandgap of CdSe quantum dot decreases, and the conduction band and valence band all improve, forming a cascade energy level which is more conducive to charge transport inside the solar cell and reducing the recombination of electron-hole thus improving the photocurrent and ultimately improving the power conversion efficiency. This work has not been found in the literature.

  10. Numerical simulation of solar cells besed CZTS buffer layer

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-05-01

    May 1, 2017 ... 2016, 9(2), 1001-1011. 1002. 1. INTRODUCTION. The interest of the quaternary kësterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) for solar cells based on four main factors. First, the band gap of the ... originalty and the novelty of this work lies essecialy on the calculation of the the gap energy Eg. (CZTS) and the electron affinity ...

  11. Forward Technology Solar Cell Experiment First On-Orbit Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walters, R. J.; Garner, J. C.; Lam, S. N.; Vazquez, J. A.; Braun, W. R.; Ruth, R. E.; Warner, J. H.; Lorentzen, J. R.; Messenger, S. R.; Bruninga, R.; hide

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents first on orbit measured data from the Forward Technology Solar Cell Experiment (FTSCE). FTSCE is a space experiment housed within the 5th Materials on the International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-5). MISSE-5 was launched aboard the Shuttle return to flight mission (STS-114) on July 26, 2005 and deployed on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). The experiment will remain in orbit for nominally one year, after which it will be returned to Earth for post-flight testing and analysis. While on orbit, the experiment is designed to measure a 36 point current vs. voltage (IV) curve on each of the experimental solar cells, and the data is continuously telemetered to Earth. The experiment also measures the solar cell temperature and the orientation of the solar cells to the sun. A range of solar cell technologies are included in the experiment including state-of-the-art triple junction InGaP/GaAs/Ge solar cells from several vendors, thin film amorphous Si and CuIn(Ga)Se2 cells, and next-generation technologies like single-junction GaAs cells grown on Si wafers and metamorphic InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction cells. In addition to FTSCE, MISSE-5 also contains a Thin-Film Materials experiment. This is a passive experiment that will provide data on the effect of the space environment on more than 200 different materials. FTSCE was initially conceived in response to various on-orbit and ground test anomalies associated with space power systems. The Department of Defense (DoD) required a method of rapidly obtaining on orbit validation data for new space solar cell technologies, and NRL was tasked to devise an experiment to meet this requirement. Rapid access to space was provided by the MISSE Program which is a NASA Langley Research Center program. MISSE-5 is a completely self-contained experiment system with its own power generation and storage system and communications system. The communications system, referred to as PCSat, transmits

  12. Investigation of electronic band structure and charge transfer mechanism of oxidized three-dimensional graphene as metal-free anodes material for dye sensitized solar cell application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loeblein, Manuela; Bruno, Annalisa; Loh, G. C.; Bolker, Asaf; Saguy, Cecile; Antila, Liisa; Tsang, Siu Hon; Teo, Edwin Hang Tong

    2017-10-01

    Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) offer an optimal trade-off between conversion-efficiency and low-cost fabrication. However, since all its electrodes need to fulfill stringent work-function requirements, its materials have remained unchanged since DSSC's first report early-90s. Here we describe a new material, oxidized-three-dimensional-graphene (o-3D-C), with a band gap of 0.2 eV and suitable electronic band-structure as alternative metal-free material for DSSCs-anodes. o-3D-C/dye-complex has a strong chemical bonding via carboxylic-group chemisorption with full saturation after 12 sec at capacity of ∼450 mg/g (600x faster and 7x higher than optimized metal surfaces). Furthermore, fluorescence quenching of life-time by 28-35% was measured demonstrating charge-transfer from dye to o-3D-C.

  13. Proposed suitable electron reflector layer materials for thin-film CuIn1-xGaxSe2 solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharbati, Samaneh; Gharibshahian, Iman; Orouji, Ali A.

    2018-01-01

    This paper investigates the electrical properties of electron reflector layer to survey materials as an electron reflector (ER) for chalcopyrite CuInGaSe solar cells. The purpose is optimizing the conduction-band and valence-band offsets at ER layer/CIGS junction that can effectively reduce the electron recombination near the back contact. In this work, an initial device model based on an experimental solar cell is established, then the properties of a solar cell with electron reflector layer are physically analyzed. The electron reflector layer numerically applied to baseline model of thin-film CIGS cell fabricated by ZSW (efficiency = 20.3%). The improvement of efficiency is achievable by electron reflector layer materials with Eg > 1.3 eV and -0.3 AsS4 as well as CuIn1-xGaxSe (x > 0.5) are efficient electron reflector layer materials, so the potential improvement in efficiency obtained relative gain of 5%.

  14. Cathodoluminescence and ion implantation of cadmium sulphide/cuprous sulphide solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glew, R W; Bryant, F J

    1975-10-01

    By the use of implantation with copper ions or oxygen ions of 50 keV energy, changes in the cathodoluminescence emission spectrum from cadmium sulfide/cuprous sulfide thin film manufactured solar cells have been correlated with changes in the phases of the cuprous sulfide layer. Thus, monitoring the relative intensities of cathodoluminescence emission bands affords a method of assessing the cuprous sulfide layer and possibly predicting the performance of the cells.

  15. Band alignment and charge transfer predictions of ZnO/ZnX (X = S, Se or Te) interfaces applied to solar cells: a PBE+U theoretical study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores, Efracio Mamani; Gouvea, Rogério Almeida; Piotrowski, Maurício Jeomar; Moreira, Mário Lucio

    2018-02-14

    The engineering of semiconductor materials for the development of solar cells is of great importance today. Two topics are considered to be of critical importance for the efficiency of Grätzel-type solar cells, the efficiency of charge separation and the efficiency of charge carrier transfer. Thus, one research focus is the combination of semiconductor materials with the aim of reducing charge recombination, which occurs by spatial charge separation. From an experimental point of view, the combining of materials can be achieved by decorating a core with a shell of another material resulting in a core-shell system, which allows control of the desired photoelectronic properties. In this context, a computational simulation is mandatory for the atomistic understanding of possible semiconductor combinations and for the prediction of their properties. Considering the construction of ZnO/ZnX (X = S, Se or Te) interfaces, we seek to investigate the electronic influence of the shell (ZnX) on the core (ZnO) and, consequently, find out which of the interfaces would present the appropriate properties for (Grätzel-type) solar cell applications. To perform this study, we have employed density functional theory (DFT) calculations, considering the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) functional. However, it is well-known that plain DFT fails to describe strong electronic correlated materials where, in general, an underestimation of the band gap is obtained. Thus, to obtain the correct description of the electronic properties, a Hubbard correction was employed, i.e. PBE+U calculations. The PBE+U methodology provided the correct electronic structure properties for bulk ZnO in good agreement with experimental values (99.4%). The ZnO/ZnX interfaces were built and were composed of six ZnO layers and two ZnX layers, which represents the decoration process. The core-shell band gap was 2.2 eV for ZnO/ZnS, ∼1.71 eV for ZnO/ZnSe and ∼0.95 eV for ZnO/ZnTe, which also exhibited a type-II band

  16. Lithium-modulated conduction band edge shifts and charge-transfer dynamics in dye-sensitized solar cells based on a dicyanamide ionic liquid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Yu; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Yinghui; Zhang, Min; Wang, Peng

    2011-04-19

    Lithium ions are known for their potent function in modulating the energy alignment at the oxide semiconductor/dye/electrolyte interface in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), offering the opportunity to control the associated multichannel charge-transfer dynamics. Herein, by optimizing the lithium iodide content in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide-based ionic liquid electrolytes, we present a solvent-free DSC displaying an impressive 8.4% efficiency at 100 mW cm(-2) AM1.5G conditions. We further scrutinize the origins of evident impacts of lithium ions upon current density-voltage characteristics as well as photocurrent action spectra of DSCs based thereon. It is found that, along with a gradual increase of the lithium content in ionic liquid electrolytes, a consecutive diminishment of the open-circuit photovoltage arises, primarily owing to a noticeable downward movement of the titania conduction band edge. The conduction band edge displacement away from vacuum also assists the formation of a more favorable energy offset at the titania/dye interface, and thereby leads to a faster electron injection rate and a higher exciton dissociation yield as implied by transient emission measurements. We also notice that the adverse influence of the titania conduction band edge downward shift arising from lithium addition upon photovoltage is partly compensated by a concomitant suppression of the triiodide involving interfacial charge recombination. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  17. Design and Simulation of InGaN p-n Junction Solar Cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Mesrane

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The tunability of the InGaN band gap energy over a wide range provides a good spectral match to sunlight, making it a suitable material for photovoltaic solar cells. The main objective of this work is to design and simulate the optimal InGaN single-junction solar cell. For more accurate results and best configuration, the optical properties and the physical models such as the Fermi-Dirac statistics, Auger and Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, and the doping and temperature-dependent mobility model were taken into account in simulations. The single-junction In0.622Ga0.378N (Eg = 1.39 eV solar cell is the optimal structure found. It exhibits, under normalized conditions (AM1.5G, 0.1 W/cm2, and 300 K, the following electrical parameters: Jsc=32.6791 mA/cm2, Voc=0.94091 volts, FF = 86.2343%, and η=26.5056%. It was noticed that the minority carrier lifetime and the surface recombination velocity have an important effect on the solar cell performance. Furthermore, the investigation results show that the In0.622Ga0.378N solar cell efficiency was inversely proportional with the temperature.

  18. Thin film solar cell technology in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diehl, W.; Sittinger, V.; Szyszka, B.

    2005-01-01

    Within the scope of limited nonrenewable energy resources and the limited capacity of the ecosystem for greenhouse gases and nuclear waste, sustainability is one important target in the future. Different energy scenarios showed the huge potential for photovoltaics (PV) to solve this energy problem. Nevertheless, in the last decade, PV had an average growth rate of over 20% per year. In 2002, the solar industry delivered more than 500 MWp/year of photovoltaic generators [A. Jaeger-Waldau, A European Roadmap for PV R and D, E-MRS Spring Meeting, (2003)]. More than 85% of the current production involves crystalline silicon technologies. These technologies still have a high cost reduction potential, but this will be limited by the silicon feedstock. On the other hand the so-called second generation thin film solar cells based on a-Si, Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S 2 (CIGS) or CdTe have material thicknesses of a few microns as a result of their direct band gap. Also, the possibility of circuit integration offers an additional cost reduction potential. Especially in Germany, there are a few companies who focus on thin film solar cells. Today, there are two manufacturers with production lines: the Phototronics (PST) division of RWE-Schott Solar with a-Si thin film technology and the former Antec Solar GmbH (now Antec Solar Energy GmbH) featuring the CdTe technology. A pilot line based on CIGS technology is run by Wuerth Solar GmbH. There is also a variety of research activity at other companies, namely, at Shell Solar, Sulfurcell Solartechnik GmbH, Solarion GmbH and the CIS-Solartechnik GmbH. We will give an overview on research activity on various thin film technologies, as well as different manufacturing and production processes in the companies mentioned above. (Author)

  19. Selective ablation of Copper-Indium-Diselenide solar cells monitored by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and classification methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Diego-Vallejo, David [Technische Universität Berlin, Institute of Optics and Atomic Physics, Straße des 17, Juni 135, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Laser- und Medizin- Technologie Berlin GmbH (LMTB), Applied Laser Technology, Fabeckstr. 60-62, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Ashkenasi, David, E-mail: d.ashkenasi@lmtb.de [Laser- und Medizin- Technologie Berlin GmbH (LMTB), Applied Laser Technology, Fabeckstr. 60-62, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Lemke, Andreas [Laser- und Medizin- Technologie Berlin GmbH (LMTB), Applied Laser Technology, Fabeckstr. 60-62, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Eichler, Hans Joachim [Technische Universität Berlin, Institute of Optics and Atomic Physics, Straße des 17, Juni 135, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Laser- und Medizin- Technologie Berlin GmbH (LMTB), Applied Laser Technology, Fabeckstr. 60-62, 14195 Berlin (Germany)

    2013-09-01

    Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and two classification methods, i.e. linear correlation and artificial neural networks (ANN), are used to monitor P1, P2 and P3 scribing steps of Copper-Indium-Diselenide (CIS) solar cells. Narrow channels featuring complete removal of desired layers with minimum damage on the underlying film are expected to enhance efficiency of solar cells. The monitoring technique is intended to determine that enough material has been removed to reach the desired layer based on the analysis of plasma emission acquired during multiple pass laser scribing. When successful selective scribing is achieved, a high degree of similarity between test and reference spectra has to be identified by classification methods in order to stop the scribing procedure and avoid damaging the bottom layer. Performance of linear correlation and artificial neural networks is compared and evaluated for two spectral bandwidths. By using experimentally determined combinations of classifier and analyzed spectral band for each step, classification performance achieves errors of 7, 1 and 4% for steps P1, P2 and P3, respectively. The feasibility of using plasma emission for the supervision of processing steps of solar cell manufacturing is demonstrated. This method has the potential to be implemented as an online monitoring procedure assisting the production of solar cells. - Highlights: • LIBS and two classification methods were used to monitor CIS solar cells processing. • Selective ablation of thin-film solar cells was improved with inspection system. • Customized classification method and analyzed spectral band enhanced performance.

  20. Development of polymers for large scale roll-to-roll processing of polymer solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlé, Jon Eggert

    Development of polymers for large scale roll-to-roll processing of polymer solar cells Conjugated polymers potential to both absorb light and transport current as well as the perspective of low cost and large scale production has made these kinds of material attractive in solar cell research....... The research field of polymer solar cells (PSCs) is rapidly progressing along three lines: Improvement of efficiency and stability together with the introduction of large scale production methods. All three lines are explored in this work. The thesis describes low band gap polymers and why these are needed....... Polymer of this type display broader absorption resulting in better overlap with the solar spectrum and potentially higher current density. Synthesis, characterization and device performance of three series of polymers illustrating how the absorption spectrum of polymers can be manipulated synthetically...

  1. High Photon-to-Current Conversion in Solar Cells Based on Light-Absorbing Silver Bismuth Iodide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Huimin; Pan, Mingao; Johansson, Malin B; Johansson, Erik M J

    2017-06-22

    Here, a lead-free silver bismuth iodide (AgI/BiI 3 ) with a crystal structure with space group R3‾ m is investigated for use in solar cells. Devices based on the silver bismuth iodide deposited from solution on top of TiO 2 and the conducting polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) as a hole-transport layer are prepared and the photovoltaic performance is very promising with a power conversion efficiency over 2 %, which is higher than the performance of previously reported bismuth-halide materials for solar cells. Photocurrent generation is observed between 350 and 700 nm, and the maximum external quantum efficiency is around 45 %. The results are compared to solar cells based on the previously reported material AgBi 2 I 7 , and we observe a clearly higher performance for the devices with the new silver and bismuth iodides composition and different crystal structure. The X-ray diffraction spectrum of the most efficient silver bismuth iodide material shows a hexagonal crystal structure with space group R3‾ m, and from the light absorption spectrum we obtain an indirect band gap energy of 1.62 eV and a direct band gap energy of 1.85 eV. This report shows the possibility for finding new structures of metal-halides efficient in solar cells and points out new directions for further exploration of lead-free metal-halide solar cells. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  2. Surface passivation of InP solar cells with InAlAs layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Raj K.; Flood, Dennis J.; Landis, Geoffrey A.

    1993-01-01

    The efficiency of indium phosphide solar cells is limited by high values of surface recombination. The effect of a lattice-matched In(0.52)Al(0.48)As window layer material for InP solar cells, using the numerical code PC-1D is investigated. It was found that the use of InAlAs layer significantly enhances the p(+)n cell efficiency, while no appreciable improvement is seen for n(+)p cells. The conduction band energy discontinuity at the heterojunction helps in improving the surface recombination. An optimally designed InP cell efficiency improves from 15.4 percent to 23 percent AMO for a 10 nm thick InAlAs layer. The efficiency improvement reduces with increase in InAlAs layer thickness, due to light absorption in the window layer.

  3. Study of the back recombination processes of PbS quantum dots sensitized solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badawi, Ali; Al-Hosiny, N.; Merazga, Amar; Albaradi, Ateyyah M.; Abdallah, S.; Talaat, H.

    2016-12-01

    In this study, the back recombination processes of PbS quantum dots sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) has been investigated. PbS QDs were adsorbed onto titania electrodes to act the role of sensitizers using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. The energy band gaps of the synthesized PbS QDs/titania are ranged from 1.64 eV (corresponding to 756 nm) to 3.12 eV (397 nm) matching the whole visible solar spectrum. The hyperbolic band model (HBM) was used to calculate PbS QDs size and it ranges from 1.76 to 3.44 nm. The photovoltaic parameters (open circuit voltage Voc, short circuit current density Jsc, fill factor FF and efficiency η) of the assembled PbS QDs sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) were determined under a solar illumination of 100 mW/cm2 (AM 1.5 conditions). The open circuit voltage-decay (OCVD) rates of the assembled PbS QDSSCs were measured. The time constant (τ) for PbS QDSSCs (4 SILAR cycles) shows one order of magnitude larger than that of PbS QDSSCs (8 SILAR cycles) as a result of a decreased electron-hole back recombination.

  4. Analysis of an anti-reflecting nanowire transparent electrode for solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhexin; Wang, Ken Xingze; Fan, Shanhui

    2017-03-01

    Transparent electrodes are an important component in many optoelectronic devices, especially solar cells. In this paper, we investigate a nanowire transparent electrode that also functions as an anti-reflection coating for silicon solar cells, taking into account the practical constraints that the electrode is typically encapsulated and needs to be in electric contact with the semiconductor. Numerical simulations show that the electrode can provide near-perfect broadband anti-reflection over much of the frequency range above the silicon band gap for both polarizations while keeping the sheet resistance sufficiently low. To provide insights into the physics mechanism of this broadband anti-reflection, we introduce a generalized Fabry-Perot model, which captures the effects of the higher order diffraction channels as well as the modification of the reflection coefficient of the interface introduced by the nanowires. This model is validated using frequency-domain electromagnetic simulations. Our work here provides design guidelines for nanowire transparent electrode in a device configuration that is relevant for solar cell applications.

  5. Photovoltaic solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielson, Gregory N; Okandan, Murat; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Resnick, Paul J

    2013-11-26

    A photovoltaic solar cell for generating electricity from sunlight is disclosed. The photovoltaic solar cell comprises a plurality of spaced-apart point contact junctions formed in a semiconductor body to receive the sunlight and generate the electicity therefrom, the plurality of spaced-apart point contact junctions having a first plurality of regions having a first doping type and a second plurality of regions having a second doping type. In addition, the photovoltaic solar cell comprises a first electrical contact electrically connected to each of the first plurality of regions and a second electrical contact electrically connected to each of the second plurality of regions, as well as a passivation layer covering major surfaces and sidewalls of the photovoltaic solar cell.

  6. Phosphorene-AsP heterostructure as a potential excitonic solar cell material - A first principles study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishore, M. R. Ashwin; Ravindran, P.

    2018-04-01

    Solar energy conversion to produce electricity using photovoltaics is an emerging area in alternative energy research. Herein, we report on the basis of density functional calculations, phosphorene/AsP heterostructure could be a promising material for excitonic solar cells (XSCs). Our HSE06 functional calculations show that the band gap of both phosphorene and AsP fall exactly into the optimum value range according to XSCs requirement. The calculated effective mass of electrons and holes show anisotropic in nature with effective masses along Γ-X direction is lower than the Γ-Y direction and hence the charge transport will be faster along Γ-X direction. The wide energy range of light absorption confirms the potential use of these materials for solar cell applications. Interestingly, phosphorene and AsP monolayer forms a type-II band alignment which will enhance the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and hence the recombination rate will be lower which can further improve its photo-conversion efficiency if one use it in XSCs.

  7. Quantum Junction Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Tang, Jiang

    2012-09-12

    Colloidal quantum dot solids combine convenient solution-processing with quantum size effect tuning, offering avenues to high-efficiency multijunction cells based on a single materials synthesis and processing platform. The highest-performing colloidal quantum dot rectifying devices reported to date have relied on a junction between a quantum-tuned absorber and a bulk material (e.g., TiO 2); however, quantum tuning of the absorber then requires complete redesign of the bulk acceptor, compromising the benefits of facile quantum tuning. Here we report rectifying junctions constructed entirely using inherently band-aligned quantum-tuned materials. Realizing these quantum junction diodes relied upon the creation of an n-type quantum dot solid having a clean bandgap. We combine stable, chemically compatible, high-performance n-type and p-type materials to create the first quantum junction solar cells. We present a family of photovoltaic devices having widely tuned bandgaps of 0.6-1.6 eV that excel where conventional quantum-to-bulk devices fail to perform. Devices having optimal single-junction bandgaps exhibit certified AM1.5 solar power conversion efficiencies of 5.4%. Control over doping in quantum solids, and the successful integration of these materials to form stable quantum junctions, offers a powerful new degree of freedom to colloidal quantum dot optoelectronics. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  8. Intermediate Bandgap Solar Cells From Nanostructured Silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Black, Marcie [Bandgap Engineering, Lincoln, MA (United States)

    2014-10-30

    This project aimed to demonstrate increased electronic coupling in silicon nanostructures relative to bulk silicon for the purpose of making high efficiency intermediate bandgap solar cells using silicon. To this end, we formed nanowires with controlled crystallographic orientation, small diameter, <111> sidewall faceting, and passivated surfaces to modify the electronic band structure in silicon by breaking down the symmetry of the crystal lattice. We grew and tested these silicon nanowires with <110>-growth axes, which is an orientation that should produce the coupling enhancement.

  9. The northern edge of the band of solar wind variability: Ulysses at ∼4.5AU

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gosling, J.T.; Bame, S.J.; Feldman, W.C.; McComas, D.J.; Riley, P.; Goldstein, B.E.; Neugebauer, M.

    1997-01-01

    Ulysses observations reveal that the northern edge of the low-latitude band of solar wind variability at ∼4.5AU was located at N30 degree in the latter part of 1996 when solar activity was at a minimum. This edge latitude is intermediate between edge latitudes found during previous encounters with the band edge along different portions of Ulysses close-quote polar orbit about the Sun. Corotating interaction regions, CIRs, near the northern edge of the band were tilted in such a manner that the forward and reverse shocks bounding the CIRs were propagating equatorward and poleward, respectively, providing definite confirmation that CIRs have opposed tilts in the opposite solar hemispheres. No shocks or coronal mass ejections, CMEs, were detected during the ∼1.5y traverse of the northern, high-latitude northern hemisphere; however, at the northern edge of the band of variability an expanding CME was observed that was driving a shock into the high-speed wind.copyright 1997 American Geophysical Union

  10. Impurity photovoltaic effect in silicon solar cell doped with sulphur: A numerical simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azzouzi, Ghania; Chegaar, Mohamed

    2011-01-01

    The impurity photovoltaic effect (IPV) has mostly been studied in various semiconductors such as silicon, silicon carbide and GaAs in order to increase infrared absorption and hence cell efficiency. In this work, sulphur is used as the IPV effect impurity incorporated in silicon solar cells. For our simulation we use the numerical device simulator (SCAPS). We calculate the solar cell performances (short circuit current density J sc , open circuit voltage V oc , conversion efficiency η and quantum efficiency QE). We study the influence of light trapping and certain impurity parameters like impurity concentration and position in the gap on the solar cell performances. Simulation results for IPV effect on silicon doped with sulphur show an improvement of the short circuit current and the efficiency for sulphur energy levels located far from the middle of the band gap especially at E c -E t =0.18 eV.

  11. Microcrystalline silicon films and solar cells investigatet by photoluminescence spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Merdzhanova, T.

    2005-07-01

    A systematic investigation on photoluminescence (PL) properties of microcrystalline silicon ({mu}c-Si:H) films with structural composition changing from highly crystalline to predominantly amorphous is presented. The samples were prepared by PECVD and HWCVD with different silane concentration in hydrogen (SC). By using photoluminescence in combination with Raman spectroscopy the relationship between electronic properties and the microstructure of the material is studied. The PL spectra of {mu}c-Si:H reveal a rather broad ({proportional_to}0.13 eV) featureless band at about 1 eV ('{mu}c'-Si-band). In mixed phase material of crystalline and amorphous regions, a band at about 1.3 eV with halfwidth of about 0.3 eV is found in addition to '{mu}c'-Si-band, which is attributed to the amorphous phase ('a'-Si-band). Similarly to amorphous silicon, the '{mu}c'-Si-band is assigned to recombination between electrons and holes in band tail states. An additional PL band centred at about 0.7 eV with halfwidth slightly broader than the '{mu}c'-Si-band is observed only for films prepared at high substrate temperature and it is preliminarily assigned to defect-related transitions as in polycrystalline silicon. With decreasing crystalline volume fraction, the '{mu}c'-Si-band shifts continuously to higher energies for all {mu}c-Si:H films but the linewidth of the PL spectra is almost unaffected. This is valid for all deposition conditions investigated. The results are interpreted, assuming decrease of the density of band tail states with decreasing crystalline volume fraction. A simple model is proposed to simulate PL spectra and V{sub oc} in {mu}c-Si:H solar cells as a function of temperature, based on carrier distributions in quasi-equilibrium conditions. In the model is assumed symmetric density of states distributions for electrons and holes in the conduction and the valence band tail states. The best agreement between

  12. EELS measurements of boron concentration profiles in p-a-Si and nip a-Si solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Van Aken, Bas B.; Duchamp, Martial; Boothroyd, Chris

    2012-01-01

    The p-type Si layer in a-Si and μc-Si solar cells on foil needs to fulfil several important requirements. The layer is necessary to create the electric field that separates the photo-generated charge carriers; the doping also increases the conductivity to conduct the photocurrent to the front......-3, using core-loss EELS combined with numerical analysis. We control the band gap and activation energy of p-a-SiC by varying the B2H6 and CH4 flow during deposition in the process chamber. We have found a linear relation between the activation energy of the dark conductivity Eact and the optical...... band gap E04. Modelling shows that the optimum efficiency in nip solar cells is obtained when the p-a-SiC band gap is slightly larger than the band gap of the absorber layer. We have assessed the potential of core-loss EELS for detecting B and C concentrations as low as 1020cm-3 in a spatially resolved...

  13. Open-Circuit Voltage in Organic Solar Cells: The Impacts of Donor Semicrystallinity and Coexistence of Multiple Interfacial Charge-Transfer Bands

    KAUST Repository

    Ngongang Ndjawa, Guy Olivier; Graham, Kenneth; Mollinger, Sonya; Wu, Di M.; Hanifi, David; Prasanna, Rohit; Rose, Bradley Daniel; Dey, Sukumar; Yu, Liyang; Bredas, Jean-Luc; McGehee, Michael D.; Salleo, Alberto; Amassian, Aram

    2017-01-01

    In organic solar cells (OSCs), the energy of the charge-transfer (CT) complexes at the donor-acceptor interface, E , determines the maximum open-circuit voltage (V ). The coexistence of phases with different degrees of order in the donor or the acceptor, as in blends of semi-crystalline donors and fullerenes in bulk heterojunction layers, influences the distribution of CT states and the V enormously. Yet, the question of how structural heterogeneities alter CT states and the V is seldom addressed systematically. In this work, we combine experimental measurements of vacuum-deposited rubrene/C bilayer OSCs, with varying microstructure and texture, with density functional theory calculations to determine how relative molecular orientations and extents of structural order influence E and V . We find that varying the microstructure of rubrene gives rise to CT bands with varying energies. The CT band that originates from crystalline rubrene lies up to ≈0.4 eV lower in energy compared to the one that arises from amorphous rubrene. These low-lying CT states contribute strongly to V losses and result mainly from hole delocalization in aggregated rubrene. This work points to the importance of realizing interfacial structural control that prevents the formation of low E configurations and maximizes V .

  14. Open-Circuit Voltage in Organic Solar Cells: The Impacts of Donor Semicrystallinity and Coexistence of Multiple Interfacial Charge-Transfer Bands

    KAUST Repository

    Ngongang Ndjawa, Guy Olivier

    2017-01-16

    In organic solar cells (OSCs), the energy of the charge-transfer (CT) complexes at the donor-acceptor interface, E , determines the maximum open-circuit voltage (V ). The coexistence of phases with different degrees of order in the donor or the acceptor, as in blends of semi-crystalline donors and fullerenes in bulk heterojunction layers, influences the distribution of CT states and the V enormously. Yet, the question of how structural heterogeneities alter CT states and the V is seldom addressed systematically. In this work, we combine experimental measurements of vacuum-deposited rubrene/C bilayer OSCs, with varying microstructure and texture, with density functional theory calculations to determine how relative molecular orientations and extents of structural order influence E and V . We find that varying the microstructure of rubrene gives rise to CT bands with varying energies. The CT band that originates from crystalline rubrene lies up to ≈0.4 eV lower in energy compared to the one that arises from amorphous rubrene. These low-lying CT states contribute strongly to V losses and result mainly from hole delocalization in aggregated rubrene. This work points to the importance of realizing interfacial structural control that prevents the formation of low E configurations and maximizes V .

  15. Wavelength-modulated spectroscopy of the sub-bandgap response of solar cell devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mandanirina, N.H., E-mail: s213514095@nmmu.ac.za; Botha, J.R.; Wagener, M.C.

    2016-01-01

    A wavelength-modulation setup for measuring the differential photo-response of a GaSb/GaAs quantum ring solar cell structure is reported. The pseudo-monochromatic wavelength is modulated at the output of a conventional monochromator by means of a vibrating slit mechanism. The vibrating slit was able to modulate the excitation wavelength up to 33 nm. The intensity of the light beam was kept constant through a unique flux correction module, designed and built in-house. The setup enabled measurements in the near-infrared range (from 1000 to 1300 nm), which is specifically used to probe the sub-band gap differential photo-response of GaAs solar cells.

  16. Tuning band alignment by CdS layers using a SILAR method to enhance TiO2/CdS/CdSe quantum-dot solar-cell performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bingkai; Zheng, Jiaxin; Li, Xiaoning; Fang, Yanyan; Wang, Lin-Wang; Lin, Yuan; Pan, Feng

    2016-04-28

    We report tuning band alignment by optimized CdS layers using a SILAR method to achieve the recorded best performance with about 6% PCE in TiO2/CdS/CdSe QDSSCs. Combining experimental and theoretical studies, we find that a better lattices match between CdS and TiO2 assists the growth of CdSe, and the combined effect of charge transfer and surface dipole moment at the TiO2/CdS/CdSe interface shifts the energy levels of TiO2 upward and increases Voc of the solar cells. More importantly, the band gap of CdS buffer layers is sensitive to the distortion induced by lattice mismatch and numbers of CdS layers. For example, the barrier for charge transfer disappears when there are more than 4 layers of CdS, facilitating the charge injection from CdSe to TiO2.

  17. Enhancing the Efficiency of Silicon-Based Solar Cells by the Piezo-Phototronic Effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Laipan; Wang, Longfei; Pan, Caofeng; Chen, Libo; Xue, Fei; Chen, Baodong; Yang, Leijing; Su, Li; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2017-02-28

    Although there are numerous approaches for fabricating solar cells, the silicon-based photovoltaics are still the most widely used in industry and around the world. A small increase in the efficiency of silicon-based solar cells has a huge economic impact and practical importance. We fabricate a silicon-based nanoheterostructure (p + -Si/p-Si/n + -Si (and n-Si)/n-ZnO nanowire (NW) array) photovoltaic device and demonstrate the enhanced device performance through significantly enhanced light absorption by NW array and effective charge carrier separation by the piezo-phototronic effect. The strain-induced piezoelectric polarization charges created at n-doped Si-ZnO interfaces can effectively modulate the corresponding band structure and electron gas trapped in the n + -Si/n-ZnO NW nanoheterostructure and thus enhance the transport process of local charge carriers. The efficiency of the solar cell was improved from 8.97% to 9.51% by simply applying a static compress strain. This study indicates that the piezo-phototronic effect can enhance the performance of a large-scale silicon-based solar cell, with great potential for industrial applications.

  18. Rectenna solar cells

    CERN Document Server

    Moddel, Garret

    2013-01-01

    Rectenna Solar Cells discusses antenna-coupled diode solar cells, an emerging technology that has the potential to provide ultra-high efficiency, low-cost solar energy conversion. This book will provide an overview of solar rectennas, and provide thorough descriptions of the two main components: the diode, and the optical antenna. The editors discuss the science, design, modeling, and manufacturing of the antennas coupled with the diodes. The book will provide concepts to understanding the challenges, fabrication technologies, and materials required to develop rectenna structures. Written by e

  19. Back surface studies of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simchi, Hamed

    Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells have attracted a lot of interest because they have shown the highest achieved efficiency (21%) among thin film photovoltaic materials, long-term stability, and straightforward optical bandgap engineering by changing relative amounts of present elements in the alloy. Still, there are several opportunities to further improve the performance of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 devices. The interfaces between layers significantly affect the device performance, and knowledge of their chemical and electronic structures is essential in identifying performance limiting factors. The main goal of this research is to understand the characteristics of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2-back contact interface in order to design ohmic back contacts for Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based solar cells with a range of band gaps and device configurations. The focus is on developing either an opaque or transparent ohmic back contact via surface modification or introduction of buffer layers in the back surface. In this project, candidate back contact materials have been identified based on modeling of band alignments and surface chemical properties of the absorber layer and back contact. For the first time, MoO3 and WO 3 transparent back contacts were successfully developed for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells. The structural, optical, and surface properties of MoO 3 and WO3 were optimized by controlling the oxygen partial pressure during reactive sputtering and post-deposition annealing. Valence band edge energies were also obtained by analysis of the XPS spectra and used to characterize the interface band offsets. As a result, it became possible to illuminate of the device from the back, resulting in a recently developed "backwall superstrate" device structure that outperforms conventional substrate Cu(In,Ga)Se2 devices in the absorber thickness range 0.1-0.5 microm. Further enhancements were achieved by introducing moderate amounts of Ag into the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 lattice during the co-evaporation method

  20. Characteristics and optimization of ZnO/CdS/CZTS photovoltaic solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gueddim, A.; Bouarissa, N.; Naas, A.; Daoudi, F.; Messikine, N.

    2018-02-01

    In the present contribution a ZnO/CdS/CZTS structure with new thicknesses of the different layers has been proposed using solar cell capacitance simulator. The objective of this study is the improvement of the device efficiency while varying the thickness of the various layers and the CZTS system energy band-gap. Our results showed that cells with optimal values of thicknesses of 0.1, 0.02 and 1 µm for ZnO window layer, CdS buffer layer and CZTS absorber layer, respectively give conversion efficiency of 23.56%. Furthermore, the higher performance of these cells is obtained for a CZTS band-gap energy of about 1.45 eV. The obtained conversion efficiency is comparable to those previously reported in the literature.

  1. Nanostructured Organic Solar Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Radziwon, Michal Jędrzej; Rubahn, Horst-Günter; Madsen, Morten

    Recent forecasts for alternative energy generation predict emerging importance of supporting state of art photovoltaic solar cells with their organic equivalents. Despite their significantly lower efficiency, number of application niches are suitable for organic solar cells. This work reveals...... the principles of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells fabrication as well as summarises major differences in physics of their operation....

  2. Composition-graded nanowire solar cells fabricated in a single process for spectrum-splitting photovoltaic systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caselli, Derek; Liu, Zhicheng; Shelhammer, David; Ning, Cun-Zheng

    2014-10-08

    Nanomaterials such as semiconductor nanowires have unique features that could enable novel optoelectronic applications such as novel solar cells. This paper aims to demonstrate one such recently proposed concept: Monolithically Integrated Laterally Arrayed Multiple Band gap (MILAMB) solar cells for spectrum-splitting photovoltaic systems. Two cells with different band gaps were fabricated simultaneously in the same process on a single substrate using spatially composition-graded CdSSe alloy nanowires grown by the Dual-Gradient Method in a chemical vapor deposition system. CdSSe nanowire ensemble devices tested under 1 sun AM1.5G illumination achieved open-circuit voltages up to 307 and 173 mV and short-circuit current densities as high as 0.091 and 0.974 mA/cm(2) for the CdS- and CdSe-rich cells, respectively. The open-circuit voltages were roughly three times those of similar CdSSe film cells fabricated for comparison due to the superior optical quality of the nanowires. I-V measurements were also performed using optical filters to simulate spectrum-splitting. The open-circuit voltages and fill factors of the CdS-rich subcells were uniformly larger than the corresponding CdSe-rich cells for similar photon flux, as expected. This suggests that if all wires can be contacted, the wide-gap cell is expected to have greater output power than the narrow-gap cell, which is the key to achieving high efficiencies with spectrum-splitting. This paper thus provides the first proof-of-concept demonstration of simultaneous fabrication of MILAMB solar cells. This approach to solar cell fabrication using single-crystal nanowires for spectrum-splitting photovoltaics could provide a future low-cost high-efficiency alternative to the conventional high-cost high-efficiency tandem cells.

  3. Indaceno-Based Conjugated Polymers for Polymer Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Yuli; Zhang, Yong; Zhao, Liancheng

    2018-01-04

    Polymer solar cells have received considerable attention due to the advantages of low material cost, tunable band gaps, ultralight weight, and high flexible properties, and they have been a promising organic photovoltaic technology for alternative non-renewable fossil fuels for the past decade. Inspired by these merits, numerous state-of-the-art organic photovoltaic materials have been constructed. Among them, indaceno-based polymer materials have made an impact in obtaining an impressive power conversion efficiency of more than 11%, which shows the momentous potential of this class of materials for commercial applications. In this review, recent progress of indaceno-based organic polymer solar cells are reviewed, and the structure-property device performance correlations of the reported materials are highlighted. Then, common regularities of these successful cases are collected, and encouraging viewpoints on the further development of more exciting indaceno-based organic photovoltaic materials are provided. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Radiation hard solar cell and array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, R.L.

    1975-01-01

    A power generating solar cell for a spacecraft solar array is hardened against transient response to nuclear radiation while permitting normal operation of the cell in a solar radiation environment by shunting the cell with a second solar cell whose contacts are reversed relative to the power cell to form a cell module, exposing the power cell only to the solar radiation in a solar radiation environment to produce an electrical output at the module terminals, and exposing both cells to the nuclear radiation in a nuclear radiation environment so that the radiation induced currents generated by the cells suppress one another

  5. Effect of cell thickness on the electrical and optical properties of thin film silicon solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaki, A. A.; El-Amin, A. A.

    2017-12-01

    In this work Electrical and optical properties of silicon thin films with different thickness were measured. The thickness of the Si films varied from 100 to 800 μm. The optical properties of the cell were studied at different thickness. A maximum achievable current density (MACD) generated by a planar solar cell, was measured for different values of the cell thickness which was performed by using photovoltaic (PV) optics method. It was found that reducing the values of the cell thickness improves the open-circuit voltage (VOC) and the fill factor (FF) of the solar cell. The optical properties were measured for thin film Si (TF-Si) at different thickness by using the double beam UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer in the wavelength range of 300-2000 nm. Some of optical parameters such as refractive index with dispersion relation, the dispersion energy, the oscillator energy, optical band gap energy were calculated by using the spectra for the TF-Si with different thickness.

  6. Solar cell radiation handbook

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tada, H. Y.; Carter, J. R., Jr.; Anspaugh, B. E.; Downing, R. G.

    1982-01-01

    The handbook to predict the degradation of solar cell electrical performance in any given space radiation environment is presented. Solar cell theory, cell manufacturing and how they are modeled mathematically are described. The interaction of energetic charged particles radiation with solar cells is discussed and the concept of 1 MeV equivalent electron fluence is introduced. The space radiation environment is described and methods of calculating equivalent fluences for the space environment are developed. A computer program was written to perform the equivalent fluence calculations and a FORTRAN listing of the program is included. Data detailing the degradation of solar cell electrical parameters as a function of 1 MeV electron fluence are presented.

  7. Solar-blind ultraviolet band-pass filter based on metal—dielectric multilayer structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Tian-Jiao; Xu Wei-Zong; Lu Hai; Ren Fang-Fang; Chen Dun-Jun; Zhang Rong; Zheng You-Dou

    2014-01-01

    Solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) band-pass filter has significant value in many scientific, commercial, and military applications, in which the detection of weak UV signal against a strong background of solar radiation is required. In this work, a solar-blind filter is designed based on the concept of “transparent metal”. The filter consisting of Al/SiO 2 multilayers could exhibit a high transmission in the solar-blind wavelength region and a wide stopband extending from near-ultraviolet to infrared wavelength range. The central wavelength, bandwidth, Q factor, and rejection ratio of the passband are numerically studied as a function of individual layer thickness and multilayer period. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

  8. TEMPERATUREEFFECT OFELECTRICALPROPERTIES OF CIGS SOLAR CELL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. M. Ferouani

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we are interested in studying the copper–indium–gallium–selenium (CIGS solar cells sandwiched between cadmium sulfide (CdS and ZnO as buffer layers, and Molybdenum (Mo. Thus, we report our simulation results using the capacitance simulator (SCAPS in terms of layer thickness, absorber layer band gap and operating temperature to find out the optimum choice. An efficiency of 20.61% (with Voc of 635.2mV, Jsc of 44.08 mA/cm2 and fill factor of 0.73 has been achieved with CdS used as buffer layer as the reference case. It is also found that the high efficiency CIGS cells with the low temperature were a very high efficiency conversion.

  9. Theoretical modelling of intermediate band solar cell materials based on metal-doped chalcopyrite compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palacios, P.; Sanchez, K.; Conesa, J.C.; Fernandez, J.J.; Wahnon, P.

