Enhancement of the CIGS solar cell's efficiency by anti-reflection coating with teflon AF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Hong-Sub; Kim, Chan; Rhee, Il-Su [Kyungpook National University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Jo, Hyun-Jun; Kim, Dae-Hwan [Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Sung-Wook [Daegu University, Gyeongsan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-11-15

An anti-reflection (AR) layer of Teflon AF was deposited on the front surface of a Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cell with a structure of grid/TCO/ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2}/Mo/glass by using the spin coating method. This AR layer reduced the front-surface reflection, which resulted in high efficiency for the CIGS solar cell. The thickness of the Teflon AF layer was varied to determine the thickness that gave the highest transmittance of incident light into the active absorber of the CIGS solar cell. The optimum thickness of the Teflon AF layer was found to be 105 nm. CIGS solar cells with a Teflon AF layer of 105 nm were constructed, and their efficiencies were compared with those of solar cells without a Teflon AF layer. The average increase in the relative efficiency of the solar cells was 2.63% due to the inclusion of an anti-reflection layer of Teflon AF.

Modeling and performance analysis dataset of a CIGS solar cell with ZnS buffer layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Billal Hosen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This article represents the baseline data of the several semiconductor materials used in the model of a CIGS thin film solar cell with an inclusion of ZnS buffer layer. As well, input parameters, contact layer data and operating conditions for CIGS solar cell simulation with ZnS buffer layer have been described. The schematic diagram of photovoltaic solar cell has been depicted. Moreover, the most important performance measurement graph, J-V characteristic curve, resulting from CIGS solar cell simulation has been analyzed to estimate the optimum values of fill factor and cell efficiency. These optimum results have been obtained from the open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and the maximum points of voltage and current density generated from the cell.

Semi-transparent perovskite solar cells for tandems with silicon and CIGS

KAUST Repository

Bailie, Colin D.; Christoforo, M. Greyson; Mailoa, Jonathan P.; Bowring, Andrea R.; Unger, Eva L.; Nguyen, William H.; Burschka, Julian; Pellet, Norman; Lee, Jungwoo Z.; Grä tzel, Michael; Noufi, Rommel; Buonassisi, Tonio; Salleo, Alberto; McGehee, Michael D.

2015-01-01

solar cell. We use a transparent silver nanowire electrode on perovskite solar cells to achieve a semi-transparent device. We place the semi-transparent cell in a mechanically-stacked tandem configuration onto copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS

Modeling and simulation of a dual-junction CIGS solar cell using Silvaco ATLAS

OpenAIRE

Fotis, Konstantinos

2012-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The potential of designing a dual-junction Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) photovoltaic cell is investigated in this thesis. Research into implementing a dual-junction solar cell, using a CIGS bottom cell and different thin-film designs as a top cell, was conducted in order to increase the current record efficiency of 20.3% for a single CIGS cell. This was accomplished through modeling and simulation using Silvaco ATLASTM, an ad...

A study on the optics of copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) solar cells with ultra-thin absorber layers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xu, M.; Wachters, A.J.H.; Van Deelen, J.; Mourad, M.C.D.; Buskens, P.J.P.

2014-01-01

We present a systematic study of the effect of variation of the zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) layer thickness on the absorption characteristics of CIGS solar cells using a simulation program based on finite element method (FEM). We show that the absorption in the

Thermal Effect on a CIGS Thin-Film Solar Cell P2 Layer by Using a UV Laser

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dyi-Cheng Chen

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study used ANSYS simulation software for analyzing an ultraviolet (UV (355 nm laser processing system. The laser apparatus was used in a stainless steel CIGS solar cell P2 layer for simulation analysis. CIGS films process order according to SiO2 layer, molybdenum electrode, CIGS absorbed layer, CdS buffered layer, i-ZnO penetrate light layer, TCO front electrode, MgF resist reflected materials, andelectrode materials. The simulation and experimental results were compared to obtain a laser-delineated P2 laser with a low melting and vaporization temperature. According to the simulation results, the laser function time was 135 μs, the UV laser was 0.5 W, and the P2 layer thin films were removed. The experimental results indicated that the electrode pattern of the experiment was similar to that of the simulation result, and the laser process did not damage the base plate. The analysis results confirm that the laser apparatus is effective when applied to a stainless steel CIGS solar cell P2 layer.

Expanding Thermal Plasma Chemical Vapour Deposition of ZnO:Al Layers for CIGS Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Sharma

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aluminium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al grown by expanding thermal plasma chemical vapour deposition (ETP-CVD has demonstrated excellent electrical and optical properties, which make it an attractive candidate as a transparent conductive oxide for photovoltaic applications. However, when depositing ZnO:Al on CIGS solar cell stacks, one should be aware that high substrate temperature processing (i.e., >200°C can damage the crucial underlying layers/interfaces (such as CIGS/CdS and CdS/i-ZnO. In this paper, the potential of adopting ETP-CVD ZnO:Al in CIGS solar cells is assessed: the effect of substrate temperature during film deposition on both the electrical properties of the ZnO:Al and the eventual performance of the CIGS solar cells was investigated. For ZnO:Al films grown using the high thermal budget (HTB condition, lower resistivities, ρ, were achievable (~5 × 10−4 Ω·cm than those grown using the low thermal budget (LTB conditions (~2 × 10−3 Ω·cm, whereas higher CIGS conversion efficiencies were obtained for the LTB condition (up to 10.9% than for the HTB condition (up to 9.0%. Whereas such temperature-dependence of CIGS device parameters has previously been linked with chemical migration between individual layers, we demonstrate that in this case it is primarily attributed to the prevalence of shunt currents.