    2007-01-01

    Electronic structure calculations are carried out for CuGaS 2 partially substituted with Ti, V, Cr or Mn to ascertain if some of these systems could provide an intermediate band material able to give a high efficiency photovoltaic cell. Trends in electronic level positions are analyzed and more accurate advanced theory levels (exact exchange or Hubbard-type methods) are used in some cases. The Ti-substituted system seems more likely to yield an intermediate band material with the desired properties, and furthermore seems realizable from the thermodynamic point of view, while those with Cr and Mn might give half-metal structures with applications in spintronics

  10. Theoretical modelling of intermediate band solar cell materials based on metal-doped chalcopyrite compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palacios, P [Instituto de Energia Solar and Dpt. de Tecnologias Especiales, ETSI de Telecomunicacion, UPM, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Sanchez, K [Instituto de Energia Solar and Dpt. de Tecnologias Especiales, ETSI de Telecomunicacion, UPM, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Conesa, J C [Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, Marie Curie 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Fernandez, J J [Dpt. de Fisica Fundamental, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, 28080, Madrid (Spain); Wahnon, P [Instituto de Energia Solar and Dpt. de Tecnologias Especiales, ETSI de Telecomunicacion, UPM, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2007-05-31

    Electronic structure calculations are carried out for CuGaS{sub 2} partially substituted with Ti, V, Cr or Mn to ascertain if some of these systems could provide an intermediate band material able to give a high efficiency photovoltaic cell. Trends in electronic level positions are analyzed and more accurate advanced theory levels (exact exchange or Hubbard-type methods) are used in some cases. The Ti-substituted system seems more likely to yield an intermediate band material with the desired properties, and furthermore seems realizable from the thermodynamic point of view, while those with Cr and Mn might give half-metal structures with applications in spintronics.

  11. Zinc oxide based dye sensitized solar cell using eosin – Y as ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A zinc oxide based Dye sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) has been fabricated, using Eosin-Y as the dye adsorbed on a nanocrystalline zinc oxide - fluorine doped tin oxide electrode, for the sensitization of the large band gap semiconductor. The absorption spectrum of Eosin-Y showed high absorption of visible light between ...

  12. High performance of mixed halide perovskite solar cells: Role of halogen atom and plasmonic nanoparticles on the ideal current density of cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohebpour, Mohammad Ali; Saffari, Mohaddeseh; Soleimani, Hamid Rahimpour; Tagani, Meysam Bagheri

    2018-03-01

    To be able to increase the efficiency of perovskite solar cells which is one of the most substantial challenges ahead in photovoltaic industry, the structural and optical properties of perovskite CH3NH3PbI3-xBrx for values x = 1-3 have been studied employing density functional theory (DFT). Using the optical constants extracted from DFT calculations, the amount of light reflectance and ideal current density of a simulated single-junction perovskite solar cell have been investigated. The results of DFT calculations indicate that adding halogen bromide to CH3NH3PbI3 compound causes the relocation of energy bands in band structure which its consequence is increasing the bandgap. In addition, the effect of increasing Br in this structure can be seen as a reduction in lattice constant, refractive index, extinction and absorption coefficient. As well, results of the simulation suggest a significant current density enhancement as much as 22% can be achieved by an optimized array of Platinum nanoparticles that is remarkable. This plan is able to be a prelude for accomplishment of solar cells with higher energy conversion efficiency.

  13. Metal nanoparticles for thin film solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gritti, Claudia

    and intensity depends on the nanoparticle’s size, shape, and local dielectric environment, thus absorption enhancement in a defined wavelength range can be achieved varying these properties (tuning the LSP resonance). Even though scattering enhancement of photons above the gap of the semiconductor is useful...... to increase light trapping and can come along regardless, we aim, as first target, to absorb forbidden (for the semiconductor) photons by the NPs which can excite hot electrons inside the metal NP and emit them directly into the conduction band of the solar cell semiconductor, without going through...... the promotion of electrons from the valence band of the semiconductor. The photoemission would extend the spectral response of the photovoltaic device. Thus, NPs are placed at the metal/semiconductor interface (in order to exploit the localization characteristic of the LSP enhancement) and are used as active...

  14. 3-D modeling of triple junction solar cells on 2-D gratings with optimized intermediate and back reflectors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Isabella, O.; Elshinawy, M.A.A.; Solntsev, S.; Zeman, M.

    2012-01-01

    Superstrate thin-film silicon triple-junction solar cells on 2-D gratings were optimized using opto-electrical modeling. Tuning the thickness of intermediate and back reflectors and the band gap of the middle cell resulted in 17% initial efficiency.

  15. How the relative permittivity of solar cell materials influences solar cell performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Crovetto, Andrea; Huss-Hansen, Mathias K.; Hansen, Ole

    2017-01-01

    of the materials permittivity on the physics and performance of the solar cell by means of numerical simulation supported by analytical relations. We demonstrate that, depending on the specific solar cell configuration and materials properties, there are scenarios where the relative permittivity has a major......The relative permittivity of the materials constituting heterojunction solar cells is usually not considered as a design parameter when searching for novel combinations of heterojunction materials. In this work, we investigate the validity of such an approach. Specifically, we show the effect...... the heterojunction partner has a high permittivity, solar cells are consistently more robust against several non-idealities that are especially likely to occur in early-stage development, when the device is not yet optimized....

  16. Perovskite Thin Film Solar Cells Based on Inorganic Hole Conducting Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pan-Pan Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites have recently shown great potential for application, due to their advantages of low-cost, excellent photoelectric properties and high power conversion efficiency. Perovskite-based thin film solar cells have achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE of up to 20%. Hole transport materials (HTMs are one of the most important components of perovskite solar cells (PSCs, having functions of optimizing interface, adjusting the energy match, and helping to obtain higher PCE. Inorganic p-type semiconductors are alternative HTMs due to their chemical stability, higher mobility, high transparency in the visible region, and applicable valence band (VB energy level. This review analyzed the advantages, disadvantages, and development prospects of several popular inorganic HTMs in PSCs.

  17. Transparent solar cell window module

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chau, Joseph Lik Hang; Chen, Ruei-Tang; Hwang, Gan-Lin; Tsai, Ping-Yuan [Nanopowder and Thin Film Technology Center, ITRI South, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Tainan County 709 (China); Lin, Chien-Chu [I-Lai Acrylic Corporation, Tainan City (China)

    2010-03-15

    A transparent solar cell window module based on the integration of traditional silicon solar cells and organic-inorganic nanocomposite material was designed and fabricated. The transparent solar cell window module was composed of a nanocomposite light-guide plate and traditional silicon solar cells. The preparation of the nanocomposite light-guide plate is easy without modification of the traditional casting process, the nanoparticles sol can be added directly to the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) monomer syrup during the process. The solar energy collected by this window can be used to power up small household electrical appliances. (author)

  18. Influence of base pressure and atmospheric contaminants on a-Si:H solar cell properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woerdenweber, J.; Schmitz, R.; Mueck, A.; Zastrow, U.; Niessen, L.; Gordijn, A.; Carius, R.; Beyer, W.; Rau, U.; Merdzhanova, T.; Stiebig, H.

    2008-01-01

    The influence of atmospheric contaminants oxygen and nitrogen on the performance of thin-film hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 13.56 MHz was systematically investigated. The question is addressed as to what degree of high base pressures (up to 10 -4 Torr) are compatible with the preparation of good quality amorphous silicon based solar cells. The data show that for the intrinsic a-Si:H absorber layer exists critical oxygen and nitrogen contamination levels (about 2x10 19 atoms/cm 3 and 4x10 18 atoms/cm 3 , respectively). These levels define the minimum impurity concentration that causes a deterioration in solar cell performance. This critical concentration is found to depend little on the applied deposition regime. By enhancing, for example, the flow of process gases, a higher base pressure (and leak rate) can be tolerated before reaching the critical contamination level. The electrical properties of the corresponding films show that increasing oxygen and nitrogen contamination results in an increase in dark conductivity and photoconductivity, while activation energy and photosensitivity are decreased. These effects are attributed to nitrogen and oxygen induced donor states, which cause a shift of the Fermi level toward the conduction band and presumably deteriorate the built-in electric field in the solar cells. Higher doping efficiencies are observed for nitrogen compared to oxygen. Alloying effects (formation of SiO x ) are observed for oxygen contaminations above 10 20 atoms/cm 3 , leading to an increase in the band gap

  19. Spectral and directional dependence of light-trapping in solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ulbrich, Carolin

    2011-02-17

    optimizes the power output of the solar cell, instead of the short circuit current density. A new method is proposed to quantify the power mismatch of a given solar cell by varying the composition of the incident spectrum. Experimentally, it is shown exemplary on a silicon thin film tandem solar cell that the efficiency can be increased by 0.5 % absolute by adopting the layer thicknesses to the power matching instead of the current matching. Moreover, the efficiency under standard conditions can be interpolated from the measurements without the need for time-consuming calibrations. It is further shown in this thesis that an angle and energy selectivity of the surface of a solar cell can enhance the light-trapping, and lead to efficiencies in very thin cells above the theoretical limit for non-concentrating solar cells. Simulations determine a theoretically achievable gain of up to 33% in the annual yield if the cell is tracked to the solar path. For non-tracked solar cells, simulations show that there is a wide angle and energy range of acceptable restrictions that lead to only minor losses but also not to gains. In experiments on hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film solar cells an enhancement of the overall path length in the device up to a factor of 3.5 was demonstrated using a Bragg-like angle selective filter. The total benefit of this potential is, however, limited by parasitic absorption in the adjacent doped layers, in the transparent conductive oxide and at the back reflector. The effective path length enhancement was a maximum factor of about 1.5, in the wavelength regime close to the band gap. Nonetheless, this thesis demonstrates an improvement in the short circuit current density of hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells by 0.2 mA/cm{sup 2}. (orig.)

  20. Radiation resistant low bandgap InGaAsP solar cell for multi-junction solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, Aurangzeb; Yamaguchi, Masafumi; Dharmaras, Nathaji; Yamada, Takashi; Tanabe, Tatsuya; Takagishi, Shigenori; Itoh, Hisayoshi; Ohshima, Takeshi

    2001-01-01

    We have explored the superior radiation tolerance of metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) grown, low bandgap, (0.95eV) InGaAsP solar cells as compared to GaAs-on-Ge cells, after 1 MeV electron irradiation. The minority carrier injection due to forward bias and light illumination under low concentration ratio, can lead to enhanced recovery of radiation damage in InGaAsP n + -p junction solar cells. An injection anneal activation energy (0.58eV) of the defects involved in damage/recovery of the InGaAsP solar cells has been estimated from the resultant recovery of the solar cell properties following minority carrier injection. The results suggest that low bandgap radiation resistant InGaAsP (0.95eV) lattice matched to InP substrates provide an alternative to use as bottom cells in multi-junction solar cells instead of less radiation ressitant conventional GaAs based solar cells for space applications. (author)

  1. Solar cell structure incorporating a novel single crystal silicon material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pankove, Jacques I.; Wu, Chung P.

    1983-01-01

    A novel hydrogen rich single crystal silicon material having a band gap energy greater than 1.1 eV can be fabricated by forming an amorphous region of graded crystallinity in a body of single crystalline silicon and thereafter contacting the region with atomic hydrogen followed by pulsed laser annealing at a sufficient power and for a sufficient duration to recrystallize the region into single crystal silicon without out-gassing the hydrogen. The new material can be used to fabricate semiconductor devices such as single crystal silicon solar cells with surface window regions having a greater band gap energy than that of single crystal silicon without hydrogen.

  2. Amorphous and microcrystalline silicon applied in very thin tandem solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schicho, Sandra

    2011-07-28

    Thin-film solar cells are fabricated by low-cost production processes, and are therefore an alternative to conventionally used wafer solar cells based on crystalline silicon. Due to the different band gaps, tandem cells that consist of amorphous (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline ({mu}c-Si:H) single junction solar cells deposited on top of each other use the solar spectrum much more efficient than single junction solar cells. The silicon layers are usually deposited on TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxide)-coated glass and metal- or plastic foils. Compared to the CdTe and CIGS based thin-film technologies, silicon thin-film solar cells have the advantage that no limitation of raw material supply is expected and no toxic elements are used. Nevertheless, the production cost per Wattpeak is the decisive factor concerning competitiveness and can be reduced by, e.g., shorter deposition times or reduced material consumption. Both cost-reducing conceptions are simultaneously achieved by reducing the a-Si:H and {mu}c-Si:H absorber layer thicknesses in a tandem device. In the work on hand, the influence of an absorber layer thickness reduction up to 77% on the photovoltaic parameters of a-Si:H/{mu}c-Si:H tandem solar cells was investigated. An industry-oriented Radio Frequency Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (RF-PECVD) system was used to deposit the solar cells on glass substrates coated with randomly structured TCO layers. The thicknesses of top and bottom cell absorber layers were varied by adjusting the deposition time. Reduced layer thicknesses lead to lower absorption and, hence, to reduced short-circuit current densities which, however, are partially balanced by higher open-circuit voltages and fill factors. Furthermore, by using very thin amorphous top cells, the light-induced degradation decreases tremendously. Accordingly, a thickness reduction of 75% led to an efficiency loss of only 21 %. By adjusting the parameters for the deposition of a-Si:H top cells, a

  3. Characterization of Nanocrystalline SiGe Thin Film Solar Cell with Double Graded-Dead Absorption Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chao-Chun Wang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The nanocrystalline silicon-germanium (nc-SiGe thin films were deposited by high-frequency (27.12 MHz plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HF-PECVD. The films were used in a silicon-based thin film solar cell with graded-dead absorption layer. The characterization of the nc-SiGe films are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. The band gap of SiGe alloy can be adjusted between 0.8 and 1.7 eV by varying the gas ratio. For thin film solar cell application, using double graded-dead i-SiGe layers mainly leads to an increase in short-circuit current and therefore cell conversion efficiency. An initial conversion efficiency of 5.06% and the stabilized efficiency of 4.63% for an nc-SiGe solar cell were achieved.

  4. Tuning back contact property via artificial interface dipoles in Si/organic hybrid solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Dan [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Department of Physics and Institute of Solid-state electronics physical, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Sheng, Jiang, E-mail: shengjiang@nimte.ac.cn; Wu, Sudong; Zhu, Juye; Chen, Shaojie; Gao, Pingqi; Ye, Jichun, E-mail: jichun.ye@nimte.ac.cn [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China)

    2016-07-25

    Back contact property plays a key role in the charge collection efficiency of c-Si/poly(3,4-ethylthiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) hybrid solar cells (Si-HSCs), as an alternative for the high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic devices. In this letter, we utilize the water soluble poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) to modify the Al/Si interface to be an Ohmic contact via interface dipole tuning, decreasing the work function of the Al film. This Ohmic contact improves the electron collection efficiency of the rear electrode, increasing the short circuit current density (J{sub sc}). Furthermore, the interface dipoles make the band bending downward to increase the total barrier height of built-in electric field of the solar cell, enhancing the open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}). The PEO solar cell exhibits an excellent performance, 12.29% power conversion efficiency, a 25.28% increase from the reference solar cell without a PEO interlayer. The simple and water soluble method as a promising alternative is used to develop the interfacial contact quality of the rear electrode for the high photovoltaic performance of Si-HSCs.

  5. Effect of Organic and Inorganic Passivation in Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de la Fuente, Mauricio Solis; Sánchez, Rafael S; González-Pedro, Victoria; Boix, Pablo P; Mhaisalkar, S G; Rincón, Marina E; Bisquert, Juan; Mora-Seró, Iván

    2013-05-02

    The effect of semiconductor passivation on quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) has been systematically characterized for CdS and CdS/ZnS. We have found that passivation strongly depends on the passivation agent, obtaining an enhancement of the solar cell efficiency for compounds containing amine and thiol groups and, in contrast, a decrease in performance for passivating agents with acid groups. Passivation can induce a change in the position of TiO2 conduction band and also in the recombination rate and nature, reflected in a change in the β parameter. Especially interesting is the finding that β, and consequently the fill factor can be increased with the passivation treatment. Applying this strategy, record cells of 4.65% efficiency for PbS-based QDSCs have been produced.

  6. Performace of Dilute Nitride Triple Junction Space Solar Cell Grown by MBE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aho Arto

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Dilute nitride arsenide antimonide compounds offer widely tailorable band-gaps, ranging from 0.8 eV to 1.4 eV, for the development of lattice-matched multijunction solar cells with three or more junctions. Here we report on the performance of GaInP/GaAs/GaInNAsSb solar cell grown by molecular beam epitaxy. An efficiency of 27% under AM0 conditions is demonstrated. In addition, the cell was measured at different temperatures. The short circuit current density exhibited a temperature coefficient of 0.006 mA/cm2/°C while the corresponding slope for the open circuit voltage was −6.8 mV/°C. Further efficiency improvement, up to 32%, is projected by better current balancing and structural optimization.

  7. World's Most Efficient Solar Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    World's Most Efficient Solar Cell National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Spectrolab Set Record For , 1999 - A solar cell that can convert sunlight to electricity at a record-setting 32 percent efficiency on Earth. Spectrolab of Sylmar, Calif., "grew" the record-setting solar cell. After

  8. Synthesis of new low band gap dyes with BF{sub 2}-azopyrrole complex and their use for dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mikroyannidis, John A. [Chemical Technology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras (Greece); Roy, M.S. [Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur (Raj.) (India); Sharma, G.D. [Physics Department, Molecular Electronic and Optoelectronic Device Laboratory, JNV University, Jodhpur (Raj.) 342005 (India); Jaipur Engineering College, Kukas, Jaipur (Raj.) (India)

    2010-08-15

    The diazonium salt derived from 4-aminobenzoic acid, 4-aminophenol or 2-aminophenol reacted with half equivalent of pyrrole to afford symmetrical 2,5-bisazopyrroles. They reacted subsequently with boron trifluoride in the presence of triethylamine to afford the corresponding BF{sub 2}-azopyrrole complexes D1, D2 and D3 respectively. They were soluble and stable in nonprotic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane and tetrahydrofuran but unstable in protic solvents such as ethanol. Their absorption spectra were broad with optical band gap of 1.49-1.70 eV. Among these dyes D2 displayed the broader absorption spectrum with low band gap E{sub g}{sup opt} of 1.49 eV. We have utilized these complexes as photosensitizers for quasi solid state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and achieved power conversion efficiency in the range of 4.0-6.0%. We have also found that the co-adsorption of citric acid hindered the formation of dye aggregates and might improve the electron injection efficiency leading to an enhancement in short circuit photocurrent. This work suggests that metal-free dyes based on BF{sub 2}-azopyrrole complex are promising candidates for improvement of the DSSC performance. (author)

  9. Rhodanine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells : spectroscopy, energy levels and photovoltaic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinado, Tannia; Hagberg, Daniel P; Hedlund, Maria; Edvinsson, Tomas; Johansson, Erik M J; Boschloo, Gerrit; Rensmo, Håkan; Brinck, Tore; Sun, Licheng; Hagfeldt, Anders

    2009-01-07

    Three new sensitizers for photoelectrochemical solar cells were synthesized consisting of a triphenylamine donor, a rhodanine-3-acetic acid acceptor and a polyene connection. The conjugation length was systematically increased, which resulted in two effects: first, it led to a red-shift of the optical absorption of the dyes, resulting in an improved spectral overlap with the solar spectrum. Secondly, the oxidation potential decreased systematically. The excited state levels were, however, calculated to be nearly stationary. The experimental trends were in excellent agreement with density functional theory (DFT) computations. The photovoltaic performance of this set of dyes as sensitizers in mesoporous TiO2 solar cells was investigated using electrolytes containing the iodide/triiodide redox couple. The dye with the best absorption characteristics showed the poorest solar cell efficiency, due to losses by recombination of electrons in TiO2 with triiodide. Addition of 4-tert butylpyridine to the electrolyte led to a strongly reduced photocurrent for all dyes due to a reduced electron injection efficiency, caused by a 0.15 V negative shift of the TiO2 conduction band potential.

  10. Photovoltaic Performance and Interface Behaviors of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells with a Sputtered-Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer by High-Temperature Annealing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wi, Jae-Hyung; Kim, Tae Gun; Kim, Jeong Won; Lee, Woo-Jung; Cho, Dae-Hyung; Han, Won Seok; Chung, Yong-Duck

    2015-08-12

    We selected a sputtered-Zn(O,S) film as a buffer material and fabricated a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cell for use in monolithic tandem solar cells. A thermally stable buffer layer was required because it should withstand heat treatment during processing of top cell. Postannealing treatment was performed on a CIGS solar cell in vacuum at temperatures from 300-500 °C to examine its thermal stability. Serious device degradation particularly in VOC was observed, which was due to the diffusion of thermally activated constituent elements. The elements In and Ga tend to out-diffuse to the top surface of the CIGS, while Zn diffuses into the interface of Zn(O,S)/CIGS. Such rearrangement of atomic fractions modifies the local energy band gap and band alignment at the interface. The notch-shape induced at the interface after postannealing could function as an electrical trap during electron transport, which would result in the reduction of solar cell efficiency.

  11. Integration of Solar Cells on Top of CMOS Chips Part I: a-Si Solar Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lu, J.; Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.; van der Werf, Karine H.M.; Schropp, Ruud E.I.; Schmitz, Jurriaan

    2011-01-01

    We present the monolithic integration of deepsubmicrometer complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) microchips with a-Si:H solar cells. Solar cells are manufactured directly on the CMOS chips. The microchips maintain comparable electronic performance, and the solar cells show efficiency values

  12. Solar cell concentrating system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garg, H.P.; Sharma, V.K.; Agarwal, R.K.

    1986-11-01

    This study reviews fabrication techniques and testing facilities for different solar cells under concentration which have been developed and tested. It is also aimed to examine solar energy concentrators which are prospective candidates for photovoltaic concentrator systems. This may provide an impetus to the scientists working in the area of solar cell technology

  13. Development of n-ZnO/p-Si single heterojunction solar cell with and without interfacial layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Babar

    The conversion efficiency of conventional silicon (Si) photovoltaic cells has not been improved significantly during last two decades but their cost decreased dramatically during this time. However, the higher price-per-watt of solar cells is still the main bottleneck in their widespread use for power generation. Therefore, new materials need to be explored for the fabrication of solar cells potentially with lower cost and higher efficiency. The n-type zinc oxide (n-ZnO) and p-type Si (p-Si) based single heterojunction solar cell (SHJSC) is one of the several attempts to replace conventional Si single homojunction solar cell technology. There are three inadequacies in the literature related to n-ZnO/p-Si SHJSC: (1) a detailed theoretical analysis to evaluate potential of the solar cell structure, (2) inconsistencies in the reported value of open circuit voltage (VOC) of the solar cell, and (3) lower value of experimentally achieved VOC as compared to theoretical prediction based on band-bending between n-ZnO and p-Si. Furthermore, the scientific community lacks consensus on the optimum growth parameters of ZnO. In this dissertation, I present simulation and experimental results related to n-ZnO/p-Si SHJSC to fill the gaps mentioned above. Modeling and simulation of the solar cell structure are performed using PC1D and AFORS-HET software taking practical constraints into account to explore the potential of the structure. Also, unnoticed benefits of ZnO in solar cells such as an additional antireflection (AR) effect and low temperature deposition are highlighted. The growth parameters of ZnO using metal organic chemical vapor deposition and sputtering are optimized. The structural, optical, and electrical characterization of ZnO thin films grown on sapphire and Si substrates is performed. Several n-ZnO/p-Si SHJSC devices are fabricated to confirm the repeatability of the VOC. Moreover, the AR effect of ZnO while working as an n-type layer is experimentally verified

  14. Effect of AlSb quantum dots on efficiency of GaAs solar cell (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansoori, Ahmad; Addamane, Sadhvikas J.; Renteria, Emma J.; Shima, Darryl M.; Hains, Christopher P.; Balakrishnan, Ganesh

    2016-09-01

    Quantum Dots (QDs) have a broad applications in science and specifically in solar cell. Many research groups show that by adding QDs with lower bandgap respect to host material, the overall absorption of sun spectrum coverage will increase. Here, we propose using QDs with higher band gap respect to host material to improve efficiency of solar cell by improving quantum efficiency. GaAs solar cells have the highest efficiency in single junction solar cells. However, the absorption of GaAs is not good enough in wavelength lower than 550nm. AlSb can absorb shorter wavelength with higher absorption coefficient and also recombination rate should be lower because of higher bandgap of AlSb respect to GaAs. We embed AlSb QDs in GaAs solar cells and results show slight improvement in quantum efficiency and also in overall efficiency. Coverage of AlSb QDs has a direct impact on quality of AlSb QDs and efficiency of cell. In the higher coverage, intermixing between GaAs and AlSb causes to shift bandgap to lower value (having AlGaSb QDs instead of pure AlSb QDs). This intermixing decrease the Voc and overall efficiency of cell. In lower coverage, AlSb can survive from intermixing and overall performance of cell improves. Optimizing growth condition of AlSb QDs is a key point for this work. By using AlSb QDs, we can decrease the thickness of active layer of GaAs solar cells and have a thinner solar cell.

  15. Radiation resistance of wide band gap n+/p AlInGaP solar cell for high-efficient multijunction space solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hae-Seok; Yamaguchi, Masafumi; Ekins-Daukes, Nicholas J.; Khan, Aurangzeb; Takamoto, Tatsuya; Imaizumi, Mitsuru; Ohshima, Takeshi; Itoh, Hisayoshi

    2007-01-01

    The effects of 30 keV proton irradiation on n + /p AlInGaP solar cells are presented here. As the proton fluence increases to more than 1x10 10 cm -2 , the maximum power P max of the cell decreases markedly due to the introduction of defects by proton irradiation. From the changes in minority-carrier diffusion length determined by quantum efficiency modeling as a function of fluence, the damage constant K L for p-AlInGaP was estimated to be about 5.0x10 -5 . This value is comparable to that observed from 3 MeV proton-irradiated p-InGaP whereas it is lower than that observed from 3 MeV proton-irradiated p-InGaAsP and p-InGaAs cells. The maximum power recovery of the cell was observed by minority-carrier-injection-enhanced annealing (1 A/cm 2 ), and the annealing activation energy for 30 keV proton-irradiation-induced defects in p-AlInGaP was determined as ΔE=0.42 eV. (author)

  16. Industrial Silicon Wafer Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dirk-Holger Neuhaus

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available In 2006, around 86% of all wafer-based silicon solar cells were produced using screen printing to form the silver front and aluminium rear contacts and chemical vapour deposition to grow silicon nitride as the antireflection coating onto the front surface. This paper reviews this dominant solar cell technology looking into state-of-the-art equipment and corresponding processes for each process step. The main efficiency losses of this type of solar cell are analyzed to demonstrate the future efficiency potential of this technology. In research and development, more various advanced solar cell concepts have demonstrated higher efficiencies. The question which arises is “why are new solar cell concepts not transferred into industrial production more frequently?”. We look into the requirements a new solar cell technology has to fulfill to have an advantage over the current approach. Finally, we give an overview of high-efficiency concepts which have already been transferred into industrial production.

  17. N/P GaAs concentrator solar cells with an improved grid and bushbar contact design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desalvo, G.C.; Mueller, E.H.; Barnett, A.M.

    1985-01-01

    The major requirements for a solar cell used in space applications are high efficiency at AMO irradiance and resistance to high energy radiation. Gallium arsenide, with a band gap of 1.43 eV, is one of the most efficient sunlight to electricity converters (25%) when the the simple diode model is used to calculate efficiencies at AMO irradiance, GaAs solar cells are more radiation resistant than silicon solar cells and the N/P GaAs device has been reported to be more radiation resistant than similar P/N solar cells. This higher resistance is probably due to the fact that only 37% of the current is generated in the top N layer of the N/P cell compared to 69% in the top layer of a P/N solar cell. This top layer of the cell is most affected by radiation. It has also been theoretically calculated that the optimized N/P device will prove to have a higher efficiency than a similar P/N device. The use of a GaP window layer on a GaAs solar cell will avoid many of the inherent problems normally associated with a GaAlAs window while still proving good passivation of the GaAs surface. An optimized circular grid design for solar cell concentrators has been shown which incorporates a multi-layer metallization scheme. This multi-layer design allows for a greater current carrying capacity for a unit area of shading, which results in a better output efficiency

  18. Degradation of CIGS solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Theelen, M.J.

    2015-01-01

    Thin film CIGS solar cells and individual layers within these solar cells have been tested in order to assess their long term stability. Alongside with the execution of standard tests, in which elevated temperatures and humidity levels are used, the solar cells have also been exposed to a

  19. Emitter/absorber interface of CdTe solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, Tao, E-mail: tsong241@gmail.com; Sites, James R. [Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 (United States); Kanevce, Ana [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

    2016-06-21

    The performance of CdTe solar cells can be very sensitive to the emitter/absorber interface, especially for high-efficiency cells with high bulk lifetime. Performance losses from acceptor-type interface defects can be significant when interface defect states are located near mid-gap energies. Numerical simulations show that the emitter/absorber band alignment, the emitter doping and thickness, and the defect properties of the interface (i.e., defect density, defect type, and defect energy) can all play significant roles in the interface recombination. In particular, a type I heterojunction with small conduction-band offset (0.1 eV ≤ ΔE{sub C} ≤ 0.3 eV) can help maintain good cell efficiency in spite of high interface defect density, much like with Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) cells. The basic principle is that positive ΔE{sub C}, often referred to as a “spike,” creates an absorber inversion and hence a large hole barrier adjacent to the interface. As a result, the electron-hole recombination is suppressed due to an insufficient hole supply at the interface. A large spike (ΔE{sub C} ≥ 0.4 eV), however, can impede electron transport and lead to a reduction of photocurrent and fill-factor. In contrast to the spike, a “cliff” (ΔE{sub C} < 0 eV) allows high hole concentration in the vicinity of the interface, which will assist interface recombination and result in a reduced open-circuit voltage. Another way to mitigate performance losses due to interface defects is to use a thin and highly doped emitter, which can invert the absorber and form a large hole barrier at the interface. CdS is the most common emitter material used in CdTe solar cells, but the CdS/CdTe interface is in the cliff category and is not favorable from the band-offset perspective. The ΔE{sub C} of other n-type emitter choices, such as (Mg,Zn)O, Cd(S,O), or (Cd,Mg)Te, can be tuned by varying the elemental ratio for an optimal positive value of ΔE{sub C}. These

  20. CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 /GeSe bilayer heterojunction solar cell with high performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Guo-Jiao; Wang, Dong-Lin; Ali, Roshan; Zhou, Yu-Rong; Zhu, Zhen-Gang; Su, Gang

    2018-01-01

    Perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) solar cells have made significant advances recently. In this paper, we propose a bilayer heterojunction solar cell comprised of a perovskite layer combining with a IV-VI group semiconductor layer, which can give a conversion efficiency even higher than the conventional perovskite solar cell. Such a scheme uses a property that the semiconductor layer with a direct band gap can be better in absorption of long wavelength light and is complementary to the perovskite layer. We studied the semiconducting layers such as GeSe, SnSe, GeS, and SnS, respectively, and found that GeSe is the best, where the optical absorption efficiency in the perovskite/GeSe solar cell is dramatically increased. It turns out that the short circuit current density is enhanced 100% and the power conversion efficiency is promoted 42.7% (to a high value of 23.77%) larger than that in a solar cell with only single perovskite layer. The power conversion efficiency can be further promoted so long as the fill factor and open-circuit voltage are improved. This strategy opens a new way on developing the solar cells with high performance and practical applications.

  1. Al2 O3 Underlayer Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jinbao; Hultqvist, Adam; Zhang, Tian; Jiang, Liangcong; Ruan, Changqing; Yang, Li; Cheng, Yibing; Edoff, Marika; Johansson, Erik M J

    2017-10-09

    Perovskite solar cells, as an emergent technology for solar energy conversion, have attracted much attention in the solar cell community by demonstrating impressive enhancement in power conversion efficiencies. However, the high temperature and manually processed TiO 2 underlayer prepared by spray pyrolysis significantly limit the large-scale application and device reproducibility of perovskite solar cells. In this study, lowtemperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to prepare a compact Al 2 O 3 underlayer for perovskite solar cells. The thickness of the Al 2 O 3 layer can be controlled well by adjusting the deposition cycles during the ALD process. An optimal Al 2 O 3 layer effectively blocks electron recombination at the perovskite/fluorine-doped tin oxide interface and sufficiently transports electrons through tunneling. Perovskite solar cells fabricated with an Al 2 O 3 layer demonstrated a highest efficiency of 16.2 % for the sample with 50 ALD cycles (ca. 5 nm), which is a significant improvement over underlayer-free PSCs, which have a maximum efficiency of 11.0 %. Detailed characterization confirms that the thickness of the Al 2 O 3 underlayer significantly influences the charge transfer resistance and electron recombination processes in the devices. Furthermore, this work shows the feasibility of using a high band-gap semiconductor such as Al 2 O 3 as the underlayer in perovskite solar cells and opens up pathways to use ALD Al 2 O 3 underlayers for flexible solar cells. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Solar cell with back side contacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielson, Gregory N; Okandan, Murat; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Resnick, Paul J; Wanlass, Mark Woodbury; Clews, Peggy J

    2013-12-24

    A III-V solar cell is described herein that includes all back side contacts. Additionally, the positive and negative electrical contacts contact compoud semiconductor layers of the solar cell other than the absorbing layer of the solar cell. That is, the positive and negative electrical contacts contact passivating layers of the solar cell.

  3. Obtaining Target for Solar Cells with Unconventional Supports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariana Buga

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available The main technological aim is to develop experimental models of magnetron targets of CuInS2 and CuInSe2, controlled Ga doped in concentrations ranging between 7% and 17%. Advantage of using CuInS2 in manufacturing of solar cells is the presence of nontoxic sulfur. The optimum concentration of Ga determine surely the best crystalline phase of CuInS2 and results are an improvement of the absorbtion band and therefore an increase of quantum efficiency of the quaternary mixture – CIGS in double thin layer.

  4. Three-Terminal Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng-Hung Tai

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Many defects exist within amorphous silicon since it is not crystalline. This provides recombination centers, thus reducing the efficiency of a typical a-Si solar cell. A new structure is presented in this paper: a three-terminal a-Si solar cell. The new back-to-back p-i-n/n-i-p structure increased the average electric field in a solar cell. A typical a-Si p-i-n solar cell was also simulated for comparison using the same thickness and material parameters. The 0.28 μm-thick three-terminal a-Si solar cell achieved an efficiency of 11.4%, while the efficiency of a typical a-Si p-i-n solar cell was 9.0%. Furthermore, an efficiency of 11.7% was achieved by thickness optimization of the three-terminal solar cell.

  5. Hybrid zinc oxide/graphene electrodes for depleted heterojunction colloidal quantum-dot solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tavakoli, Mohammad Mahdi; Aashuri, Hossein; Simchi, Abdolreza; Fan, Zhiyong

    2015-10-07

    Recently, hybrid nanocomposites consisting of graphene/nanomaterial heterostructures have emerged as promising candidates for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices. In this work, we have employed a facile and in situ solution-based process to prepare zinc oxide/graphene quantum dots (ZnO/G QDs) in a hybrid structure. The prepared hybrid dots are composed of a ZnO core, with an average size of 5 nm, warped with graphene nanosheets. Spectroscopic studies show that the graphene shell quenches the photoluminescence intensity of the ZnO nanocrystals by about 72%, primarily due to charge transfer reactions and static quenching. A red shift in the absorption peak is also observed. Raman spectroscopy determines G-band splitting of the graphene shell into two separated sub-bands (G(+), G(-)) caused by the strain induced symmetry breaking. It is shown that the hybrid ZnO/G QDs can be used as a counter-electrode for heterojunction colloidal quantum-dot solar cells for efficient charge-carrier collection, as evidenced by the external quantum efficiency measurement. Under the solar simulated spectrum (AM 1.5G), we report enhanced power conversion efficiency (35%) with higher short current circuit (80%) for lead sulfide-based solar cells as compared to devices prepared by pristine ZnO nanocrystals.

  6. Improve photovoltaic performance of titanium dioxide nanorods based dye-sensitized solar cells by Ca-doping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Weixin; Yang, Junyou; Zhang, Jiaqi; Gao, Sheng; Luo, Yubo; Liu, Ming

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • TiO 2 nanorods doped with Ca ions were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method. • The flat band edge of rutile TiO 2 shifted positively via Ca-doping. • The photoelectric conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on TiO 2 electrode was much enhanced by Ca-doping. • A relatively high open circuit voltage was obtained by adopting Ca-doped TiO 2 nanorods electrode. - Abstract: Ca-doped TiO 2 nanorod arrays were prepared via the one-step hydrothermal method successfully, and the effect of Ca ions content on the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells has been fully discussed in the paper. Although no obvious change on the microstructure and morphology was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope for the Ca-doped samples, the results of X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that Ti 4+ was substituted with Ca 2+ successfully. UV–vis spectroscopy results revealed that the flat band edge shifted positively by Ca ions doping. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells based on the 2 mol% Ca-doped TiO 2 electrode was 43% higher than that of the undoped one due to the less recombination possibility

  7. Efficient Lead-Free Solar Cells Based on Hollow {en}MASnI3 Perovskites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ke, Weijun; Stoumpos, Constantinos C; Spanopoulos, Ioannis; Mao, Lingling; Chen, Michelle; Wasielewski, Michael R; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G

    2017-10-18

    Tin-based perovskites have very comparable electronic properties to lead-based perovskites and are regarded as possible lower toxicity alternates for solar cell applications. However, the efficiency of tin-based perovskite solar cells is still low and they exhibit poor air stability. Here, we report lead-free tin-based solar cells with greatly enhanced performance and stability using so-called "hollow" ethylenediammonium and methylammonium tin iodide ({en}MASnI 3 ) perovskite as absorbers. Our results show that en can improve the film morphology and most importantly can serve as a new cation to be incorporated into the 3D MASnI 3 lattice. When the cation of en becomes part of the 3D structure, a high density of SnI 2 vacancies is created resulting in larger band gap, larger unit cell volume, lower trap-state density, and much longer carrier lifetime compared to classical MASnI 3 . The best-performing {en}MASnI 3 solar cell has achieved a high efficiency of 6.63% with an open circuit voltage of 428.67 mV, a short-circuit current density of 24.28 mA cm -2 , and a fill factor of 63.72%. Moreover, the {en}MASnI 3 device shows much better air stability than the neat MASnI 3 device. Comparable performance is also achieved for cesium tin iodide solar cells with en loading, demonstrating the broad scope of this approach.

  8. Bias-dependent high saturation solar LBIC scanning of solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vorster, F.J.; van Dyk, E.E. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa)

    2007-06-15

    A light beam-induced current measurement system that uses concentrated solar radiation as a beam probe to map spatially distributed defects on a solar cell has been developed and tested [F.J. Vorster, E.E. van Dyk, Rev. Sci. Instrum., submitted for review]. The induced current response from a flat plate EFG Si solar cell was mapped as a function of surface position and cell bias by using a solar light beam induced current (S-LBIC) mapping system while at the same time dynamically biasing the whole cell with an external voltage. This paper examines the issues relating to transient capacitive effects as well as the electrical behaviour of typical solar cell defect mechanisms under spot illumination. By examining the bias dependence of the S-LBIC maps, various defect mechanisms of photovoltaic (PV) cells under concentrated solar irradiance may be identified. The techniques employed to interpret the spatially distributed IV curves as well as initial results are discussed. (author)

  9. Solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    A method of producing solar cells is described which consists of producing a substantially monocrystalline tubular body of silicon or other suitable semiconductor material, treating this body to form an annular rectifying junction and then cutting it longitudinally to form a number of nearly flat ribbons from which the solar cells are fabricated. The P=N rectifying junction produced by the formation of silicon dioxide on the layers at the inner and outer surfaces of the body can be formed by ion-implantation or diffusion. (U.K.)

  10. High resolution measurements of solar induced chlorophyll fluorescence in the Fraunhofer oxigen bands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzoni, M.; Agati, G.; Cecchi, G.; Toci, G.; Mazzinghi, P.

    2017-11-01

    Spectra of solar radiance reflected by leaves close to the Fraunhofer bands show the net contribution of chlorophyll fluorescence emission which adds to the reflected solar spectra. In a laboratory experiment, a low stray light, high resolution, 0.85 m double monochromator was used to filter radiation living leaves still attached to the plant in correspondence of the 687 nm and 760 nm O2 absorption bands. Reference spectra from a non fluorescent white reference were also acquired. Acquisition was performed by a Microchannel plate (MCP) intensified diode array with 512 elements. A fit of the spectral data outside the absorption lines allowed to retrieve the spectral base-line as a function of wavelength for the reference panel and the leaf. Reflectance functions were determined extending the Plascyck equation system to all the resolved lines of the oxygen absorption bands and using the base-lines for the continuum values. Fluorescence was deduced from the same equation system, using both the measured leaf and reference radiance spectra and the leaf reflectance fitting function.

  11. Gallium Phosphide Integrated with Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chaomin

    It has been a long-standing goal to epitaxially integrate III-V alloys with Si substrates which can enable low-cost microelectronic and optoelectronic systems. Among the III-V alloys, gallium phosphide (GaP) is a strong candidate, especially for solar cells applications. Gallium phosphide with small lattice mismatch ( 0.4%) to Si enables coherent/pseudomorphic epitaxial growth with little crystalline defect creation. The band offset between Si and GaP suggests that GaP can function as an electron-selective contact, and it has been theoretically shown that GaP/Si integrated solar cells have the potential to overcome the limitations of common a-Si based heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. Despite the promising potential of GaP/Si heterojunction solar cells, there are two main obstacles to realize high performance photovoltaic devices from this structure. First, the growth of the polar material (GaP) on the non-polar material (Si) is a challenge in how to suppress the formation of structural defects, such as anti-phase domains (APD). Further, it is widely observed that the minority-carrier lifetime of the Si substrates is significantly decreased during epitaxially growth of GaP on Si. In this dissertation, two different GaP growth methods were compared and analyzed, including migration-enhanced epitaxy (MEE) and traditional molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). High quality GaP can be realized on precisely oriented (001) Si substrates by MBE growth, and the investigation of structural defect creation in the GaP/Si epitaxial structures was conducted using high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The mechanisms responsible for lifetime degradation were further investigated, and it was found that external fast diffusors are the origin for the degradation. Two practical approaches including the use of both a SiNx diffusion barrier layer and P-diffused layers, to suppress the Si minority-carrier lifetime degradation

  12. Coupling of Luminescent Solar Concentrators to Plasmonic Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shu-Yi

    To make inexpensive solar cells is a continuous goal for solar photovoltaic (PV) energy industry. Thin film solar cells of various materials have been developed and continue to emerge in order to replace bulk silicon solar cells. A thin film solar cell not only uses less material but also requires a less expensive refinery process. In addition, other advantages coming along with small thickness are higher open circuit voltage and higher conversion efficiency. However, thin film solar cells, especially those made of silicon, have significant optical losses. In order to address this problem, this thesis investigates the spectral coupling of thin films PV to luminescent solar concentrators (LSC). LSC are passive devices, consisting of plastic sheets embedded with fluorescent dyes which absorb part of the incoming radiation spectrum and emit at specific wavelength. The emitted light is concentrated by total internal reflection to the edge of the sheet, where the PVs are placed. Since the light emitted from the LSC edge is usually in a narrow spectral range, it is possible to employ diverse strategies to enhance PV absorption at the peak of the emission wavelength. Employing plasmonic nanostructures has been shown to enhance absorption of thin films via forward scattering, diffraction and localized surface plasmon. These two strategies are theoretically investigated here for improving the absorption and elevating the output power of a thin film solar cell. First, the idea of spectral coupling of luminescent solar concentrators to plasmonic solar cells is introduced to assess its potential for increasing the power output. This study is carried out employing P3HT/PC60BM organic solar cells and LSC with Lumogen Red dyes. A simplified spectral coupling analysis is employed to predict the power density, considering the output spectrum of the LSC equivalent to the emission spectrum of the dye and neglecting any angular dependence. Plasmonic tuning is conducted to enhance

  13. New mounting improves solar-cell efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepard, N. F., Jr.

    1980-01-01

    Method boosts output by about 20 percent by trapping and redirecting solar radiation without increasing module depth. Mounted solar-cell array is covered with internally reflecting plate. Plate is attached to each cell by transparent adhesive, and space between cells is covered with layer of diffusely reflecting material. Solar energy falling on space between cells is diffused and reflected internally by plate until it is reflected onto solar cell.

  14. Chemical Bath Deposition and Characterization of CdS layer for CZTS Thin Film Solar Cell

    OpenAIRE

    Kamal, Tasnim; Parvez, Sheikh; Matin, Rummana; Bashar, Mohammad Shahriar; Hossain, Tasnia; Sarwar, Hasan; Rashid, Mohammad Junaebur

    2016-01-01

    CZTS is a new type of an absorber and abundant materials for thin film solar cells (TFSC). Cadmium sulfide (CdS) is the n-type buffer layer of it with band gap of 2.42 eV. Cadmium sulfide (CdS) buffer layer of CZTS solar cell was deposited on soda-lime glass substrates by the Chemical Bath Deposition(CBD) method, using anhydrous Cadmium chloride(CdCl_2) and Thiourea (CS(NH_2)_2). Deposition of CdS using CBD is based on the slow release of Cd^ ions and S^ ions in an alkaline bath which is achi...

  15. Fabrication and characterization of inverted organic solar cells using shuttle cock-type metal phthalocyanine and PCBM:P3HT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suzuki, Atsushi, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.jp; Furukawa, Ryo, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.jp; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.jp; Oku, Takeo, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.jp [Department of Materials Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture 2500 Hassaka, Hikone, Shiga 522-8533 (Japan)

    2015-02-27

    Inverted organic solar cells using shuttle cock-type phthalocyanine, semiconducting polymer and fullerenes were fabricated and characterized. Photovoltaic and optical properties of the solar cells with inverted structures were investigated by optical absorption, current density-voltage characteristics. The photovoltaic properties of the tandem organic solar cell using titanyl phthalocyanine, vanadyl phthalocyanine, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6, 6]-phenyl C{sub 61}-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were improved. Effect of annealing and solvent treatment on surface morphologies of the active layer was investigated. The photovoltaic mechanisms, energy levels and band gap of active layers were discussed for improvement of the photovoltaic performance.

  16. Fabrication and characterization of inverted organic solar cells using shuttle cock-type metal phthalocyanine and PCBM:P3HT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Atsushi; Furukawa, Ryo; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi; Oku, Takeo

    2015-01-01

    Inverted organic solar cells using shuttle cock-type phthalocyanine, semiconducting polymer and fullerenes were fabricated and characterized. Photovoltaic and optical properties of the solar cells with inverted structures were investigated by optical absorption, current density-voltage characteristics. The photovoltaic properties of the tandem organic solar cell using titanyl phthalocyanine, vanadyl phthalocyanine, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6, 6]-phenyl C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were improved. Effect of annealing and solvent treatment on surface morphologies of the active layer was investigated. The photovoltaic mechanisms, energy levels and band gap of active layers were discussed for improvement of the photovoltaic performance

  17. Quantum dot solar cells

    CERN Document Server

    Wu, Jiang

    2013-01-01

    The third generation of solar cells includes those based on semiconductor quantum dots. This sophisticated technology applies nanotechnology and quantum mechanics theory to enhance the performance of ordinary solar cells. Although a practical application of quantum dot solar cells has yet to be achieved, a large number of theoretical calculations and experimental studies have confirmed the potential for meeting the requirement for ultra-high conversion efficiency. In this book, high-profile scientists have contributed tutorial chapters that outline the methods used in and the results of variou

  18. Quantum dot solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahamefula, U.C.; Sulaiman, M.Y.; Sopian, K.; Ibarahim, Z.; Ibrahim, N.; Alghoul, M.A.; Haw, L.C.; Yahya, M.; Amin, N.; Mat, S.; Ruslan, M.H.

    2009-01-01

    Full text: The much awaited desire of replacing fossil fuel with photovoltaic will remain a fairy tale if the myriad of issues facing solar cell development are marginalized. Foremost in the list is the issue of cost. Silicon has reached a stage where its use on large scale can no longer be lavishly depended upon. The demand for high grade silicon from the microelectronics and solar industries has soared leading to scarcity. New approach has to be sought. Notable is the increased attention on thin films such as cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium diselenide, amorphous silicon, and the not so thin non-crystalline family of silicon. While efforts to address the issues of stability, toxicity and efficiency of these systems are ongoing, another novel approach is quietly making its appearance - quantum dots. Quantum dots seem to be promising candidates for solar cells because of the opportunity to manipulate their energy levels allowing absorption of a wider solar spectrum. Utilization of minute quantity of these nano structures is enough to bring the cost of solar cell down and to ascertain sustainable supply of useful material. The paper outlines the progress that has been made on quantum dot solar cells. (author)

  19. Research Update: Physical and electrical characteristics of lead halide perovskites for solar cell applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon A. Bretschneider

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The field of thin-film photovoltaics has been recently enriched by the introduction of lead halide perovskites as absorber materials, which allow low-cost synthesis of solar cells with efficiencies exceeding 16%. The exact impact of the perovskite crystal structure and composition on the optoelectronic properties of the material are not fully understood. Our progress report highlights the knowledge gained about lead halide perovskites with a focus on physical and optoelectronic properties. We discuss the crystal and band structure of perovskite materials currently implemented in solar cells and the impact of the crystal properties on ferroelectricity, ambipolarity, and the properties of excitons.

  20. Characteristics of photocurrent generation in the near-ultraviolet region in Si quantum-dot sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchida, Giichiro; Sato, Muneharu; Seo, Hyunwoong; Kamataki, Kunihiro; Itagaki, Naho; Koga, Kazunori; Shiratani, Masaharu

    2013-01-01

    We have studied photocurrent generation in Si quantum-dot (QD) sensitized solar cells, where QD thin films composed of Si nanoparticles were deposited using the double multi-hollow discharge plasma chemical vapor deposition process in an SiH 4 /H 2 and CH 4 or N 2 gas mixture. The short-circuit current density of the Si QD sensitized solar cells increases by a factor of 2.5 by using Si nanoparticles prepared by irradiation of CH 4 or N 2 plasma onto the Si nanoparticle surface. We have measured incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) in the near-ultraviolet range using quartz-glass front panels of the QD sensitized solar cells. With decreasing the wavelength of irradiation light, IPCE gradually increases upon light irradiation in a wavelength range less than about 600 nm, and then steeply increases below 300 nm, corresponding to 2.2 times the optical band-gap energy of Si QD film. - Highlights: • We have developed on Si quantum-dot sensitized solar cells using Si particles. • Current of solar cells increases by surface-termination of Si particles. • Incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency increases below 300 nm

  1. Dye Sensitized Solar Cell, DSSC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pongsatorn Amornpitoksuk

    2003-07-01

    Full Text Available A dye sensitized solar cell is a new type of solar cell. The operating system of this solar cell type is similar to plant’s photosynthesis process. The sensitizer is available for absorption light and transfer electrons to nanocrystalline metal oxide semiconductor. The ruthenium(II complexes with polypyridyl ligands are usually used as the sensitizers in solar cell. At the present time, the complex of [Ru(2,2',2'’-(COOH3- terpy(NCS3] is the most efficient sensitizer. The total photon to current conversion efficiency was approximately 10% at AM = 1.5.

  2. Effect of III-nitride polarization on V{sub OC} in p-i-n and MQW solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Namkoong, Gon; Boland, Patrick; Foe, Kurniawan; Latimer, Kevin [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Applied Research Center, 12050 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23606 (United States); Bae, Si-Young; Shim, Jae-Phil; Lee, Dong-Seon [School of Information and Communications, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 261 Cheomdan-gwagiro (Oryong-dong), Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Jeon, Seong-Ran [Korea Photonics Technology Institute, 971-35, Wolchul-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 500-779 (Korea, Republic of); Doolittle, W. Alan [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 (United States)

    2011-02-15

    We performed detailed studies of the effect of polarization on III-nitride solar cells. Spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations were assessed to determine their impacts upon the open circuit voltages (V{sub OC}) in p-i(InGaN)-n and multi-quantum well (MQW) solar cells. We found that the spontaneous polarization in Ga-polar p-i-n solar cells strongly modifies energy band structures and corresponding electric fields in a way that degrades V{sub OC} compared to non-polar p-i-n structures. In contrast, we found that piezoelectric polarization in Ga-polar MQW structures does not have a large influence on V{sub OC} compared to non-polar MQW structures. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  3. Effect of the LHCII pigment-protein complex aggregation on photovoltaic properties of sensitized TiO2 solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yiqun; Jankowiak, Ryszard; Lin, Chen; Pawlak, Krzysztof; Reus, Michael; Holzwarth, Alfred R; Li, Jun

    2014-10-14

    A modified dye-sensitized solar cell consisting of a thin TiO2 barrier layer sensitized with natural trimeric light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) from spinach was used as a biomimetic model to study the effects of LHCII aggregation on the photovoltaic properties. The aggregation of individual trimers induced molecular reorganization, which dramatically increased the photocurrent. The morphology of small- and large-size LHCII aggregates deposited on a surface was confirmed by atomic force microscopy. Enhanced LHCII immobilization was accomplished via electrostatic interaction with amine-functionalized photoanodes. The photocurrent responses of the assembled solar cells under illumination at three characteristic wavelength bands in the UV-Vis absorption spectra of LHCII solutions confirmed that a significant photocurrent was generated by LHCII photosensitizers. The enhanced photocurrent by large aggregated LHCII is shown to correlate with the quenching in the far-red fluorescence deriving from chlorophyll-chlorophyll charge transfer states that are effectively coupled with the TiO2 surface and thus inject electrons into the TiO2 conduction band. The large aggregated LHCII with more chlorophyll-chlorophyll charge transfer states is a much better sensitizer since it injects electrons more efficiently into the conduction band of TiO2 than the small aggregated LHCII mostly consisting of unquenched chlorophyll excited state. The assembled solar cells demonstrated remarkable stability in both aqueous buffer and acetonitrile electrolytes over 30 days.

  4. Indium sulfide thin films as window layer in chemically deposited solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lugo-Loredo, S. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, Av. Universidad S/N Ciudad Universitaria San Nicolás de Los Garza Nuevo León, C.P. 66451 (Mexico); Peña-Méndez, Y., E-mail: yolapm@gmail.com [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, Av. Universidad S/N Ciudad Universitaria San Nicolás de Los Garza Nuevo León, C.P. 66451 (Mexico); Calixto-Rodriguez, M. [Universidad Tecnológica Emiliano Zapata del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad Tecnológica No. 1, C.P. 62760 Emiliano Zapata, Morelos (Mexico); Messina-Fernández, S. [Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Ciudad de la Cultura “Amado Nervo” S/N, C.P. 63190 Tepic, Nayarit (Mexico); Alvarez-Gallegos, A. [Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Av. Universidad 1001, C.P. 62209, Cuernavaca Morelos (Mexico); Vázquez-Dimas, A.; Hernández-García, T. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, Av. Universidad S/N Ciudad Universitaria San Nicolás de Los Garza Nuevo León, C.P. 66451 (Mexico)

    2014-01-01

    Indium sulfide (In{sub 2}S{sub 3}) thin films have been synthesized by chemical bath deposition technique onto glass substrates using In(NO{sub 3}){sub 3} as indium precursor and thioacetamide as sulfur source. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the crystalline state of the as-prepared and the annealed films is β-In{sub 2}S{sub 3}. Optical band gap values between 2.27 and 2.41 eV were obtained for these films. The In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films are photosensitive with an electrical conductivity value in the range of 10{sup −3}–10{sup −7} (Ω cm){sup −1}, depending on the film preparation conditions. We have demonstrated that the In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films obtained in this work are suitable candidates to be used as window layer in thin film solar cells. These films were integrated in SnO{sub 2}:F/In{sub 2}S{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3}/PbS/C–Ag solar cell structures, which showed an open circuit voltage of 630 mV and a short circuit current density of 0.6 mA/cm{sup 2}. - Highlights: • In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films were deposited using the Chemical Bath Deposition technique. • A direct energy band gap between 2.41 to 2.27 eV was evaluated for the In{sub 2}S{sub 3} films. • We made chemically deposited solar cells using the In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films.

  5. Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Di Wei

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC is the only solar cell that can offer both the flexibility and transparency. Its efficiency is comparable to amorphous silicon solar cells but with a much lower cost. This review not only covers the fundamentals of DSSC but also the related cutting-edge research and its development for industrial applications. Most recent research topics on DSSC, for example, applications of nanostructured TiO2, ZnO electrodes, ionic liquid electrolytes, carbon nanotubes, graphene and solid state DSSC have all been included and discussed.

  6. A facile inexpensive route for SnS thin film solar cells with SnS{sub 2} buffer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gedi, Sreedevi [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Solar Photovoltaic Laboratory, Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswasra University, Tirupati 517 502 (India); Minna Reddy, Vasudeva Reddy, E-mail: drmvasudr9@gmail.com [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Solar Photovoltaic Laboratory, Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswasra University, Tirupati 517 502 (India); Pejjai, Babu [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Solar Photovoltaic Laboratory, Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswasra University, Tirupati 517 502 (India); Jeon, Chan-Wook [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chinho, E-mail: chpark@ynu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Ramakrishna Reddy, K.T., E-mail: ktrkreddy@gmail.com [Solar Photovoltaic Laboratory, Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswasra University, Tirupati 517 502 (India)

    2016-05-30

    Graphical abstract: PYS spectra of SnS/SnS{sub 2} interface and the related band diagram. - Highlights: • A low cost SnS solar cell is developed using chemical bath deposition. • We found E{sub I} & χ of SnS (5.3 eV & 4.0 eV) and SnS{sub 2} (6.9 eV & 4.1 eV) films from PYS. • Band offsets of 0.1 eV (E{sub c}) and 1.6 eV (E{sub v}) are estimated for SnS/SnS{sub 2} junction. • SnS based solar cell showed a conversion efficiency of 0.51%. - Abstract: Environment-friendly SnS based thin film solar cells with SnS{sub 2} as buffer layer were successfully fabricated from a facile inexpensive route, chemical bath deposition (CBD). Layer studies revealed that as-grown SnS and SnS{sub 2} films were polycrystalline; (1 1 1)/(0 0 1) peaks as the preferred orientation; 1.3 eV/2.8 eV as optical band gaps; and showed homogeneous microstructure with densely packed grains respectively. Ionization energy and electron affinity values were found by applying photoemission yield spectroscopy (PYS) to the CBD deposited SnS and SnS{sub 2} films for the first time. These values obtained as 5.3 eV and 4.0 eV for SnS films; 6.9 eV and 4.1 eV for SnS{sub 2} films. The band alignment of SnS/SnS{sub 2} junction showed TYPE-II heterostructure. The estimated conduction and valance band offsets were 0.1 eV and 1.6 eV respectively. The current density–voltage (J–V) measurements of the cell showed open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) of 0.12 V, short circuit current density (J{sub sc}) of 10.87 mA cm{sup −2}, fill factor (FF) of 39% and conversion efficiency of 0.51%.

  7. Simulating characteristics of Si/Ge tandem monolithic solar cell with Si1-xGex buffer layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gnilenko A. B.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In spite of many efforts to propose new semiconductor materials and sophisticated constructions of solar cells, crystalline silicone remains the main photovoltaic material widely used up to now. There are various methods to enhance the efficiency of silicone solar cells. One of them is to combine silicone with an additional semiconductor material with the different bandgap to form a tandem construction. For example, the germanium sub-cell used as the bottom cascade for the silicone sub-cell in the tandem monolithic solar cell makes it possible to utilize the "red" sub-band of solar spectra increasing overall solar cell efficiency. The problem of the 4.2% mismatch in lattice constant between Si and Ge can be resolved in such a case by the use of SiGe buffer layer. In the paper the results of the computer simulation for Si/Ge tandem monolithic solar cell with Si1-xGex buffer layer are presented. In the solar cell under consideration, the step graded Si1-xGex buffer layer is located between the top silicone and the bottom germanium cascades to reduce the threading dislocation density in mismatched materials. The cascades are commutated by the use of the germanium tunnel diode between the bottom sub-cell and the buffer layer. For the solar cell modeling, the physically-based device simulator ATLAS of Silvaco TCAD software is employed to predict the electrical behavior of the semiconductor structure and to provide a deep insight into the internal physical processes. The voltage-current characteristic, photovoltaic parameters and the distribution of basic physical values are obtained for the investigated tandem solar cell. The influence of layer thicknesses on the photovoltaic parameters is studied. The calculated efficiency of the tandem solar cell reaches 13% which is a quarter more than the efficiency of a simple silicone solar cell with the same constructive parameters and under the same illumination conditions.

  8. Reconstructing the energy band electronic structure of pulsed laser deposited CZTS thin films intended for solar cell absorber applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pandiyan, Rajesh [Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650 Blvd. Lionel–Boulet, C.P. 1020, Varennes, QC J3X-1S2 (Canada); Oulad Elhmaidi, Zakaria [Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650 Blvd. Lionel–Boulet, C.P. 1020, Varennes, QC J3X-1S2 (Canada); University of Mohammed V, Faculty of Sciences, Materials Physics Laboratory, B.P. 1014 Rabat (Morocco); Sekkat, Zouheir [Optics & Photonics Center, Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research, Rabat (Morocco); Abd-lefdil, Mohammed [University of Mohammed V, Faculty of Sciences, Materials Physics Laboratory, B.P. 1014 Rabat (Morocco); El Khakani, My Ali, E-mail: elkhakani@emt.inrs.ca [Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650 Blvd. Lionel–Boulet, C.P. 1020, Varennes, QC J3X-1S2 (Canada)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • High quality CZTS thin films grown by means of PLD technique without resorting to any post sulfurization process. • Effect of thermal annealing treatments (in the 200–500 °C range) on the structural, morphological and optoelectronic properties of PLD-CZTS films. • Experimental determination of key optoelectronic parameters (i.e.; E{sub g}, VBM, ϕ, I{sub p}, and χ) enabling the reconstruction of energy band electronic structure of the PLD-CZTS films. • Investigation on the energy band alignments of the heterojunction interface formed between CZTS and both CdS and ZnS buffer layer materials. - Abstract: We report here on the use of pulsed KrF-laser deposition (PLD) technique for the growth of high-quality Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) thin films onto Si, and glass substrates without resorting to any post sulfurization process. The PLD-CZTS films were deposited at room temperature (RT) and then subjected to post annealing at different temperatures ranging from 200 to 500 °C in Argon atmosphere. The X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the PLD films crystallize in the characteristic kesterite CZTS structure regardless of their annealing temperature (T{sub a}), but their crystallinity is much improved for T{sub a} ≥ 400 °C. The PLD-CZTS films were found to exhibit a relatively dense morphology with a surface roughness (RMS) that increases with T{sub a} (from ∼14 nm at RT to 70 nm at T{sub a} = 500 °C with a value around 40 nm for T{sub a} = 300–400 °C). The optical bandgap of the PLD-CZTS films, was derived from UV–vis transmission spectra analysis, and found to decrease from 1.73 eV for non-annealed films to ∼1.58 eV for those annealed at T{sub a} = 300 °C. These band gap values are very close to the optimum value needed for an ideal solar cell absorber. In order to achieve a complete reconstruction of the one-dimensional energy band structure of these PLD-CZTS absorbers, we have combined both XPS and UPS

  9. Interface studies on the tunneling contact of a MOCVD-prepared tandem solar cell; Grenzflaechenuntersuchungen am Tunnelkontakt einer MOCVD-praeparierten Tandemsolarzelle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seidel, U.

    2007-07-10

    thick absorber layers of the InGaAsP top cell were fabricated in order to reach an optimal fitting of the currents, which flow through the two single cells in the tandem solar cell. The highest efficiency of a tandem solar cell fabricated here amounted to {eta}=7.3% under a filtered solar spectrum, which simulated a GaAs(100)-based tandem solar cell with large band gaps (Eg{>=}1.4 eV). The combination of such a tandem solar cell with large band gaps with the InGaAs/InGaAsP tandem solar cell with low band gaps developed here has the potential to reach for concentrated solar light a conversion efficiency of sistinctly above 40%.

  10. Blade-coated sol-gel indium-gallium-zinc-oxide for inverted polymer solar cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-Huei Lee

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The inverted organic solar cell was fabricated by using sol-gel indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO as the electron-transport layer. The IGZO precursor solution was deposited by blade coating with simultaneous substrate heating at 120 °C from the bottom and hot wind from above. Uniform IGZO film of around 30 nm was formed after annealing at 400 °C. Using the blend of low band-gap polymer poly[(4,8-bis-(2-ethylhexyloxy-benzo(1,2-b:4,5-b’dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt- (4-(2-ethylhexanoyl-thieno [3,4-b]thiophene--2-6-diyl] (PBDTTT-C-T and [6,6]-Phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester ([70]PCBM as the active layer for the inverted organic solar cell, an efficiency of 6.2% was achieved with a blade speed of 180 mm/s for the IGZO. The efficiency of the inverted organic solar cells was found to depend on the coating speed of the IGZO films, which was attributed to the change in the concentration of surface OH groups. Compared to organic solar cells of conventional structure using PBDTTT-C-T: [70]PCBM as active layer, the inverted organic solar cells showed significant improvement in thermal stability. In addition, the chemical composition, as well as the work function of the IGZO film at the surface and inside can be tuned by the blade speed, which may find applications in other areas like thin-film transistors.

  11. Quantum Dots for Solar Cell Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poudyal, Uma

    Solar energy has been anticipated as the most important and reliable source of renewable energy to address the ever-increasing energy demand. To harvest solar energy efficiently, diverse kinds of solar cells have been studied. Among these, quantum dot sensitized solar cells have been an interesting group of solar cells mainly due to tunable, size-dependent electronic and optical properties of quantum dots. Moreover, doping these quantum dots with transition metal elements such as Mn opens avenue for improved performance of solar cells as well as for spin based technologies. In this dissertation, Mn-doped CdSe QDs (Mn-CdSe) have been synthesized by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method. They are used in solar cells to study the effect of Mn doping in the performance of solar cells. Incident photon to current-conversion efficiency (IPCE) is used to record the effect of Mn-doping. Intensity modulated photovoltage and photocurrent spectroscopy (IMVS/PS) has been used to study the carrier dynamics in these solar cells. Additionally, the magnetic properties of Mn-CdSe QDs is studied and its possible origin is discussed. Moreover, CdS/CdSe QDs have been used to study the effect of liquid, gel and solid electrolyte in the performance and stability of the solar cells. Using IPCE spectra, the time decay measurements are presented and the possible reactions between the QD and the electrolytes are explained.

  12. Self-assembly 2D zinc-phthalocyanine heterojunction: An ideal platform for high efficiency solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Xue; Jiang, Zhou; Zhao, Jijun

    2017-12-01

    As an alternative to silicon-based solar cells, organic photovoltaic cells emerge for their easy manufacture, low cost, and light weight but are limited by their less stability, low power conversion efficiencies, and low charge carrier mobilities. Here, we design a series of two-dimensional (2D) organic materials incorporating zinc-phthalocyanine (ZnPc) based building blocks which can inherit their excellent intrinsic properties but overcome those shortcomings. Our first-principles calculation shows that such 2D ZnPc-based materials exhibit excellent thermal stabilities, suitable bandgaps, small effective masses, and good absorption properties. The additional benzene rings and nitrogen atoms incorporated between ZnPc molecules are mainly responsible for the modifications of electronic and optical properties. Moreover, some heterojunction solar cells constructed using those 2D ZnPc monolayers as the donor and acceptor have an appropriate absorber gap and interface band alignment. Among them, a power conversion efficiency up to 14.04% is achieved, which is very promising for the next-generation organic solar cells.

  13. Pyrite Iron Sulfide Solar Cells Made from Solution Final Technical Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Law, Matt [Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)

    2017-03-21

    This document summarizes research done under the SunShot Next Generation PV II project entitled, “Pyrite Iron Sulfide Solar Cells Made from Solution,” award number DE-EE0005324, at the University of California, Irvine, from 9/1/11 thru 11/30/16. The project goal was to develop iron pyrite (cubic FeS2) as an absorber layer for solution-processible p-n heterojunction solar cells with a pathway to >20% power conversion efficiency. Project milestones centered around seven main Tasks: (1) make device-quality pyrite thin-films from solar ink; (2) develop an ohmic bottom contact with suitable low resistivity; (3) produce a p-n heterojunction with VOC > 400 mV; (4) make a solar cell with >5% power conversion efficiency; (5) use alloying to increase the pyrite band gap to ~1.2-1.4 eV; (6) produce a p-n heterojunction with VOC > 500 mV; and finally (7) make a solar cell with >10% power conversion efficiency. In response to project findings, the Tasks were amended midway through the project to focus particular effort on passivating the surface of pyrite in order to eliminate excessively-strong surface band bending believed to be responsible for the low VOC of pyrite diodes. Major project achievements include: (1) development and detailed characterization of several new solution syntheses of high-quality thin-film pyrite, including two “molecular ink” routes; (2) demonstration of Mo/MoS2 bilayers as good ohmic bottom contacts to pyrite films; (3) fabrication of pyrite diodes with a glass/Mo/MoS2/pyrite/ZnS/ZnO/AZO layer sequence that show VOC values >400 mV and as high as 610 mV at ~1 sun illumination, although these high VOC values ultimately proved irreproducible; (4) established that ZnS is a promising n-type junction partner for pyrite; (5) used density functional theory to show that the band gap of pyrite can be increased from ~1.0 to a more optimal 1.2-1.3 eV by alloying with oxygen; (6) through extensive measurements of ultrahigh

  14. Solar energy utilization by solar cells and superblack absorbers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonnet, D; Selders, M

    1975-10-31

    A review is presented of the physical principles responsible for the characteristics of solar cells, with particular reference to Si homojunction and CdS--Cu/sub 2/S thin film devices. Electric power generation from solar cells still appears uncompetitive economically except in special circumstances, but heating from solar energy using selective absorbers with low reemission is more promising.

  15. Low cost and efficient photovoltaic conversion by nanocrystalline solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Graetzel, M. [Institut de Chimie Physique, Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (Switzerland)

    1996-09-01

    Solar cells are expected to provide environmentally friendly solutions to the world`s energy supply problem. Learning from the concepts used by green plants we have developed a molecular photovoltaic device whose overall efficiency for AM 1.5 solar light to electricity has already attained 8-11%. The system is based on the sensitization of nanocrystalline oxide films by transition metal charge transfer sensitizers. In analogy to photosynthesis, the new chemical solar cell achieves the separation of the light absorption and charge carrier transport processes. Extraordinary yields for the conversion of incident photons into electric current are obtained, exceeding 90% for transition metal complexes within the wavelength range of their absorption band. The use of molten salt electrolytes together with coordination complexes of ruthenium as sensitizers and adequate sealing technology has endowed these cells with a remarkable stability making practical applications feasible. Seven industrial cooperations are presently involved in the development to bring these cells to the market. The first cells will be applied to supply electric power for consumer electronic devices. The launching of production of several products of this type is imminent and they should be on the market within the next two years. Quite aside from their intrinsic merits as photovoltaic device, the mesoscopic oxide semiconductor films developed in our laboratory offer attractive possibilities for a number of other applications. Thus, the first example of a nanocrystalline rocking chair battery will be demonstrated and its principle briefly discussed.

  16. Hybrid Perovskites: Prospects for Concentrator Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Qianqian; Wang, Zhiping; Snaith, Henry J; Johnston, Michael B; Herz, Laura M

    2018-04-01

    Perovskite solar cells have shown a meteoric rise of power conversion efficiency and a steady pace of improvements in their stability of operation. Such rapid progress has triggered research into approaches that can boost efficiencies beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit stipulated for a single-junction cell under normal solar illumination conditions. The tandem solar cell architecture is one concept here that has recently been successfully implemented. However, the approach of solar concentration has not been sufficiently explored so far for perovskite photovoltaics, despite its frequent use in the area of inorganic semiconductor solar cells. Here, the prospects of hybrid perovskites are assessed for use in concentrator solar cells. Solar cell performance parameters are theoretically predicted as a function of solar concentration levels, based on representative assumptions of charge-carrier recombination and extraction rates in the device. It is demonstrated that perovskite solar cells can fundamentally exhibit appreciably higher energy-conversion efficiencies under solar concentration, where they are able to exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit and exhibit strongly elevated open-circuit voltages. It is therefore concluded that sufficient material and device stability under increased illumination levels will be the only significant challenge to perovskite concentrator solar cell applications.

  17. Industrial n-type solar cells with >20% cell efficiency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Romijn, I.G.; Anker, J.; Burgers, A.R.; Gutjahr, A.; Koppes, M.; Kossen, E.J.; Lamers, M.W.P.E.; Heurtault, Benoit; Saynova-Oosterling, D.S.; Tool, C.J.J. [ECN Solar Energy, Petten (Netherlands)

    2013-03-15

    To realize high efficiencies at low costs, ECN has developed the n-Pasha solar cell concept. The n-Pasha cell concept is a bifacial solar cell concept on n-Cz base material, with which average efficiencies of above 20% have been demonstrated. In this paper recent developments at ECN to improve the cost of ownership (lower Euro/Wp) of the n-Pasha cell concept are discussed. Two main drivers for the manufacturing costs of n-type solar cells are addressed: the n-type Cz silicon material and the silver consumption. We show that a large resistivity range between 2 and 8 cm can be tolerated for high cell efficiency, and that the costs due to the silver metallization can be significantly reduced while increasing the solar cell efficiency. Combining the improved efficiency and cost reduction makes the n-Pasha cell concept a very cost effective solution to manufacture high efficient solar cells and modules.

  18. Recent Advances in Organic Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Kietzke

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Solar cells based on organic semiconductors have attracted much attention. The thickness of the active layer of organic solar cells is typically only 100 nm thin, which is about 1000 times thinner than for crystalline silicon solar cells and still 10 times thinner than for current inorganic thin film cells. The low material consumption per area and the easy processing of organic semiconductors offer a huge potential for low cost large area solar cells. However, to compete with inorganic solar cells the efficiency of organic solar cells has to be improved by a factor of 2-3. Several organic semiconducting materials have been investigated so far, but the optimum material still has to be designed. Similar as for organic light emitting devices (OLED small molecules are competing with polymers to become the material of choice. After a general introduction into the device structures and operational principles of organic solar cells the three different basic types (all polymer based, all small molecules based and small molecules mixed with polymers are described in detail in this review. For each kind the current state of research is described and the best of class reported efficiencies are listed.

  19. Semiconductor materials for solar photovoltaic cells

    CERN Document Server

    Wong-Ng, Winnie; Bhattacharya, Raghu

    2016-01-01

    This book reviews the current status of semiconductor materials for conversion of sunlight to electricity, and highlights advances in both basic science and manufacturing.  Photovoltaic (PV) solar electric technology will be a significant contributor to world energy supplies when reliable, efficient PV power products are manufactured in large volumes at low cost.  Expert chapters cover the full range of semiconductor materials for solar-to-electricity conversion, from crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon to cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium sulfide selenides, dye sensitized solar cells, organic solar cells, and environmentally friendly copper zinc tin sulfide selenides. The latest methods for synthesis and characterization of solar cell materials are described, together with techniques for measuring solar cell efficiency. Semiconductor Materials for Solar Photovoltaic Cells presents the current state of the art as well as key details about future strategies to increase the efficiency and reduce ...

  20. The electrical conductivity and energy band gap of ‘bunga belimbing buluh’/tio2 nanocrystals as hybrid solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamarulzaman, N. H.; Salleh, H.; Ghazali, M. S. M.; Ghazali, S. M.; Ahmad, Z.

    2018-05-01

    This research intends to explore the effect of thickness of inorganic titania nanocrystals (TiO2 NCs) materials and Averrhoe bilimbi’s flower towards the electrical conductivity. Averrhoe bilimbi’s flower or also known as ‘bunga belimbing buluh’ was used for the first time as a natural dye in hybrid solar cells. The performance of electrical conductivity can be improved in bilayer heterojunction hybrid solar cell (HCS). The TiO2 NCs was deposited on the ITO substrate using Electrochemistry method at room temperature. The dye extracted from Averrhoe bilimbi’s flower was deposited on the top of TiO2 NCs layered using the same method. The electrical conductivity can be recorded using Four Point Probe (FPP) under dark and light radiation (range of 0 Wm-2 to 200Wm-2). From the results, electrical conductivity was increased by the increment light intensity and suitable for further solar cell fabrications.

  1. AC characterization of bulk organic solar cell in the dark and under illumination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Váry, Michal; Perný, Milan; Šály, Vladimír; Packa, Juraj

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A study of organic bulk photovoltaic (PV) solar cell. • Current–voltage characteristics in the dark and under illumination. • AC measurements, both under illumination and in the dark conditions. • Equivalent AC circuit. • Effective lifetime assigned with electron–hole recombination and diffusion time of the electron was estimated. - Abstract: Impedance spectroscopy has been used widely to evaluate the transport processes in photovoltaic, mainly based on inorganic semiconductors, structures – solar cells. The aim of this research was to characterize improved organic bulk photovoltaic (PV) solar cells exploiting this method. Progress in technology of investigated organic solar cell involves the use of an active layer based on low band gap type of polymer. The organic PV cell with front transparent electrode and rear metal electrode and active layer produced by Konarka Technologies was analyzed by electrical DC and AC measurements. Current–voltage (I–V) characteristics in the dark and under illumination were measured and basic PV parameters were calculated. AC measurements, both under illumination and in the dark conditions, were processed in order to identify electronic behavior using equivalent AC circuit which was suggested by fitting of measured impedance data. Circuit with the best correlation to measured data is analyzed in details. Voltage and frequency dependences of fitted equivalent circuit components and calculated parameters are explained and presented in the paper

  2. The Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin films solar cells synthesized by electrodeposition route

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ji; Ma, Tuteng; Wei, Ming; Liu, Weifeng; Jiang, Guoshun; Zhu, Changfei

    2012-06-01

    An electrodeposition route for preparing Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin films for thin film solar cell absorber layers is demonstrated. The Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin films are prepared by co-electrodeposition Cu-Zn-Sn metallic precursor and subsequently annealing in element selenium atmosphere. The structure, composition and optical properties of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrometry, energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. The Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin film with high crystalline quality was obtained, the band gap and absorption coefficient were 1.0 eV and 10-4 cm-1, which is quite suitable for solar cells fabrication. A solar cell with the structure of ZnO:Al/i-ZnO/CdS/Cu2ZnSnSe4/Mo/glass was fabricated and achieved an conversion efficiency of 1.7%.

  3. Impedance spectroscopy study of N719-sensitized ZnO-based solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pauporté, Th., E-mail: thierry-pauporte@chimie-paristech.fr [Laboratoire d' Electrochimie, Chimie des Interfaces et Modélisation pour l' Energie, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, 11 rue P. et M. Curie, 75231 Paris cedex 05 (France); Magne, C. [Laboratoire d' Electrochimie, Chimie des Interfaces et Modélisation pour l' Energie, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, 11 rue P. et M. Curie, 75231 Paris cedex 05 (France); Saint-Gobain Recherche, 39 quai Lucien Lefranc, 93303 Aubervilliers Cedex (France)

    2014-06-02

    ZnO porous films prepared by electrodeposition and by sol–gel techniques have been sensitized by the N719 dye and used as photoelectrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. Similar stationary current–voltage characteristics have been measured for films having two drastically different morphologies and nanostructures. The solar cells have been studied by impedance spectroscopy over large frequency and applied voltage ranges in order to elucidate the inherent correlation between the photoelectrode structure and properties. The electrical response has been analyzed using an ad-hoc electrical model to extrapolate the electronic structure and charge carrier kinetic properties of the photoelectrodes. The two films exhibit very different density distributions of their trap states below the conduction band edge. Moreover, their electron lifetimes and transport times vary differently with the DOS due to different surface and conduction properties. The charge collection efficiency has been calculated by two different approaches, one being derived from first principles. Very high values are reported in all cases. Globally, the limitation of N719/ZnO solar cell performances is related to their open circuit voltage and their short circuit current. The latter point is discussed in the light of our impedance results and photoelectrode light absorption data. - Highlights: • Exponential trap state distribution • Electron transport and recombination depend on oxide preparation route. • Charge collection efficiency modeling • Very high charge collection efficiency in N719/ZnO dye-sensitized solar cells • ZnO cell performance limitations.

  4. Silicon nanostructures for third generation photovoltaic solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conibeer, Gavin; Green, Martin; Corkish, Richard; Cho, Young; Cho, Eun-Chel; Jiang, Chu-Wei; Fangsuwannarak, Thipwan; Pink, Edwin; Huang, Yidan; Puzzer, Tom; Trupke, Thorsten; Richards, Bryce; Shalav, Avi; Lin, Kuo-lung

    2006-01-01

    The concept of third generation photovoltaics is to significantly increase device efficiencies whilst still using thin film processes and abundant non-toxic materials. This can be achieved by circumventing the Shockley-Queisser limit for single band gap devices, using multiple energy threshold approaches. At University of NSW, as part of our work on Third Generation devices, we are using the energy confinement of silicon based quantum dot nanostructures to engineer wide band gap materials to be used as upper cell elements in Si based tandem cells. HRTEM data shows Si nanocrystal formation in oxide and nitride matrixes with a controlled nanocrystal size, grown by layered reactive sputtering and layered PECVD. Photoluminescence evidence for quantum confinement in the Si quantum dots in oxide agrees with the calculated increase in PL energy with reduction in dot size. Resistivity measurements with temperature give tentative proof of conduction and we are investigating junction formation in these materials. We are also using similar Si quantum dot structures in double barrier resonant tunneling structures for use in hot carrier solar cell contacts. These must collect carriers over a limited energy range. Negative differential resistance has been observed in room temperature I-V on these samples, a necessary proof of concept for selective energy filter contacts

  5. Further insight on recombination losses in the intrinsic layer of a-Si:H solar cells using computer modeling tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubinelli, Francisco A.; Ramirez, Helena; Ruiz, Carlos M.; Schmidt, Javier A.

    2017-05-01

    Recombination losses of a-Si:H based p-i-n solar cells in the annealed state are analyzed with device computer modeling. Under AM1.5 illumination, the recombination rate in the intrinsic layer is shown to be controlled by a combination of losses through defect and tail states. The influence of the defect concentration on the characteristic parameters of a solar cell is analyzed. The impact on the light current-voltage characteristic curve of adopting very low free carrier mobilities and a high density of states at the band edge is explored under red and AM1.5 illumination. The distribution of trapped charge, electric field, and recombination loses inside the intrinsic layer is examined, and their influence on the solar cell performance is discussed. Solar cells with intrinsic layers deposited with and without hydrogen dilution are examined. It is found that the photocurrent at -2 V is not always a good approximation of the saturated reverse-bias photocurrent in a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells at room temperature. The importance of using realistic electrical parameters in solar cell simulations is emphasized.