A study on the optics of copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) solar cells with ultra-thin absorber layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Man; Wachters, Arthur J H; van Deelen, Joop; Mourad, Maurice C D; Buskens, Pascal J P

2014-03-10

We present a systematic study of the effect of variation of the zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) layer thickness on the absorption characteristics of CIGS solar cells using a simulation program based on finite element method (FEM). We show that the absorption in the CIGS layer does not decrease monotonically with its layer thickness due to interference effects. Ergo, high precision is required in the CIGS production process, especially when using ultra-thin absorber layers, to accurately realize the required thickness of the ZnO, cadmium sulfide (CdS) and CIGS layer. We show that patterning the ZnO window layer can strongly suppress these interference effects allowing a higher tolerance in the production process.

Above-CMOS a-Si and CIGS Solar Cells for Powering Autonomous Microsystems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lu, J.; Liu, W.; van der Werf, C.H.M.; Kovalgin, A.Y.; Sun, Y.; Schropp, R.E.I.; Schmitz, J.

2010-01-01

Two types of solar cells are successfully grown on chips from two CMOS generations. The efficiency of amorphous-silicon (a-Si) solar cells reaches 5.2%, copperindium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) cells 7.1%. CMOS functionality is unaffected. The main integration issues: adhesion, surface topography, metal

Characterization and Analysis of Ultrathin CIGS Films and Solar Cells Deposited by 3-Stage Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grace Rajan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In view of the large-scale utilization of Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS solar cells for photovoltaic application, it is of interest not only to enhance the conversion efficiency but also to reduce the thickness of the CIGS absorber layer in order to reduce the cost and improve the solar cell manufacturing throughput. In situ and real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE has been used conjointly with ex situ characterizations to understand the properties of ultrathin CIGS films. This enables monitoring the growth process, analyzing the optical properties of the CIGS films during deposition, and extracting composition, film thickness, grain size, and surface roughness which can be corroborated with ex situ measurements. The fabricated devices were characterized using current voltage and quantum efficiency measurements and modeled using a 1-dimensional solar cell device simulator. An analysis of the diode parameters indicates that the efficiency of the thinnest cells was restricted not only by limited light absorption, as expected, but also by a low fill factor and open-circuit voltage, explained by an increased series resistance, reverse saturation current, and diode quality factor, associated with an increased trap density.

Degradation of CIGS solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Theelen, M.J.

2015-01-01

Large scale commercial introduction of CIGS photovoltaics (PV) requires modules with low costs, high efficiencies and long and predictable lifetimes. Unfortunately,knowledge about the lifetime of CIGS PV is limited, which is reflected in the results of field studies: degradation rates varying from

Sputtered molybdenum thin films and the application in CIGS solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, D.; Zhu, H., E-mail: hongbing1982@hotmail.com; Liang, X.; Zhang, C.; Li, Z.; Xu, Y.; Chen, J.; Zhang, L.; Mai, Y., E-mail: yaohuamai@hbu.edu.cn

2016-01-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Mo thin films are prepared by magnetron sputtering. • The dynamic deposition rate increases with the increasing discharge power. • The surface structure of Mo films varies with discharge power and working pressure. • High efficiency CIGS thin film solar cell of 15.2% has been obtained. - Abstract: Molybdenum (Mo) thin films are prepared by magnetron sputtering with different discharge powers and working pressures for the application in Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin film solar cells as back electrodes. Properties of these Mo thin films are systematically investigated. It is found that the dynamic deposition rate increases with the increasing discharge power while decreases with the increasing working pressure. The highest dynamic deposition rate of 15.1 nm m/min is achieved for the Mo thin film deposited at the discharge power of 1200 W and at the working pressure of 0.15 Pa. The achieved lowest resistivity of 3.7 × 10{sup −5} Ω cm is attributed to the large grains in the compact thin film. The discharge power and working pressure have great influence on the sputtered Mo thin films. High efficiency of 12.5% was achieved for the Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin film solar cells with Mo electrodes prepared at 1200 W and low working pressures. By further optimizing material and device properties, the conversion efficiency has reached to 15.2%.

Investigation of Some Transparent Metal Oxides as Damp Heat Protective Coating for CIGS Solar Cells: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pern, F. J.; Yan, F.; Zaaunbrecher, B.; To, B.; Perkins, J.; Noufi, R.

2012-10-01

We investigated the protective effectiveness of some transparent metal oxides (TMO) on CIGS solar cell coupons against damp heat (DH) exposure at 85oC and 85% relative humidity (RH). Sputter-deposited bilayer ZnO (BZO) with up to 0.5-um Al-doped ZnO (AZO) layer and 0.2-um bilayer InZnO were used as 'inherent' part of device structure on CdS/CIGS/Mo/SLG. Sputter-deposited 0.2-um ZnSnO and atomic layer deposited (ALD) 0.1-um Al2O3 were used as overcoat on typical BZO/CdS/CIGS/Mo/SLG solar cells. The results were all negative -- all TMO-coated CIGS cells exhibited substantial degradation in DH. Combining the optical photographs, PL and EL imaging, SEM surface micro-morphology, coupled with XRD, I-V and QE measurements, the causes of the device degradations are attributed to hydrolytic corrosion, flaking, micro-cracking, and delamination induced by the DH moisture. Mechanical stress and decrease in crystallinity (grain size effect) could be additional degrading factors for thicker AZO grown on CdS/CIGS.

CIGS thin films, solar cells, and submodules fabricated using a rf-plasma cracked Se-radical beam source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizuka, Shogo; Yamada, Akimasa; Shibata, Hajime; Fons, Paul; Niki, Shigeru

2011-01-01

Coevaporated Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) film growth using a rf-plasma cracked Se-radical beam (R-Se) source leads to a significant reduction in the amount of raw Se source material wasted during growth and exhibits unique film properties such as highly dense, smooth surfaces and large grain size. R-Se grown CIGS solar cells also show concomitant unique properties different from conventional evaporative Se (E-Se) source grown CIGS cells. In the present work, the impact of modified surfaces, interfaces, and bulk crystal properties of R-Se grown CIGS films on the solar cell performance was studied. When a R-Se source was used, Na diffusion into CIGS layers was enhanced while a remarkable diffusion of elemental Ga and Se into Mo back contact layers was observed. Improvements in the bulk crystal quality as manifested by large grain size and increased Na concentration with the use of a R-Se source is expected to be effective to improve photovoltaic performance. Using a R-Se source for the growth of CIGS absorber layers at a relatively low growth temperature, we have successfully demonstrated a monolithically integrated submodule efficiency of 15.0% (17 cells, aperture area of 76.5 cm 2 ) on 0.25-mm thick soda-lime glass substrates.

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.

CIGS Thin Film Solar Cells, phase 2 Uppsala University Final report 2006-01-01 - 2007-06-14

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edoff, Marika (Thin Film Solar Cell group, Dep. Technical Sciences, Uppsala Univ., P.O. Box 534, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden)) (and others)

2007-06-15

The project CIGS Thin Film Solar Cells, phase 2 has been going on for 18,5 months and was interrupted in advance on the 14th of June, 2007. The decision to shorten the period was taken by the board of the Swedish Energy Agency the 14th of February. It was decided to reevaluate and re-direct the financial support to the group. A new project, CIGS Thin Film Solar Cells, phase 3, superseded this project and will go on for the initially planned project period (until 2009-12-31). During the project much of the focus has been on research on Cd-free buffer layers, with an emphasis on the interface properties between the CIGS and the buffer layer. (CIGS is a commonly used acronym for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2}, which is the active absorption layer in this type of solar cells) The combination of high quality CIGS and the new buffer layers has been another field of interest. CIGS solar cell module development and computer modelling of solar cells and modules has been the third major research area. The results show that the group still holds a position as one of the leaders in the world in this field. The 18.5 % efficient Cd-free solar cell, which was obtained and independently confirmed is only one percent away from the world record and in addition it is Cd-free using a Zn(O,S) buffer layer (the world record from NREL contains Cd). By alloying ZnO with MgO instead of ZnS almost equally good results can be achieved. During the last half year an 18.1 % cell has been measured with a (Zn,Mg)O buffer layer. Solar cell module technology includes several research issues, both fundamental as e.g. modelling of cell voltage and losses as a function of distance from interconnect to interconnect, but also more development as e.g. encapsulation routines. The harsh environment test (damp heat test) run at 85 deg C and 85 % relative humidity for 1000 hours was passed for both a small (12.5x12.5 cm2) and a large (27.5x30 cm2) module within the degradation limits stated by the IEC standards, using

Experimental studies of thin films deposition by magnetron sputtering method for CIGS solar cell fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Gułkowski, Sławomir; Krawczak, Ewelina

2017-10-01

Among a variety of the thin film solar cell technologies of second generation, copper-indium-gallium-diselenide device (CIGS) with the latest highest lab cell efficiency record of 22.4 % seems to be the most promising for the power generation. This is partly due to the advantages of using low cost films of few microns thick not only as a metallic contacts but also as a main structure of the solar cell consisted of high quality semiconductor layers. This paper reports the experimental studies of the CIGS absorber formation on Soda Lime Glass substrate covered by thin molybdenum film as a back contact layer. All structures were deposited with the use of magnetron sputtering method only. Technological parameters of the deposition process such as deposition power, pressure and deposition time were optimized for each layer of the structure. Mo back contact was examined in terms of resistivity. EDS measurements were carried out to verify stoichiometric composition of CIGS absorber. Thin film of Al was used as a top contact in order to examine the quality of p-n junction. The I-V electrical characteristic of the p-n junction was analysed in terms of solar cell application.

Semi-transparent perovskite solar cells for tandems with silicon and CIGS

KAUST Repository

Bailie, Colin D.

2015-01-01

© 2015 The Royal Society of Chemistry. A promising approach for upgrading the performance of an established low-bandgap solar technology without adding much cost is to deposit a high bandgap polycrystalline semiconductor on top to make a tandem solar cell. We use a transparent silver nanowire electrode on perovskite solar cells to achieve a semi-transparent device. We place the semi-transparent cell in a mechanically-stacked tandem configuration onto copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) and low-quality multicrystalline silicon (Si) to achieve solid-state polycrystalline tandem solar cells with a net improvement in efficiency over the bottom cell alone. This work paves the way for integrating perovskites into a low-cost and high-efficiency (>25%) tandem cell.

Experimental studies of thin films deposition by magnetron sputtering method for CIGS solar cell fabrication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gułkowski Sławomir

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Among a variety of the thin film solar cell technologies of second generation, copper-indium-gallium-diselenide device (CIGS with the latest highest lab cell efficiency record of 22.4 % seems to be the most promising for the power generation. This is partly due to the advantages of using low cost films of few microns thick not only as a metallic contacts but also as a main structure of the solar cell consisted of high quality semiconductor layers. This paper reports the experimental studies of the CIGS absorber formation on Soda Lime Glass substrate covered by thin molybdenum film as a back contact layer. All structures were deposited with the use of magnetron sputtering method only. Technological parameters of the deposition process such as deposition power, pressure and deposition time were optimized for each layer of the structure. Mo back contact was examined in terms of resistivity. EDS measurements were carried out to verify stoichiometric composition of CIGS absorber. Thin film of Al was used as a top contact in order to examine the quality of p-n junction. The I-V electrical characteristic of the p-n junction was analysed in terms of solar cell application.

Process parameter impact on properties of sputtered large-area Mo bilayers for CIGS thin film solar cell applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badgujar, Amol C.; Dhage, Sanjay R., E-mail: dhage@arci.res.in; Joshi, Shrikant V.