  6. Quantum-Tuned Multijunction Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koleilat, Ghada I.

    Multijunction solar cells made from a combination of CQDs of differing sizes and thus bandgaps are a promising means by which to increase the energy harvested from the Sun's broad spectrum. In this dissertation, we first report the systematic engineering of 1.6 eV PbS CQD solar cells, optimal as the front cell responsible for visible wavelength harvesting in tandem photovoltaics. We rationally optimize each of the device's collecting electrodes---the heterointerface with electron accepting TiO2 and the deep-work-function hole-collecting MoO3 for ohmic contact---for maximum efficiency. Room-temperature processing enables flexible substrates, and permits tandem solar cells that integrate a small-bandgap back cell atop a low thermal-budget larger-bandgap front cell. We report an electrode strategy that enables a depleted heterojunction CQD PV device to be fabricated entirely at room temperature. We develop a two-layer donor-supply electrode (DSE) in which a highly doped, shallow work function layer supplies a high density of free electrons to an ultrathin TiO2 layer via charge-transfer doping. Using the DSE we build all-room-temperature-processed small-bandgap (1 eV) colloidal quantum dot solar cells suitable for use as the back junction in tandem solar cells. We further report in this work the first efficient CQD tandem solar cells. We use a graded recombination layer (GRL) to provide a progression of work functions from the hole-accepting electrode in the bottom cell to the electron-accepting electrode in the top cell. The recombination layers must allow the hole current from one cell to recombine, with high efficiency and low voltage loss, with the electron current from the next cell. We conclude our dissertation by presenting the generalized conditions for design of efficient graded recombination layer solar devices. We demonstrate a family of new GRL designs experimentally and highlight the benefits of the progression of dopings and work functions in the

  7. Effect of sodium addition on Cu-deficient CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}S{sub 2} thin film solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vasekar, Parag S.; Dhere, Neelkanth G. [Florida Solar Energy Center, University of Central Florida, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States)

    2009-01-15

    Chalcopyrites are important contenders among solar-cell materials due to direct band gap and very high-absorption coefficients. Copper-indium-gallium disulfide (CIGS2) is a chalcopyrite material with a near-optimum band gap of 1.5 eV for terrestrial as well as space applications. At FSEC PV Materials Laboratory, record efficiency of 11.99% has been achieved on a 2.7 {mu}m CIGS2 thin film prepared by sulfurization. There are reports of influence of sodium on copper-indium-gallium selenide (CIGS) as well as copper-indium disulfide (CIS2) solar cells. However, this is the first of its kind approach to study the effect of sodium on CIGS2 solar cells and resulting in encouraging efficiencies. Copper-deficient CIGS2 thin films were prepared with and without the addition of sodium fluoride (NaF). Effects of addition of NaF on the microstructure and device electrical properties are presented in this work. (author)

  8. Theoretical investigation on heterojunction solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prema, K.; Geetha, K.

    1986-11-01

    The study of thin film solar cells has proved that the surface is rough. A two-dimensional method based on the integral equation technique to analyse thin film solar cells has been developed by DeMey et al. In this paper we present our analysis of a thin film solar cell using the above techniques. Variation of the minority carrier concentration, the saturation current and the junction current of the solar cell with surface roughness is presented. (author). 8 refs, 4 figs

  9. High Efficiency Organic Solar Cells: December 16, 2009 - February 2, 2011

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walker, K.; Joslin, S.

    2011-05-01

    Details on the development of novel organic solar cells incorporating Trimetasphere based acceptors are presented including: baseline performance for Lu-PCBEH acceptor blended with P3HT demonstrated at 4.89% PCE exceeding the 4.5% PCE goal; an increase of over 250mV in Voc was demonstrated for Lu-PCBEH blended with low band gap polymers compared to a comparable C60-PCBM device. The actual Voc was certified at 260mV higher for a low band gap polymer device using the Lu-PCBEH acceptor; and the majority of the effort was focused on development of a device with over 7% PCE. While low current and fill factors suppressed overall device performance for the low band gap polymers tested, significant discoveries were made that point the way for future development of these novel acceptor materials.

  10. Solar cell materials developing technologies

    CERN Document Server

    Conibeer, Gavin J

    2014-01-01

    This book presents a comparison of solar cell materials, including both new materials based on organics, nanostructures and novel inorganics and developments in more traditional photovoltaic materials. It surveys the materials and materials trends in the field including third generation solar cells (multiple energy level cells, thermal approaches and the modification of the solar spectrum) with an eye firmly on low costs, energy efficiency and the use of abundant non-toxic materials.

  11. Rehydrating dye sensitized solar cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Hellert

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs are silicon free, simply producible solar cells. Longevity, however, is a longstanding problem for DSSCs. Due to liquid electrolytes being commonly used, evaporation of the electrolyte causes a dramatic drop in electric output as cells continue to be used unmaintained. Stopping evaporation has been tried in different ways in the past, albeit with differing degrees of success. In a recent project, a different route was chosen, exploring ways of revitalizing DSSCs after varying periods of usage. For this, we focused on rehydration of the cells using distilled water as well as the electrolyte contained in the cells. The results show a significant influence of these rehydration procedures on the solar cell efficiency. In possible applications of DSSCs in tents etc., morning dew may thus be used for rehydration of solar cells. Refillable DSSCs can also be used in tropical climates or specific types of farms and greenhouses where high humidity serves the purpose of rehydrating DSSCs.

  12. Characteristics of photocurrent generation in the near-ultraviolet region in Si quantum-dot sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uchida, Giichiro, E-mail: uchida@ed.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Sato, Muneharu; Seo, Hyunwoong [Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Kamataki, Kunihiro [Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Itagaki, Naho [Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 102-0075 (Japan); Koga, Kazunori; Shiratani, Masaharu [Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan)

    2013-10-01

    We have studied photocurrent generation in Si quantum-dot (QD) sensitized solar cells, where QD thin films composed of Si nanoparticles were deposited using the double multi-hollow discharge plasma chemical vapor deposition process in an SiH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} or N{sub 2} gas mixture. The short-circuit current density of the Si QD sensitized solar cells increases by a factor of 2.5 by using Si nanoparticles prepared by irradiation of CH{sub 4} or N{sub 2} plasma onto the Si nanoparticle surface. We have measured incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) in the near-ultraviolet range using quartz-glass front panels of the QD sensitized solar cells. With decreasing the wavelength of irradiation light, IPCE gradually increases upon light irradiation in a wavelength range less than about 600 nm, and then steeply increases below 300 nm, corresponding to 2.2 times the optical band-gap energy of Si QD film. - Highlights: • We have developed on Si quantum-dot sensitized solar cells using Si particles. • Current of solar cells increases by surface-termination of Si particles. • Incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency increases below 300 nm.

  13. Development of Inorganic Solar Cells by Nanotechnology

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yafei Zhang; Huijuan Geng; Zhihua Zhou; Jiang Wu; Zhiming Wang; Yaozhong Zhang; Zhongli Li; Liying Zhang; Zhi Yang; Huey Liang Hwang

    2012-01-01

    Inorganic solar cells, as durable photovoltaic devices for harvesting electric energy from sun light,have received tremendous attention due to the fear of exhausting the earth’s energy resources and damaging the living environment due to greenhouse gases. Some recent developments in nanotechnology have opened up new avenues for more relevant inorganic solar cells produced by new photovoltaic conversion concepts and effective solar energy harvesting nanostructures. In this review, the multiple exciton generation effect solar cells, hot carrier solar cells, one dimensional material constructed asymmetrical schottky barrier arrays, noble nanoparticle induced plasmonic enhancement, and light trapping nanostructured semiconductor solar cells are highlighted.

  14. Annealing Effect on (FAPbI31−x(MAPbBr3x Perovskite Films in Inverted-Type Perovskite Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lung-Chien Chen

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This study determines the effects of annealing treatment on the structure and the optical and electronic behaviors of the mixed (FAPbI31−x(MAPbBr3x perovskite system. The experimental results reveal that (FAPbI31−x(MAPbBr3x (x ~ 0.2 is an effective light-absorbing material for use in inverted planar perovskite solar cells owing to its large absorbance and tunable band gap. Therefore, good band-matching between the (FAPbI31−x(MAPbBr3x and C60 in photovoltaic devices can be controlled by annealing at various temperatures. Accordingly, an inverted mixed perovskite solar cell with a record efficiency of 12.0% under AM1.5G irradiation is realized.

  15. Photon management in solar cells

    CERN Document Server

    Rau, Uwe; Gombert, Andreas

    2015-01-01

    Written by renowned experts in the field of photon management in solar cells, this one-stop reference gives an introduction to the physics of light management in solar cells, and discusses the different concepts and methods of applying photon management. The authors cover the physics, principles, concepts, technologies, and methods used, explaining how to increase the efficiency of solar cells by splitting or modifying the solar spectrum before they absorb the sunlight. In so doing, they present novel concepts and materials allowing for the cheaper, more flexible manufacture of solar cells and systems. For educational purposes, the authors have split the reasons for photon management into spatial and spectral light management. Bridging the gap between the photonics and the photovoltaics communities, this is an invaluable reference for materials scientists, physicists in industry, experimental physicists, lecturers in physics, Ph.D. students in physics and material sciences, engineers in power technology, appl...

  16. Integration of Solar Cells on Top of CMOS Chips - Part II: CIGS Solar Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lu, J.; Liu, Wei; Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.; Sun, Yun; Schmitz, Jurriaan

    2011-01-01

    We present the monolithic integration of deepsubmicrometer complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) microchips with copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) solar cells. Solar cells are manufactured directly on unpackaged CMOS chips. The microchips maintain comparable electronic performance,

  17. Predicted solar cell edge radiation effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gates, M.T.

    1993-01-01

    The Advanced Solar Cell Orbital Test (ASCOT) will test six types of solar cells in a high energy proton environment. During the design of the experiment a question was raised about the effects of proton radiation incident on the edge of the solar cells and whether edge radiation shielding was required. Historical geosynchronous data indicated that edge radiation damage is not detectable over the normal end of life solar cell degradation; however because the ASCOT radiation environment has a much higher and more energetic fluence of protons, considerably more edge damage is expected. A computer analysis of the problem was made by modeling the expected radiation damage at the cell edge and using a network model of small interconnected solar cells to predict degradation in the cell's electrical output. The model indicated that the deepest penetration of edge radiation was at the top of the cell near the junction where the protons have access to the cell through the low density cell/cover adhesive layer. The network model indicated that the cells could tolerate high fluences at their edge as long as there was high electrical resistance between the edge radiated region and the contact system on top of the cell. The predicted edge radiation related loss was less than 2% of maximum power for GaAs/Ge solar cells. As a result, no edge radiation protection was used for ASCOT

  18. Barium Staminate as Semiconductor Working Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fu-an Guo

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs are fabricated with perovskite-type BaSnO3 as the photoelectrode materials. Different preparation methods including coprecipitation, hydrothermal, and solid state reaction are employed to synthesize BaSnO3 particles to optimize the photoelectric activities of electrode materials. The photoelectric properties of BaSnO3 particles and the performances of DSSCs are investigated by surface photovoltage spectroscopy and current-voltage measurements. The light-to-electricity conversion of 1.1% is preliminarily reached on the DSSC made of the coprecipitation-derived BaSnO3 particles. Large current density of hole injection into the HOMO level of N719 dye from the valence band of BaSnO3 and reduced photogenerated charge recombination in BaSnO3 could be responsible for the observed solar cell performance of the DSSC fabricated from the coprecipitation-derived BaSnO3 particles.

  19. DEGRADATION OF SOLAR CELLS PARAMETERS FABRICATED ON THE BASIS OF Cu(In,GaSe2 SEMICONDUCTOR SOLID SOLUTIONS UNDER ELECTRON IRRADIATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Mudryi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Polycrystalline Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS thin films were grown on molybdenum-coated soda-lime glass substrates by co-evaporation of the elements Cu, In, Ga and Se from independent sources. The effect of electron irradiation on the electrical and optical properties of CIGS thin films and solar cells with the structure ZnO:Al/i-ZnO/CdS/CIGS/Mo/glass was studied. It was found that the degradation of the electrical parameters of solar cells (open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density and efficiency took place due to the formation of radiation defects (recombination centers with deep energy levels in the bandgap of CIGS. It was revealed that after electron irradiation intensity of near band-edge luminescence band at about 1,1 eV decreased considerably and bands of luminescence with maxima at 0,93 and 0,75 eV appeared.

  20. High performance a-Si solar cells and new fabrication methods for a-Si solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakano, S.; Kuwano, Y.; Ohnishi, M.

    1986-12-01

    The super chamber, a separated UHV reaction-chamber system has been developed. A conversion efficiency of 11.7% was obtained for an a-Si solar cell using a high-quality i-layer deposited by the super chamber, and a p-layer fabricated by a photo-CVD method. As a new material, amorphous superlattice-structure films were fabricated by the photo-CVD method for the first time. Superlattice structure p-layer a-Si solar cells were fabricated, and a conversion efficiency of 10.5% was obtained. For the fabrication of integrated type a-Si solar cell modules, a laser pattering method was investigated. A thermal analysis of the multilayer structure was done. It was confirmed that selective scribing for a-Si, TCO and metal film is possible by controlling the laser power density. Recently developed a-Si solar power generation systems and a-Si solar cell roofing tiles are also described.

  1. Hot-carrier solar cells using low-dimensional quantum structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watanabe, Daiki; Kasamatsu, Naofumi; Harada, Yukihiro; Kita, Takashi [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501 (Japan)

    2014-10-27

    We propose a high-conversion-efficiency solar cell (SC) utilizing the hot carrier (HC) population in an intermediate-band (IB) of a quantum dot superlattice (QDSL) structure. The bandgap of the host semiconductor in this device plays an important role as an energy-selective barrier for HCs in the QDSLs. According to theoretical calculation using the detailed balance model with an air mass 1.5 spectrum, the optimum IB energy is determined by a trade-off relation between the number of HCs with energy exceeding the conduction-band edge and the number of photons absorbed by the valence band−IB transition. Utilizing experimental data of HC temperature in InAs/GaAs QDSLs, the maximum conversion efficiency under maximum concentration (45 900 suns) has been demonstrated to increase by 12.6% as compared with that for a single-junction GaAs SC.

  2. Hybrid emitter all back contact solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loscutoff, Paul; Rim, Seung

    2016-04-12

    An all back contact solar cell has a hybrid emitter design. The solar cell has a thin dielectric layer formed on a backside surface of a single crystalline silicon substrate. One emitter of the solar cell is made of doped polycrystalline silicon that is formed on the thin dielectric layer. The other emitter of the solar cell is formed in the single crystalline silicon substrate and is made of doped single crystalline silicon. The solar cell includes contact holes that allow metal contacts to connect to corresponding emitters.

  3. Robust nonfullerene solar cells approaching unity external quantum efficiency enabled by suppression of geminate recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baran, Derya; Gasparini, Nicola; Wadsworth, Andrew; Tan, Ching Hong; Wehbe, Nimer; Song, Xin; Hamid, Zeinab; Zhang, Weimin; Neophytou, Marios; Kirchartz, Thomas; Brabec, Christoph J; Durrant, James R; McCulloch, Iain

    2018-05-25

    Nonfullerene solar cells have increased their efficiencies up to 13%, yet quantum efficiencies are still limited to 80%. Here we report efficient nonfullerene solar cells with quantum efficiencies approaching unity. This is achieved with overlapping absorption bands of donor and acceptor that increases the photon absorption strength in the range from about 570 to 700 nm, thus, almost all incident photons are absorbed in the active layer. The charges generated are found to dissociate with negligible geminate recombination losses resulting in a short-circuit current density of 20 mA cm -2 along with open-circuit voltages >1 V, which is remarkable for a 1.6 eV bandgap system. Most importantly, the unique nano-morphology of the donor:acceptor blend results in a substantially improved stability under illumination. Understanding the efficient charge separation in nonfullerene acceptors can pave the way to robust and recombination-free organic solar cells.

  4. Robust nonfullerene solar cells approaching unity external quantum efficiency enabled by suppression of geminate recombination

    KAUST Repository

    Baran, Derya

    2018-05-21

    Nonfullerene solar cells have increased their efficiencies up to 13%, yet quantum efficiencies are still limited to 80%. Here we report efficient nonfullerene solar cells with quantum efficiencies approaching unity. This is achieved with overlapping absorption bands of donor and acceptor that increases the photon absorption strength in the range from about 570 to 700 nm, thus, almost all incident photons are absorbed in the active layer. The charges generated are found to dissociate with negligible geminate recombination losses resulting in a short-circuit current density of 20 mA cm-2 along with open-circuit voltages >1 V, which is remarkable for a 1.6 eV bandgap system. Most importantly, the unique nano-morphology of the donor:acceptor blend results in a substantially improved stability under illumination. Understanding the efficient charge separation in nonfullerene acceptors can pave the way to robust and recombination-free organic solar cells.

  5. Robust nonfullerene solar cells approaching unity external quantum efficiency enabled by suppression of geminate recombination

    KAUST Repository

    Baran, Derya; Gasparini, Nicola; Wadsworth, Andrew; Tan, Ching Hong; Wehbe, Nimer; Song, Xin; Hamid, Zeinab; Zhang, Weimin; Neophytou, Marios; Kirchartz, Thomas; Brabec, Christoph J.; Durrant, James R.; McCulloch, Iain

    2018-01-01

    Nonfullerene solar cells have increased their efficiencies up to 13%, yet quantum efficiencies are still limited to 80%. Here we report efficient nonfullerene solar cells with quantum efficiencies approaching unity. This is achieved with overlapping absorption bands of donor and acceptor that increases the photon absorption strength in the range from about 570 to 700 nm, thus, almost all incident photons are absorbed in the active layer. The charges generated are found to dissociate with negligible geminate recombination losses resulting in a short-circuit current density of 20 mA cm-2 along with open-circuit voltages >1 V, which is remarkable for a 1.6 eV bandgap system. Most importantly, the unique nano-morphology of the donor:acceptor blend results in a substantially improved stability under illumination. Understanding the efficient charge separation in nonfullerene acceptors can pave the way to robust and recombination-free organic solar cells.

  6. Semiconductor quantum dot-sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Jianjun; Cao, Guozhong

    2013-10-31

    Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been drawing great attention recently as a material for solar energy conversion due to their versatile optical and electrical properties. The QD-sensitized solar cell (QDSC) is one of the burgeoning semiconductor QD solar cells that shows promising developments for the next generation of solar cells. This article focuses on recent developments in QDSCs, including 1) the effect of quantum confinement on QDSCs, 2) the multiple exciton generation (MEG) of QDs, 3) fabrication methods of QDs, and 4) nanocrystalline photoelectrodes for solar cells. We also make suggestions for future research on QDSCs. Although the efficiency of QDSCs is still low, we think there will be major breakthroughs in developing QDSCs in the future.

  7. Insights into the Influence of Work Functions of Cathodes on Efficiencies of Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Shizhong; Lu, Shudi; Ren, Kuankuan; Liu, Kong; Azam, Muhammad; Cao, Dawei; Wang, Zhijie; Lei, Yong; Qu, Shengchun; Wang, Zhanguo

    2017-05-01

    Though various efforts on modification of electrodes are still undertaken to improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, attributing to the large scope of these methods, it is of significance to unveil the working principle systematically. Herein, inverted perovskite solar cells based on indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 /phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 61 BM)/buffer metal/Al are constructed. Through the choice of different buffer metals to tune work function of the cathode, the contact nature of the active layer with the cathode could be manipulated well. In comparison with the device using Au/Al as the electrode that shows an unfavorable band bending for conducting the excited electrons to the cathode, the one with Ca/Al presents a dramatically improved efficiency over 17.1%, ascribed to the favorable band bending at the interface of the cathode with the active layer. Details for tuning the band bending and the corresponding charge transfer mechanism are given in a systematic manner. Thus, a general guideline for constructing perovskite photovoltaic devices efficiently is provided. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Industrial Silicon Wafer Solar Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Neuhaus, Dirk-Holger; Münzer, Adolf

    2007-01-01

    In 2006, around 86% of all wafer-based silicon solar cells were produced using screen printing to form the silver front and aluminium rear contacts and chemical vapour deposition to grow silicon nitride as the antireflection coating onto the front surface. This paper reviews this dominant solar cell technology looking into state-of-the-art equipment and corresponding processes for each process step. The main efficiency losses of this type of solar cell are analyzed to demonstrate the future e...

  9. Flexible silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blakers, A.W.; Armour, T. [Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200 (Australia)

    2009-08-15

    In order to be useful for certain niche applications, crystalline silicon solar cells must be able to sustain either one-time flexure or multiple non-critical flexures without significant loss of strength or efficiency. This paper describes experimental characterisation of the behaviour of thin crystalline silicon solar cells, under either static or repeated flexure, by flexing samples and recording any resulting changes in performance. Thin SLIVER cells were used for the experiment. Mechanical strength was found to be unaffected after 100,000 flexures. Solar conversion efficiency remained at greater than 95% of the initial value after 100,000 flexures. Prolonged one-time flexure close to, but not below, the fracture radius resulted in no significant change of properties. For every sample, fracture occurred either on the first flexure to a given radius of curvature, or not at all when using that radius. In summary, for a given radius of curvature, either the flexed solar cells broke immediately, or they were essentially unaffected by prolonged or multiple flexing. (author)

  10. Nanoclay gelation approach toward improved dye-sensitized solar cell efficiencies: an investigation of charge transport and shift in the TiO2 conduction band.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiu; Kulkarni, Sneha A; Ito, Bruno Ieiri; Batabyal, Sudip K; Nonomura, Kazuteru; Wong, Chee Cheong; Grätzel, Michael; Mhaisalkar, Subodh G; Uchida, Satoshi

    2013-01-23

    Nanoclay minerals play a promising role as additives in the liquid electrolyte to form a gel electrolyte for quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells, because of the high chemical stability, unique swelling capability, ion exchange capacity, and rheological properties of nanoclays. Here, we report the improved performance of a quasi-solid-state gel electrolyte that is made from a liquid electrolyte and synthetic nitrate-hydrotalcite nanoclay. Charge transport mechanisms in the gel electrolyte and nanoclay interactions with TiO(2)/electrolyte interface are discussed in detail. The electrochemical analysis reveals that the charge transport is solely based on physical diffusion at the ratio of [PMII]:[I(2)] = 10:1 (where PMII is 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide). The calculated physical diffusion coefficient shows that the diffusion of redox ions is not affected much by the viscosity of nanoclay gel. The addition of nitrate-hydrotalcite clay in the electrolyte has the effect of buffering the protonation process at the TiO(2)/electrolyte interface, resulting in an upward shift in the conduction band and a boost in open-circuit voltage (V(OC)). Higher V(OC) values with undiminished photocurrent is achieved with nitrate-hydrotalcite nanoclay gel electrolyte for organic as well as for inorganic dye (D35 and N719) systems. The efficiency for hydrotalcite clay gel electrolyte solar cells is increased by 10%, compared to that of the liquid electrolyte. The power conversion efficiency can reach 10.1% under 0.25 sun and 9.6% under full sun. This study demonstrates that nitrate-hydrotalcite nanoclay in the electrolyte not only solidifies the liquid electrolyte to prevent solvent leakage, but also facilitates the improvement in cell efficiency.

  11. Solar cells: An environment-benign energy source?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alsema, E.; Van Engelenburg, B.

    1993-01-01

    Attention is paid to a study on the environmental aspects of solar cell production techniques and the possibility of recycling solar cell materials. In the study the following types of solar cell modules are dealt with: CdTe and CuInSe 2 , amorphous silicon, crystalline silicon, and GaAs. It appears that silicon solar cells have minor environmental effects and are controllable. However, attention should be paid to the energy consumption and the use of etching and purification materials during the production of solar cells, and the emission of heavy metals from f.e. CdTe/CIS solar cells during and after usage. Without effective recycling enough supplies of indium, selenium and tellurium cannot be guaranteed. 3 figs., 1 ill

  12. Design of Lead-Free Inorganic Halide Perovskites for Solar Cells via Cation-Transmutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xin-Gang; Yang, Ji-Hui; Fu, Yuhao; Yang, Dongwen; Xu, Qiaoling; Yu, Liping; Wei, Su-Huai; Zhang, Lijun

    2017-02-22

    Hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskites with the prototype material of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 have recently attracted intense interest as low-cost and high-performance photovoltaic absorbers. Despite the high power conversion efficiency exceeding 20% achieved by their solar cells, two key issues-the poor device stabilities associated with their intrinsic material instability and the toxicity due to water-soluble Pb 2+ -need to be resolved before large-scale commercialization. Here, we address these issues by exploiting the strategy of cation-transmutation to design stable inorganic Pb-free halide perovskites for solar cells. The idea is to convert two divalent Pb 2+ ions into one monovalent M + and one trivalent M 3+ ions, forming a rich class of quaternary halides in double-perovskite structure. We find through first-principles calculations this class of materials have good phase stability against decomposition and wide-range tunable optoelectronic properties. With photovoltaic-functionality-directed materials screening, we identify 11 optimal materials with intrinsic thermodynamic stability, suitable band gaps, small carrier effective masses, and low excitons binding energies as promising candidates to replace Pb-based photovoltaic absorbers in perovskite solar cells. The chemical trends of phase stabilities and electronic properties are also established for this class of materials, offering useful guidance for the development of perovskite solar cells fabricated with them.

  13. Enhanced Charge Extraction of Li-Doped TiO₂ for Efficient Thermal-Evaporated Sb₂S₃ Thin Film Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Chunfeng; Luo, Jingting; Lan, Huabin; Fan, Bo; Peng, Huanxin; Zhao, Jun; Sun, Huibin; Zheng, Zhuanghao; Liang, Guangxing; Fan, Ping

    2018-02-28

    We provided a new method to improve the efficiency of Sb₂S₃ thin film solar cells. The TiO₂ electron transport layers were doped by lithium to improve their charge extraction properties for the thermal-evaporated Sb₂S₃ solar cells. The Mott-Schottky curves suggested a change of energy band and faster charge transport in the Li-doped TiO₂ films. Compared with the undoped TiO₂, Li-doped mesoporous TiO₂ dramatically improved the photo-voltaic performance of the thermal-evaporated Sb₂S₃ thin film solar cells, with the average power conversion efficiency ( PCE ) increasing from 1.79% to 4.03%, as well as the improved open-voltage ( V oc ), short-circuit current ( J sc ) and fill factors. The best device based on Li-doped TiO₂ achieved a power conversion efficiency up to 4.42% as well as a V oc of 0.645 V, which are the highest values among the reported thermal-evaporated Sb₂S₃ solar cells. This study showed that Li-doping on TiO₂ can effectively enhance the charge extraction properties of electron transport layers, offering a new strategy to improve the efficiency of Sb₂S₃-based solar cells.

  14. AlGaAs top solar cell for mechanical attachment in a multi-junction tandem concentrator solar cell stack

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinetta, L. C.; Hannon, M. H.; Cummings, J. R.; Mcneeley, J. B.; Barnett, Allen M.

    1990-01-01

    Free-standing, transparent, tunable bandgap AlxGa1-xAs top solar cells have been fabricated for mechanical attachment in a four terminal tandem stack solar cell. Evaluation of the device results has demonstrated 1.80 eV top solar cells with efficiencies of 18 percent (100 X, and AM0) which would yield stack efficiencies of 31 percent (100 X, AM0) with a silicon bottom cell. When fully developed, the AlxGa1-xAs/Si mechanically-stacked two-junction solar cell concentrator system can provide efficiencies of 36 percent (AM0, 100 X). AlxGa1-xAs top solar cells with bandgaps from 1.66 eV to 2.08 eV have been fabricated. Liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) growth techniques have been used and LPE has been found to yield superior AlxGa1-xAs material when compared to molecular beam epitaxy and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. It is projected that stack assembly technology will be readily applicable to any mechanically stacked multijunction (MSMJ) system. Development of a wide bandgap top solar cell is the only feasible method for obtaining stack efficiencies greater than 40 percent at AM0. System efficiencies of greater than 40 percent can be realized when the AlGaAs top solar cell is used in a three solar cell mechanical stack.

  15. Preparation of ZnS microdisks using chemical bath deposition and ZnS/p-Si heterojunction solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsiao, Y. J.; Meen, T. H.; Ji, L. W.; Tsai, J. K.; Wu, Y. S.; Huang, C. J.

    2013-10-01

    The synthesis and heterojunction solar cell properties of ZnS microdisks prepared by the chemical bath deposition method were investigated. The ZnS deposited on the p-Si blanket substrate exhibits good coverage. The lower reflectance spectra were found as the thickness of the ZnS film increased. The optical absorption spectra of the 80 °C ZnS microdisk exhibited a band-gap energy of 3.4 eV and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the AZO/ZnS/p-Si heterojunction solar cell with a 300 nm thick ZnS film was η=2.72%.

  16. Thin-film solar cell

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Metselaar, J.W.; Kuznetsov, V.I.

    1998-01-01

    The invention relates to a thin-film solar cell provided with at least one p-i-n junction comprising at least one p-i junction which is at an angle alpha with that surface of the thin-film solar cell which collects light during operation and at least one i-n junction which is at an angle beta with

  17. Study of band gap reduction of TiO{sub 2} thin films with variation in GO contents and use of TiO{sub 2}/Graphene composite in hybrid solar cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saleem, Hareema, E-mail: hareemasaleem@gmail.com; Habib, Amir

    2016-09-15

    We have successfully designed a hybrid solar cell for improved performance of the P3HT based photovoltaic devices by using TiO{sub 2}/Graphene composites. There has been significant improvement in IV characteristics of organic solar cells prepared by this method. The TiO{sub 2}/Graphene composites act as electron collectors in active layer along with P3HT: PCBM in inverted organic photovoltaic devices. The energy bandgap was prominently reduced from 3.00 eV to 2.71 eV as confirmed by cyclic voltametery (CV) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. We have separately synthesized the TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles of size range (15 nm–22 nm) through condensed refluxed sol gel method in which titanium isopropoxide was taken as precursor. Modified Hummer's Method was used for the oxidation of graphite flakes into graphene oxide (GO) using KMnO{sub 4} as an oxidizing agent. TiO{sub 2}/Graphene composites were prepared by the subsequent sonication and heating processes. We have rigorously characterized the sample through various characterization tools. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results of TiO{sub 2}/Graphene films reveal the homogenous distribution of graphene nanosheets among the homogenously distributed titanium nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has shown the pure anatase phase peaks of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and oxidation of graphite at 11.8°. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has been used to study the vibrating modes. The chemical bonding Ti−O−C resulted to enhance the electron transport in obtained TiO{sub 2}/Graphene composite films. UV–Vis spectroscopy has expressed the oxidation peaks of graphite around 216 nm and all composite films were observed in visible region. The significant reduction in band gap and improved performance of hybrid solar cell using TiO{sub 2}/Graphene composite as electron collector in active layer, is attributed to getting better economical power conversion efficiency solar cell. - Highlights: • Reduction of

  18. Iron sulphide solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ennaoui, A.; Tributsch, H.

    1984-12-01

    The abundant, naturally occurring natural compound pyrite (FeS2) can be used as a semiconducting material for photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic solar cells. Unlike most of the intensively studied photoactive materials, pyrite solar cell production would never be limited by the availability of the elements or by their compatibility with the environment. An energy gap of 0.95 eV has been determined for pyrite, and it is noted that the theoretical efficiency limit for solar energy conversion in this material is of the order of 15-20 percent.

  19. Growth of amorphous Zn–Sn–O thin films by RF sputtering for buffer layers of CuInSe2 and SnS solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Shao-Wei; Ishikawa, Kaoru; Sugiyama, Mutsumi

    2015-01-01

    We propose using amorphous Zn–Sn–O (α-ZTO) deposited by RF sputtering as an alternative n-type buffer layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 and SnS solar cells. The order of the carrier density, n, is increased from the order of 10 15 to 10 17 cm −1 as the Sn/(Sn + Zn) atomic ratio increases from 0.29 to 0.40. On the other hand, the order of n decreased from 10 17 to 10 11 cm −1 as the oxygen partial pressure increased from 0 to 10%. Further, for the α-ZTO film with the Sn/(Sn + Zn) atomic ratio at 0.38 and the oxygen partial pressure at 0%, valence band discontinuities of α-ZTO/CuInSe 2 and α-ZTO/SnS were determined using photoelectron yield spectroscopy measurements. The band discontinuities of each of these interfaces form a spike structure in the conduction band offset, which enables a high-performance solar cell to be obtained. - Highlights: • We propose using amorphous Zn–Sn–O as a n-type layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 and SnS solar cells. • The carrier density was controlled by total and/or oxygen partial pressure during sputtering. • Valence band discontinuities of Zn–Sn–O/CuInSe 2 and Zn–Sn–O/SnS were determined. • The conduction band discontinuities of each of these interfaces form a spike structure

  20. Amorphous silicon passivation for 23.3% laser processed back contact solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carstens, Kai; Dahlinger, Morris; Hoffmann, Erik; Zapf-Gottwick, Renate; Werner, Jürgen H.

    2017-08-01

    This paper presents amorphous silicon deposited at temperatures below 200 °C, leading to an excellent passivation layer for boron doped emitter and phosphorus doped back surface field areas in interdigitated back contact solar cells. A higher deposition temperature degrades the passivation of the boron emitter by an increased hydrogen effusion due to lower silicon hydrogen bond energy, proved by hydrogen effusion measurements. The high boron surface doping in crystalline silicon causes a band bending in the amorphous silicon. Under these conditions, at the interface, the intentionally undoped amorphous silicon becomes p-type conducting, with the consequence of an increased dangling bond defect density. For bulk amorphous silicon this effect is described by the defect pool model. We demonstrate, that the defect pool model is also applicable to the interface between amorphous and crystalline silicon. Our simulation shows the shift of the Fermi energy towards the valence band edge to be more pronounced for high temperature deposited amorphous silicon having a small bandgap. Application of optimized amorphous silicon as passivation layer for the boron doped emitter and phosphorus doped back surface field on the rear side of laser processed back contact solar cells, fabricated using four laser processing steps, yields an efficiency of 23.3%.

  1. Radiation damage evaluation on AlGaAs/GaAs solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moreno, E.G.; Alcubilla, R.; Prat, L.; Castaner, L.

    1988-01-01

    A piecewise model to evaluate radiation damage on AlGaAs based solar cells has been developed, which gives complete electrical parameters of the cells in the operating temperature range. Different structures, including graded band gap and double heteroface can be analyzed. The cell structure is sliced into layers of constant parameters, allowing the model to take into account nonuniform damage produced by low energy protons without excess computer time. Proton damage coefficients as well as proton damage ratios can be calculated for energies between 30 and 10/sup 4/ keV with only two adjustable parameters. In addition, coirradiation experiments with different energy protons can be simulated, by improving the conventional method of degradation computering

  2. Enhanced photovoltaic performances of graphene/Si solar cells by insertion of a MoS₂ thin film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuboi, Yuka; Wang, Feijiu; Kozawa, Daichi; Funahashi, Kazuma; Mouri, Shinichiro; Miyauchi, Yuhei; Takenobu, Taishi; Matsuda, Kazunari

    2015-09-14

    Transition-metal dichalcogenides exhibit great potential as active materials in optoelectronic devices because of their characteristic band structure. Here, we demonstrated that the photovoltaic performances of graphene/Si Schottky junction solar cells were significantly improved by inserting a chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown, large MoS2 thin-film layer. This layer functions as an effective electron-blocking/hole-transporting layer. We also demonstrated that the photovoltaic properties are enhanced with the increasing number of graphene layers and the decreasing thickness of the MoS2 layer. A high photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 11.1% was achieved with the optimized trilayer-graphene/MoS2/n-Si solar cell.

  3. Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Based on TiO2/AgInS2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pawar, Sachin A.; Jeong, Jae Pil; Patil, Dipali S.; More, Vivek M.; Lee, Rochelle S.; Shin, Jae Cheol; Choi, Won Jun

    2018-05-01

    Quantum dot heterojunctions with type-II band alignment can efficiently separate photogenerated electron-hole pairs and, hence, are useful for solar cell studies. In this study, a quantum dot sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) made of TiO2/AgInS2 is achieved to boost the photoconversion efficiency for the TiO2-based system by varying the AgInS2 layer's thickness. The TiO2 nanorods array film is prepared by using a simple hydrothermal technique. The formation of a AgInS2 QD-sensitized TiO2-nanorod photoelectrode is carried out by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. The effect of the QD layer on the performance of the solar cell is studied by varying the SILAR cycles of the QD coating. The synthesized electrode materials are characterized by using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and solar cell performances. The results indicate that the nanocrystals have effectively covered the outer surfaces of the TiO2 nanorods. The interfacial structure of quantum dots (QDs)/TiO2 is also investigated, and the growth interface is verified. A careful comparison between TiO2/AgInS2 sensitized cells reveals that the trasfer of electrons and hole proceeds efficiently, the recombination is suppressed for the optimum thickness of the QD layer and light from the entire visible spectrum is utilised. Under AM 1.5G illumination, a high photocurrent of 1.36 mAcm-2 with an improved power conversion efficiency of 0.48% is obtained. The solar cell properties of our photoanodes suggest that the TiO2 nanorod array films co-sensitized by AgInS2 nanoclusters have potential applications in solar cells.

  4. Machine for welding solar cell connections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lorans, D.Y.

    1977-08-09

    A machine for welding a connection wire over a solar cell electrode is described which comprises a base, a welding mount for the solar cell which is supported on the base, means for holding the solar cell on the welding mount, welding electrodes, means to lower the welding electrodes over the solar cell and the connection wire superimposed thereon, means for applying electric current pulses to said welding electrodes. It is characterized by the fact that it further comprises means for imparting to said mount an alternating transverse movement in relation to said base before and during the welding operation.

  5. Semiconductor Nanocrystals as Light Harvesters in Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Etgar, Lioz

    2013-02-04

    Photovoltaic cells use semiconductors to convert sunlight into electrical current and are regarded as a key technology for a sustainable energy supply. Quantum dot-based solar cells have shown great potential as next generation, high performance, low-cost photovoltaics due to the outstanding optoelectronic properties of quantum dots and their multiple exciton generation (MEG) capability. This review focuses on QDs as light harvesters in solar cells, including different structures of QD-based solar cells, such as QD heterojunction solar cells, QD-Schottky solar cells, QD-sensitized solar cells and the recent development in organic-inorganic perovskite heterojunction solar cells. Mechanisms, procedures, advantages, disadvantages and the latest results obtained in the field are described. To summarize, a future perspective is offered.

  6. Semiconductor Nanocrystals as Light Harvesters in Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lioz Etgar

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Photovoltaic cells use semiconductors to convert sunlight into electrical current and are regarded as a key technology for a sustainable energy supply. Quantum dot-based solar cells have shown great potential as next generation, high performance, low-cost photovoltaics due to the outstanding optoelectronic properties of quantum dots and their multiple exciton generation (MEG capability. This review focuses on QDs as light harvesters in solar cells, including different structures of QD-based solar cells, such as QD heterojunction solar cells, QD-Schottky solar cells, QD-sensitized solar cells and the recent development in organic-inorganic perovskite heterojunction solar cells. Mechanisms, procedures, advantages, disadvantages and the latest results obtained in the field are described. To summarize, a future perspective is offered.

  7. Semiconductor Nanocrystals as Light Harvesters in Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Etgar, Lioz

    2013-01-01

    Photovoltaic cells use semiconductors to convert sunlight into electrical current and are regarded as a key technology for a sustainable energy supply. Quantum dot-based solar cells have shown great potential as next generation, high performance, low-cost photovoltaics due to the outstanding optoelectronic properties of quantum dots and their multiple exciton generation (MEG) capability. This review focuses on QDs as light harvesters in solar cells, including different structures of QD-based solar cells, such as QD heterojunction solar cells, QD-Schottky solar cells, QD-sensitized solar cells and the recent development in organic-inorganic perovskite heterojunction solar cells. Mechanisms, procedures, advantages, disadvantages and the latest results obtained in the field are described. To summarize, a future perspective is offered. PMID:28809318

  8. Nanostructuring of Solar Cell Surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Davidsen, Rasmus Schmidt; Schmidt, Michael Stenbæk

    Solar energy is by far the most abundant renewable energy source available, but the levelized cost of solar energy is still not competitive with that of fossil fuels. Therefore there is a need to improve the power conversion effciency of solar cells without adding to the production cost. The main...... objective of this PhD thesis is to develop nanostructured silicon (Si) solar cells with higher power conversion efficiency using only scalable and cost-efficient production methods. The nanostructures, known as 'black silicon', are fabricated by single-step, maskless reactive ion etching and used as front...... texturing of different Si solar cells. Theoretically the nanostructure topology may be described as a graded refractive index in a mean-field approximation between air and Si. The optical properties of the developed black Si were simulated and experimentally measured. Total AM1.5G-weighted average...

  9. Numerical investigation of optimized CZTSSe based solar cell in Wx-Amps environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanty, Soumya Priyadarshini; Padhy, Srinibasa; Chowdhury, Joy; Sing, Udai P.

    2018-05-01

    The CZTSSe is the modified version of CZTS with selenium infusion. It shows maximum efficiency in the band gap from 1 to 1.4 eV. In our present work CZTSSe based solar cell is investigated using Wx-Amps tool. The Mo layer, absorber layer, CdS layer, i-ZnO [4]and Al-ZnO layers with their electrical, optical and material parameters are fitted in the tool. The vital parameters such as carrier density, thickness of the CZTSSe absorber layer, operating temperature, CdS buffer layer thickness and its carrier density on the cell interpretation are calculated. From[4] the simulation results it is apparent that the optimal absorber layer varies from 2.9 µm to 3.7 µm. The temperature variation has a strong influence on the efficiency of the cell. An optimal efficiency of 22% (With Jsc=33 mA/cm2, Voc=0.98 V, and fill factor= 68%) are attained. These results will give some insight for makeing higher efficiency CZTSSe based solar cell.