2015-08-31

Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) has emerged as a promising candidate for thin film solar cells, with efficiencies approaching those of silicon-based solar cells. To achieve optimum performance in CIGS solar cells, uniform, conductive, stress-free, well-adherent, reflective, crystalline molybdenum (Mo) thin films with preferred orientation (110) are desirable as a back contact on large area glass substrates. The present study focuses on cylindrical rotating DC magnetron sputtered bilayer Mo thin films on 300 mm × 300 mm soda lime glass (SLG) substrates. Key sputtering variables, namely power and Ar gas flow rates, were optimized to achieve best structural, electrical and optical properties. The Mo films were comprehensively characterized and found to possess high degree of thickness uniformity over large area. Best crystallinity, reflectance and sheet resistance was obtained at high sputtering powers and low argon gas flow rates, while mechanical properties like adhesion and residual stress were found to be best at low sputtering power and high argon gas flow rate, thereby indicating a need to arrive at a suitable trade-off during processing. - Highlights: • Sputtering of bilayer molybdenum thin films on soda lime glass • Large area deposition using rotating cylindrical direct current magnetron • Trade of sputter process parameters power and pressure • High uniformity of thickness and best electrical properties obtained • Suitable mechanical and optical properties of molybdenum are achieved for CIGS application.

The exposure of CIGS solar cells to different electrical biases in a damp-heat illumination environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Theelen, M.; Steijvers, H.; Bakker, K.; Vink, J.; Mortazavi, S.; Mulder, A.; Barreau, N.; Roosen, D.; Haverkamp, E.

2016-01-01

Two hybrid degradation setups, allowing exposure of solar cells and modules to elevated temperatures and humidity as well as illumination have been built. CIGS solar cells were placed in the degradation setups, allowing real time monitoring of their electrical properties. Under open circuit

Stability of CIGS Solar Cells and Component Materials Evaluated by a Step-Stress Accelerated Degradation Test Method: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pern, F. J.; Noufi, R.

2012-10-01

A step-stress accelerated degradation testing (SSADT) method was employed for the first time to evaluate the stability of CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) solar cells and device component materials in four Al-framed test structures encapsulated with an edge sealant and three kinds of backsheet or moisture barrier film for moisture ingress control. The SSADT exposure used a 15oC and then a 15% relative humidity (RH) increment step, beginning from 40oC/40%RH (T/RH = 40/40) to 85oC/70%RH (85/70) as of the moment. The voluminous data acquired and processed as of total DH = 3956 h with 85/70 = 704 h produced the following results. The best CIGS solar cells in sample Set-1 with a moisture-permeable TPT backsheet showed essentially identical I-V degradation trend regardless of the Al-doped ZnO (AZO) layer thickness ranging from standard 0.12 μm to 0.50 μm on the cells. No clear 'stepwise' feature in the I-V parameter degradation curves corresponding to the SSADT T/RH/time profile was observed. Irregularity in I-V performance degradation pattern was observed with some cells showing early degradation at low T/RH < 55/55 and some showing large Voc, FF, and efficiency degradation due to increased series Rs (ohm-cm2) at T/RH ≥ 70/70. Results of (electrochemical) impedance spectroscopy (ECIS) analysis indicate degradation of the CIGS solar cells corresponded to increased series resistance Rs (ohm) and degraded parallel (minority carrier diffusion/recombination) resistance Rp, capacitance C, overall time constant Rp*C, and 'capacitor quality' factor (CPE-P), which were related to the cells? p-n junction properties. Heating at 85/70 appeared to benefit the CIGS solar cells as indicated by the largely recovered CPE-P factor. Device component materials, Mo on soda lime glass (Mo/SLG), bilayer ZnO (BZO), AlNi grid contact, and CdS/CIGS/Mo/SLG in test structures with TPT showed notable to significant degradation at T/RH ≥ 70/70. At T/RH = 85/70, substantial blistering of

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.

Hydrazine-based deposition route for device-quality CIGS films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitzi, David B.; Yuan, Min; Liu, Wei; Kellock, Andrew J.; Chey, S. Jay; Gignac, Lynne; Schrott, Alex G.

2009-01-01

A simple solution-based approach for depositing CIGS (Cu-In-Ga-Se/S) absorber layers is discussed, with an emphasis on film characterization, interfacial properties and integration into photovoltaic devices. The process involves incorporating all metal and chalcogenide components into a single hydrazine-based solution, spin coating a precursor film, and heat treating in an inert atmosphere, to form the desired CIGS film with up to micron-scaled film thickness and grain size. PV devices (glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ITO) employing the spin-coated CIGS and using processing temperatures below 500 deg. C have yielded power conversion efficiencies of up to 10% (AM 1.5 illumination), without the need for a post-CIGS-deposition treatment in a gaseous Se source or a cyanide-based bath etch. Short-duration low-temperature (T < 200 deg. C ) oxygen treatment of completed devices is shown to have a positive impact on the performance of initially underperforming cells, thereby enabling better performance in devices prepared at temperatures below 500 deg. C

Hydrazine-based deposition route for device-quality CIGS films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitzi, David B. [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P. O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States)], E-mail: dmitzi@us.ibm.com; Yuan, Min; Liu, Wei [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P. O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Kellock, Andrew J [IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Rd, San Jose, CA 95120 (United States); Chey, S Jay; Gignac, Lynne; Schrott, Alex G [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P. O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States)

2009-02-02

A simple solution-based approach for depositing CIGS (Cu-In-Ga-Se/S) absorber layers is discussed, with an emphasis on film characterization, interfacial properties and integration into photovoltaic devices. The process involves incorporating all metal and chalcogenide components into a single hydrazine-based solution, spin coating a precursor film, and heat treating in an inert atmosphere, to form the desired CIGS film with up to micron-scaled film thickness and grain size. PV devices (glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ITO) employing the spin-coated CIGS and using processing temperatures below 500 deg. C have yielded power conversion efficiencies of up to 10% (AM 1.5 illumination), without the need for a post-CIGS-deposition treatment in a gaseous Se source or a cyanide-based bath etch. Short-duration low-temperature (T < 200 deg. C ) oxygen treatment of completed devices is shown to have a positive impact on the performance of initially underperforming cells, thereby enabling better performance in devices prepared at temperatures below 500 deg. C.

Quenching Mo optical losses in CIGS solar cells by a point contacted dual-layer dielectric spacer: a 3-D optical study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rezaei, N.; Isabella, O.; Vroon, Z.; Zeman, M.

2018-01-01

A 3-D optical modelling was calibrated to calculate the light absorption and the total reflection of fabricated CIGS solar cells. Absorption losses at molybdenum (Mo) / CIGS interface were explained in terms of plasmonic waves. To quench these losses, we assumed the insertion of a lossless

Quenching Mo optical losses in CIGS solar cells by a point contacted dual-layer dielectric spacer : A 3-D optical study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rezaei, N.; Isabella, O.; Vroon, Zeger; Zeman, M.

2018-01-01

A 3-D optical modelling was calibrated to calculate the light absorption and the total reflection of fabricated CIGS solar cells. Absorption losses at molybdenum (Mo) / CIGS interface were explained in terms of plasmonic waves. To quench these losses, we assumed the insertion of a lossless

Identifying parasitic current pathways in CIGS solar cells by modelling dark J-V response

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Williams, B.L.; Smit, S.; Kniknie, B.J.; Bakker, K.J.; Keuning, W.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Schropp, R.E.I.; Creatore, M.

2015-01-01

An equivalent circuit model, which allows for the presence of three types of shunting pathways, has been developed to describe the dark J-V characteristics in CIGS solar cells. Excellent agreement between the model and experimental data was apparent throughout a temperature range of 183-323K.

The effect of damp heat-illumination exposure on CIGS solar cells: A combined XRD and electrical characterization study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Theelen, M.; Hendrikx, R.; Barreau, N.; Steijvers, H.; Böttger, A.

2016-01-01

Unencapsulated CIGS solar cells were simultaneously exposed to damp heat and illumination. In-situ monitoring of their electrical parameters demonstrated a rapid decrease of the efficiency, mainly driven by changes in the series and shunt resistances. The non-degraded and degraded solar cells were

Comparative alternative materials assessment to screen toxicity hazards in the life cycle of CIGS thin film photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisenberg, Daniel A.; Yu, Mengjing; Lam, Carl W.; Ogunseitan, Oladele A.; Schoenung, Julie M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Comparative alternatives assessment of thin film manufacturing technologies. • Development of chemical alternatives assessment in a life cycle context. • Screening of manufacturing and solar cell hazardous substances simultaneously. -- Abstract: Copper–indium–gallium–selenium–sulfide (CIGS) thin film photovoltaics are increasingly penetrating the market supply for consumer solar panels. Although CIGS is attractive for producing less greenhouse gas emissions than fossil-fuel based energy sources, CIGS manufacturing processes and solar cell devices use hazardous materials that should be carefully considered in evaluating and comparing net environmental benefits of energy products. Through this research, we present a case study on the toxicity hazards associated with alternative materials selection for CIGS manufacturing. We applied two numeric models, The Green Screen for Safer Chemicals™ and the Toxic Potential Indicator. To improve the sensitivity of the model outputs, we developed a novel, life cycle thinking based hazard assessment method that facilitates the projection of hazards throughout material life cycles. Our results show that the least hazardous CIGS solar cell device and manufacturing protocol consist of a titanium substrate, molybdenum metal back electrode, CuInS 2 p-type absorber deposited by spray pyrolysis, ZnS buffer deposited by spray ion layer gas reduction, ZnO:Ga transparent conducting oxide (TCO) deposited by sputtering, and the encapsulant polydimethylsiloxane

Comparative alternative materials assessment to screen toxicity hazards in the life cycle of CIGS thin film photovoltaics.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenberg, Daniel A; Yu, Mengjing; Lam, Carl W; Ogunseitan, Oladele A; Schoenung, Julie M

2013-09-15

Copper-indium-gallium-selenium-sulfide (CIGS) thin film photovoltaics are increasingly penetrating the market supply for consumer solar panels. Although CIGS is attractive for producing less greenhouse gas emissions than fossil-fuel based energy sources, CIGS manufacturing processes and solar cell devices use hazardous materials that should be carefully considered in evaluating and comparing net environmental benefits of energy products. Through this research, we present a case study on the toxicity hazards associated with alternative materials selection for CIGS manufacturing. We applied two numeric models, The Green Screen for Safer Chemicals and the Toxic Potential Indicator. To improve the sensitivity of the model outputs, we developed a novel, life cycle thinking based hazard assessment method that facilitates the projection of hazards throughout material life cycles. Our results show that the least hazardous CIGS solar cell device and manufacturing protocol consist of a titanium substrate, molybdenum metal back electrode, CuInS₂ p-type absorber deposited by spray pyrolysis, ZnS buffer deposited by spray ion layer gas reduction, ZnO:Ga transparent conducting oxide (TCO) deposited by sputtering, and the encapsulant polydimethylsiloxane. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficiency enhancement of CIGS compound solar cell fabricated using homomorphic thin Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} diffusion barrier formed on stainless steel substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sim, Jae-Kwan; Lee, Seung-Kyu; Kim, Jin-Soo; Jeong, Kwang-Un; Ahn, Haeng-Keun; Lee, Cheul-Ro, E-mail: crlee7@jbnu.ac.kr

2016-12-15

Highlights: • A chromium oxide layer is formed as diffusion barrier by thermal oxidation process on STS substrate. • A Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer effectively reduces impurities diffusion into the CIGS absorber layer. • The Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer plays an important role in increasing the efficiency by reduction of impurity diffusion. - Abstract: It is known that the efficiency of flexible Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells fabricated on stainless-steel (STS) substrates deteriorates due to iron (Fe) and Cr impurities diffusing into the CIGS absorber layer. To overcome this problem, a nanoscale homomorphic chromium oxide layer was formed as a diffusion barrier by thermal oxidation on the surface of STS substrates for 1 min at 600 °C in oxygen atmosphere. By TEM and grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), it was confirmed that the formed oxide layer on surface of STS substrates was a Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. It was found that the formed homomorphic Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin layer of about 15 nm thickness was an effective diffusion barrier to reduce impurity diffusion into the CIGS layer by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). In contrast to the efficiency of CIGS solar cell without homomorphic Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} diffusion layer is 8.6%, whereas with diffusion barrier it increases to 10.6% because of impurities such as Fe and Cr from the STS substrate into the CIGS layer. It reveals that the layer formed on the surface of STS substrate by thermal oxidation process plays an important role in increasing the performance of CIGS solar cells.