  10. Flexible Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-01-01

    Solar cell "modules" are plastic strips coated with thin films of photovoltaic silicon that collect solar energy for instant conversion into electricity. Lasers divide the thin film coating into smaller cells to build up voltage. Developed by Iowa Thin Film Technologies under NASA and DOE grants, the modules are used as electrical supply for advertising displays, battery rechargers for recreational vehicles, and to power model airplanes. The company is planning other applications both in consumer goods and as a power source in underdeveloped countries.

  11. Extended Temperature Solar Cell Technology Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landis, Geoffrey A.; Jenkins, Phillip; Scheiman, David; Rafaelle, Ryne

    2004-01-01

    Future NASA missions will require solar cells to operate both in regimes closer to the sun, and farther from the sun, where the operating temperatures will be higher and lower than standard operational conditions. NASA Glenn is engaged in testing solar cells under extended temperature ranges, developing theoretical models of cell operation as a function of temperature, and in developing technology for improving the performance of solar cells for both high and low temperature operation.

  12. Crossed BiOI flake array solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Kewei; Jia, Falong; Zhang, Lizhi [Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan (China); Zheng, Zhi [Institute of Surface Micro and Nano Materials, Xuchang University (China)

    2010-12-15

    We report a new kind of solar cell based on crossed flake-like BiOI arrays for the first time. The BiOI flake arrays were fabricated on an FTO glass with a TiO{sub 2} block layer at room temperature by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The resulting BiOI flake array solar cell exhibited enhanced photovoltaic performance under solar illumination. This work provides an attractive and new solar cell system and a facile route to fabricate low cost and non-toxic solar cell. (author)

  13. Performance characteristics and parametric choices of a solar thermophotovoltaic cell at the maximum efficiency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, Qingchun; Liao, Tianjun; Yang, Zhimin; Chen, Xiaohang; Chen, Jincan

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The overall model of the solar thermophotovoltaic cell (STPVC) composed of an optical lens, an absorber, an emitter, and a photovoltaic (PV) cell with an integrated back-side reflector is updated to include various irreversible losses. - Highlights: • A new model of the irreversible solar thermophotovoltaic system is proposed. • The material and structure parameters of the system are considered. • The performance characteristics at the maximum efficiency are revealed. • The optimal values of key parameters are determined. • The system can obtain a large efficiency under a relative low concentration ratio. - Abstract: The overall model of the solar thermophotovoltaic cell (STPVC) composed of an optical lens, an absorber, an emitter, and a photovoltaic (PV) cell with an integrated back-side reflector is updated to include various irreversible losses. The power output and efficiency of the cell are analytically derived. The performance characteristics of the STPVC at the maximum efficiency are revealed. The optimum values of several important parameters, such as the voltage output of the PV cell, the area ratio of the absorber to the emitter, and the band-gap of the semiconductor material, are determined. It is found that under the condition of a relative low concentration ratio, the optimally designed STPVC can obtain a relative large efficiency.

  14. Deciphering Solar Magnetic Activity: Spotting Solar Cycle 25

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McIntosh, Scott W. [High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Leamon, Robert J., E-mail: mscott@ucar.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

    2017-06-26

    We present observational signatures of solar cycle 25 onset. Those signatures are visibly following a migratory path from high to low latitudes. They had starting points that are asymmetrically offset in each hemisphere at times that are 21–22 years after the corresponding, same polarity, activity bands of solar cycle 23 started their migration. Those bands define the so-called “extended solar cycle.” The four magnetic bands currently present in the system are approaching a mutually cancelling configuration, and solar minimum conditions are imminent. Further, using a tuned analysis of the daily band latitude-time diagnostics, we are able to utilize the longitudinal wave number (m = 1) variation in the data to more clearly reveal the presence of the solar cycle 25 bands. This clarification illustrates that prevalently active longitudes (different in each hemisphere) exist at mid-latitudes presently, lasting many solar rotations, that can be used for detailed study over the next several years with instruments like the Spectrograph on IRIS, the Spectropolarimeter on Hinode, and, when they come online, similar instruments on the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) as we watch those bands evolve following the cancellation of the solar cycle 24 activity bands at the equator late in 2019.

  15. Characterization of multicrystalline solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malik, A.Q.; Chong Chew Hah; Chan Siang Khwang; Tan Kha Sheng; Lim Chee Ming

    2006-01-01

    The evaluation and assessment of the performance of photovoltaic (PV) cells in terms of measurable parameters requires the measurement of the current as a function of voltage, temperature, intensity, wind speed and spectrum. Most noticeable of all these parameters in the PV conversion efficiency η, defined as the maximum electrical power P max produced by the PV cell divided by the incident photon power P in which is measured with respect to standard test conditions (Sc). These conditions refer to the spectrum (AM 1.5), solar radiation intensity (1000 Wm -2 ), cell temperature (25 ± 2 degree C) and wind speed (2 mph). Tests under STC are carried out in the laboratory at a controlled environment. There have been several studies that analyze uncertainties in the laboratory measurement of solar cell efficiencies using different solar simulators and their transference to operational situations. Our preliminary results demonstrate that the short circuit current (I SC ) of the solar cell decreases when irradiance is less than 1000 Wm -2 irrespective of the working temperature of the cell

  16. Characterisation of multicrystalline solar cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.Q. Malik

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The evaluation and assessment of the performance of photovoltaic (PV cells in terms of measurable parameters requires the measurement of the current as a function of voltage, temperature, intensity, wind speed and spectrum. Mo st noticeable of all these parameters is the PV conversion efficiency η, defined as the maximum electrical power Pmax produced by the PV cell divided by the incident photon power P in which is measured with respect to standard test conditions (STC. These conditions refer to the spectrum (AM 1.5, solar radiation intensity (1000 Wm-2, cell temperature (25 ±2oC and wind speed (2 mph. Tests under STC are carried out in the laboratory at a controlled environment. There have been several studies that analyze uncertainties in the laboratory measurement of solar cell efficiencies using different solar simulators and their transference to operational situations. Our preliminary results demonstratethat the short circuit current (ISC of the solar cell decreases when irradiance is less than 1000 Wm-2 irrespective of the working temperature of the cell.

  17. Achievement report for fiscal 1992 on Sunshine Program-entrusted research and development. Research and development of high-efficiency solar cells (Research on forbidden band width optimization); 1992 nendo kokoritsu taiyo denchi no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Kinsei taifuku no saitekika no kenkyu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1993-03-01

    Research is carried out on technologies concerning CuInSe{sub 2} thin-film solar cell manufacturing, thin film formation, thin film characterization, CdS, (CdZn)S formation, CuInSe{sub 2} single junction, analysis of the a-Si/CuInSe{sub 2} tandem solar cell operating theory, etc. In relation with the encapsulated selenization method for film formation for CuInSe{sub 2} thin-film solar cells, film constitution, film thickness, selenization temperature, etc., are studied for optimization. In relation with the vaporized selenization method, vaporized selenization is tested in a vacuum chamber aiming at improved homogeneity and reproducibility. In research on CdS and (CdZn)S which are window layer materials for CuInSe{sub 2} thin-film solar cells, CdS thin films are formed in a solution growth method using CdSO{sub 4} and (NH{sub 2}){sub 2}CS. In relation with the solution growth of the (CdZn)S crystal film, control of the Zn content in the film is now practicable. In the study of a-Si/CuInSe{sub 2} tandem solar cells, an analytical program is formulated, and calculation is made concerning the impacts of CuInSe{sub 2} forbidden band width and a-Si i-layer thickness. (NEDO)

  18. Perovskite Solar Cells: Progress and Advancements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naveen Kumar Elumalai

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs have emerged as a new class of optoelectronic semiconductors that revolutionized the photovoltaic research in the recent years. The perovskite solar cells present numerous advantages include unique electronic structure, bandgap tunability, superior charge transport properties, facile processing, and low cost. Perovskite solar cells have demonstrated unprecedented progress in efficiency and its architecture evolved over the period of the last 5–6 years, achieving a high power conversion efficiency of about 22% in 2016, serving as a promising candidate with the potential to replace the existing commercial PV technologies. This review discusses the progress of perovskite solar cells focusing on aspects such as superior electronic properties and unique features of halide perovskite materials compared to that of conventional light absorbing semiconductors. The review also presents a brief overview of device architectures, fabrication methods, and interface engineering of perovskite solar cells. The last part of the review elaborates on the major challenges such as hysteresis and stability issues in perovskite solar cells that serve as a bottleneck for successful commercialization of this promising PV technology.

  19. VIIRS Reflective Solar Band Radiometric and Stability Evaluation Using Deep Convective Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Tiejun; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Mu, Qiaozhen

    2016-01-01

    This work takes advantage of the stable distribution of deep convective cloud (DCC) reflectance measurements to assess the calibration stability and detector difference in Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) reflective bands. VIIRS Sensor Data Records (SDRs) from February 2012 to June 2015 are utilized to analyze the long-term trending, detector difference, and half angle mirror (HAM) side difference. VIIRS has two thermal emissive bands with coverage crossing 11 microns for DCC pixel identification. The comparison of the results of these two processing bands is one of the indicators of analysis reliability. The long-term stability analysis shows downward trends (up to approximately 0.4 per year) for the visible and near-infrared bands and upward trends (up to 0.5per year) for the short- and mid-wave infrared bands. The detector difference for each band is calculated as the difference relative to the average reflectance overall detectors. Except for the slightly greater than 1 difference in the two bands at 1610 nm, the detector difference is less than1 for other solar reflective bands. The detector differences show increasing trends for some short-wave bands with center wavelengths from 400 to 600 nm and remain unchanged for the bands with longer center wavelengths. The HAM side difference is insignificant and stable. Those short-wave bands from 400 to 600 nm also have relatively larger HAM side difference, up to 0.25.Comparing the striped images from SDR and the smooth images after the correction validates the analyses of detector difference and HAM side difference. These analyses are very helpful for VIIRS calibration improvement and thus enhance product quality

  20. High Radiation Resistance IMM Solar Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Noren

    2015-01-01

    Due to high launch costs, weight reduction is a key driver for the development of new solar cell technologies suitable for space applications. This project is developing a unique triple-junction inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) technology that enables the manufacture of very lightweight, low-cost InGaAsP-based multijunction solar cells. This IMM technology consists of indium (In) and phosphorous (P) solar cell active materials, which are designed to improve the radiation-resistant properties of the triple-junction solar cell while maintaining high efficiency. The intrinsic radiation hardness of InP materials makes them of great interest for building solar cells suitable for deployment in harsh radiation environments, such as medium Earth orbit and missions to the outer planets. NASA Glenn's recently developed epitaxial lift-off (ELO) process also will be applied to this new structure, which will enable the fabrication of the IMM structure without the substrate.

  1. Work Station For Inverting Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feder, H.; Frasch, W.

    1982-01-01

    Final work station along walking-beam conveyor of solar-array assembly line turns each pretabbed solar cell over, depositing it back-side-up onto landing pad, which centers cell without engaging collector surface. Solar cell arrives at inverting work station collector-side-up with two interconnect tabs attached to collector side. Cells are inverted so that second soldering operation takes place in plain view of operator. Inversion protects collector from damage when handled at later stages of assembly.

  2. Donor and Acceptor Polymers for Bulk Hetero Junction Solar Cell and Photodetector Applications

    KAUST Repository

    Cruciani, Federico

    2018-04-01

    Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) devices represent a very versatile family of organic cells for both the fields of solar energy conversion and photodetection. Organic photovoltaics (OPV) are an attractive alternative to their silicon-based counterparts because of their potential for low-cost roll-to-roll printing, and their intended application in light-weight mechanically conformable devices and in window-type semi-transparent PV modules. Of all proposed OPV candidates, polymer donor with different absorption range are especially promising when used in conjunction with complementary absorbing acceptor materials, like fullerene derivatives (PCBM), conjugated molecules or polymers, achieving nowadays power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in the range of 10-13% and being a step closer to practical applications. Among the photodetectors (PD), low band gap polymer blended with PCBM decked out the attention, given their extraordinary range of detection from UV to IR and high detectivity values reached so far, compared to the inorganic devices. Since the research has been focused on the enhancement of those numbers for an effective commercialization of organic cells, the topic of the following thesis has been centered on the synthesis of different polymer structures with diverse absorption ranges, used as donor or acceptor, with emphasis on performance in various BHJ devices either for solar cells and photodetectors. In the first part, two new wide band gap polymers, used as donor material in BHJ devices blended with fullerene and small molecule acceptors, are presented. The PBDT_2FT and PBDTT_2FT have shown nice efficiencies from 7% to 9.8%. The device results are implemented with a morphology study and a specific application in a semi-transparent tandem device, reaching a record PCE of 5.4% for average level of transparency of 48%. In another section two new low band gap polymers (Eopt~ 1.26 eV) named DTP_2FBT and (Eopt~ 1.1 eV) named BDTT_BTQ are presented. While the DTP

  3. Semi-transparent solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, J; Jasieniak, J J

    2017-01-01

    Semi-transparent solar cells are a type of technology that combines the benefits of visible light transparency and light-to-electricity conversion. One of the biggest opportunities for such technologies is in their integration as windows and skylights within energy-sustainable buildings. Currently, such building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are dominated by crystalline silicon based modules; however, the opaque nature of silicon creates a unique opportunity for the adoption of emerging photovoltaic candidates that can be made truly semi-transparent. These include: amorphous silicon-, kesterite-, chalcopyrite-, CdTe-, dye-sensitized-, organic- and perovskite- based systems. For the most part, amorphous silicon has been the workhorse in the semi-transparent solar cell field owing to its established, low-temperature fabrication processes. Excitement around alternative classes, particularly perovskites and the inorganic candidates, has recently arisen because of the major efficiency gains exhibited by these technologies. Importantly, each of these presents unique opportunities and challenges within the context of BIPV. This topic review provides an overview into the broader benefits of semi-transparent solar cells as building-integrated features, as well as providing the current development status into all of the major types of semi-transparent solar cells technologies. (topical review)

  4. Semi-transparent solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, J.; Jasieniak, J. J.

    2017-03-01

    Semi-transparent solar cells are a type of technology that combines the benefits of visible light transparency and light-to-electricity conversion. One of the biggest opportunities for such technologies is in their integration as windows and skylights within energy-sustainable buildings. Currently, such building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are dominated by crystalline silicon based modules; however, the opaque nature of silicon creates a unique opportunity for the adoption of emerging photovoltaic candidates that can be made truly semi-transparent. These include: amorphous silicon-, kesterite-, chalcopyrite-, CdTe-, dye-sensitized-, organic- and perovskite- based systems. For the most part, amorphous silicon has been the workhorse in the semi-transparent solar cell field owing to its established, low-temperature fabrication processes. Excitement around alternative classes, particularly perovskites and the inorganic candidates, has recently arisen because of the major efficiency gains exhibited by these technologies. Importantly, each of these presents unique opportunities and challenges within the context of BIPV. This topic review provides an overview into the broader benefits of semi-transparent solar cells as building-integrated features, as well as providing the current development status into all of the major types of semi-transparent solar cells technologies.

  5. Proton irradiation effects of amorphous silicon solar cell for solar power satellite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morita, Yousuke; Oshima, Takeshi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma (Japan). Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment; Sasaki, Susumu; Kuroda, Hideo; Ushirokawa, Akio

    1997-03-01

    Flexible amorphous silicon(fa-Si) solar cell module, a thin film type, is regarded as a realistic power generator for solar power satellite. The radiation resistance of fa-Si cells was investigated by the irradiations of 3,4 and 10 MeV protons. The hydrogen gas treatment of the irradiated fa-Si cells was also studied. The fa-Si cell shows high radiation resistance for proton irradiations, compared with a crystalline silicon solar cell. (author)

  6. Minimum entropy principle-based solar cell operation without a pn-junction and a thin CdS layer to extract the holes from the emitter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böer, Karl W.

    2016-10-01

    The solar cell does not use a pn-junction to separate electrons from holes, but uses an undoped CdS layer that is p-type inverted when attached to a p-type collector and collects the holes while rejecting the backflow of electrons and thereby prevents junction leakage. The operation of the solar cell is determined by the minimum entropy principle of the cell and its external circuit that determines the electrochemical potential, i.e., the Fermi-level of the base electrode to the operating (maximum power point) voltage. It leaves the Fermi level of the metal electrode of the CdS unchanged, since CdS does not participate in the photo-emf. All photoelectric actions are generated by the holes excited from the light that causes the shift of the quasi-Fermi levels in the generator and supports the diffusion current in operating conditions. It is responsible for the measured solar maximum power current. The open circuit voltage (Voc) can approach its theoretical limit of the band gap of the collector at 0 K and the cell increases the efficiency at AM1 to 21% for a thin-film CdS/CdTe that is given as an example here. However, a series resistance of the CdS forces a limitation of its thickness to preferably below 200 Å to avoid unnecessary reduction in efficiency or Voc. The operation of the CdS solar cell does not involve heated carriers. It is initiated by the field at the CdS/CdTe interface that exceeds 20 kV/cm that is sufficient to cause extraction of holes by the CdS that is inverted to become p-type. Here a strong doubly charged intrinsic donor can cause a negative differential conductivity that switches-on a high-field domain that is stabilized by the minimum entropy principle and permits an efficient transport of the holes from the CdTe to the base electrode. Experimental results of the band model of CdS/CdTe solar cells are given and show that the conduction bands are connected in the dark, where the electron current must be continuous, and the valence bands are

  7. Compositional engineering of acceptors for highly efficient bulk heterojunction hybrid organic solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amber Yousaf, S; Ikram, M; Ali, S

    2018-10-01

    The wet chemical synthesis of chromium oxide (Cr 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles (NPs) and its application in active layer of inverted bulk heterojunction organic solar cells is documented in this research. Chromium oxide NPs of 10-30 nm size range having a band gap of 2.9 eV were successfully synthesized. These NPs were used in inverted organic solar cells in amalgamation with P3HT:PCBM and PTB7:PCBM polymers. The fabricated hybrid devices improves PCE significantly for P3HT:PCBM and PTB7:PCBM systems. The photophysical energy levels, optoelectrical properties and microscopic images have been systematically studied for the fabricated devices. The introduction of Cr 2 O 3 nanoparticles (NPs) enhances light harvesting and tunes energy levels into improved electrical parameters. A clear red shift and improved absorption have been observed for ternary blended devices compared to that observed with controlled organic solar cells. Apparently, when the amount of NPs in the binary polymer blend exceeds the required optimum level, there is a breakdown of the bulk heterojunction leading to lowering of the optical and electrical performance of the devices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Time-Dependent Response Versus Scan Angle for MODIS Reflective Solar Bands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Junqiang; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Angal, Amit; Chen, Hongda; Wu, Aisheng; Geng, Xu

    2014-01-01

    The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments currently operate onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA's) Terra and Aqua spacecraft, launched on December 18, 1999 and May 4, 2002, respectively. MODIS has 36 spectral bands, among which 20 are reflective solar bands (RSBs) covering a spectral range from 0.412 to 2.13 µm. The RSBs are calibrated on orbit using a solar diffuser (SD) and an SD stability monitor and with additional measurements from lunar observations via a space view (SV) port. Selected pseudo-invariant desert sites are also used to track the RSB on-orbit gain change, particularly for short-wavelength bands. MODIS views the Earth surface, SV, and the onboard calibrators using a two-sided scan mirror. The response versus scan angle (RVS) of the scan mirror was characterized prior to launch, and its changes are tracked using observations made at different angles of incidence from onboard SD, lunar, and Earth view (EV) measurements. These observations show that the optical properties of the scan mirror have experienced large wavelength-dependent degradation in both the visible and near infrared spectral regions. Algorithms have been developed to track the on-orbit RVS change using the calibrators and the selected desert sites. These algorithms have been applied to both Terra and Aqua MODIS Level 1B (L1B) to improve the EV data accuracy since L1B Collection 4, refined in Collection 5, and further improved in the latest Collection 6 (C6). In C6, two approaches have been used to derive the time-dependent RVS for MODIS RSB. The first approach relies on data collected from sensor onboard calibrators and mirror side ratios from EV observations. The second approach uses onboard calibrators and EV response trending from selected desert sites. This approach is mainly used for the bands with much larger changes in their time-dependent RVS, such as the Terra MODIS bands 1-4, 8, and 9 and the Aqua MODIS bands 8- and 9

  9. Ternary Oxides in the TiO2-ZnO System as Efficient Electron-Transport Layers for Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency over 15.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Xiong; Xu, Zhongzhong; Guo, Yanjun; Xu, Peng; He, Meng

    2016-11-02

    Perovskite solar cells, which utilize organometal-halide perovskites as light-harvesting materials, have attracted great attention due to their high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and potentially low cost in fabrication. A compact layer of TiO 2 or ZnO is generally applied as electron-transport layer (ETL) in a typical perovskite solar cell. In this study, we explored ternary oxides in the TiO 2 -ZnO system to find new materials for the ETL. Compact layers of titanium zinc oxides were readily prepared on the conducting substrate via spray pyrolysis method. The optical band gap, valence band maximum and conduction band minimum of the ternary oxides varied significantly with the ratio of Ti to Zn, surprisingly, in a nonmonotonic way. When a zinc-rich ternary oxide was applied as ETL for the device, a PCE of 15.10% was achieved, comparable to that of the device using conventional TiO 2 ETL. Interestingly, the perovskite layer deposited on the zinc-rich ternary oxide is stable, in sharp contrast with that fabricated on a ZnO layer, which will turn into PbI 2 readily when heated. These results indicate that potentially new materials with better performance can be found for ETL of perovskite solar cells in ternary oxides, which deserve more exploration.

  10. Evaluating the Solar Slowly Varying Component at C-Band Using Dual- and Single-Polarization Weather Radars in Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Gabella

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Six C-band weather radars located in Europe (Finland, Netherlands, and Switzerland have been used to monitor the slowly varying solar emission, which is an oscillation with an amplitude of several decibels and a period of approximately 27 days. It is caused by the fact that the number of active regions that enhance the solar radio emission with respect to the quiet component, as seen from Earth, varies because of the Sun’s rotation about its axis. The analysis is based on solar signals contained in the polar volume data produced during the operational weather scan strategy. This paper presents hundreds of daily comparisons between radar estimates and the Sun’s reference signal, during the current active Sun period (year 2014. The Sun’s reference values are accurately measured by the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO at S-band and converted to C-band using a standard DRAO formula. Vertical and horizontal polarization receivers are able to capture the monthly oscillation of the solar microwave signal: the standard deviation of the log-transformed ratio between radars and the DRAO reference ranges from 0.26 to 0.4 dB. A larger coefficient (and a different value for the quiet Sun component in the standard formula improves the agreement.

  11. Thin-film solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aberle, Armin G.

    2009-01-01

    The rapid progress that is being made with inorganic thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technologies, both in the laboratory and in industry, is reviewed. While amorphous silicon based PV modules have been around for more than 20 years, recent industrial developments include the first polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on glass and the first tandem solar cells based on stacks of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon films ('micromorph cells'). Significant thin-film PV production levels are also being set up for cadmium telluride and copper indium diselenide.

  12. Silicon nanowire-based solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stelzner, Th; Pietsch, M; Andrae, G; Falk, F; Ose, E; Christiansen, S [Institute of Photonic Technology, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 9, D-07745 Jena (Germany)], E-mail: thomas.stelzner@ipht-jena.de

    2008-07-23

    The fabrication of silicon nanowire-based solar cells on silicon wafers and on multicrystalline silicon thin films on glass is described. The nanowires show a strong broadband optical absorption, which makes them an interesting candidate to serve as an absorber in solar cells. The operation of a solar cell is demonstrated with n-doped nanowires grown on a p-doped silicon wafer. From a partially illuminated area of 0.6 cm{sup 2} open-circuit voltages in the range of 230-280 mV and a short-circuit current density of 2 mA cm{sup -2} were obtained.

  13. Silicon nanowire-based solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stelzner, Th; Pietsch, M; Andrae, G; Falk, F; Ose, E; Christiansen, S

    2008-01-01

    The fabrication of silicon nanowire-based solar cells on silicon wafers and on multicrystalline silicon thin films on glass is described. The nanowires show a strong broadband optical absorption, which makes them an interesting candidate to serve as an absorber in solar cells. The operation of a solar cell is demonstrated with n-doped nanowires grown on a p-doped silicon wafer. From a partially illuminated area of 0.6 cm 2 open-circuit voltages in the range of 230-280 mV and a short-circuit current density of 2 mA cm -2 were obtained

  14. Solution-Processed hybrid Sb2 S3 planar heterojunction solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wenxiao; Borazan, Ismail; Carroll, David

    Thin-film solar cells based on inorganic absorbers permit a high efficiency and stability. Among or those absorber candidates, recently Sb2S3 has attracted extensive attention because of its suitable band gap (1.5eV ~1.7 eV) , strong optical absorption, low-cost and earth-abundant constituents. Currently high-efficiency Sb2S3 solar cells have absorber layer deposited on nanostructured TiO2 electrodes in combination with organic hole transport material (HTM) on top. However it's challenging to fill the nanostructured TiO2 layer with Sb2S3 and subsequently by HTM, this leads to uncovered surface permits charge recombination. And the existing of Sb2S3/TiO2/HTM triple interface will enhance the recombination due to the surface trap state. Therefore, a planar junction cell would not only have simpler structure with less steps to fabricate but also ideally also have a higher open circuit voltage because of less interface carrier recombination. By far there is limited research focusing on planar Sb2S3 solar cell, so the feasibility is still unclear. Here, we developed a low-toxic solution method to fabricate Sb2S3 thin film solar cell, then we studied the morphology of the Sb2S3 layer and its impact to the device performance. The best device with a structure of FTO/TiO2/Sb2S3/P3HT/Ag has PCE over 5% which is similar or higher than yet the best nanostructure devices with the same HTM. Furthermore, based on solution engineering and surface modification, we improved the Sb2S3 film quality and achieved a record PCE. .

  15. Reduced voltage losses yield 10% efficient fullerene free organic solar cells with >1 V open circuit voltages

    KAUST Repository

    Baran, D.

    2016-11-09

    Optimization of the energy levels at the donor-acceptor interface of organic solar cells has driven their efficiencies to above 10%. However, further improvements towards efficiencies comparable with inorganic solar cells remain challenging because of high recombination losses, which empirically limit the open-circuit voltage (Voc) to typically less than 1 V. Here we show that this empirical limit can be overcome using non-fullerene acceptors blended with the low band gap polymer PffBT4T-2DT leading to efficiencies approaching 10% (9.95%). We achieve Voc up to 1.12 V, which corresponds to a loss of only Eg/q - Voc = 0.5 ± 0.01 V between the optical bandgap Eg of the polymer and Voc. This high Voc is shown to be associated with the achievement of remarkably low non-geminate and non-radiative recombination losses in these devices. Suppression of non-radiative recombination implies high external electroluminescence quantum efficiencies which are orders of magnitude higher than those of equivalent devices employing fullerene acceptors. Using the balance between reduced recombination losses and good photocurrent generation efficiencies achieved experimentally as a baseline for simulations of the efficiency potential of organic solar cells, we estimate that efficiencies of up to 20% are achievable if band gaps and fill factors are further optimized. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2016.

  16. Thermodynamics, Entropy, Information and the Efficiency of Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrams, Zeev R.

    -Queisser limit, known as "3rd generation" concepts. After analyzing the standard single-junction cell, other forms of surpassing the detailed-balance limit are presented and discussed, from the viewpoint of entropy and its relation to the amount of information lost or produced in the photovoltaic conversion process. In addition to the well-known 3rd generation methods: up- and down-conversion, carrier multiplication and intermediate band solar cells, other ideas are discussed such as using Feedback to shift the optimal bandgap of the cell, and the use of spectral splitting to completely utilize the solar spectrum. The focus on entropy (and the open-circuit voltage) as the primary variable of interest uncovers new limitations to these processes, and denotes preferences of certain technologies over others. Using this parallel approach provides insights into the field that were either neglected or not realized. This work thus provides a new set of guidelines for searching for and analyzing innovative techniques to maximize the power conversion efficiency from solar cells.

  17. Development of Inorganic Solar Cells by Nano-technology

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yafei Zhang; HueyLiang Hwang; Huijuan Geng; Zhihua Zhou; Jiang Wu; Zhiming Wang; Yaozhong Zhang; Zhongli Li; Liying Zhang; Zhi Yang

    2012-01-01

    Inorganic solar cells, as durable photovoltaic devices for harvesting electric energy from sun light, have received tremendous attention due to the fear of exhausting the earth’s energy resources and damaging the living environment due to greenhouse gases. Some recent developments in nanotechnology have opened up new avenues for more relevant inorganic solar cells produced by new photovoltaic conversion concepts and effective solar energy harvesting nanostructures. In this review, the multiple exciton generation effect solar cells, hot carrier solar cells, one dimensional material constructed asymmetrical schottky barrier arrays, noble nanoparticle induced plasmonic enhancement, and light trapping nanostructured semiconductor solar cells are highlighted.

  18. Inductively coupled hydrogen plasma processing of AZO thin films for heterojunction solar cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, H.P.; Xu, S.; Zhao, Z.; Xiang, Y.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A high-density plasma reactor of inductively coupled plasma source is used in this work. • The conductivity and transmittance can be enhanced simultaneously in the hydrogen process. • The formation of additional donors and passivation due to the hydrogen plasma processing. • The photovoltaic improvement due to the improved AZO layer and hetero-interface quality in the solar cells. - Abstract: Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films deposited by means of RF magnetron sputtering were processed in a low frequency inductively coupled plasma of H 2 , aiming at heterojunction (HJ) solar cell applications. A variety of characterization results show that the hydrogen plasma processing exerts a significant influence on the microstructures, electrical and optical properties of the AZO films. The incorporation of hydrogen under the optimum treatment simultaneously promoted the transmittance and conductivity due to the hydrogen associated passivation effect on the native defects and the formation of shallow donors in the films, respectively. A p-type c-Si based HJ solar cell with a front AZO contact was also treated in as-generated non-equilibrium hydrogen plasma and the photovoltaic performance of the solar cell was prominently improved. The underlying mechanism was discussed in terms of the beneficial impacts of high-density hydrogen plasma on the properties of AZO itself and the hetero-interfaces involved in the HJ structure (interface defect and energy band configuration)

  19. Large-area photovoltaics based on low band gap copolymers of thiophene and benzothiadiazole or benzo-bis(thiadiazole)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bundgaard, Eva; Krebs, Frederik C

    2007-01-01

    to give poor devices when employed in bulk heterojunctions with PCBM. This was linked to a poor alignment of the energy levels in 2 with that of the electrodes and PCBM, showing that the requirement for a control of the positions of the energy levels becomes increasingly important as the band gap......Large-area solar cells (active area = 3 and 10cm(2)) were prepared with low band gap polymers based on thiophene and benzothiadiazole (1) or thiophene and benzo-bis(thiadiazole) (2). The band gaps of the polymers were 1.65 and 0.67 eV, respectively. The best photovoltaic performance was obtained...... for the device ITO/PEDOT/1:PCBM (1:2)/Al with an active area of 3 cm(2). The efficiency of the device was 0.62%. This is a high efficiency for a low band gap polymer in a large-area organic solar cell and thus polymer I is a very promising material for organic solar cells. The devices based on 2 were found...

  20. Band Offsets at the Interface between Crystalline and Amorphous Silicon from First Principles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarolimek, K.; Hazrati, E.; de Groot, R. A.; de Wijs, G. A.

    2017-07-01

    The band offsets between crystalline and hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a -Si ∶H ) are key parameters governing the charge transport in modern silicon heterojunction solar cells. They are an important input for macroscopic simulators that are used to further optimize the solar cell. Past experimental studies, using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and capacitance-voltage measurements, have yielded conflicting results on the band offset. Here, we present a computational study on the band offsets. It is based on atomistic models and density-functional theory (DFT). The amorphous part of the interface is obtained by relatively long DFT first-principles molecular-dynamics runs at an elevated temperature on 30 statistically independent samples. In order to obtain a realistic conduction-band position the electronic structure of the interface is calculated with a hybrid functional. We find a slight asymmetry in the band offsets, where the offset in the valence band (0.29 eV) is larger than in the conduction band (0.17 eV). Our results are in agreement with the latest XPS measurements that report a valence-band offset of 0.3 eV [M. Liebhaber et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 106, 031601 (2015), 10.1063/1.4906195].

  1. Challenges in amorphous silicon solar cell technology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Swaaij, van R.A.C.M.M.; Zeman, M.; Korevaar, B.A.; Smit, C.; Metselaar, J.W.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.

    2000-01-01

    Hydrogenated amorphous silicon is nowadays extensively used for a range of devices, amongst others solar cells, Solar cell technology has matured over the last two decades and resulted in conversion efficiencies in excess of 15%. In this paper the operation of amorphous silicon solar cells is

  2. Modeling and Simulation of Monolithic AlGaAs/InGaAs Tandem Solar Cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samia SLIMANI

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Employing conventional III-V junctions we report a classical calculation of conduction and valence band edge and the electron and hole densities. It is shown that the optimum performance can be achieved by employing AlGaAs /AlGaAs/InGaAs monolithic cascade solar cells, we have established these calculations by solving the Poisson equation within the framework of the Nextnano.

  3. Temperature coefficients for GaInP/GaAs/GaInNAsSb solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aho, Arto; Isoaho, Riku; Tukiainen, Antti; Polojärvi, Ville; Aho, Timo; Raappana, Marianna; Guina, Mircea [Optoelectronics Research Centre, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 692, FIN-33101 Tampere (Finland)

    2015-09-28

    We report the temperature coefficients for MBE-grown GaInP/GaAs/GaInNAsSb multijunction solar cells and the corresponding single junction sub-cells. Temperature-dependent current-voltage measurements were carried out using a solar simulator equipped with a 1000 W Xenon lamp and a three-band AM1.5D simulator. The triple-junction cell exhibited an efficiency of 31% at AM1.5G illumination and an efficiency of 37–39% at 70x real sun concentration. The external quantum efficiency was also measured at different temperatures. The temperature coefficients up to 80°C, for the open circuit voltage, the short circuit current density, and the conversion efficiency were determined to be −7.5 mV/°C, 0.040 mA/cm{sup 2}/°C, and −0.09%/°C, respectively.

  4. Near infrared emission of TbAG:Ce{sup 3+},Yb{sup 3+} phosphor for solar cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meshram, N. D., E-mail: meshramnileshsd@gmail.com [Shri. Mathuradas Mohota College of Science, Sakkardara Square, Nagpur-440009 (India); Yadav, P. J., E-mail: yadav.pooja75@yahoo.in [Department of Electronics, Nagpur University campus, Nagpur-440010 (India); Pathak, A. A., E-mail: aapathak@yahoo.com [National power Training Institute, South ambazari road, Nagpur-440022 (India); Joshi, C. P., E-mail: charusheela-4253@yahoo.co.in [Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, Katol road, Gittikhadan Nagpur-440012 (India); Moharil, S. V., E-mail: svmoharil@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Nagpur University campus, Nagpur-440010 (India)

    2016-05-06

    Luminescent materials doped with rare earth ions are used for many devices such as optical amplifiers in telecommunication, phosphors for white light emitting diodes (LEDs), displays, and so on. Recently, they also have attracted a great interest for photovoltaic applications to improve solar cell efficiency by modifying solar spectrum. Crystal silicon (c-Si) solar cells most effectively convert photons of energy close to the semiconductor band gap. The mis-match between the incident solar spectrum and the spectral response of solar cells is one of the main reasons to limit the cell efficiency. The efficiency limit of the c-Si has been estimated to be 29% by Shockley and Queisser. However, this limit is estimated to be improved up to 38.4% by modifying the solar spectrum by a quantum cutting (down converting) phosphor which converts one photon of high energy into two photons of lower energy. The phenomenon such as the quantum cutting or the down conversion of rare earth ions have been investigated since Dexter reported the possibility of a luminescent quantum yield greater than unity in 1957. In the past, the quantum cutting from a vacuum ultraviolet photon to visible photons for Pr{sup 3+}, Gd{sup 3+},Gd{sup 3+}–Eu{sup 3+}, and Er{sup 3+}–Tb{sup 3+} had been studied. Recently, a new quantum cutting phenomenon from visible photon shorter than 500 nm to two infrared photons for Tb{sup 3+}–Yb{sup 3+}, Pr{sup 3+}–Yb{sup 3+}, and Tm{sup 3+}–Yb{sup 3+} has been reported. The Yb{sup 3+} ion is suitable as an acceptor and emitter because luminescent quantum efficiency of Yb{sup 3+} is close to 100% and the energy of the only excited level of Yb{sup 3+} (1.2 eV) is roughly in accordance with the band gap of Si (1.1 eV). In addition, the Ce{sup 3+}-doped Tb{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} (TbAG), used as a phosphor for white LED, has broad absorption bands in the range of 300–500 nm due to strong ligand field and high luminescent quantum efficiency. Therefore, the

  5. Surface Passivation for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deligiannis, D.

    2017-01-01

    Silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ) are currently one of the most promising solar cell technologies in the world. The SHJ solar cell is based on a crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafer, passivated on both sides with a thin intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer. Subsequently, p-type

  6. Structural studies of n-type nc-Si-QD thin films for nc-Si solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Debajyoti; Kar, Debjit

    2017-12-01

    A wide optical gap nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) dielectric material is a basic requirement at the n-type window layer of nc-Si solar cells in thin film n-i-p structure on glass substrates. Taking advantage of the high atomic-H density inherent to the planar inductively coupled low-pressure (SiH4 + CH4)-plasma, development of an analogous material in P-doped nc-Si-QD/a-SiC:H network has been tried. Incorporation of C in the Si-network extracted from the CH4 widens the optical band gap; however, at enhanced PH3-dilution of the plasma spontaneous miniaturization of the nc-Si-QDs below the dimension of Bohr radius (∼4.5 nm) further enhances the band gap by virtue of the quantum size effect. At increased flow rate of PH3, dopant induced continuous amorphization of the intrinsic crystalline network is counterbalanced by the further crystallization promoted by the supplementary atomic-H extracted from PH3 (1% in H2) in the plasma, eventually holding a moderately high degree of crystallinity. The n-type wide band gap (∼1.93 eV) window layer with nc-Si-QDs in adequate volume fraction (∼52%) could furthermore be instrumental as an effective seed layer for advancing sequential crystallization in the i-layer of nc-Si solar cells with n-i-p structure in superstrate configuration.

  7. TiO 2 Conduction Band Modulation with In 2 O 3 Recombination Barrier Layers in Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Brennan, Thomas P.

    2013-11-21

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to grow subnanometer indium oxide recombination barriers in a solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on the spiro-OMeTAD hole-transport material (HTM) and the WN1 donor-π-acceptor organic dye. While optimal device performance was achieved after 3-10 ALD cycles, 15 ALD cycles (∼2 Å of In2O 3) was observed to be optimal for increasing open-circuit voltage (VOC) with an average improvement of over 100 mV, including one device with an extremely high VOC of 1.00 V. An unexpected phenomenon was observed after 15 ALD cycles: the increasing VOC trend reversed, and after 30 ALD cycles VOC dropped by over 100 mV relative to control devices without any In2O3. To explore possible causes of the nonmonotonic behavior resulting from In2O3 barrier layers, we conducted several device measurements, including transient photovoltage experiments and capacitance measurements, as well as density functional theory (DFT) studies. Our results suggest that the VOC gains observed in the first 20 ALD cycles are due to both a surface dipole that pulls up the TiO2 conduction band and recombination suppression. After 30 ALD cycles, however, both effects are reversed: the surface dipole of the In2O3 layer reverses direction, lowering the TiO 2 conduction band, and mid-bandgap states introduced by In 2O3 accelerate recombination, leading to a reduced V OC. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  8. Modeling cell elongation during germ band retraction: cell autonomy versus applied anisotropic stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lynch, Holley E; Shane Hutson, M; Veldhuis, Jim; Wayne Brodland, G

    2014-01-01

    The morphogenetic process of germ band retraction in Drosophila embryos involves coordinated movements of two epithelial tissues—germ band and amnioserosa. The germ band shortens along its rostral–caudal or head-to-tail axis, widens along its perpendicular dorsal-ventral axis, and uncurls from an initial ‘U’ shape. The amnioserosa mechanically assists this process by pulling on the crook of the U-shaped germ band. The amnioserosa may also provide biochemical signals that drive germ band cells to change shape in a mechanically autonomous fashion. Here, we use a finite-element model to investigate how these two contributions reshape the germ band. We do so by modeling the response to laser-induced wounds in each of the germ band’s spatially distinct segments (T1–T3, A1–A9) during the middle of retraction when segments T1–A3 form the ventral arm of the ‘U’, A4–A7 form its crook, and A8–A9 complete the dorsal arm. We explore these responses under a range of externally applied stresses and internal anisotropy of cell edge tensions—akin to a planar cell polarity that can drive elongation of cells in a direction parallel to the minimum edge tension—and identify regions of parameter space (edge-tension anisotropy versus stress anisotropy) that best match previous experiments for each germ band segment. All but three germ band segments are best fit when the applied stress anisotropy and the edge-tension anisotropy work against one another—i.e., when the isolated effects would elongate cells in perpendicular directions. Segments in the crook of the germ band (A4–A7) have cells that elongate in the direction of maximum external stress, i.e., external stress anisotropy is dominant. In most other segments, the dominant factor is internal edge-tension anisotropy. These results are consistent with models in which the amnioserosa pulls on the crook of the germ band to mechanically assist retraction. In addition, they suggest a mechanical cue for

  9. Assessment of the dye-sensitized solar cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McConnell, R. D. [Center for Basic Sciences, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, MIS 3211, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401 (United States)

    2002-09-01

    The field of solar electricity, or photovoltaics (PV), is rich in that there are many materials and concepts for converting sunlight into electricity. The technologies accepted as conventional are those well along in the process of commercialization. The dye-sensitized solar cell, developed in the 1990s, is a nonconventional solar electric technology that has attracted much attention, perhaps a result of its record cell efficiency above 10%. This paper reviews the technology, discusses new research results and approaches presented at a recent symposium of many of the world's important dye solar cell researchers, and presents an assessment of the dye-sensitized solar cell in a comparison with current conventional solar electric technologies. It concludes the dye solar cell has potential for becoming a cost-effective means for producing electricity, capable of competing with available solar electric technologies and, eventually, with today's conventional power technologies. But it is a relatively new technology and faces many hurdles on the path to commercialization. Because of its potential, this assessment recommends further funding for research and development (RandD) of the dye-sensitized solar cell technology on the basis of the promising technical characteristics of the technology, a strong US and worldwide research base, positive industry interest, and today's relatively small funding allocation for its RandD. (Author)

  10. Highly efficient light management for perovskite solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dong-Lin; Cui, Hui-Juan; Hou, Guo-Jiao; Zhu, Zhen-Gang; Yan, Qing-Bo; Su, Gang

    2016-01-06

    Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells have enormous potential to impact the existing photovoltaic industry. As realizing a higher conversion efficiency of the solar cell is still the most crucial task, a great number of schemes were proposed to minimize the carrier loss by optimizing the electrical properties of the perovskite solar cells. Here, we focus on another significant aspect that is to minimize the light loss by optimizing the light management to gain a high efficiency for perovskite solar cells. In our scheme, the slotted and inverted prism structured SiO2 layers are adopted to trap more light into the solar cells, and a better transparent conducting oxide layer is employed to reduce the parasitic absorption. For such an implementation, the efficiency and the serviceable angle of the perovskite solar cell can be promoted impressively. This proposal would shed new light on developing the high-performance perovskite solar cells.

  11. Morphologically controlled ZnO nanostructures as electron transport materials in polymer-based organic solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Kyu-Chae; Lee, Eun-Jin; Baek, Youn-Kyoung; Lim, Dong-Chan; Kang, Yong-Cheol; Kim, Yang-Do; Kim, Ki Hyun; Kim, Jae Pil; Kim, Young-Kuk

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Enhanced efficiency of solar cells using ZnO nanocrystals for charge transport. • Morphology of the charge transport layer is controlled. • Mixture of nanoparticles and nanorods are advantageous for cell efficiency. - ABSTRACT: The morphology of ZnO electron transport layers based on ZnO nanoparticles were modified with incorporation of ZnO nanorods via their co-deposition from mixed colloidal solution of nanoparticles and nanorods. In particular, the short circuit current density and the fill factor of the constructed photovoltaic device were simultaneously improved by applying mixture of ZnO nanoparticles and nanorods. As a result, a large improvement of power conversion efficiency up to 9% for the inverted organic solar cells having a blend of low band gap polymers and fullerene derivative as an active layer was demonstrated with the morphologically controlled ZnO electron transport layer.

  12. Mn-doped CdS quantum dots sensitized hierarchical TiO2 flower-rod for solar cell application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Libo; Li, Zhen; Liu, Yingbo; Cheng, Fa; Sun, Shuqing

    2014-01-01

    A double-layered TiO 2 film which three dimensional (3D) flowers grown on highly ordered self-assembled one dimensional (1D) TiO 2 nanorods was synthesized directly on transparent fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting glass substrate by a facile hydrothermal method and was applied as photoanode in Mn-doped CdS quantum dots sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). The 3D TiO 2 flowers with the increased surface areas can adsorb more QDs, which increased the absorption of light; meanwhile 1D TiO 2 nanorods beneath the flowers offered a direct electrical pathway for photogenerated electrons, accelerating the electron transfer rate. A typical type II band alignment which can effectively separate photogenerated excitons and reduce recombination of electrons and holes was constructed by Mn-doped CdS QDs and TiO 2 flower-rod. The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of the Mn-doped CdS/TiO 2 flower-rod solar cell reached to 40% with the polysulfide electrolyte filled in the solar cell. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.09% was obtained with the Mn-doped CdS/TiO 2 flower-rod solar cell under one sun illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW/cm 2 ), which is 105.7% higher than that of the CdS/TiO 2 nanorod solar cell (0.53%).

  13. Nanoparticle Solar Cell Final Technical Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Breeze, Alison, J; Sahoo, Yudhisthira; Reddy, Damoder; Sholin, Veronica; Carter, Sue

    2008-06-17

    The purpose of this work was to demonstrate all-inorganic nanoparticle-based solar cells with photovoltaic performance extending into the near-IR region of the solar spectrum as a pathway towards improving power conversion efficiencies. The field of all-inorganic nanoparticle-based solar cells is very new, with only one literature publication in the prior to our project. Very little is understood regarding how these devices function. Inorganic solar cells with IR performance have previously been fabricated using traditional methods such as physical vapor deposition and sputtering, and solution-processed devices utilizing IR-absorbing organic polymers have been investigated. The solution-based deposition of nanoparticles offers the potential of a low-cost manufacturing process combined with the ability to tune the chemical synthesis and material properties to control the device properties. This work, in collaboration with the Sue Carter research group at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has greatly expanded the knowledge base in this field, exploring multiple material systems and several key areas of device physics including temperature, bandgap and electrode device behavior dependence, material morphological behavior, and the role of buffer layers. One publication has been accepted to Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells pending minor revision and another two papers are being written now. While device performance in the near-IR did not reach the level anticipated at the beginning of this grant, we did observe one of the highest near-IR efficiencies for a nanoparticle-based solar cell device to date. We also identified several key parameters of importance for improving both near-IR performance and nanoparticle solar cells in general, and demonstrated multiple pathways which showed promise for future commercialization with further research.

  14. Polymer tandem solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gilot, J.

    2010-01-01

    Solar cells convert solar energy directly into electricity and are attractive contribute to the increasing energy demand of modern society. Commercial mono-crystalline silicon based devices are infiltrating the energy market but their expensive, time and energy consuming production process

  15. Investigation of solar cell radiation damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernard, J.; Reulet, R.; Arndt, R.A.

    1974-01-01

    Development of communications satellites has led to the requirement for a greater and longer lived solar cell power source. Accordingly, studies have been undertaken with the aim of determining which solar cell array provides the greatest power at end of life and the amount of degradation. Investigation of the damage done to thin silicon and thin film CdS solar cells is being carried out in two steps. First, irradiations were performed singly with 0.15, 1.0 and 2.0MeV electrons and 0.7, 2.5 and 22MeV proton. Solar cells and their cover materials were irradiated separately in order to locate the sites of the damage. Diffusion length and I.V. characteristics of the cells and transmission properties of the cover materials were measured. All neasurements were made in vacuum immediately after irradiation. In the second part it is intended to study the effect of various combinations of proton, electron and photon irradiation both with and without an electrical load. The results of this part show whether synergism is involved in solar cell damage and the relative importance of each of three radiation sources if synergism is found [fr

  16. 4-CM2 CuInGaSe2 based solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devaney, W.E.; Stewart, J.M.; Chen, W.S.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports that polycrystalline thin-film solar cells with the structure ZnO/CdZnS/CuInGaSe 2 have been fabricated with larger single cell areas than have been previously reported. A cell of area 4-cm 2 has been made with an Am1.5, 100 mW/cm 2 total area conversion efficiency of (11.1% 912.0% active area) and AMO conversion efficiency of 10.0% (10.9% active area). The CuInGaSe 2 layer had a gallium to indium ratio of 0.26:0.74 with a band gap of approximately 1.15 eV. The cells use an isolated tab design for the negative (grid) contact, demonstrating the ability to pattern the semiconductor layers. Such CuInGaSe 2 based cells may be suitable both for large area terrestrial applications and for single-junction space cell applications

  17. Indium oxide/n-silicon heterojunction solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Tom; Ghosh, Amal K.

    1982-12-28

    A high photo-conversion efficiency indium oxide/n-silicon heterojunction solar cell is spray deposited from a solution containing indium trichloride. The solar cell exhibits an Air Mass One solar conversion efficiency in excess of about 10%.

  18. Minimizing performance degradation induced by interfacial recombination in perovskite solar cells through tailoring of the transport layer electronic properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang Xu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The performance of hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells is investigated using one-dimensional drift-diffusion device simulations. We study the effects of interfacial defect density, doping concentration, and electronic level positions of the charge transport layer (CTL. Choosing CTLs with a favorable band alignment, rather than passivating CTL-perovskite interfacial defects, is shown to be beneficial for maintaining high power-conversion efficiency, due to reduced minority carrier density arising from a favorable local electric field profile. Insights from this study provide theoretical guidance on practical selection of CTL materials for achieving high-performance perovskite solar cells.

  19. Alignment of the dye's molecular levels with the TiO2 band edges in dye-sensitized solar cells: a DFT-TDDFT study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Angelis, Filippo; Fantacci, Simona; Selloni, Annabella

    2008-01-01

    We present a theoretical study of the lineup of the LUMO of Ru(II)-polypyridyl (N3 and N719) molecular dyes with the conduction band edge of a TiO 2 anatase nanoparticle. We use density functional theory (DFT) and the Car-Parrinello scheme for efficient optimization of the dye-nanoparticle systems, followed by hybrid B3LYP functional calculations of the electronic structure and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) determination of the lowest vertical excitation energies. The electronic structure and TDDFT calculations are performed in water solution, using a continuum model. Various approximate procedures to compute the excited state oxidation potential of dye sensitizers are discussed. Our calculations show that the level alignment for the interacting nanoparticle-sensitizer system is very similar, within about 0.1 eV, to that for the separated TiO 2 and dye. The excellent agreement of our results with available experimental data indicates that the approach of this work could be used as an efficient predictive tool to help the optimization of dye-sensitized solar cells.

  20. The open-circuit voltage in microcrystalline silicon solar cells of different degrees of crystallinity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nath, Madhumita; Roca i Cabarrocas, P.; Johnson, E.V.; Abramov, A.; Chatterjee, P.

    2008-01-01

    We have used a detailed electrical-optical computer model (ASDMP) in conjunction with the experimental characterization of microcrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells of different degrees of crystallinity (but having identical P- and N-layers) to understand the observed decrease of the open-circuit voltage with increasing crystalline fraction. In order to model all aspects of the experimental current density-voltage and quantum efficiency characteristics of cells having low (∼ 75%) and high (over 90%) crystalline fraction, we had to assume both a higher mobility gap defect density and a lower band gap for the more crystallized material. The former fact is widely known to bring down the open-circuit voltage. Our calculations also reveal that the proximity of the quasi-Fermi levels to the energy bands in the cell based on highly crystallized (and assumed to have a lower band gap) microcrystalline silicon results in higher free and trapped carrier densities in this device. The trapped hole population is particularly high at and close to the P/I interface on account of the higher inherent defect density in this region and the fact that the hole quasi-Fermi level is close to the valence band edge here. This fact results in a strong interface field, a collapse of the field in the volume, and hence a lower open-circuit voltage. Thus a combination of higher mobility gap defects and a lower band gap is probably the reason for the lower open-circuit voltage in cells based on highly crystallized microcrystalline silicon

  1. Concentrator-solar-cell development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grenon, L.

    1982-07-01

    A program is described which is a continuation of earlier programs for the development of high-efficiency, low-cost, silicon concentrator solar cells. The base-line process steps and process sequences identified in these earlier contracts were evaluated and specific processes reviewed. In particular, emphasis on the use of Czochralski-grown silicon wafers rather than float-zone wafers were examined. Additionally, a study of the trade-offs between textured and nontextured cells was initiated, and the limits within which the low-cost plated nickel copper metallization can be used in concentrator solar cell applications was identified.

  2. Al-Si alloy point contact formation and rear surface passivation for silicon solar cells using double layer porous silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moumni, Besma; Ben Jaballah, Abdelkader; Bessais, Brahim

    2012-01-01

    Lowering the rear surface recombination velocities by a dielectric layer has fascinating advantages compared with the standard fully covered Al back-contact silicon solar cells. In this work the passivation effect by double layer porous silicon (PS) (wide band gap) and the formation of Al-Si alloy in narrow p-type Si point contact areas for rear passivated solar cells are analysed. As revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, we found that a thin passivating aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) layer is formed. Scanning electron microscopy analysis performed in cross sections shows that with bilayer PS, liquid Al penetrates into the openings, alloying with the Si substrate at depth and decreasing the contact resistivity. At the solar cell level, the reduction in the contact area and resistivity leads to a minimization of the fill factor losses.

  3. High-efficient solar cells with porous silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Migunova, A.A.

    2002-01-01

    It has been shown that the porous silicon is multifunctional high-efficient coating on silicon solar cells, modifies its surface and combines in it self antireflection and passivation properties., The different optoelectronic effects in solar cells with porous silicon were considered. The comparative parameters of uncovered photodetectors also solar cells with porous silicon and other coatings were resulted. (author)

  4. Solar Cell Production in Nigeria: Prospects, Options and Problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fasasi, A. Y.; Siyanbola, W.O.; Ibitoye, F. I.; Pelemo, D. A.

    2002-01-01

    The prospects and problems facing solar cell production in Nigeria are discussed. The paper reviews many proven solar cell materials in terms of their current efficiencies and production costs. Silicon solar cell production appears to be the best technology option for Nigeria because of the abundant quartz sand and waste products from our phosphate fertiliser company that can be employed as starting materials to produce solar grade silicon. Factors affecting solar cell efficiency, choice of solar cell as well as financial and material problems limiting the progress on silicon solar cell production are also discussed. Finally, the paper recommends the simultaneous production of solar grade silicon and coordinated development of the balance of system components as first steps towards actualizing this objective

  5. Ideal solar cell equation in the presence of photon recycling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lan, Dongchen; Green, Martin A.

    2014-01-01

    Previous derivations of the ideal solar cell equation based on Shockley's p-n junction diode theory implicitly assume negligible effects of photon recycling. This paper derives the equation in the presence of photon recycling that modifies the values of dark saturation and light-generated currents, using an approach applicable to arbitrary three-dimensional geometries with arbitrary doping profile and variable band gap. The work also corrects an error in previous work and proves the validity of the reciprocity theorem for charge collection in such a more general case with the previously neglected junction depletion region included

  6. Ideal solar cell equation in the presence of photon recycling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lan, Dongchen, E-mail: d.lan@unsw.edu.au; Green, Martin A., E-mail: m.green@unsw.edu.au [Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052 (Australia)

    2014-11-07

    Previous derivations of the ideal solar cell equation based on Shockley's p-n junction diode theory implicitly assume negligible effects of photon recycling. This paper derives the equation in the presence of photon recycling that modifies the values of dark saturation and light-generated currents, using an approach applicable to arbitrary three-dimensional geometries with arbitrary doping profile and variable band gap. The work also corrects an error in previous work and proves the validity of the reciprocity theorem for charge collection in such a more general case with the previously neglected junction depletion region included.

  7. Influence of VB group doped TiO2 on photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Jia; Duan, Yandong; Zhou, Xiaowen; Lin, Yuan

    2013-01-01

    Dye-sensitized solar cell with V B group (vanadium (V), niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta)) doped TiO 2 prepared by hydrothermal method shows a higher photovoltaic efficiency compared with the undoped TiO 2 . All the V B doping shift the flat band potential positively and increase the doping density which is investigated by Mott–Schottky plot. The positive shift of flat band potential improves the driving force of injecting electron from the LUMO of dye to the conduction band of TiO 2 and the photocurrent. On the other hand, the increase of doping density accelerates transfer rate of electrons in TiO 2 than the un-doped, which is confirmed by intensity-modulated photocurrent. V-, Nb-, Ta-doped TiO 2 exhibited photovoltaic performance with 7.80%, 8.33%, 8.18%, respectively, compared with that of the cells based on pure TiO 2 (7.42%).

  8. Study of the Mg incorporation in CdTe for developing wide band gap Cd1−xMgxTe thin films for possible use as top-cell absorber in a tandem solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martínez, Omar S.; Millán, Aduljay Remolina; Huerta, L.; Santana, G.; Mathews, N.R.; Ramon-Garcia, M.L.; Morales, Erik R.; Mathew, X.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Thin films of Cd 1−x Mg x Te with high spatial uniformity and band gap in the range of 1.6–1.96 eV were deposited by vacuum co-evaporation of CdTe and Mg. ► Obtained Cd 1−x Mg x Te films have the structural characteristics of the CdTe, evidence of the change in atomic scattering due to incorporation of Mg was observed. ► XRD and XPS data confirmed the incorporation of Mg in the lattice of CdTe. ► SEM images revealed the impact of Mg incorporation on the morphology of the films, the changes in grain size and grain morphology are noticeable. - Abstract: Thin films of Cd 1−x Mg x Te with band gap in the range of 1.6–1.96 eV were deposited by vacuum co-evaporation of CdTe and Mg on glass substrates heated at 300 °C. Different experimental techniques such as XRD, UV–vis spectroscopy, SEM, and XPS were used to study the effect of Mg incorporation into the lattice of CdTe. The band gap of the films showed a clear tendency to increase as the Mg content in the film is increased. The Cd 1−x Mg x Te films maintain all the structural characteristics of the CdTe, however, diminishing of intensity for the XRD patterns is observed due to both change in preferential orientation and change in atomic scattering due to the incorporation of Mg. SEM images showed significant evidences of morphological changes due to the presence of Mg. XRD, UV–vis spectroscopy, and XPS data confirmed the incorporation of Mg in the lattice of CdTe. The significant increase in band gap of CdTe due to incorporation of Mg suggests that the Cd 1−x Mg x Te thin film is a candidate material to use as absorber layer in the top-cell of a tandem solar cell.

  9. Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Il; Matsuo, Yutaka; Maruyama, Shigeo

    2018-01-22

    Photovoltaics, more generally known as solar cells, are made from semiconducting materials that convert light into electricity. Solar cells have received much attention in recent years due to their promise as clean and efficient light-harvesting devices. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) could play a crucial role in these devices and have been the subject of much research, which continues to this day. SWNTs are known to outperform multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) at low densities, because of the difference in their optical transmittance for the same current density, which is the most important parameter in comparing SWNTs and MWNTs. SWNT films show semiconducting features, which make SWNTs function as active or charge-transporting materials. This chapter, consisting of two sections, focuses on the use of SWNTs in solar cells. In the first section, we discuss SWNTs as a light harvester and charge transporter in the photoactive layer, which are reviewed chronologically to show the history of the research progress. In the second section, we discuss SWNTs as a transparent conductive layer outside of the photoactive layer, which is relatively more actively researched. This section introduces SWNT applications in silicon solar cells, organic solar cells, and perovskite solar cells each, from their prototypes to recent results. As we go along, the science and prospects of the application of solar cells will be discussed.

  10. Scaling Up ITO-free solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galagan, Yulia; Coenen, Erica W. C.; Zimmermann, Birger

    2014-01-01

    Indium-tin-oxide-free (ITO-free) polymer solar cells with composite electrodes containing current-collecting grids and a semitransparent poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) conductor are demonstrated. The up-scaling of the length of the solar cell from 1 to 6 cm...... resistances. The performance of ITO-free organic solar cells with different dimensions and different electrode resistances are evaluated for different light intensities. The current generation and electric potential distribution are found to not be uniformly distributed in large-area devices at simulated 1...

  11. Development of high-performance transparent conducting oxides and their impact on the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coutts, T.J.; Wu, X.; Sheldon, P.; Rose, D.H. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

    1998-09-01

    This paper begins with a review of the modeled performance of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) as a function of their free-carrier concentration, mobility, and film thickness. It is shown that it is vital to make a film with high mobility to minimize the width and height of the free-carrier absorption band, and to optimize the optical properties. The free-carrier concentration must be kept sufficiently small that the absorption band does not extend into that part of the spectrum to which the solar cell responds. Despite this consideration, a high electrical conductivity is essential to minimize series resistance losses. Hence, a high mobility is vital for these materials. The fabrication of thin-films of cadmium stannate is then discussed, and their performance is compared with that of tin oxide, both optically and as these materials influence the performance of CdTe solar cells.

  12. High-efficiency concentrator silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sinton, R.A.; Cuevas, A.; King, R.R.; Swanson, R.M. (Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Solid-State Electronics Lab.)

    1990-11-01

    This report presents results from extensive process development in high-efficiency Si solar cells. An advanced design for a 1.56-cm{sup 2} cell with front grids achieved 26% efficiency at 90 suns. This is especially significant since this cell does not require a prismatic cover glass. New designs for simplified backside-contact solar cells were advanced from a status of near-nonfunctionality to demonstrated 21--22% for one-sun cells in sizes up to 37.5 cm{sup 2}. An efficiency of 26% was achieved for similar 0.64-cm{sup 2} concentrator cells at 150 suns. More fundamental work on dopant-diffused regions is also presented here. The recombination vs. various process and physical parameters was studied in detail for boron and phosphorous diffusions. Emitter-design studies based solidly upon these new data indicate the performance vs design parameters for a variety of the cases of most interest to solar cell designers. Extractions of p-type bandgap narrowing and the surface recombination for p- and n-type regions from these studies have a generality that extends beyond solar cells into basic device modeling. 68 refs., 50 figs.

  13. Co-oligomers Based on 2-Methoxy, 5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy phenylene and Thienylenevinylene for Organic Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. El Alamy

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Thanks to their optoelectronic properties and specific applications such as organic solar cells, the research on the lower band gap of organic p-conjugated materials encompassing both polymers and oligomers have been widely studied over the last years. The control of the band gap of these materials is a research issue of ongoing interest. In this study, theoretical study using the DFT method on four oligomers based on 2-methoxy, 5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy phenylene and thienylenevinylene is reported. The theoretical ground-state geometry and electronic structure of the studied molecules were obtained by the DFT method at the B3LYP level with a 6–31G (d basis set. Theoretical knowledge of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO energy levels the gap energy (Eg and the open-circuit voltage (Voc of the studied compounds are calculated and discussed. The results of this work suggest these materials as a good candidate for organic solar cells.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v8i3.800

  14. Solar Cell and Array Technology Development for NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piszczor, Michael; McNatt, Jeremiah; Mercer, Carolyn; Kerslake, Tom; Pappa, Richard

    2012-01-01

    NASA is currently developing advanced solar cell and solar array technologies to support future exploration activities. These advanced photovoltaic technology development efforts are needed to enable very large (multi-hundred kilowatt) power systems that must be compatible with solar electric propulsion (SEP) missions. The technology being developed must address a wide variety of requirements and cover the necessary advances in solar cell, blanket integration, and large solar array structures that are needed for this class of missions. Th is paper will summarize NASA's plans for high power SEP missions, initi al mission studies and power system requirements, plans for advanced photovoltaic technology development, and the status of specific cell and array technology development and testing that have already been conducted.

  15. Chemical bath deposited zinc sulfide buffer layers for copper indium gallium sulfur-selenide solar cells and device analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kundu, Sambhu; Olsen, Larry C.

    2005-01-01

    Cadmium-free copper indium gallium sulfur-selenide (CIGSS) thin film solar cells have been fabricated using chemical bath deposited (CBD) zinc sulfide (ZnS) buffer layers. Shell Solar Industries provided high quality CIGSS absorber layers. The use of CBD-ZnS, which is a higher band gap material than CdS, improved the quantum efficiency of fabricated cells at lower wavelengths, leading to an increase in short circuit current. The best cell to date yielded an active area (0.43 cm 2 ) efficiency of 13.3%. The effect of the ZnS buffer layer thickness on device performance was studied carefully. This paper also presents a discussion of issues relevant to the use of the CBD-ZnS buffer material for improving device performance

  16. Organic Based Solar Cells with Morphology Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thomas Rieks

    The field of organic solar cells has in the last years gone through an impressive development with efficiencies reported up to 12 %. For organic solar cells to take the leap from primarily being a laboratory scale technology to being utilized as renewable energy source, several issues need...... Microscopy and as solar cells in a blend with PCBM. It was concluded that these particles did not show a potential large enough for continuous work due to a high material loss and low efficiency when applied in solar cells. The second method to achieve was preparation of pre-arranged morphology organic...... nanoparticles consisting of a blend of donor and acceptor in an aqueous dispersion, thereby addressing two of the issues remaining in the field of organic solar cells. This approach was used on six different polymers, which all had the ability to prepare aqueous nanoparticle inks. The morphology...

  17. Development of simple band-spectral pyranometer and quantum meter using photovoltaic cells and bandpass filters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bilguun, Amarsaikhan, E-mail: bilguun@pes.ee.tut.ac.jp; Nakaso, Tetsushi; Harigai, Toru; Suda, Yoshiyuki; Takikawa, Hirofumi, E-mail: takikawa@ee.tut.ac.jp [Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Habarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi 441-8580 (Japan); Tanoue, Hideto [Kitakyushu National College of Technology, 5-20-1, Kokuraminami, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 802-0985 (Japan)

    2016-02-01

    In recent years, greenhouse automatic-control, based on the measurement of solar irradiance, has been attracting attention. This control is an effective method for improving crop production. In the agricultural field, it is necessary to measure Photon Flux Density (PFD), which is an important parameter in the promotion of plant growth. In particular, the PFD of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) and Plant Biologically Active Radiation (PBAR, 300-800 nm) have been discussed in agricultural plant science. The commercial quantum meter (QM, PAR meter) can only measure Photosynthetically Photon Flux Density (PPFD) which is the integrated PFD quantity on the PAR wavelength. In this research, a band-spectral pyranometer or quantum meter using PVs with optical bandpass filters for dividing the PBAR wavelength into 100 nm bands (five independent channels) was developed. Before field testing, calibration of the instruments was carried out using a solar simulator. Next, a field test was conducted in three differing weather conditions such as clear, partly cloudy and cloudy skies. As a result, it was found that the response rate of the developed pyranometer was faster by four seconds compared with the response rate of the commercial pyranometer. Moreover, the outputs of each channel in the developed pyranometer were very similar to the integrated outputs of the commercial spectroradiometer. It was confirmed that the solar irradiance could be measured in each band separately using the developed band-spectral pyranometer. It was indicated that the developed band-spectral pyranometer could also be used as a PV band-spectral quantum meter which is obtained by converting the band irradiance into band PFD.

  18. Development of simple band-spectral pyranometer and quantum meter using photovoltaic cells and bandpass filters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilguun, Amarsaikhan; Nakaso, Tetsushi; Harigai, Toru; Suda, Yoshiyuki; Takikawa, Hirofumi; Tanoue, Hideto

    2016-02-01

    In recent years, greenhouse automatic-control, based on the measurement of solar irradiance, has been attracting attention. This control is an effective method for improving crop production. In the agricultural field, it is necessary to measure Photon Flux Density (PFD), which is an important parameter in the promotion of plant growth. In particular, the PFD of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) and Plant Biologically Active Radiation (PBAR, 300-800 nm) have been discussed in agricultural plant science. The commercial quantum meter (QM, PAR meter) can only measure Photosynthetically Photon Flux Density (PPFD) which is the integrated PFD quantity on the PAR wavelength. In this research, a band-spectral pyranometer or quantum meter using PVs with optical bandpass filters for dividing the PBAR wavelength into 100 nm bands (five independent channels) was developed. Before field testing, calibration of the instruments was carried out using a solar simulator. Next, a field test was conducted in three differing weather conditions such as clear, partly cloudy and cloudy skies. As a result, it was found that the response rate of the developed pyranometer was faster by four seconds compared with the response rate of the commercial pyranometer. Moreover, the outputs of each channel in the developed pyranometer were very similar to the integrated outputs of the commercial spectroradiometer. It was confirmed that the solar irradiance could be measured in each band separately using the developed band-spectral pyranometer. It was indicated that the developed band-spectral pyranometer could also be used as a PV band-spectral quantum meter which is obtained by converting the band irradiance into band PFD.

  19. Development of simple band-spectral pyranometer and quantum meter using photovoltaic cells and bandpass filters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bilguun, Amarsaikhan; Nakaso, Tetsushi; Harigai, Toru; Suda, Yoshiyuki; Takikawa, Hirofumi; Tanoue, Hideto

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, greenhouse automatic-control, based on the measurement of solar irradiance, has been attracting attention. This control is an effective method for improving crop production. In the agricultural field, it is necessary to measure Photon Flux Density (PFD), which is an important parameter in the promotion of plant growth. In particular, the PFD of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) and Plant Biologically Active Radiation (PBAR, 300-800 nm) have been discussed in agricultural plant science. The commercial quantum meter (QM, PAR meter) can only measure Photosynthetically Photon Flux Density (PPFD) which is the integrated PFD quantity on the PAR wavelength. In this research, a band-spectral pyranometer or quantum meter using PVs with optical bandpass filters for dividing the PBAR wavelength into 100 nm bands (five independent channels) was developed. Before field testing, calibration of the instruments was carried out using a solar simulator. Next, a field test was conducted in three differing weather conditions such as clear, partly cloudy and cloudy skies. As a result, it was found that the response rate of the developed pyranometer was faster by four seconds compared with the response rate of the commercial pyranometer. Moreover, the outputs of each channel in the developed pyranometer were very similar to the integrated outputs of the commercial spectroradiometer. It was confirmed that the solar irradiance could be measured in each band separately using the developed band-spectral pyranometer. It was indicated that the developed band-spectral pyranometer could also be used as a PV band-spectral quantum meter which is obtained by converting the band irradiance into band PFD

  20. Role of bromine doping on the photovoltaic properties and microstructures of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Atsushi; Okada, Hiroshi; Oku, Takeo

    2016-01-01

    Organic-inorganic hybrid heterojunction solar cells containing CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite compound were fabricated using mesoporous TiO 2 as the electronic transporting layer and spirobifluorence as the hole-transporting layer. The purpose of the present study is to investigate role of bromine (Br) doping on the photovoltaic properties and microstructure of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite solar cells. Photovoltaic, optical properties and microstructures of perovskite-based solar cells were investigated. The X-ray diffraction identified crystal structure of the perovskite layer doped with Br in the solar cell. Scanning electron microscopy observation showed a different behavior of surface morphology and the perovskite crystal structure on the TiO 2 mesoporous structure depending on extent amount of hydrogen doping of Br. The role of bromide halogen doping on the perovskite crystal structure and photovoltaic properties was due to improvement of carrier mobility, optimization of electron structure, band gap related with the photovoltaic parameters of V oc , J sc and η. Energy diagram and photovoltaic mechanism of the perovskite solar cells varied with halogen doping was discussed by experimental results

  1. First determination of the valence band dispersion of CH3NH3PbI3 hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Min-I.; Barragán, Ana; Nair, Maya N.; Jacques, Vincent L. R.; Le Bolloc'h, David; Fertey, Pierre; Jemli, Khaoula; Lédée, Ferdinand; Trippé-Allard, Gaëlle; Deleporte, Emmanuelle; Taleb-Ibrahimi, Amina; Tejeda, Antonio

    2017-07-01

    The family of hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskites is in the limelight because of their recently discovered high photovoltaic efficiency. These materials combine photovoltaic energy conversion efficiencies exceeding 22% and low-temperature and low-cost processing in solution; a breakthrough in the panorama of renewable energy. Solar cell operation relies on the excitation of the valence band electrons to the conduction band by solar photons. One factor strongly impacting the absorption efficiency is the band dispersion. The band dispersion has been extensively studied theoretically, but no experimental information was available. Herein, we present the first experimental determination of the valence band dispersion of methylammonium lead halide in the tetragonal phase. Our results pave the way for contrasting the electronic hopping or the electron effective masses in different theories by comparing to our experimental bands. We also show a significant broadening of the electronic states, promoting relaxed conditions for photon absorption, and demonstrate that the tetragonal structure associated to the octahedra network distortion below 50 °C induces only a minor modification of the electronic bands, with respect to the cubic phase at high temperature, thus minimizing the impact of the cubic-tetragonal transition on solar cell efficiencies.

  2. Solar Cell Panel and the Method for Manufacturing the Same

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, Benjamin C. (Inventor); Sarver, Charles F. (Inventor); Naidenkova, Maria (Inventor)

    2016-01-01

    According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a solar cell panel and a method for manufacturing the same. The solar cell panel comprises: a solar cell for generating electric power from sunlight; a coverglass for covering the solar cell; transparent shims, which are disposed between the solar cell and the coverglass at the points where the distance between the solar cell and the coverglass needs to be controlled, and form a space between the solar cell and the coverglass; and adhesive layer, which fills the space between the solar cell and the coverglass and has the thickness the same as that of the transparent shims.

  3. Perovskite Solar Cell

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Organic–inorganic halide perovskite, a newcomerin the solar cell industry has proved its potential forincreasing efficiency rapidly from 3.8% in 2009 to 22.1% in2016. High efficiency, flexibility, and cell architecture of theemerging hybrid halide perovskite have caught the attentionof researchers and technologists in the field.

  4. Unconventional device concepts for polymer solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Veenstra, S.C.; Slooff, L.H.; Verhees, W.J.H.; Cobussen-Pool, E.M.; Lenzmann, F.O.; Kroon, J.M. [ECN Solar Energy, Petten (Netherlands); Sessolo, M.; Bolink, H.J. [Instituto de Ciencia Molecular, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia (Spain)

    2009-09-15

    The inclusion of metal-oxide layers in polymer solar cells enables the fabrication of a series of unconventional device architectures. These devices include: semi-transparent polymer solar cells, devices with inverted polarity, as well as devices with air stable electrodes. A proof-of-principle of these devices is presented. The anticipated benefits of these novel device structures over conventional polymer solar cells are discussed.

  5. Silicon solar cells: Past, present and the future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Youn-Jung; Kim, Byung-Sung; Ifitiquar, S. M.; Park, Cheolmin; Yi, Junsin

    2014-08-01

    There has been a great demand for renewable energy for the last few years. However, the solar cell industry is currently experiencing a temporary plateau due to a sluggish economy and an oversupply of low-quality cells. The current situation can be overcome by reducing the production cost and by improving the cell is conversion efficiency. New materials such as compound semiconductor thin films have been explored to reduce the fabrication cost, and structural changes have been explored to improve the cell's efficiency. Although a record efficiency of 24.7% is held by a PERL — structured silicon solar cell and 13.44% has been realized using a thin silicon film, the mass production of these cells is still too expensive. Crystalline and amorphous silicon — based solar cells have led the solar industry and have occupied more than half of the market so far. They will remain so in the future photovoltaic (PV) market by playing a pivotal role in the solar industry. In this paper, we discuss two primary approaches that may boost the silicon — based solar cell market; one is a high efficiency approach and the other is a low cost approach. We also discuss the future prospects of various solar cells.

  6. Silicon solar cells: past, present and the future

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Y. J.; Kim, B. S.; Ifitiquar, S. M.; Park, C. M.; Yi, J. S. [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-08-15

    There has been a great demand for renewable energy for the last few years. However, the solar cell industry is currently experiencing a temporary plateau due to a sluggish economy and an over supply of low-quality cells. The current situation can be overcome by reducing the production cost and by improving the cell is conversion efficiency. New materials such as compound semiconductor thin films have been explored to reduce the fabrication cost, and structural changes have been explored to improve the cell's efficiency. Although a record efficiency of 24.7% is held by a PERL - structured silicon solar cell and 13.44% has been realized using a thin silicon film, the mass production of these cells is still too expensive. Crystalline and amorphous silicon - based solar cells have led the solar industry and have occupied more than half of the market so far. They will remain so in the future photovoltaic (PV) market by playing a pivotal role in the solar industry. In this paper, we discuss two primary approaches that may boost the silicon - based solar cell market; one is a high efficiency approach and the other is a low cost approach. We also discuss the future prospects of various solar cells.

  7. Commercial Development Of Ovonic Thin Film Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ovshinsky, Stanford R.

    1983-09-01

    subsequent paper) which has clearly demonstrated that the basic barrier to low-cost production has been broken through and that one can now speak realistically of delivering power directly from the sun for under a dollar per peak watt merely by making larger versions of this basic continuous web, large-area thin-film machine. We have made one square foot amorphous silicon alloy PIN devices with conversion efficiencies in the range of 7%, and in the laboratory, we have reported smaller area PIN de-vices in the 10% conversion efficiency range. In addition, much higher energy conversion efficiencies can be obtained within the same process by using multi-cell layered or tandem thin-film solar cell structures (see Figure 1). These devices exhibit enhanced efficiency by utilizing a wider range of the solar spectrum. Since the theoretical maximum efficiency for multi-cell structures is over 60%, one can certainly realistically anticipate the pro-duction of thin-film amorphous photovoltaic devices with efficiencies as high as 30%. Our production device is already a two-cell tandem, as we have solved not only the problems of interfacing the individual cell components but also the difficulties associated with a one foot square format deposited on a continuous web. Figure 2 shows a continuous roll of Ovonic solar cells. Realistic calculations for a three-cell tandem thin-film device using amorphous semiconductor alloys with 1.8eV, 1.5eV, and 1.0eV optical band gaps indicate that solar energy conversion efficiencies of 20-30% can be achieved.

  8. Characterization of hydrothermally synthesized SnS nanoparticles for solar cell application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajwar, Birendra Kumar; Sharma, Shailendra Kumar

    2018-05-01

    In the present study, SnS nanoparticles were synthesized by simple hydrothermal method using stannous chloride and thiourea as tin (Sn) and sulfur (S) precursor respectively. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and UV-Vis Spectroscopy techniques. XRD pattern reveals that as-prepared nanoparticles exhibit orthorhombic structure. Average particles size was calculated using Scherrer's formula and found to be 23 nm. FESEM image shows that the as-prepared nanoparticles are in plate like structure. Direct optical band gap (Eg) of as-synthesized nanoparticles was calculated through UV-Vis Spectroscopy measurement and found to be 1.34 eV, which is near to optimum need for photovoltaic solar energy conversion (1.5 eV). Thus this SnS, narrowband gap semiconductor material can be applied as an alternative absorber material for solar cell application.

  9. Heterostructured TiO2/NiTiO3 Nanorod Arrays for Inorganic Sensitized Solar Cells with Significantly Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance and Stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yue-Ying; Wang, Jian-Gan; Sun, Huan-Huan; Wei, Bingqing

    2018-04-11

    Organic dyes used in the conventional dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) suffer from poor light stability and high cost. In this work, we demonstrate a new inorganic sensitized solar cell based on ordered one-dimensional semiconductor nanorod arrays of TiO 2 /NiTiO 3 (NTO) heterostructures prepared via a facile two-step hydrothermal approach. The semiconductor heterostructure arrays are highly desirable and promising for DSSCs because of their direct charge transport capability and slow charge recombination rate. The low-cost NTO inorganic semiconductor possesses an appropriate band gap that matches well with TiO 2 , which behaves like a "dye" to enable efficient light harvesting and fast electron-hole separation. The solar cells constructed by the ordered TiO 2 /NTO heterostructure photoanodes show a significantly improved power conversion efficiency, high fill factor, and more promising, outstanding life stability. The present work will open up an avenue to design heterostructured inorganics for high-performance solar cells.

  10. A cost roadmap for silicon heterojunction solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Louwen, A.; van Sark, W.; Schropp, R.E.I.; Faaij, A.

    2016-01-01

    Research and development of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells has seen a marked increase since the recent expiry of core patents describing SHJ technology. SHJ solar cells are expected to offer various cost benefits compared to conventional crystalline silicon solar cells. This paper analyses

  11. A Cost Roadmap for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Louwen, A.; van Sark, W.G.J.H.M.; Schropp, Ruud; Faaij, A.

    Research and development of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells has seen a marked increase since the recent expiry of core patents describing SHJ technology. SHJ solar cells are expected to offer various cost benefits compared to conventional crystalline silicon solar cells. This paper analyses

  12. Solar cell radiation handbook. Addendum 1: 1982-1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anspaugh, B.E.

    1989-02-01

    The Solar Cell Radiation Handbook (JPL Publication 82-69) is updated. In order to maintain currency of solar cell radiation data, recent solar cell designs have been acquired, irradiated with 1 MeV electrons, and measured. The results of these radiation experiments are reported

  13. Preparation and properties of radio-frequency-sputtered half-Heusler films for use in solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kieven, D., E-mail: david.kieven@helmholtz-berlin.d [Helmholtz-Zentrum fuer Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin (Germany); Grimm, A. [Helmholtz-Zentrum fuer Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin (Germany); Beleanu, A.; Blum, C.G.F. [Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet, Institut fuer Anorganische Chemie und Analytische Chemie, Staudingerweg 9, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Schmidt, J. [Fraunhofer Institut Fertigungstechnik Materialforschung IFAM, Winterbergstrasse 28, 01277 Dresden (Germany); Rissom, T.; Lauermann, I. [Helmholtz-Zentrum fuer Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin (Germany); Gruhn, T.; Felser, C. [Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet, Institut fuer Anorganische Chemie und Analytische Chemie, Staudingerweg 9, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Klenk, R. [Helmholtz-Zentrum fuer Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin (Germany)

    2011-01-03

    The class of half-Heusler compounds opens possibilities to find alternatives for II-VI or III-V compound semiconductors. We aim to find suitable substitutes for the cadmium sulphide buffer layer in chalcopyrite-based thin film solar cells, where the buffer layer is located between the p-type chalcopyrite absorber and an n-type transparent window layer. We report here the preparation of radio-frequency-sputtered lithium copper sulphide 'LiCuS' and lithium zinc phosphide 'LiZnP' films. The optical analysis of these films revealed band gaps between 1.8 and 2.5 eV, respectively. Chemical properties of the film surface and both interfaces between the film and a Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} layer and between the film and an (Zn,Mg)O layer were investigated by in-situ photoelectron spectroscopy. The valence band offsets to the Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} layer were estimated to be (0.4 {+-} 0.1) eV for 'LiCuS'/Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} and (0.5 {+-} 0.8) eV for 'LiZnP'/Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2}. This leads to positive conduction band offsets of > 1 eV. These rather large offsets are not compatible with efficient solar cell devices. Under atmospheric conditions 'LiCuS' and 'LiZnP' films show rapid decomposition.