Comparative alternative materials assessment to screen toxicity hazards in the life cycle of CIGS thin film photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eisenberg, Daniel A.; Yu, Mengjing; Lam, Carl W. [University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Ogunseitan, Oladele A. [University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Schoenung, Julie M., E-mail: jmschoenung@ucdavis.edu [University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

2013-09-15

Highlights: • Comparative alternatives assessment of thin film manufacturing technologies. • Development of chemical alternatives assessment in a life cycle context. • Screening of manufacturing and solar cell hazardous substances simultaneously. -- Abstract: Copper–indium–gallium–selenium–sulfide (CIGS) thin film photovoltaics are increasingly penetrating the market supply for consumer solar panels. Although CIGS is attractive for producing less greenhouse gas emissions than fossil-fuel based energy sources, CIGS manufacturing processes and solar cell devices use hazardous materials that should be carefully considered in evaluating and comparing net environmental benefits of energy products. Through this research, we present a case study on the toxicity hazards associated with alternative materials selection for CIGS manufacturing. We applied two numeric models, The Green Screen for Safer Chemicals™ and the Toxic Potential Indicator. To improve the sensitivity of the model outputs, we developed a novel, life cycle thinking based hazard assessment method that facilitates the projection of hazards throughout material life cycles. Our results show that the least hazardous CIGS solar cell device and manufacturing protocol consist of a titanium substrate, molybdenum metal back electrode, CuInS{sub 2} p-type absorber deposited by spray pyrolysis, ZnS buffer deposited by spray ion layer gas reduction, ZnO:Ga transparent conducting oxide (TCO) deposited by sputtering, and the encapsulant polydimethylsiloxane.

A Novel Semiconductor CIGS Photovoltaic Material and Thin-Film ED Technology

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

In order to achieve low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, a novel Semiconductor Photovoltaic (PV) active material CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (CIGS) and thin-film Electro-Deposition (ED) technology is explored. Firstly,the PV materials and technologies is investigated, then the detailed experimental processes of CIGS/Mo/glass structure by using the novel ED technology and the results are reported. These results shows that high quality CIGS polycrystalline thin-films can be obtained by the ED method, in which the polycrystalline CIGS is definitely identified by the (112), (204, 220) characteristic peaks of the tetragonal structure, the continuous CIGS thin-film layers with particle average size of about 2μm of length and around 1.6μm of thickness. The thickness and solargrade quality of CIGS thin-films can be produced with good repeatability. Discussion and analysis on the ED technique, CIGS energy band and sodium (Na) impurity properties, were also performed. The alloy CIGS exhibits not only increasing band-gap with increasing x, but also a change in material properties that is relevant to the device operation. The beneficial impurity Na originating from the low-cost soda-lime glass substrate becomes one prerequisite for high quality CIGS films. These novel material and technology are very useful for low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells and other devices.

Flexible CIGS solar cells on large area polymer foils with in-line deposition methods and application of alternative back contacts - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiwari, A. N.

2009-08-15

This illustrated report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) summarises the work performed within this project and also reports on synergies with other projects that helped to make a significant contribution to the development of CIGS thin film solar cells on flexible substrates such as polymer foils. The project's aims were to learn more about up-scaling issues and to demonstrate the abilities required for the processing of layers on large area polyimide foils for flexible CIGS solar cells. Custom-built evaporators that were designed and constructed in-house are described. A CIGS system for in-line deposition was also modified for roll-to-roll deposition and alternative electrical back contacts to conventional ones were evaluated on flexible polyimide foils. The objectives of the project and the results obtained are looked at and commented on in detail.

Quenching Mo optical losses in CIGS solar cells by a point contacted dual-layer dielectric spacer: a 3-D optical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaei, Nasim; Isabella, Olindo; Vroon, Zeger; Zeman, Miro

2018-01-22

A 3-D optical modelling was calibrated to calculate the light absorption and the total reflection of fabricated CIGS solar cells. Absorption losses at molybdenum (Mo) / CIGS interface were explained in terms of plasmonic waves. To quench these losses, we assumed the insertion of a lossless dielectric spacer between Mo and CIGS, whose optical properties were varied. We show that such a spacer with low refractive index and proper thickness can significantly reduce absorption in Mo in the long wavelength regime and improve the device's rear reflectance, thus leading to enhanced light absorption in the CIGS layer. Therefore, we optimized a realistic two-layer MgF 2 / Al 2 O 3 dielectric spacer to exploit (i) the passivation properties of ultra-thin Al 2 O 3 on the CIGS side for potential high open-circuit voltage and (ii) the low refractive index of MgF 2 on the Mo side to reduce its optical losses. Combining our realistic spacer with optically-optimized point contacts increases the implied photocurrent density of a 750 nm-thick CIGS layer by 10% for the wavelengths between 700 and 1150 nm with respect to the reference cell. The elimination of plasmonic resonances in the new structure leads to a higher electric field magnitude at the bottom of CIGS layer and justifies the improved optical performance.