  14. Controlling Blend Morphology for Ultra-High Current Density in Non-Fullerene Acceptor Based Organic Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Song, Xin

    2018-01-23

    Due to the high absorption coefficient and modulated band gap of non-fullerene small molecule acceptors (NFAs), photons can be utilized more efficiently in near-infrared (NIR) range. In this report, we highlight a system with a well-known polymer donor (PTB7-Th) blended with a narrow bandgap non-fullerene acceptor (IEICO-4F) as active layer and 1-chloronaphthalene (CN) as the solvent additive. The optimization of the photoactive layer nanomorphology yields short-circuit current density value (Jsc) of 27.3 mA/cm2, one of the highest value in OSCs reported to date, which competes with other types of solution processed solar cells such as perovskite or quantum dot devices. Along with decent open-circuit voltage (0.71V) and fill factor values (66%), a power conversion efficiency of 12.8% is achieved for the champion devices. Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) patterns and resonant soft X-ray scattering (R-SoXS) elucidate that the origin of this high photocurrent is mainly due to increased π-π coherence length of the acceptor, the domain spacing as well as the mean-square composition variation of the blend. Optoelectronic measurements confirm a balanced hole and electron mobility and reduced trap-assisted recombination for the best devices. These findings unveil the relevant solvent processing-nanostructure-electronic properties correlation in low band gap non-fullerene based solar cells, which provide a helpful guide for maximizing photocurrent that can pave the way for high efficiency organic solar cells.

  15. Controlling Blend Morphology for Ultra-High Current Density in Non-Fullerene Acceptor Based Organic Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Song, Xin; Gasparini, Nicola; Ye, Long; Yao, Huifeng; Hou, Jianhui; Ade, Harald; Baran, Derya

    2018-01-01

    Due to the high absorption coefficient and modulated band gap of non-fullerene small molecule acceptors (NFAs), photons can be utilized more efficiently in near-infrared (NIR) range. In this report, we highlight a system with a well-known polymer donor (PTB7-Th) blended with a narrow bandgap non-fullerene acceptor (IEICO-4F) as active layer and 1-chloronaphthalene (CN) as the solvent additive. The optimization of the photoactive layer nanomorphology yields short-circuit current density value (Jsc) of 27.3 mA/cm2, one of the highest value in OSCs reported to date, which competes with other types of solution processed solar cells such as perovskite or quantum dot devices. Along with decent open-circuit voltage (0.71V) and fill factor values (66%), a power conversion efficiency of 12.8% is achieved for the champion devices. Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) patterns and resonant soft X-ray scattering (R-SoXS) elucidate that the origin of this high photocurrent is mainly due to increased π-π coherence length of the acceptor, the domain spacing as well as the mean-square composition variation of the blend. Optoelectronic measurements confirm a balanced hole and electron mobility and reduced trap-assisted recombination for the best devices. These findings unveil the relevant solvent processing-nanostructure-electronic properties correlation in low band gap non-fullerene based solar cells, which provide a helpful guide for maximizing photocurrent that can pave the way for high efficiency organic solar cells.

  16. An optimized efficient dual junction InGaN/CIGS solar cell: A numerical simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farhadi, Bita; Naseri, Mosayeb

    2016-08-01

    The photovoltaic performance of an efficient double junction InGaN/CIGS solar cell including a CdS antireflector top cover layer is studied using Silvaco ATLAS software. In this study, to gain a desired structure, the different design parameters, including the CIGS various band gaps, the doping concentration and the thickness of CdS layer are optimized. The simulation indicates that under current matching condition, an optimum efficiency of 40.42% is achieved.

  17. Novel Terthiophene-Substituted Fullerene Derivatives as Easily Accessible Acceptor Molecules for Bulk-Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filippo Nisic

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Five fulleropyrrolidines and methanofullerenes, bearing one or two terthiophene moieties, have been prepared in a convenient way and well characterized. These novel fullerene derivatives are characterized by good solubility and by better harvesting of the solar radiation with respect to traditional PCBM. In addition, they have a relatively high LUMO level and a low band gap that can be easily tuned by an adequate design of the link between the fullerene and the terthiophene. Preliminary results show that they are potential acceptors for the creation of efficient bulk-heterojunction solar cells based on donor polymers containing thiophene units.

  18. Solar cell power source system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimizu, Yoichi; Toma, Kunio; Fukuwa, Shinji

    1988-05-14

    This invention aims to supply a power source system with stable power output by reducing the power loss due to switching in the voltage stabilization even when the power source is a solar cell with frequent voltage variation. For this purpose, in a solar cell power source system consisting of a solar cell, a storage battery, a switching regulator placed between the storage cell and the load, and a load, arrangement was made that, by judging the input voltage from the storage battery, switch-acting the transistor of the switching regulator, if the input voltage is higher than the specified voltage; is the input voltage is lower than the specified voltage, the transistor is put in a full-on state. By this, the supply voltage can be stabilized even when the voltage fluctuates, and system gets more efficient as the switching loss decreases in the voltage stabilizing means. (1 fig)

  19. Theoretical study of the design dye-sensitivity for usage in the solar cell device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alaa Alrikabi

    Full Text Available There are many applications in the polymer chemistry, pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial fields of the thiadiazole molecule and their derivatives. Allowance of the energy gap of the polymer conjugated is an object of great interesting debit for the possible removal of a doping in the preparation of highly conductivity polymers. Thiadiazoles derivatives are structural foundation of the polymer materials. In this present work, the electronic properties of graphene nanoflakes (GNFs-phenanthrene-1,3,4-thiadiazoles oligomers are studied and discussed. Where thiadiazoles is expanded from one to 9 unit's molecules at the structure. The energy gap, HOMO, LUMO distribution, total energy, Fermi level energy, work function, maximum wavelength absorption, vertical absorption energies, and oscillator strengths are calculated for each molecule. All calculations are carry out by usage density function theory (DFT and depended time density function theory (TD-DFT with the B3LYP/6-31G model in the Gaussian 09W software packages. Results show that increasing the number of monomeric units lead to great enhance in the electronic properties, which caused it decreased the band gap from 3.17 eV in the system with one unit of thiadiazole just to 1.35 eV in the system with 9 units of thiadiazole. This case is raised the value of maximum absorption wavelengths to >500 nm to give the better performance in optoelectronic and solar cell, as these structures have prime absorption bands within the solar spectrum. Keywords: DFT, GNFs, Solar cell, Thiadiazole, Energy gap

  20. Silicon Solar Cell Turns 50

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perlin, J.

    2004-08-01

    This short brochure describes a milestone in solar (or photovoltaic, PV) research-namely, the 50th anniversary of the invention of the first viable silicon solar cell by three researchers at Bell Laboratories.

  1. Luminescence investigation of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2}solar cells with different Ga-contents grown in a three-stage-process on glass substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wendt, Kristin; Mueller, Mathias; Hempel, Thomas; Bertram, Frank; Christen, Juergen [Institute of Experimental Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg (Germany); Abou-Ras, Daniel; Rissom, Thorsten; Unold, Thomas; Schock, Hans-Werner [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materials and Energy (Germany)

    2011-07-01

    A fundamental advantage of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) alloys as absorber materials in thin-film solar cells is their direct band gap energies which can be varied between 1.04 eV (CuInSe{sub 2}) and 1.68 eV (CuGaSe{sub 2}). Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of complete CIGS solar cells with a systematic variation of the Ga-content in the absorber layer will be presented. The CIGS cells investigated were grown on a Mo back contact sputtered on soda lime glass and have a Ga-concentration ranging over the entire range from CuInSe{sub 2} to CuGaSe{sub 2}. Samples with Ga-contents between 100 % and 33 % show two broad luminescence bands. In contrast, CuInSe{sub 2} exhibits only one broad luminescence band. Each band is composed of two or three different transitions. Varying excitation density over four orders of magnitude results for samples with Ga-content of 0 % and 33 % in a blueshift of the main peak with increasing excitation density. For higher Ga-concentrations, first a blue- and then a redshift of the dominating peak with increasing excitation density is visible. The temperature dependence of the PL spectra is investigated going from 4 K to 300 K.

  2. Scaling up ITO-Free solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Galagan, Y.O.; Coenen, E.W.C.; Zimmermann, B.; Slooff, L.H.; Verhees, W.J.H.; Veenstra, S.C.; Kroon, J.M.; Jørgensen, M.; Krebs, F.C.; Andriessen, H.A.J.M.

    2014-01-01

    Indium-tin-oxide-free (ITO-free) polymer solar cells with composite electrodes containing current-collecting grids and a semitransparent poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) conductor are demonstrated. The up-scaling of the length of the solar cell from 1 to 6 cm and

  3. Dye-sensitised solar cell (artificial photosynthesis)

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Le Roux, Lukas J

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available A novel system that harnesses solar energy is the nano-crystalline TiO dye-sensitised solar cell (DSC), in conjunction with several new concepts, such as nanotechnology and molecular devices. An efficient and low-cost cell can be produced by using...

  4. Doctor Blade-Coated Polymer Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Cho, Nam Chul

    2016-10-25

    In this work, we report polymer solar cells based on blade-coated P3HT:PC71BM and PBDTTT-EFT:PC71BM bulk heterojunction photoactive layers. Enhanced power conversion efficiency of 2.75 (conventional structure) and 3.03% (inverted structure) with improved reproducibility was obtained from blade-coated P3HT:PC71BM solar cells, compared to spin-coated ones. Furthermore, by demonstrating 3.10% efficiency flexible solar cells using blade-coated PBDTTT-EFT:PC71BM films on the plastic substrates, we suggest the potential applicability of blade coating technique to the high throughput roll-to-roll fabrication systems.

  5. Workshop - Solar cells and daylight. Solar cell house. House building with integrated solar cell systems; Workshop - Solceller og dagslys. Solcellehus. Boligbyggeri med integrerede solcelleanlaeg

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schroeder, Mio; Hansen, Ellen Kathrine

    2005-04-15

    The workshop 'Solar cells and daylight' at Aarhus School of Architecture aimed at studying and developing architectural potentials of integrating solar cell systems in building components for future house building. The aim of the process was to stress that technical conditions such as energy technological component design might work as central points of support in the future shaping and organisation of qualitative and functional design of houses. (BA)

  6. Light-trapping in perovskite solar cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Guo Du

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available We numerically demonstrate enhanced light harvesting efficiency in both CH3NH3PbI3 and CH(NH22PbI3-based perovskite solar cells using inverted vertical-cone photonic-crystal nanostructures. For CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells, the maximum achievable photocurrent density (MAPD reaches 25.1 mA/cm2, corresponding to 92% of the total available photocurrent in the absorption range of 300 nm to 800 nm. Our cell shows 6% absorption enhancement compared to the Lambertian limit (23.7 mA/cm2 and has a projected power conversion efficiency of 12.9%. Excellent solar absorption is numerically demonstrated over a broad angular range from 0 to 60 degree for both S- and P- polarizations. For the corresponding CH(NH22PbI3 based perovskite solar cell, with absorption range of 300 nm to 850 nm, we find a MAPD of 29.1 mA/cm2, corresponding to 95.4% of the total available photocurrent. The projected power conversion efficiency of the CH(NH22PbI3 based photonic crystal solar cell is 23.4%, well above the current world record efficiency of 20.1%.

  7. Recent progress in Si thin film technology for solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuwano, Yukinori; Nakano, Shoichi; Tsuda, Shinya

    1991-11-01

    Progress in Si thin film technology 'specifically amorphous Si (a-Si) and polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) thin film' for solar cells is summarized here from fabrication method, material, and structural viewpoints. In addition to a-Si, primary results on poly-Si thin film research are discussed. Various applications for a-Si solar cells are mentioned, and consumer applications and a-Si solar cell photovoltaic systems are introduced. New product developments include see-through solar cells, solar cell roofing tiles, and ultra-light flexible solar cells. As for new systems, air conditioning equipment powered by solar cells is described. Looking to the future, the proposed GENESIS project is discussed.

  8. Advanced Solar Cells for Satellite Power Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flood, Dennis J.; Weinberg, Irving

    1994-01-01

    The multiple natures of today's space missions with regard to operational lifetime, orbital environment, cost and size of spacecraft, to name just a few, present such a broad range of performance requirements to be met by the solar array that no single design can suffice to meet them all. The result is a demand for development of specialized solar cell types that help to optimize overall satellite performance within a specified cost range for any given space mission. Historically, space solar array performance has been optimized for a given mission by tailoring the features of silicon solar cells to account for the orbital environment and average operating conditions expected during the mission. It has become necessary to turn to entirely new photovoltaic materials and device designs to meet the requirements of future missions, both in the near and far term. This paper will outline some of the mission drivers and resulting performance requirements that must be met by advanced solar cells, and provide an overview of some of the advanced cell technologies under development to meet them. The discussion will include high efficiency, radiation hard single junction cells; monolithic and mechanically stacked multiple bandgap cells; and thin film cells.

  9. NREL Scientists Report First Solar Cell Producing More Electrons In

    Science.gov (United States)

    measured in operating quantum dot solar cells at low light intensity; these cells showed significant power Photocurrent Than Solar Photons Entering Cell | News | NREL NREL Scientists Report First Solar Cell Producing More Electrons In Photocurrent Than Solar Photons Entering Cell News Release: NREL

  10. Cocktail effect of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} semiconductors for a high performance dye-sensitized solar cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Im, Ji Sun; Lee, Sung Kyu [Department of Fine Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, BK21-E2M, Chungnam National University, Gung-dong 220, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Young-Seak, E-mail: youngslee@cnu.ac.kr [Department of Fine Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, BK21-E2M, Chungnam National University, Gung-dong 220, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-01-01

    The bi-semiconductors of TiO{sub 2} and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} were used as a photoelectrode material in a high performance dye-sensitized solar cell due to cocktail effects from the two conduction bands. The size of the semiconductors was reduced by using a paint shaker to enlarge the contact area of the semiconductor with the dye or electrolyte. The fill factor and the efficiency of the prepared dye-sensitized solar cell were improved by over 16% and 300%, respectively; these parameters were measured from a current-voltage curve that was based on the effects of the Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} co-semiconductor and the size reduction. A mechanism is suggested wherein the conduction band of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} works to prohibit the trapping effects of electrons in the conduction band of TiO{sub 2}. This result is attributed to the prevention of electron recombination between electrons in the TiO{sub 2} conduction band with dye or electrolytes. The mechanism is suggested based on impedance results, which indicate improved electron transport at the interface of the TiO{sub 2}/dye/electrolyte.

  11. Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cell Devices Prepared with Composites of Conjugated Polymer and Zinc Oxide Nanorods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen Tam Nguyen Truong

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available ZnO nanorods (Nrods with ~20–50 nm lengths were synthesized using an aqueous solution of zinc acetate and glacial acetic acid. Bulk heterojunction solar cells were fabricated with the structure of indium tin oxide (ITO/polyethylenedioxythiophene doped with polystyrene-sulfonic acid (PEDOT:PSS/ZnO-Nrods + polymer/electron transport layer (ETL/Al. Current density-voltage characterization of the resulting cells showed that, by adding an ETL and using polymers with a low band gap energy, the photoactive layer surface morphology and the device performance can be dramatically improved.

  12. ZnO1-xTex and ZnO1-xSx semiconductor alloys as competent materials for opto-electronic and solar cell applications: a comparative analysis

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Utsa Das; Partha P.Pal

    2017-01-01

    ZnO1-xTex ternary alloys have great potential to work as a photovoltaic (PV) absorber in solar cells.ZnO1-xSx is also a ZnO based alloy that have uses in solar cells.In this paper we report the comparative study of various parameters of ZnO1-xTex and ZnO1-xSx for selecting it to be a competent material for solar cell applications.The parameters are mainly being calculated using the well-known VCA (virtual crystal approximation) and VBAC (Valence Band Anti-Crossing) model.It was certainly being analysed that the incorporation of Te atoms produces a high band gap lower than S atoms in the host ZnO material.The spin-orbit splitting energy value of ZnO1-xTex was found to be higher than that of ZnO1-xSx.Beside this,the strain effects are also higher in ZnO1-xTex than ZnO1-xSx.The remarkable notifying result which the paper is reporting is that at a higher percentage of Te atoms in ZnO1-xTex,the spin-orbit splitting energy value rises above the band gap value,which signifies a very less internal carrier recombination that decreases the leakage current and increases the efficiency of the solar ceil.Moreover,it also covers a wide wavelength range compared to ZnO1-xSx.

  13. Hybrid nanocrystal/polymer solar cells based on tetrapod-shaped CdSexTe1-x nanocrystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Yi; Li Yunchao; Zhong Haizheng; Hou Jianhui; Ding Yuqin; Yang Chunhe; Li Yongfang

    2006-01-01

    A series of ternary tetrapodal nanocrystals of CdSe x Te 1-x with x = 0 (CdTe), 0.23, 0.53, 0.78, 1 (CdSe) were synthesized and used to fabricate hybrid nanocrystal/polymer solar cells. Herein, the nanocrystals acted as electron acceptors, and poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) was used as an electron donor. It was found that the open circuit voltage (V oc ), short-circuit current (J sc ) and power conversion efficiency (η) of the devices all increased with increasing Se content in the CdSe x Te 1-x nanocrystals under identical experimental conditions. The solar cell based on the blend of tetrapodal CdSe nanocrystals and MEH-PPV (9:1 w/w) showed the highest power conversion efficiency of 1.13% under AM 1.5, 80 mW cm -2 , and the maximum incident photon to converted current efficiency (IPCE) of the device reached 47% at 510 nm. The influence of nanocrystal composition on the photovoltaic properties of the hybrid solar cells was explained by the difference of the band level positions between MEH-PPV and the nanocrystals

  14. High Efficiency Quantum Well Waveguide Solar Cells and Methods for Constructing the Same

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welser, Roger E. (Inventor); Sood, Ashok K. (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    Photon absorption, and thus current generation, is hindered in conventional thin-film solar cell designs, including quantum well structures, by the limited path length of incident light passing vertically through the device. Optical scattering into lateral waveguide structures provides a physical mechanism to increase photocurrent generation through in-plane light trapping. However, the insertion of wells of high refractive index material with lower energy gap into the device structure often results in lower voltage operation, and hence lower photovoltaic power conversion efficiency. The voltage output of an InGaAs quantum well waveguide photovoltaic device can be increased by employing a III-V material structure with an extended wide band gap emitter heterojunction. Analysis of the light IV characteristics reveals that non-radiative recombination components of the underlying dark diode current have been reduced, exposing the limiting radiative recombination component and providing a pathway for realizing solar-electric conversion efficiency of 30% or more in single junction cells.

  15. Stability and degradation mechanisms in organic solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ecker, Bernhard

    2012-04-26

    This thesis deals with stability improvements and the investigation of degradation mechanisms in organic solar cells. Organic solar cells have been in the focus of extensive academic research for over almost two decades and are currently entering the market in small scale applications. For successful large scale applications, next to the improvement of the power conversion efficiency, the stability of organic solar cells has to be increased. This thesis is dedicated to the investigation of novel materials and architectures to study stability-related issues and degradation mechanisms in order to contribute to the basic understanding of the working principles of organic solar cells. Here, impedance spectroscopy, a frequency domain technique, is used to gain information about stability and degradation mechanisms in organic solar cells. In combination with systematic variations in the preparation of solar cells, impedance spectroscopy gives the possibility to differentiate between interface and bulk dominated effects. Additionally, impedance spectroscopy gives access to the dielectric properties of the device, such as capacitance. This offers among other things the opportunity to probe the charge carrier concentration and the density of states. Another powerful way of evaluation is the combination of experimentally obtained impedance spectra with equivalent circuit modelling. The thesis presents results on novel materials and solar cell architectures for efficient hole and electron extraction. This indicates the importance of knowledge over interlayers and interfaces for improving both the efficiency and stability of organic solar cells.

  16. Solar cell reloaded; Solarzelle reloaded

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iken, Joern

    2013-06-06

    Who comes up with something special, he may also compete with Chinese. The German-Scandinavian company Innotech Solar extends its solar module production capacity even in the midst of the crisis. Innotech Solar restores damaged cells. For this, the damaged areas are isolated and inactivated. [German] Wer sich etwas Besonderes einfallen laesst, kann auch mit chinesischer Konkurrenz bestehen. Das deutsch-skandinavische Unternehmen Innotech Solar erweitert seine Kapazitaet zur Modulherstellung sogar mitten in der Krise. Das Geschaeftsmodell der Innotech Solar sieht vor, vorgeschaedigte Solarzellen wiederherzustellen. Dafuer werden die schadhaften Stellen isoliert und stillgelegt.

  17. The performance of silicon solar cells operated in liquids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yiping; Fang Zhenlei; Zhu Li; Huang Qunwu; Zhang Yan; Zhang Zhiying

    2009-01-01

    Better performance can be achieved when the bare silicon solar cells are immersed into liquids for the enhanced heat removing. In this study, the performance of solar cells immersed in liquids was examined under simulated sunlight. To distinguish the effects of the liquid optic and electric properties on the solar cells, a comparison between immersion of the solar module and the bare solar cells was carried out. It was found that the optic properties of the liquids can cause minor efficiency changes on the solar cells, while the electric properties of the liquids, the molecular polarizable and ions, are responsible for the most of the changes. The bare solar cells immersed in the non-polar silicon oil have the best performance. The accelerated life tests were carried out at 150 deg. C high temperature and under 200 W/m 2 ultraviolet light irradiation, respectively. It was found that the silicon oil has good stability. This study can give support on the cooling of the concentrated photovoltaic systems by immersing the solar cells in the liquids directly

  18. Recombination mechanisms in highly efficient thin film Zn(S,O)/Cu(In,Ga)S2 based solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merdes, S.; Sáez-Araoz, R.; Ennaoui, A.; Klaer, J.; Lux-Steiner, M. Ch.; Klenk, R.

    2009-11-01

    Progress in fabricating Cu(In,Ga)S2 based solar cells with Zn(S,O) buffer is presented. An efficiency of 12.9% was achieved. Using spectral response, current-voltage and temperature dependent current-voltage measurements, current transport in this junction was studied and compared to that of a highly efficient CdS/Cu(In,Ga)S2 solar cell with a special focus on recombination mechanisms. Independently of the buffer type and despite the difference in band alignment of the two junctions, interface recombination is found to be the main recombination channel in both cases. This was unexpected since it is generally assumed that a cliff facilitates interface recombination while a spike suppresses it.

  19. Fullerene surfactants and their use in polymer solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jen, Kwan-Yue; Yip, Hin-Lap; Li, Chang-Zhi

    2015-12-15

    Fullerene surfactant compounds useful as interfacial layer in polymer solar cells to enhance solar cell efficiency. Polymer solar cell including a fullerene surfactant-containing interfacial layer intermediate cathode and active layer.

  20. Theoretical study of indoline dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ham, Ho Wan; Kim, Young Sik

    2010-01-01

    Indoline dye sensitizers were designed and studied theoretically to increase molar extinction coefficients in the visible to near infrared region for solar-cell devices. To gain insight into dye sensitizers' structural, electronic, and optical properties, DFT/TDDFT calculations were performed on a series of dye sensitizers derived from the D149. The good agreement between the experimental and TDDFT calculated absorption spectra of the D149 sensitizer allowed us to provide a detailed assessment of the main spectral features of a series of dye sensitizers. Increase in the conjugation length resulted in a more red-shifted spectral response and less positive oxidation potential than that of the D149. The dye with the dimethylfluorene group showed stronger absorption bands due to a large dipole moment. The calculated dipoles for the dye series correlate well with the observed strong absorption bands of the electronic spectra. These results provided useful clues for the molecular engineering of efficient organic dye sensitizers.

  1. Fabrication and Characterization of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Mohamed FATHALLAH; Ahmed TORCHANI; Rached GHARBI

    2014-01-01

    Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) constitutes a real revolution in the conversion of solar energy into electricity after 40 years of the invention of silicon solar cells. The working mechanism is based on a photoelectrochemical system, similar to the photosynthesis in plant leaves. The efficiencies of the DSSC are high as those obtained from amorphous silicon solar cells (10-11 %) and intensive efforts are done in different directions to improve this efficiency.

  2. Fabrication and Characterization of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed FATHALLAH

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC constitutes a real revolution in the conversion of solar energy into electricity after 40 years of the invention of silicon solar cells. The working mechanism is based on a photoelectrochemical system, similar to the photosynthesis in plant leaves. The efficiencies of the DSSC are high as those obtained from amorphous silicon solar cells (10-11 % and intensive efforts are done in different directions to improve this efficiency.

  3. Multi-frequency EDMR studies of light-activated paramagnetic centers in μc-Si:H thin-film solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meier, Christoph

    2014-01-01

    This thesis presents a comprehensive study of paramagnetic centers in fully-processed microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin-film solar cells. The heterogeneous material gives rise to a complex band structure with deep defects in the middle of the energy band gap as well as localized states close to the energy band edges. They can act as recombination centers and traps and, thereby, influence the charge transport of photogenerated charge carriers. Thus, they diminish the performance of the cell. To reduce the disadvantageous influence of the defect states on the cell efficiency, a detailed understanding of the charge transport processes via these states is necessary. In this work, light-activated paramagnetic centers are studied with electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) at various microwave frequencies. This technique combines electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) with the photocurrent measurement in the solar cell, thus, delivering information about the transport processes and magnetic parameters of the involved defect states. Multi-frequency EDMR at low temperatures reveals four paramagnetic states in μc-Si:H. Dangling bond (db) defects and holes in valence band tail (h) states are located in the disordered phase, whereas so-called CE and V states originate from the crystalline phase. The multi-frequency approach allows for a separation of field-dependent and -independent line widths. All EDMR signals are affected by line broadening due to spin-spin interaction, which could be used to estimate mean inter-spin distances of around ∼ 0.5 nm for the V center and of ∼ 1-2 nm for the remaining centers. Based on the strong spin-spin coupling and on transient nutation experiments the V signal could be correlated with a vacancy site in its excited triplet state. From the particular properties of the CE line it was concluded that the corresponding states are located in inversion layers and potential wells close to the conduction band of

  4. Organic solar cells theory, experiment, and device simulation

    CERN Document Server

    Tress, Wolfgang

    2014-01-01

    This book covers in a textbook-like fashion the basics or organic solar cells, addressing the limits of photovoltaic energy conversion and giving a well-illustrated introduction to molecular electronics with focus on the working principle and characterization of organic solar cells. Further chapters based on the author's dissertation focus on the electrical processes in organic solar cells by presenting a detailed drift-diffusion approach to describe exciton separation and charge-carrier transport and extraction. The results, although elaborated on small-molecule solar cells and with focus on

  5. All-Weather Solar Cells: A Rising Photovoltaic Revolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Qunwei

    2017-06-16

    Solar cells have been considered as one of the foremost solutions to energy and environmental problems because of clean, high efficiency, cost-effective, and inexhaustible features. The historical development and state-of-the-art solar cells mainly focus on elevating photoelectric conversion efficiency upon direct sunlight illumination. It is still a challenging problem to realize persistent high-efficiency power generation in rainy, foggy, haze, and dark-light conditions (night). The physical proof-of-concept for all-weather solar cells opens a door for an upcoming photovoltaic revolution. Our group has been exploring constructive routes to build all-weather solar cells so that these advanced photovoltaic technologies can be an indication for global solar industry in bringing down the cost of energy harvesting. How the all-weather solar cells are built without reducing photo performances and why such architectures can realize electricity outputs with no visible-light are discussed. Potential pathways and opportunities to enrich all-weather solar cell families are envisaged. The aspects discussed here may enable researchers to develop undiscovered abilities and to explore wide applications of advanced photovoltaics. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Cascading metallic gratings for broadband absorption enhancement in ultrathin plasmonic solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen, Long; Sun, Fuhe; Chen, Qin

    2014-01-01

    The incorporation of plasmonic nanostructures in the thin-film solar cells (TFSCs) is a promising route to harvest light into the nanoscale active layer. However, the light trapping scheme based on the plasmonic effects intrinsically presents narrow-band resonant enhancement of light absorption. Here we demonstrate that by cascading metal nanogratings with different sizes atop the TFSCs, broadband absorption enhancement can be realized by simultaneously exciting multiple localized surface plasmon resonances and inducing strong coupling between the plasmonic modes and photonic modes. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate of 66.5% in the photocurrent in an ultrathin amorphous silicon TFSC with two-dimensional cascaded gratings over the reference cell without gratings

  7. Danish participation in the IEA solar cell activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-05-01

    In the 12-month period 01.05.93 - 30.04.94 the Danish activities in the IEA 'Solar Cell Agreement' consisted in: participation in the Executive Committee (ExCo) and participation in Task 1 'Exchange and Dissemination of Information on PV Power Systems'. ExCo has meetings every half-year and is a coordinating organ for the Agreement. Work on the Task 1 is organized in 4 subtasks: (1) mapping of solar cell activities in the OECD countries and preparation of an IEA handbook on solar cell technology; (2) publishing of a semiannual newsletter about the agreement; (3) an 'executive conference' on solar cell technology and its uses with participation of the decision-makers in respective power industries; (4) information dissemination whenever required. Demonstration projects, like a photovoltaic roof-integrated system connected to the grid. have been implemented. Three larger solar cell projects, subsidized by the EU means, comprehend 'real time monitoring' by a solar system, WHO project 'Solar Energy Applications for Primary Health Care Clinics for Remote Rural Areas' (SAPHIR) and a grid-connected photovoltaic system in a suburb residential settlement. (EG)

  8. Numerical Simulation of a Mechanically Stacked GaAs/Ge Solar Cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Enayat Taghavi Moghaddam

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, GaAs and Ge solar cells have been studied and simulated separately and the inner characteristics of each have been calculated including the energy band structure, the internal field, carrier density distribution in the equilibrium condition (dark condition and the voltage-current curve in the sun exposure with the output power of each one. Finally, the output power of these two mechanically stacked cells is achieved. Drift-diffusion model have been used for simulation that solved with numerically method and Gummel algorithm. In this simulation, the final cells exposed to sun light in a standard AM 1.5 G conditions and temperatures are 300° K. The efficiency of the proposed structure is 9.47%. The analytical results are compared with results of numerical simulations and the accuracy of the method used is shown.

  9. Solar cell. Taiyo denchi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amemiya, S.; Hashimoto, Y. (Canon Inc., Tokyo (Japan))

    1991-05-17

    This invention provides a cheap solar cell having a transparent surface protective layer which satisfies both controversial properties such as high electroconductivity and high water repellency and also abated the reduction of photoelectric conversion. In other words, this invention provides a solar cell having a surface-protective layer prepared by lamination of a mixture of a transparent water-repelling resin and a transparent electroconductive oxide powder; said protective layer is grounded at the surface resistance of 1 {times} 10 {sup 10} ohm or less and the contact angle of water on said protective layer is 90 degrees or more. The transparent water-repelling resin used is a fliorine resin such as PTFE and a silicone resin such as organopolysiloxane. The transparent electrodonductive oxide powder used is tin oxide, indium oxide or a complex compound of ton oxide and antimony oxide. The solar cell of this invention can be used for a long time because the adhesion of the dusts and the contamination by dirty water are restricted. 1 fig., 1 tab.

  10. Device operation of organic tandem solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hadipour, A.; de Boer, B.; Blom, P. W. M.

    2008-01-01

    A generalized methodology is developed to obtain the current-voltage characteristic of polymer tandem solar cells by knowing the electrical performance of both sub cells. We demonstrate that the electrical characteristics of polymer tandem solar cells are correctly predicted for both the series and

  11. Development and Prospect of Nanoarchitectured Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Zhang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper gives an overview of the development and prospect of nanotechnologies utilized in the solar cell applications. Even though it is not clearly pointed out, nanostructures indeed have been used in the fabrication of conventional solar cells for a long time. However, in those circumstances, only very limited benefits of nanostructures have been used to improve cell performance. During the last decade, the development of the photovoltaic device theory and nanofabrication technology enables studies of more complex nanostructured solar cells with higher conversion efficiency and lower production cost. The fundamental principles and important features of these advanced solar cell designs are systematically reviewed and summarized in this paper, with a focus on the function and role of nanostructures and the key factors affecting device performance. Among various nanostructures, special attention is given to those relying on quantum effect.

  12. Recent Advances in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umer Mehmood

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Solar energy is an abundant and accessible source of renewable energy available on earth, and many types of photovoltaic (PV devices like organic, inorganic, and hybrid cells have been developed to harness the energy. PV cells directly convert solar radiation into electricity without affecting the environment. Although silicon based solar cells (inorganic cells are widely used because of their high efficiency, they are rigid and manufacturing costs are high. Researchers have focused on organic solar cells to overcome these disadvantages. DSSCs comprise a sensitized semiconductor (photoelectrode and a catalytic electrode (counter electrode with an electrolyte sandwiched between them and their efficiency depends on many factors. The maximum electrical conversion efficiency of DSSCs attained so far is 11.1%, which is still low for commercial applications. This review examines the working principle, factors affecting the efficiency, and key challenges facing DSSCs.

  13. Hole transfer from CdSe nanoparticles to TQ1 polymer in hybrid solar cell device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohail, Muhammad; Shah, Zawar Hussain; Saeed, Shomaila; Bibi, Nasreen; Shahbaz, Sadia; Ahmed, Safeer; Shabbir, Saima; Siddiq, Muhammad; Iqbal, Azhar

    2018-05-01

    In view of realizing the economic viability, we fabricate a solar cell device containing low band gap and easily processable polymer 5-yl-8-(thiophene-2,5-diyl)-2,3-bis(3-(octyloxy)phenyl) quinoxaline (TQ1) and CdSe nanoparticles (NPs) and investigate its charge transport properties. When the TQ1 is combined with the CdSe NPs a strong photoluminescence quenching and shortening of photoluminescence lifetime of the TQ1 is observed indicating exciton transfer from TQ1 to the CdSe NPs. The time-resolved photoluminescence further reveals that the exciton transfer from the polymer to CdSe NPs is very efficient (68%) and it occurs in solar cell as compared to polymer only device. These observations suggest the importance of other II-VI semiconductor NPs to achieve higher efficiency for photovoltaic devices containing TQ1 polymer.

  14. Annealed silver-islands for enhanced optical absorption in organic solar cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Otieno, Francis, E-mail: frankotienoo@gmail.com [Material Physics Research Institute, School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050Johannesburg (South Africa); Materials for Energy Research Group, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050 Johannesburg (South Africa); Airo, Mildred [School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050 (South Africa); Ranganathan, Kamalakannan [School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050 (South Africa); DST-NRF Centre of Strong Materials and the Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, 2193 Johannesburg (South Africa); Wamwangi, Daniel [Material Physics Research Institute, School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050Johannesburg (South Africa); Materials for Energy Research Group, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050 Johannesburg (South Africa)

    2016-01-01

    Silver nano-islands are explored for enhancing optical absorption and photo-conversion efficiency in organic solar cells (OSCs) based on the surface plasmon resonance effect under diverse annealing conditions. Ag nano-islands have been deposited by RF magnetron sputtering at 15 W for 10 s and subsequently annealed between 100 °C–250 °C in air and Argon ambient. The optical properties of the reconstructed Ag islands demonstrate an increase and a blue shift in the absorption bands with increasing annealing temperature. This is the localized surface plasmon effect due to the Ag islands of diverse sizes, shapes and coverages. The increase in optical absorption with temperature is attributed to changes in island shape and density as collaborated by atomic force microscopy and TEM. As a proof of concept, an organic solar cell was characterized for current–voltage (I–V) measurements under dark and under solar simulated white light. Incorporation of annealed Ag islands has yielded an efficiency increment of between 4–24%. - Highlights: • RF Sputtering can be used to produce Ag NPs at low power. • Annealing enhances size, shape reconstruction as well as inter-particle separation. • Annealing in Argon ambient is more suitable than in air. • Ag NPs annealed at 250 °C enhances device absorption and PCE by up to 24%.

  15. Candidate solar cell materials for photovoltaic conversion in a solar power satellite /SPS/

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glaser, P. E.; Almgren, D. W.

    1978-01-01

    In recognition of the obstacles to solar-generated baseload power on earth, proposals have been made to locate solar power satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO), where solar energy would be available 24 hours a day during most of the time of the year. In an SPS, the electricity produced by solar energy conversion will be fed to microwave generators forming part of a planar phase-array transmitting antenna. The antenna is designed to precisely direct a microwave beam of very low intensity to one or more receiving antennas at desired locations on earth. At the receiving antenna, the microwave energy will be safely and efficiently reconverted to electricity and then be transmitted to consumers. An SPS system will include a number of satellites in GEO. Attention is given to the photovoltaic option for solar energy conversion in GEO, solar cell requirements, the availability of materials, the implication of large production volumes, requirements for high-volume manufacture of solar cell arrays, and the effects of concentration ratio on solar cell array area.

  16. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF A SOLAR CELL

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2017-01-01

    ; and estimating variations in the solar cell, thereby electrically characterizing the solar cell. The disclosure further relates to a solar cell characterization apparatus for characterization of a solar cell, comprising: a light source for generating an optical probe light; a modulation unit, configured...... to produce modulated probe light by modulating the optical probe light with a modulation frequency of between 100 kHz and 0 MHz; a light scanning unit for scanning the modulated probe light such that said modulated probe light is incident on at least a part of the surface of the solar cell; and a 1 signal...

  17. Recyclable organic solar cells on cellulose nanocrystal substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yinhua; Fuentes-Hernandez, Canek; Khan, Talha M; Liu, Jen-Chieh; Hsu, James; Shim, Jae Won; Dindar, Amir; Youngblood, Jeffrey P; Moon, Robert J; Kippelen, Bernard

    2013-01-01

    Solar energy is potentially the largest source of renewable energy at our disposal, but significant advances are required to make photovoltaic technologies economically viable and, from a life-cycle perspective, environmentally friendly, and consequently scalable. Cellulose nanomaterials are emerging high-value nanoparticles extracted from plants that are abundant, renewable, and sustainable. Here, we report on the first demonstration of efficient polymer solar cells fabricated on optically transparent cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates. The solar cells fabricated on the CNC substrates display good rectification in the dark and reach a power conversion efficiency of 2.7%. In addition, we demonstrate that these solar cells can be easily separated and recycled into their major components using low-energy processes at room temperature, opening the door for a truly recyclable solar cell technology. Efficient and easily recyclable organic solar cells on CNC substrates are expected to be an attractive technology for sustainable, scalable, and environmentally-friendly energy production.

  18. Efficient perovskite/organic integrated solar cells with extended photoresponse to 930 nm and enhanced near-infrared external quantum efficiency of over 50.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Qiang; Liu, Hao; Shi, Zhenzhen; Wang, Fuzhi; Zhou, Erjun; Bian, Xingming; Zhang, Bing; Alsaedi, Ahmed; Hayat, Tasawar; Tan, Zhan'ao

    2018-02-15

    Enhancing the light-harvesting activity is an effective way to improve the power conversion efficiency of solar cells. Although rapid enhancement in the PCE up to a value of 22.1% has been achieved for perovskite solar cells, only part of the sunlight, i.e., with wavelengths below 800-850 nm is utilized due to the limited bandgap of the perovskite materials, resulting in most of the near infrared light being wasted. To broaden the photoresponse of perovskite solar cells, we demonstrate an efficient perovskite/organic integrated solar cell containing both CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite and PBDTTT-E-T:IEICO organic photoactive layers. By integrating a low band gap PBDTTT-E-T:IEICO active layer on a perovskite layer, the maximum wavelength for light harvesting of the ISC increased to 930 nm, sharply increasing the utilization of near infrared radiation. In addition, the external quantum efficiency of the integrated device exceeded 50% in the near infrared range. The MAPbI 3 /PBDTTT-E-T:IEICO ISCs show an enhanced short-circuit current density of over 24 mA cm -2 , which is the highest existing value among perovskite/organic integrated solar cells and much higher than the traditional MAPbI 3 based perovskite solar cells. The results reveal that a perovskite/organic integrated structure is a promising strategy to extend and enhance sunlight utilization for perovskite solar cells.

  19. Photoluminescence, structural and electrical properties of passivated a-Si:H based thin films and corresponding solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pincik, E.; Kobayashi, H.; Takahashi, M.; Fujiwara, N.; Brunner, R.; Gleskova, H.; Jergel, M.; Muellerova, J.; Kucera, M.; Falcony, C.; Ortega, L.; Rusnak, J.; Mikula, M.; Zahoran, M.; Jurani, R.; Kral, M.

    2004-01-01

    This paper deals with the photoluminescence, structural and electrical properties of chemically passivated a-Si:H based thin films and corresponding thin film solar cells. The structures were chemically passivated in three types of KCN and HCN solutions containing MeOH and/or with water. The photoluminescence measurements were performed at 6 K using Ar laser and lock-in signal recording device containing Ge and Si photodetectors. Optically determined band gap related photoluminescence signals were observed between 1.1 and 1.7 eV. The electrical properties were measured by a high-sensitive charge version of deep level transient spectroscopy (Q-DLTS). The evolution of three basic groups of defects was observed. The structural studies were realized by the standard X-ray diffraction analysis. The cyanide treatment improved significantly the electrical characteristics of both corresponding MOS structures and solar cells due to the passivation of some parts of the dangling bonds by CN group. Particularly, the passivation of the defects at interfaces in MOS or solar cell multilayer structures was achieved which is of primary practical importance

  20. Preface to the SPECIAL ISSUE: Excitonic Solar Cells(II)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jianjun Tian; Meicheng Li; Kaibo Zheng

    2016-01-01

    Among all the excitonic solar cells(ESCs)including dyesensitized solar cells(DSSCs),quantum solar cells(QDSCs),perovskites solar cells(PSCs),and organic photovoltaics(OPVs),PSCs attracted enormous research attention in the past 7 years and attained the highest power conversion efficiency(PCE)of over 20%with the biggest progress,from 3.8%to over 22.1%in 7 years.However,one can easily realize the fact that such a rapid progress achieved in PSCs was made possible is largely based on the fundamental knowledge,experimental skills,and characterization facilities obtained and accumulated through the multi-decade long endeavor in the study of other excitonic solar cells.Even though PSCs have attractedmuch research human resource and funding,the study on other excitonic solar cells has never stopped,and such persistent efforts

  1. Efficiency enhancement of semitransparent organic solar cells by using printed dielectric mirrors (Presentation Recording)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronnbauer, Carina; Forberich, Karen K.; Guo, Fei; Gasparini, Nicola; Brabec, Christoph J.