CIGS Solar Cells for Space Applications: Numerical Simulation of the Effect of Traps Created by High-Energy Electron and Proton Irradiation on the Performance of Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Dabbabi, Samar; Ben Nasr, Tarek; Turki Kamoun, Najoua

2018-02-01

Numerical simulation is carried out using the Silvaco ATLAS software to predict the effect of 1-MeV electron and 4-MeV proton irradiation on the performance of a Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cell that operates under the air mass zero spectrum (AM0). As a consequence of irradiation, two types of traps are induced including the donor- and acceptor-type traps. Only one of them (the donor-type trap) is found responsible for the degradation of the open-circuit voltage (V OC), fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η), while the short circuit current (J SC) remains essentially unaffected. The modelling simulation validity is verified by comparison with the experimental data. This article shows that CIGS solar cells are suited for space applications.

Photovoltaic manufacturing cost and throughput improvements for thin-film CIGS-based modules: Phase 1 technical report, July 1998--July 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiedeman, S.; Wendt, R.G.

2000-03-01

The primary objectives of the Global Solar Energy (GSE) Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) subcontract are directed toward reducing cost and expanding the production rate of thin-film CuInGaSe{sub 2} (CIGS)-based PV modules on flexible substrates. Improvements will be implemented in monolithic integration, CIGS deposition, contact deposition, and in-situ CIGS control and monitoring. In Phase 1, GSE has successfully attacked many of the highest risk aspects of each task. All-laser, selective scribing processes for CIGS have been developed, and many end-of-contract goals for scribing speed have been exceeded in the first year. High-speed ink-jet deposition of insulating material in the scribes now appears to be a viable technique, again exceeding some end-of-contract goals in the first year. Absorber deposition of CIGS was reduced corresponding to throughput speeds of up to 24-in/min, also exceeding an end-of-contract goal. Alternate back-contact materials have been identified that show potential as candidates for replacement of higher-cost molybdenum, and a novel, real-time monitoring technique (parallel-detector spectroscopic ellipsometry) has shown remarkable sensitivity to relevant properties of the CIGS absorber layer for use as a diagnostic tool. Currently, one of the bilayers has been baselined by GSE for flexible CIGS on polymeric substrates. Resultant back-contacts meet sheet-resistance goals and exhibit much less intrinsic stress than Mo. CIGS has been deposited, and resultant devices are comparable in performance to pure Mo back-contacts. Debris in the chamber has been substantially reduced, allowing longer roll-length between system cleaning.

The influence of Na on metastable defect kinetics in CIGS materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erslev, Peter T.; Lee, Jin Woo; Shafarman, William N.; Cohen, J. David

2009-01-01

The electronic properties of matched pairs of Cu(In x Ga 1-x )Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells, with and without normal sodium levels, were studied by junction capacitance methods including admittance spectroscopy, drive level capacitance profiling (DLCP) and transient photocapacitance spectroscopy (TPC). The capacitance profiling measurements revealed a large deep defect density in the vicinity of the barrier interface that was likely responsible for the lower performance of the reduced Na samples. The metastable properties of CIGS solar cells were also examined, and these revealed marked differences between the two types of samples. These results directly address the predictions of theoretical microscopic models that have been proposed to account for metastable effects in CIGS

The Theory of Planned Behavior and E-cig Use: Impulsive Personality, E-cig Attitudes, and E-cig Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Hershberger, Alexandra; Connors, Miranda; Um, Miji; Cyders, Melissa A

2018-04-01

The current paper applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1988) to understand how impulsive personality traits and attitudes concerning e-cig use relate to the likelihood of electronic cigarette (e-cig) use. Seven hundred and fourteen participants (Mean age = 34.04, SD = 10.89, 48.6% female) completed cross-sectional measures of e-cig use attitudes (CEAC) and the Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. A structural path analysis suggested that urgency and deficits in conscientiousness were significantly related to e-cig attitudes (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.02; urgency: β = 0.32, p = .001; deficits in conscientiousness: β = -0.48, p E-cig attitude scores were significantly higher for e-cig users than non-users, β = 0.85, p e-cig use. Findings provide initial support for a model in which impulsive traits are related to e-cig use through positive e-cig attitudes.

Metal-assisted chemical etching of CIGS thin films for grain size analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xue, Chaowei [Research and Development Centre, Hanergy Thin Film Power Group Limited, Chengdu (China); Loi, Huu-Ha; Duong, Anh; Parker, Magdalena [Failure Analysis Department, MiaSole Hi-Tech Corp., Santa Clara, CA (United States)

2016-09-15

Grain size of the CIGS absorber is an important monitoring factor in the CIGS solar cell manufacturing. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis is commonly used to perform CIGS grain size analysis in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Although direct quantification on SEM image using the average grain intercept (AGI) method is faster and simpler than EBSD, it is hardly applicable on CIGS thin films. The challenge is that, not like polycrystalline silicon, to define grain boundaries by selective chemical etching is not easily realizable for the multi-component CIGS alloy. In this Letter, we present direct quantification of CIGS thin film grain size using the AGI method by developing metal-assisted wet chemical etching process to define CIGS grain boundaries. The calculated value is similar to EBSD result. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Thin Film CIGS Solar Cells, Photovoltaic Modules, and the Problems of Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonino Parisi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Starting from the results regarding a nonvacuum technique to fabricate CIGS thin films for solar cells by means of single-step electrodeposition, we focus on the methodological problems of modeling at cell structure and photovoltaic module levels. As a matter of fact, electrodeposition is known as a practical alternative to costly vacuum-based technologies for semiconductor processing in the photovoltaic device sector, but it can lead to quite different structural and electrical properties. For this reason, a greater effort is required to ensure that the perspectives of the electrical engineer and the material scientist are given an opportunity for a closer comparison and a common language. Derived parameters from ongoing experiments have been used for simulation with the different approaches, in order to develop a set of tools which can be used to put together modeling both at single cell structure and complete module levels.