    2015-09-01

    Building integrated thin film solar cells are a strategy for future eco-friendly power generation. Such solar cells have to be semi-transparent, long-term stable and show the potential to be fabricated by a low-cost production process. Organic photovoltaics are a potential candidate because an absorber material with its main absorption in the infrared spectral region where the human eye is not sensitive can be chosen. We can increase the number of absorbed photons, at the same time, keep the transparency almost constant by using a dielectric, wavelength-selective mirror. The mirror reflects only in the absorption regime of the active layer material and shows high transparencies in the spectral region around 550 nm where the human eye is most sensitive. We doctor bladed a fully solution processed dielectric mirror at low temperatures below 80 °C. Both inks, which are printed alternatingly are based on nanoparticles and have a refractive index of 1.29 or 1.98, respectively, at 500 nm. The position and the intensity of the main reflection peak can be easily shifted and thus adjusted to the solar cell absorption spectrum. Eventually, the dielectric mirror was combined with different organic solar cells. For instance, the current increases by 20.6 % while the transparency decreases by 23.7 % for the low band gap absorber DPP and silver nanowires as top electrode. Moreover we proved via experiment and optical simulations, that a variation of the active layer thickness and the position of the main reflection peak affect the transparency and the increase in current.

  2. Concentrated sunlight for organic solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tromholt, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    . A high solar intensity study of inverted P3HT:PCBM solar cells is presented. Performance peak positions were found to be in the range of 1-5 suns, with smaller cells peaking at higher solar concentrations. Additionally, concentrated sunlight is demonstrated as a practical tool for accelerated stability...... were degraded resulting in acceleration factors in the range of 19-55. This shows that concentrated sunlight can be used as qualitatively to determine the lifetime of polymers under highly accelerated conditions....

  3. Dye-sensitized solar cells and solar module using polymer electrolytes: Stability and performance investigations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jilian Nei de Freitas

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available We present recent results on solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell research using a polymer electrolyte based on a poly(ethylene oxide derivative. The stability and performance of the devices have been improved by a modification in the method of assembly of the cells and by the addition of plasticizers in the electrolyte. After 30 days of solar irradiation (100 mW cm-2 no changes in the cell's efficiency were observed using this new method. The effect of the active area size on cell performance and the first results obtained for the first solar module composed of 4.5 cm2 solid-state solar cells are also presented.

  4. Piper Ornatum and Piper Betle as Organic Dyes for TiO2 and SnO2 Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayat, Azwar; Putra, A. Erwin E.; Amaliyah, Novriany; Hayase, Shuzi; Pandey, Shyam. S.

    2018-03-01

    Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) mimics the principle of natural photosynthesis are now currently investigated due to low manufacturing cost as compared to silicon based solar cells. In this report, we utilized Piper ornatum (PO) and Piper betle (PB) as sensitizer to fabricate low cost DSSCs. We compared the photovoltaic performance of both sensitizers with Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and Tin dioxide (SnO2) semiconductors. The results show that PO and PB dyes have higher Short circuit current (Jsc) when applied in SnO2 compared to standard TiO2 photo-anode film even though the Open circuit voltage (Voc) was hampered on SnO2 device. In conclusion, from the result, higher electron injections can be achieved by choosing appropriate semiconductors with band gap that match with dyes energy level as one of strategy for further low cost solar cell.

  5. Performance enhancement of perovskite solar cells with Mg-doped TiO2 compact film as the hole-blocking layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jing; Qin, Minchao; Tao, Hong; Ke, Weijun; Chen, Zhao; Wan, Jiawei; Qin, Pingli; Lei, Hongwei; Fang, Guojia; Xiong, Liangbin; Yu, Huaqing

    2015-01-01

    In this letter, we report perovskite solar cells with thin dense Mg-doped TiO 2 as hole-blocking layers (HBLs), which outperform cells using TiO 2 HBLs in several ways: higher open-circuit voltage (V oc ) (1.08 V), power conversion efficiency (12.28%), short-circuit current, and fill factor. These properties improvements are attributed to the better properties of Mg-modulated TiO 2 as compared to TiO 2 such as better optical transmission properties, upshifted conduction band minimum (CBM) and downshifted valence band maximum (VBM), better hole-blocking effect, and higher electron life time. The higher-lying CBM due to the modulation with wider band gap MgO and the formation of magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxides together resulted in an increment of V oc . In addition, the Mg-modulated TiO 2 with lower VBM played a better role in the hole-blocking. The HBL with modulated band position provided better electron transport and hole blocking effects within the device

  6. BM Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Firdaus, Yuliar

    2018-05-02

    Fullerene‐based materials are widely used as electron acceptors in organic bulk‐heterojunction solar cells; yet, they have rarely been used as the only photoactive component due to their low absorbance and limited charge generation efficiency. However, blending the wide‐bandgap p‐type material copper (I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) with [6,6]‐phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) leads to the formation of a unique mesostructured p‐n like heterointerface between CuSCN and PC70BM and solar cells with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 5.4%. Here, we examine in detail the reasons for the surprisingly good device performance and elucidate the charge photogeneration and recombination mechanisms in CuSCN‐based devices with PC70BM as the exclusive light‐absorbing material. Our studies clearly demonstrate that a substantial fraction of the photocurrent in the CuSCN‐based devices results from improved dissociation of fullerene excitons and efficient charge transfer at the CuSCN:PC70BM interface combined with reduced geminate and nongeminate charge recombination losses. Our results have implications beyond the fullerene‐based devices studied here, as they demonstrate that careful selection of a mesostructured p‐type transparent semiconductor paves the path to a new type of efficient single photoactive material solar cells.

  7. BM Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Firdaus, Yuliar; Seitkhan, Akmaral; Eisner, Flurin; Sit, Wai-Yu; Kan, Zhipeng; Wehbe, Nimer; Balawi, Ahmed H.; Yengel, Emre; Karuthedath, Safakath; Laquai, Fré dé ric; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.

    2018-01-01

    Fullerene‐based materials are widely used as electron acceptors in organic bulk‐heterojunction solar cells; yet, they have rarely been used as the only photoactive component due to their low absorbance and limited charge generation efficiency. However, blending the wide‐bandgap p‐type material copper (I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) with [6,6]‐phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) leads to the formation of a unique mesostructured p‐n like heterointerface between CuSCN and PC70BM and solar cells with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 5.4%. Here, we examine in detail the reasons for the surprisingly good device performance and elucidate the charge photogeneration and recombination mechanisms in CuSCN‐based devices with PC70BM as the exclusive light‐absorbing material. Our studies clearly demonstrate that a substantial fraction of the photocurrent in the CuSCN‐based devices results from improved dissociation of fullerene excitons and efficient charge transfer at the CuSCN:PC70BM interface combined with reduced geminate and nongeminate charge recombination losses. Our results have implications beyond the fullerene‐based devices studied here, as they demonstrate that careful selection of a mesostructured p‐type transparent semiconductor paves the path to a new type of efficient single photoactive material solar cells.

  8. PSA Solar furnace: A facility for testing PV cells under concentrated solar radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandez-Reche, J.; Canadas, I.; Sanchez, M.; Ballestrin, J.; Yebra, L.; Monterreal, R.; Rodriguez, J.; Garcia, G. [Concentration Solar Technologies, Plataforma Solar de Almeria-CIEMAT P.O. Box 22, Tabernas, E-04200 (Almeria) (Spain); Alonso, M.; Chenlo, F. [Photovoltaic Components and Systems, Renewable Energies Department-CIEMAT Avda. Complutense, 22, Madrid, E-28040 (Spain)

    2006-09-22

    The Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA), the largest centre for research, development and testing of concentration solar thermal technologies in Europe, has started to apply its knowledge, facilities and resources to development of the Concentration PV technology in an EU-funded project HiConPV. A facility for testing PV cells under solar radiation concentrated up to 2000x has recently been completed. The advantages of this facility are that, since it is illuminated by solar radiation, it is possible to obtain the appropriate cell spectral response directly, and the flash tests can be combined with prolonged PV-cell irradiation on large surfaces (up to 150cm{sup 2}), so the thermal response of the PV cell can be evaluated simultaneously. (author)

  9. Development of large area, high efficiency amorphous silicon solar cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, K.S.; Kim, S.; Kim, D.W. [Yu Kong Taedok Institute of Technology (Korea, Republic of)

    1996-02-01

    The objective of the research is to develop the mass-production technologies of high efficiency amorphous silicon solar cells in order to reduce the costs of solar cells and dissemination of solar cells. Amorphous silicon solar cell is the most promising option of thin film solar cells which are relatively easy to reduce the costs. The final goal of the research is to develop amorphous silicon solar cells having the efficiency of 10%, the ratio of light-induced degradation 15% in the area of 1200 cm{sup 2} and test the cells in the form of 2 Kw grid-connected photovoltaic system. (author) 35 refs., 8 tabs., 67 figs.

  10. Light-trapping in perovskite solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Qing Guo, E-mail: duqi0001@e.ntu.edu.sg [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 ST. George St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7 (Canada); Institute of High Performance Computing, A* STAR, Singapore, 138632 (Singapore); Shen, Guansheng [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 ST. George St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7 (Canada); School of Information and Communication Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China); John, Sajeev [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 ST. George St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7 (Canada); Department of Physics, Soochow University, Suzhou (China)

    2016-06-15

    We numerically demonstrate enhanced light harvesting efficiency in both CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} and CH(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}PbI{sub 3}-based perovskite solar cells using inverted vertical-cone photonic-crystal nanostructures. For CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} perovskite solar cells, the maximum achievable photocurrent density (MAPD) reaches 25.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, corresponding to 92% of the total available photocurrent in the absorption range of 300 nm to 800 nm. Our cell shows 6% absorption enhancement compared to the Lambertian limit (23.7 mA/cm{sup 2}) and has a projected power conversion efficiency of 12.9%. Excellent solar absorption is numerically demonstrated over a broad angular range from 0 to 60 degree for both S- and P- polarizations. For the corresponding CH(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}PbI{sub 3} based perovskite solar cell, with absorption range of 300 nm to 850 nm, we find a MAPD of 29.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, corresponding to 95.4% of the total available photocurrent. The projected power conversion efficiency of the CH(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}PbI{sub 3} based photonic crystal solar cell is 23.4%, well above the current world record efficiency of 20.1%.

  11. Experimental analysis and modeling of the IV characteristics of photovoltaic solar cells under solar spectrum spot illumination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Munji, M.K., E-mail: mathew.munji@nmmu.ac.z [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 7700 Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Dyk, E.E. van; Vorster, F.J. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 7700 Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa)

    2009-12-01

    In this paper, some models that have been put forward to explain the characteristics of a photovoltaic solar cell device under solar spot-illumination are investigated. In the experimental procedure, small areas of the cell were selected and illuminated at different solar intensities. The solar cell open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) and short circuit current (I{sub sc}) obtained at different illumination intensities was used to determine the solar cell ideality factor. By varying the illuminated area on the solar cell, changes in the ideality factor were studied. The ideality factor obtained increases with decreasing illumination surface ratio. The photo-generated current at the illuminated part of the cell is assumed to act as a dc source that injects charge carriers into the p-n junction of the whole solar cell while the dark region of the solar cell operates in a low space charge recombination regime with small diffusion currents. From this analysis, a different model of a spot illuminated cell that uses the variation of ideality factor with the illuminated area is proposed.

  12. Experimental analysis and modeling of the IV characteristics of photovoltaic solar cells under solar spectrum spot illumination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Munji, M.K.; Dyk, E.E. van; Vorster, F.J.

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, some models that have been put forward to explain the characteristics of a photovoltaic solar cell device under solar spot-illumination are investigated. In the experimental procedure, small areas of the cell were selected and illuminated at different solar intensities. The solar cell open circuit voltage (V oc ) and short circuit current (I sc ) obtained at different illumination intensities was used to determine the solar cell ideality factor. By varying the illuminated area on the solar cell, changes in the ideality factor were studied. The ideality factor obtained increases with decreasing illumination surface ratio. The photo-generated current at the illuminated part of the cell is assumed to act as a dc source that injects charge carriers into the p-n junction of the whole solar cell while the dark region of the solar cell operates in a low space charge recombination regime with small diffusion currents. From this analysis, a different model of a spot illuminated cell that uses the variation of ideality factor with the illuminated area is proposed.

  13. Optoelectronic Characterization by Advanced Ab-Initio Methods of Novel Photovoltaic Intermediate Band Materials = Caracterización optoelectrónica por métodos ab-initio avanzados de nuevos materiales fotovoltaicos de banda intermedia

    OpenAIRE

    Aguilera Bonet, Irene

    2011-01-01

    Intermediate-band materials represent nowadays one of the most promising proposals in the quest for more efficient, lower-cost solar cells. In this thesis we present a deep study of transition-metal substituted semiconductors based on their optoelectronic properties. These materials were proposed as high efficiency photovoltaic absorbers for intermediate-band solar cells for showing a partiallyfilled band placed inside the band gap of the parent semiconductor which enables the absorption of p...

  14. Questionable effects of antireflective coatings on inefficiently cooled solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Akhmatov, Vladislav; Galster, Georg; Larsen, Esben

    1998-01-01

    of the output power and efficiency curves throughout the day the coherence between technical parameters of the solar cells and the climate in the operation region is observed and examined. It is shown how the drop in output power around noon can be avoided by fitting technical parameters of the solar cells......A model for temperature effects in p-n junction solar cells is introduced. The temperature of solar cells and the losses in the solar cell junction region caused by elevating temperature are discussed. The model developed is examined for low-cost silicon solar cells. In order to improve the shape...

  15. Design Strategies for High-Efficiency CdTe Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Tao

    With continuous technology advances over the past years, CdTe solar cells have surged to be a leading contributor in thin-film photovoltaic (PV) field. While empirical material and device optimization has led to considerable progress, further device optimization requires accurate device models that are able to provide an in-depth understanding of CdTe device physics. Consequently, this thesis is intended to develop a comprehensive model system for high-efficiency CdTe devices through applying basic design principles of solar cells with numerical modeling and comparing results with experimental CdTe devices. The CdTe absorber is central to cell performance. Numerical simulation has shown the feasibility of high energy-conversion efficiency, which requires both high carrier density and long minority carrier lifetime. As the minority carrier lifetime increases, the carrier recombination at the back surface becomes a limitation for cell performance with absorber thickness cell performance, since it can induce a large valence-band bending which suppresses the hole injection near the interface for the electron-hole recombination, but too large a spike is detrimental to photocurrent transport. In a heterojunction device with many defects at the emitter/absorber interface (high SIF), a thin and highly-doped emitter can induce strong absorber inversion and hence help maintain good cell performance. Performance losses from acceptor-type interface defects can be significant when interface defect states are located near mid-gap energies. In terms of specific emitter materials, the calculations suggest that the (Mg,Zn)O alloy with 20% Mg, or a similar type-I heterojunction partner with moderate DeltaE C (e.g., Cd(S,O) or (Cd,Mg)Te with appropriate oxygen or magnesium ratios) should yield higher voltages and would therefore be better candidates for the CdTe-cell emitter. The CdTe/substrate interface is also of great importance, particularly in the growth of epitaxial

  16. Multijunction Solar Cell Technology for Mars Surface Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stella, Paul M.; Mardesich, Nick; Ewell, Richard C.; Mueller, Robert L.; Endicter, Scott; Aiken, Daniel; Edmondson, Kenneth; Fetze, Chris

    2006-01-01

    Solar cells used for Mars surface applications have been commercial space qualified AM0 optimized devices. Due to the Martian atmosphere, these cells are not optimized for the Mars surface and as a result operate at a reduced efficiency. A multi-year program, MOST (Mars Optimized Solar Cell Technology), managed by JPL and funded by NASA Code S, was initiated in 2004, to develop tools to modify commercial AM0 cells for the Mars surface solar spectrum and to fabricate Mars optimized devices for verification. This effort required defining the surface incident spectrum, developing an appropriate laboratory solar simulator measurement capability, and to develop and test commercial cells modified for the Mars surface spectrum. This paper discusses the program, including results for the initial modified cells. Simulated Mars surface measurements of MER cells and Phoenix Lander cells (2007 launch) are provided to characterize the performance loss for those missions. In addition, the performance of the MER rover solar arrays is updated to reflect their more than two (2) year operation.

  17. Enhanced Photovoltaic Properties of Gradient Doping Solar Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Chun-Lei; Du Hui-Jing; Zhu Jian-Zhuo; Xu Tian-Fu; Fang Xiao-Yong

    2012-01-01

    An optimum design of a-Si:H(n)/a-Si:H(i)/c-Si(p) heterojunction solar cell is realized with 24.27% conversion efficiency by gradient doping of the a-Si:H(n) layer. The photovoltaic properties are simulated by the AFORSHET software. Besides the additional electric field caused by the gradient doping, the enhanced and widen spectral response also improves the solar cell performance compared with the uniform-doping mode. The simulation shows that the gradient doping is efficient to improve the photovoltaic performance of the solar cells. The study is valuable for the solar cell design with excellent performances

  18. MoS2: a two-dimensional hole-transporting material for high-efficiency, low-cost perovskite solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohnehpoushi, Saman; Nazari, Pariya; Abdollahi Nejand, Bahram; Eskandari, Mehdi

    2018-05-01

    In this work MoS2 thin film was studied as a potential two-dimensional (2D) hole-transporting material for fabrication of low-cost, durable and efficient perovskite solar cells. The thickness of MoS2 was studied as a potential factor in reaching high power conversion efficiency in perovskite solar cells. The thickness of the perovskite layer and the different metal back contacts gave distinct photovoltaic properties to the designed cells. The results show that a single sheet of MoS2 could considerably improve the power conversion efficacy of the device from 10.41% for a hole transport material (HTM)-free device to 20.43% for a device prepared with a 0.67 nm thick MoS2 layer as a HTM. On the back, Ag and Al collected the carriers more efficiently than Au due to the value of their metal contact work function with the TiO2 conduction band. The present work proposes a new architecture for the fabrication of low-cost, durable and efficient perovskite solar cells made from a low-cost and robust inorganic HTM and electron transport material.

  19. Magnetron sputtering fabrication and photoelectric properties of WSe2 film solar cell device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Xu; Zou, Jianpeng; Li, Hongchao; Song, Zhengqi; He, Siru

    2018-06-01

    Tungsten diselenide (WSe2) films with different growing orientations exhibit diverse photoelectric properties. The WSe2 film with C-axis⊥substrate texture has been prepared and applied to thin-film solar cells. W nanofilms with a thickness of 270 nm were deposited onto the Mo bottom electrode and then heat-treated in selenium vapor to synthesize WSe2 films with a thickness of 1 μm. ZnO films were deposited onto WSe2 films to form a P-N junction and ITO films were deposited subsequently as the conductive layer. X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis-NIR spectro-analysis instrument were employed to analyze the phase composition, optical absorptivity and micromorphology of WSe2 films and the WSe2 solar cell device. WSe2 films exhibit excellent photoelectric performance with an optical absorption coefficient greater than 105 cm-1 across the visible spectrum. The calculated direct and indirect band gap of the WSe2 films is 1.48 eV and 1.25 eV, respectively. With the application of standard glass/Mo/WSe2/ZnO/ITO/Ag device structure, the open-circuit voltage of the battery device is 82 mV. The short-circuit current density is 2.98 mA/cm2 and the filling factor is 0.32. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of the WSe2 film solar cell device is 0.79%.

  20. Assessment of market possibilities for solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Djukanovic, S. [Advanced School of Business Novi Sad (Czechoslovakia)

    2004-07-01

    Global heating increases profitability of solar energy application in the Balkans. The most important market segments for wider solar cells utilization in Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) are solar pumps for irrigation in agriculture, traffic lights, lighting of weekend houses, air-conditioning, telecommunications, electric vehicles, solar hydro-electric power plants, sports centers and schools and orthodox monasteries. In addition to these applications of solar modules of relatively high capacity, a wide scope of applications of mini solar modules in consumer goods is given serious consideration (flashlights, bicycle lights, fan caps, beach hats, solar parasols, toys for children, solar watches, minicomputers, walkmans and alike). In this paper is projected gradually increase of solar cells applications in Yugoslavia, from 772 kW in 2006., to 3,901 kW installed photovoltaic power in 2010. year. The largest parts of this projected 3.9 MW in 2010., ought to be solar pumps (498 kW), telecommunications (470 kW) and traffic lights (468 kW). (orig.)

  1. Bonder for Solar-Cell Strings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garwood, G.; Frasch, W.

    1982-01-01

    String bonder for solar-cell arrays eliminates tedious manual assembly procedure that could damage cell face. Vacuum arm picks up face-down cell from cell-inverting work station and transfers it to string conveyor without changing cell orientation. Arm is activated by signal from microprocessor.

  2. Simple processing of high efficiency silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamammu, I.M.; Ibrahim, K.

    2006-01-01

    Cost effective photovoltaic devices have been an area research since the development of the first solar cells, as cost is the major factor in their usage. Silicon solar cells have the biggest share in the photovoltaic market, though silicon os not the optimal material for solar cells. This work introduces a simplified approach for high efficiency silicon solar cell processing, by minimizing the processing steps and thereby reducing cost. The suggested procedure might also allow for the usage of lower quality materials compared to the one used today. The main features of the present work fall into: simplifying the diffusion process, edge shunt isolation and using acidic texturing instead of the standard alkaline processing. Solar cells of 17% efficiency have been produced using this procedure. Investigations on the possibility of improving the efficiency and using less quality material are still underway

  3. Enhanced Charge Extraction of Li-Doped TiO2 for Efficient Thermal-Evaporated Sb2S3 Thin Film Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Chunfeng; Luo, Jingting; Lan, Huabin; Fan, Bo; Peng, Huanxin; Zhao, Jun; Sun, Huibin; Zheng, Zhuanghao; Liang, Guangxing; Fan, Ping

    2018-01-01

    We provided a new method to improve the efficiency of Sb2S3 thin film solar cells. The TiO2 electron transport layers were doped by lithium to improve their charge extraction properties for the thermal-evaporated Sb2S3 solar cells. The Mott-Schottky curves suggested a change of energy band and faster charge transport in the Li-doped TiO2 films. Compared with the undoped TiO2, Li-doped mesoporous TiO2 dramatically improved the photo-voltaic performance of the thermal-evaporated Sb2S3 thin film solar cells, with the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) increasing from 1.79% to 4.03%, as well as the improved open-voltage (Voc), short-circuit current (Jsc) and fill factors. The best device based on Li-doped TiO2 achieved a power conversion efficiency up to 4.42% as well as a Voc of 0.645 V, which are the highest values among the reported thermal-evaporated Sb2S3 solar cells. This study showed that Li-doping on TiO2 can effectively enhance the charge extraction properties of electron transport layers, offering a new strategy to improve the efficiency of Sb2S3-based solar cells. PMID:29495612

  4. Enhanced Charge Extraction of Li-Doped TiO2 for Efficient Thermal-Evaporated Sb2S3 Thin Film Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunfeng Lan

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available We provided a new method to improve the efficiency of Sb2S3 thin film solar cells. The TiO2 electron transport layers were doped by lithium to improve their charge extraction properties for the thermal-evaporated Sb2S3 solar cells. The Mott-Schottky curves suggested a change of energy band and faster charge transport in the Li-doped TiO2 films. Compared with the undoped TiO2, Li-doped mesoporous TiO2 dramatically improved the photo-voltaic performance of the thermal-evaporated Sb2S3 thin film solar cells, with the average power conversion efficiency (PCE increasing from 1.79% to 4.03%, as well as the improved open-voltage (Voc, short-circuit current (Jsc and fill factors. The best device based on Li-doped TiO2 achieved a power conversion efficiency up to 4.42% as well as a Voc of 0.645 V, which are the highest values among the reported thermal-evaporated Sb2S3 solar cells. This study showed that Li-doping on TiO2 can effectively enhance the charge extraction properties of electron transport layers, offering a new strategy to improve the efficiency of Sb2S3-based solar cells.

  5. Characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells using natural dye

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Furukawa, Shoji, E-mail: furukawa@cse.kyutech.ac.j [Graduate School of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 680-4 Kawazu, Iizuka-shi, Fukuoka-ken 820-8502 (Japan); Iino, Hiroshi; Iwamoto, Tomohisa; Kukita, Koudai; Yamauchi, Shoji [Graduate School of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 680-4 Kawazu, Iizuka-shi, Fukuoka-ken 820-8502 (Japan)

    2009-11-30

    Dye-sensitized solar cells are expected to be used for future clean energy. Recently, most of the researchers in this field use Ruthenium complex as dye in the dye-sensitized solar cells. However, Ruthenium is a rare metal, so the cost of the Ruthenium complex is very high. In this paper, various dye-sensitized solar cells have been fabricated using natural dye, such as the dye of red-cabbage, curcumin, and red-perilla. As a result, it was found that the conversion efficiency of the solar cell fabricated using the mixture of red-cabbage and curcumin was about 0.6% (light source: halogen lamp), which was larger than that of the solar cells using one kind of dye. It was also found that the conversion efficiency was about 1.0% for the solar cell with the oxide semiconductor film fabricated using polyethylene glycol (PEG) whose molecular weight was 2,000,000 and red-cabbage dye. This indicates that the cost performance (defined by [conversion efficiency]/[cost of dye]) of the latter solar cell (dye: red-cabbage) is larger by more than 50 times than that of the solar cell using Ruthenium complex, even if the effect of the difference between the halogen lamp and the standard light source is taken into account.

  6. A review of recent progress in heterogeneous silicon tandem solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, Masafumi; Lee, Kan-Hua; Araki, Kenji; Kojima, Nobuaki

    2018-04-01

    Silicon solar cells are the most established solar cell technology and are expected to dominate the market in the near future. As state-of-the-art silicon solar cells are approaching the Shockley-Queisser limit, stacking silicon solar cells with other photovoltaic materials to form multi-junction devices is an obvious pathway to further raise the efficiency. However, many challenges stand in the way of fully realizing the potential of silicon tandem solar cells because heterogeneously integrating silicon with other materials often degrades their qualities. Recently, above or near 30% silicon tandem solar cell has been demonstrated, showing the promise of achieving high-efficiency and low-cost solar cells via silicon tandem. This paper reviews the recent progress of integrating solar cell with other mainstream solar cell materials. The first part of this review focuses on the integration of silicon with III-V semiconductor solar cells, which is a long-researched topic since the emergence of III-V semiconductors. We will describe the main approaches—heteroepitaxy, wafer bonding and mechanical stacking—as well as other novel approaches. The second part introduces the integration of silicon with polycrystalline thin-film solar cells, mainly perovskites on silicon solar cells because of its rapid progress recently. We will also use an analytical model to compare the material qualities of different types of silicon tandem solar cells and project their practical efficiency limits.

  7. Synthesis and solar-cell applications of novel furanyl-substituted anthracene derivatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kivrak, Arif; Er, Ömer Faruk; Kivrak, Hilal; Topal, Yasemin; Kuş, Mahmut; Çamlısoy, Yesim

    2017-11-01

    At present, novel furanyl-substituted anthracene derivatives; namely 9,10-di(furan-2-yl)anthracene (DFA), 5,5‧-(anthracene-9,10-diyl)bis(furan-2-carbaldehyde) (DAFA) and 2,2‧-((5,5‧-(anthracene-9,10-diyl)bis(furan-5,2-diyl))bis(methanylylidene))dimalononitrile (DCNFA) were designed and synthesized successfully by employing Stille Cross-Coupling, Vilsmeier-Haack and Knoevenagel condensation reactions, respectively. This methodology provides a practical new route for the synthesis of furanyl-substituted anthracene derivatives bearing strong electron-withdrawing groups. The electrochemical and electro-optical properties of these novel furanyl-substituted anthracene derivatives were also examined with strong acceptor-π-donor-π-acceptor interactions. Furthermore, Highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), Lowest Unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), and band gap (Eg) values were investigated by using spectroscopic methods. Electrochemical and electro-optical properties were calculated and compared to DFA, DAFA and DCNFA. Eg was found as 2.85, 2.71, and 2.33 eV, respectively. Consequently, Organic Solar Cells (OSC) were fabricated to investigate their solar cell performances. The strong electron withdrawing groups did not increase the solar cell performance of furanyl-anthracenes. Surprisingly, DFA was found to exhibit the best OSCs performance (Efficiency = 3.36). As a result, one could note that these novel furanyl-substituted anthracene derivatives are good candidate for the applications of the OSCs. Our results might help in the development of new materials with important electrochemical functions by giving the advantage of designing and further derivatization of new generation small organic molecules for photovoltaic device applications.

  8. Applications of Fluorogens with Rotor Structures in Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ong, Kok-Haw; Liu, Bin

    2017-05-29

    Solar cells are devices that convert light energy into electricity. To drive greater adoption of solar cell technologies, higher cell efficiencies and reductions in manufacturing cost are necessary. Fluorogens containing rotor structures may be helpful in addressing some of these challenges due to their unique twisted structures and photophysics. In this review, we discuss the applications of rotor-containing molecules as dyes for luminescent down-shifting layers and luminescent solar concentrators, where their aggregation-induced emission properties and large Stokes shifts are highly desirable. We also discuss the applications of molecules containing rotors in third-generation solar cell technologies, namely dye-sensitized solar cells and organic photovoltaics, where the twisted 3-dimensional rotor structures are used primarily for aggregation control. Finally, we discuss perspectives on the future role of molecules containing rotor structures in solar cell technologies.

  9. Effect of solar-terrestrial phenomena on solar cell's efficiency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zahee, K. B.; Ansari, W.A.; Raza, S.M.M.

    2012-01-01

    It is assumed that the solar cell efficiency of PV device is closely related to the solar irradiance, consider the solar parameter Global Solar Irradiance (G) and the meteorological parameters like daily data of Earth Skin Temperature (E), Average Temperature (T), Relative Humidity (H) and Dew Frost Point (D), for the coastal city Karachi and a non-coastal city Jacobabad, K and J is used as a subscripts for parameters of Karachi and Jacobabad respectively. All variables used here are dependent on the location (latitude and longitude) of our stations except G. To employ ARIMA modeling, the first eighteen years data is used for modeling and forecast is done for the last five years data. In most cases results show good correlation among monthly actual and monthly forecasted values of all the predictors. Next, multiple linear regression is employed to the data obtained by ARIMA modeling and models for mean monthly observed G values are constructed. For each station, two equations are constructed, the R values are above 93% for each model, showing adequacy of the fit. Our computations show that solar cell efficiency can be increased if better modeling for meteorological predictors governs the process. (author)

  10. Quantum dot sensitized solar cell based on TiO2/CdS/Ag2S heterostructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pawar, Sachin A.; Patil, Dipali S.; Kim, Jin Hyeok; Patil, Pramod S.; Shin, Jae Cheol

    2017-04-01

    Quantum dot sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) is fabricated based on a stepwise band structure of TiO2/CdS/Ag2S to improve the photoconversion efficiency of TiO2/CdS system by incorporating a low band gap Ag2S QDs. Vertically aligned TiO2 nanorods assembly is prepared by a simple hydrothermal technique. The formation of CdS and Ag2S QDs over TiO2 nanorods assembly as a photoanode is carried out by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. The synthesized electrode materials are characterized by XRD, XPS, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Optical, solar cell and electrochemical performances. The results designate that the QDs of CdS and Ag2S have efficiently covered exterior surfaces of TiO2 nanorods assembly. A cautious evaluation between TiO2/CdS and TiO2/CdS/Ag2S sensitized cells tells that CdS and Ag2S synergetically helps to enhance the light harvesting ability. Under AM 1.5G illumination, the photoanodes show an improved power conversion efficiency of 1.87%, in an aqueous polysulfide electrolyte with short-circuit photocurrent density of 7.03 mA cm-2 which is four fold higher than that of a TiO2/CdS system.

  11. Materials That Enhance Efficiency and Radiation Resistance of Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiadong; Wang, Haorong

    2012-01-01

    A thin layer (approximately 10 microns) of a novel "transparent" fluorescent material is applied to existing solar cells or modules to effectively block and convert UV light, or other lower solar response waveband of solar radiation, to visible or IR light that can be more efficiently used by solar cells for additional photocurrent. Meanwhile, the layer of fluorescent coating material remains fully "transparent" to the visible and IR waveband of solar radiation, resulting in a net gain of solar cell efficiency. This innovation alters the effective solar spectral power distribution to which an existing cell gets exposed, and matches the maximum photovoltaic (PV) response of existing cells. By shifting a low PV response waveband (e.g., UV) of solar radiation to a high PV response waveband (e.g. Vis-Near IR) with novel fluorescent materials that are transparent to other solar-cell sensitive wavebands, electrical output from solar cells will be enhanced. This approach enhances the efficiency of solar cells by converting UV and high-energy particles in space that would otherwise be wasted to visible/IR light. This innovation is a generic technique that can be readily implemented to significantly increase efficiencies of both space and terrestrial solar cells, without incurring much cost, thus bringing a broad base of economical, social, and environmental benefits. The key to this approach is that the "fluorescent" material must be very efficient, and cannot block or attenuate the "desirable" and unconverted" waveband of solar radiation (e.g. Vis-NIR) from reaching the cells. Some nano-phosphors and novel organometallic complex materials have been identified that enhance the energy efficiency on some state-of-the-art commercial silicon and thin-film-based solar cells by over 6%.

  12. Plastic solar cells : understanding the special additive

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Franeker, H.; Janssen, R.A.J.

    2015-01-01

    Solar cells use freely available sunlight to make electricity. At the present time, solar electricity does not come cheap, because solar panels are rather expensive. Now imagine that we could reduce costs by printing solar panels like we print newspapers! We can do just that with plastic solar

  13. Tandem photovoltaic solar cells and increased solar energy conversion efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loferski, J. J.

    1976-01-01

    Tandem photovoltaic cells, as proposed by Jackson (1955) to increase the efficiency of solar energy conversion, involve the construction of a system of stacked p/n homojunction photovoltaic cells composed of different semiconductors. It had been pointed out by critics, however, that the total power which could be extracted from the cells in the stack placed side by side was substantially greater than the power obtained from the stacked cells. A reexamination of the tandem cell concept in view of the development of the past few years is conducted. It is concluded that the use of tandem cell systems in flat plate collectors, as originally envisioned by Jackson, may yet become feasible as a result of the development of economically acceptable solar cells for large scale terrestrial power generation.

  14. Thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-3,4-difluorothiophene Polymer Acceptors for Efficient All-Polymer Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Shengjian

    2016-09-16

    Branched-alkyl-substituted poly(thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-alt-3,4-difluorothiophene) (PTPD[2F]T) can be used as a polymer acceptor in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells with a low-band-gap polymer donor (PCE10) commonly used with fullerenes. The

  15. Neutral Color Semitransparent Microstructured Perovskite Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Eperon, Giles E.; Burlakov, Victor M.; Goriely, Alain; Snaith, Henry J.

    2014-01-01

    Neutral-colored semitransparent solar cells are commercially desired to integrate solar cells into the windows and cladding of buildings and automotive applications. Here, we report the use of morphological control of perovskite thin films to form

  16. Solar Cell Capacitance Determination Based on an RLC Resonant Circuit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petru Adrian Cotfas

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The capacitance is one of the key dynamic parameters of solar cells, which can provide essential information regarding the quality and health state of the cell. However, the measurement of this parameter is not a trivial task, as it typically requires high accuracy instruments using, e.g., electrical impedance spectroscopy (IS. This paper introduces a simple and effective method to determine the electric capacitance of the solar cells. An RLC (Resistor Inductance Capacitor circuit is formed by using an inductor as a load for the solar cell. The capacitance of the solar cell is found by measuring the frequency of the damped oscillation that occurs at the moment of connecting the inductor to the solar cell. The study is performed through simulation based on National Instruments (NI Multisim application as SPICE simulation software and through experimental capacitance measurements of a monocrystalline silicon commercial solar cell and a photovoltaic panel using the proposed method. The results were validated using impedance spectroscopy. The differences between the capacitance values obtained by the two methods are of 1% for the solar cells and of 9.6% for the PV panel. The irradiance level effect upon the solar cell capacitance was studied obtaining an increase in the capacitance in function of the irradiance. By connecting different inductors to the solar cell, the frequency effect upon the solar cell capacitance was studied noticing a very small decrease in the capacitance with the frequency. Additionally, the temperature effect over the solar cell capacitance was studied achieving an increase in capacitance with temperature.

  17. Efficient full-spectrum utilization, reception and conversion of solar energy by broad-band nanospiral antenna.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Huaqiao; Gao, Huotao; Cao, Ting; Li, Boya

    2018-01-22

    In this work, the collection of solar energy by a broad-band nanospiral antenna is investigated in order to solve the low efficiency of the solar rectenna based on conventional nanoantennas. The antenna impedance, radiation, polarization and effective area are all considered in the efficiency calculation using the finite integral technique. The wavelength range investigated is 300-3000 nm, which corresponds to more than 98% of the solar radiation energy. It's found that the nanospiral has stronger field enhancement in the gap than a nanodipole counterpart. And a maximum harvesting efficiency about 80% is possible in principle for the nanospiral coupled to a rectifier resistance of 200 Ω, while about 10% for the nanodipole under the same conditions. Moreover, the nanospiral could be coupled to a rectifier diode of high resistance more easily than the nanodipole. These results indicate that the efficient full-spectrum utilization, reception and conversion of solar energy can be achieved by the nanospiral antenna, which is expected to promote the solar rectenna to be a promising technology in the clean, renewable energy application.

  18. Acceptable contamination levels in solar grade silicon: From feedstock to solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofstetter, J.; Lelievre, J.F.; Canizo, C.; Luque, A. del

    2009-01-01

    Ultimately, alternative ways of silicon purification for photovoltaic applications are developed and applied. There is an ongoing debate about what are the acceptable contamination levels within the purified silicon feedstock to specify the material as solar grade silicon. Applying a simple model and making some additional assumptions, we calculate the acceptable contamination levels of different characteristic impurities for each fabrication step of a typical industrial mc-Si solar cell. The acceptable impurity concentrations within the finished solar cell are calculated for SRH recombination exclusively and under low injection conditions. It is assumed that during solar cell fabrication impurity concentrations are only altered by a gettering step. During the crystallization process, impurity segregation at the solid-liquid interface and at extended defects are taken into account. Finally, the initial contamination levels allowed within the feedstock are deduced. The acceptable concentration of iron in the finished solar cell is determined to be 9.7x10 -3 ppma whereas the concentration in the silicon feedstock can be as high as 12.5 ppma. In comparison, the titanium concentration admitted in the solar cell is calculated to be 2.7x10 -4 ppma and the allowed concentration of 2.2x10 -2 ppma in the feedstock is only two orders of magnitude higher. Finally, it is shown theoretically and experimentally that slow cooling rates can lead to a decrease of the interstitial Fe concentration and thus relax the purity requirements in the feedstock.

  19. Hybrid Silicon Nanocone–Polymer Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Jeong, Sangmoo

    2012-06-13

    Recently, hybrid Si/organic solar cells have been studied for low-cost Si photovoltaic devices because the Schottky junction between the Si and organic material can be formed by solution processes at a low temperature. In this study, we demonstrate a hybrid solar cell composed of Si nanocones and conductive polymer. The optimal nanocone structure with an aspect ratio (height/diameter of a nanocone) less than two allowed for conformal polymer surface coverage via spin-coating while also providing both excellent antireflection and light trapping properties. The uniform heterojunction over the nanocones with enhanced light absorption resulted in a power conversion efficiency above 11%. Based on our simulation study, the optimal nanocone structures for a 10 μm thick Si solar cell can achieve a short-circuit current density, up to 39.1 mA/cm 2, which is very close to the theoretical limit. With very thin material and inexpensive processing, hybrid Si nanocone/polymer solar cells are promising as an economically viable alternative energy solution. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  20. Hybrid Silicon Nanocone–Polymer Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Jeong, Sangmoo; Garnett, Erik C.; Wang, Shuang; Yu, Zongfu; Fan, Shanhui; Brongersma, Mark L.; McGehee, Michael D.; Cui, Yi

    2012-01-01

    Recently, hybrid Si/organic solar cells have been studied for low-cost Si photovoltaic devices because the Schottky junction between the Si and organic material can be formed by solution processes at a low temperature. In this study, we demonstrate a hybrid solar cell composed of Si nanocones and conductive polymer. The optimal nanocone structure with an aspect ratio (height/diameter of a nanocone) less than two allowed for conformal polymer surface coverage via spin-coating while also providing both excellent antireflection and light trapping properties. The uniform heterojunction over the nanocones with enhanced light absorption resulted in a power conversion efficiency above 11%. Based on our simulation study, the optimal nanocone structures for a 10 μm thick Si solar cell can achieve a short-circuit current density, up to 39.1 mA/cm 2, which is very close to the theoretical limit. With very thin material and inexpensive processing, hybrid Si nanocone/polymer solar cells are promising as an economically viable alternative energy solution. © 2012 American Chemical Society.