Improving the efficiency of copper indium gallium (Di-selenide (CIGS solar cells through integration of a moth-eye textured resist with a refractive index similar to aluminum doped zinc oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Burghoorn

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Textured transparent conductors are widely used in thin-film silicon solar cells. They lower the reflectivity at interfaces between different layers in the cell and/or cause an increase in the path length of photons in the Si absorber layer, which both result in an increase in the number of absorbed photons and, consequently, an increase in short-circuit current density (Jsc and cell efficiency. Through optical simulations, we recently obtained strong indications that texturing of the transparent conductor in copper indium gallium (di-selenide (CIGS solar cells is also optically advantageous. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that the Jsc and efficiency of CIGS solar cells with an absorber layer thickness (dCIGS of 0.85 μm, 1.00 μm and 2.00 μm increase through application of a moth-eye textured resist with a refractive index that is sufficiently similar to AZO (nresist = 1.792 vs. nAZO = 1.913 at 633 nm to avoid large optical losses at the resist-AZO interface. On average, Jsc increases by 7.2%, which matches the average reduction in reflection of 7.0%. The average relative increase in efficiency is slightly lower (6.0%. No trend towards a larger relative increase in Jsc with decreasing dCIGS was observed. Ergo, the increase in Jsc can be fully explained by the reduction in reflection, and we did not observe any increase in Jsc based on an increased photon path length.

Development of CIGS2 thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhere, Neelkanth G.; Gade, Vivek S.; Kadam, Ankur A.; Jahagirdar, Anant H.; Kulkarni, Sachin S.; Bet, Sachin M.

2005-01-01

Research and development of CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2-y S y (CIGSS) thin-film solar cells on ultralightweight flexible metallic foil substrates is being carried out at FSEC PV Materials Lab for space applications. Earlier, the substrate size was limited to 3 cm x 2.5 cm. Large-area sputtering systems and scrubber for hydrogen selenide and sulfide have been designed and constructed for preparation of CIGSS thin-films on large (15 cm x 10 cm) substrates. A selenization/sulfurization furnace donated by Shell (formerly Siemens) Solar has also been refurbished and upgraded. The sputtering target assembly design was modified for proper clamping of targets and effective cooling. A new design of the magnetic assembly for large-area magnetron sputtering sources was implemented so as to achieve uniform deposition on large area. Lightweight stainless steel foil and ultralightweight titanium foil substrates were utilized to increase the specific power of solar cells. Sol-gel derived SiO 2 layers were coated on titanium foil by dip coating method. Deposition parameters for the preparation of molybdenum back contact layers were optimized so as to minimize the residual stress as well as reaction with H 2 S. Presently large (15 cm x 10 cm) CuIn 1-x Ga x S 2 (CIGS2) thin film solar cells are being prepared on Mo-coated titanium and stainless steel foil by sulfurization of CuGa/In metallic precursors in diluted Ar:H 2 S(4%). Heterojunction partner CdS layers are deposited by chemical bath deposition. The regeneration sequence of ZnO/ZnO:Al targets was optimized for obtaining consistently good-quality, transparent and conducting ZnO/ZnO:Al bilayer by RF magnetron-sputter deposition. Excellent facilities at FSEC PV Materials Lab are one of its kinds and could serve as a nucleus of a small pilot plant for CIGSS thin film solar cell fabrication

Nanosecond laser scribing of CIGS thin film solar cell based on ITO bottom contact

Science.gov (United States)

Kuk, Seungkuk; Wang, Zhen; Fu, Shi; Zhang, Tao; Yu, Yi Yin; Choi, JaeMyung; Jeong, Jeung-hyun; Hwang, David J.

2018-03-01

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin films, a promising photovoltaic architecture, have mainly relied on Molybdenum for the bottom contact. However, the opaque nature of Molybdenum (Mo) poses limitations in module level fabrication by laser scribing as a preferred method for interconnect. We examined the P1, P2, and P3 laser scribing processes on CIGS photovoltaic architecture on the indium tin oxide (ITO) bottom contact with a cost-effective nanosecond pulsed laser of 532 nm wavelength. Laser illuminated from the substrate side, enabled by the transparent bottom contact, facilitated selective laser energy deposition onto relevant interfaces towards high-quality scribing. Parametric tuning procedures are described in conjunction with experimental and numerical investigation of relevant mechanisms, and preliminary mini-module fabrication results are also presented.

Ecotoxicological assessment of solar cell leachates: Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) cells show higher activity than organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brun, Nadja Rebecca [University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Gründenstrasse 40, CH-4132 Muttenz (Switzerland); Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich (Switzerland); Wehrli, Bernhard [Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich (Switzerland); Fent, Karl, E-mail: karl.fent@fhnw.ch [University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Gründenstrasse 40, CH-4132 Muttenz (Switzerland); Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich (Switzerland)

2016-02-01

Despite the increasing use of photovoltaics their potential environmental risks are poorly understood. Here, we compared ecotoxicological effects of two thin-film photovoltaics: established copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. Leachates were produced by exposing photovoltaics to UV light, physical damage, and exposure to environmentally relevant model waters, representing mesotrophic lake water, acidic rain, and seawater. CIGS cell leachates contained 583 μg L{sup −1} molybdenum at lake water, whereas at acidic rain and seawater conditions, iron, copper, zinc, molybdenum, cadmium, silver, and tin were present up to 7219 μg L{sup −1}. From OPV, copper (14 μg L{sup −1}), zinc (87 μg L{sup −1}) and silver (78 μg L{sup −1}) leached. Zebrafish embryos were exposed until 120 h post-fertilization to these extracts. CIGS leachates produced under acidic rain, as well as CIGS and OPV leachates produced under seawater conditions resulted in a marked hatching delay and increase in heart edema. Depending on model water and solar cell, transcriptional alterations occurred in genes involved in oxidative stress (cat), hormonal activity (vtg1, ar), metallothionein (mt2), ER stress (bip, chop), and apoptosis (casp9). The effects were dependent on the concentrations of cationic metals in leachates. Addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid protected zebrafish embryos from morphological and molecular effects. Our study suggests that metals leaching from damaged CIGS cells, may pose a potential environmental risk. - Highlights: • Photovoltaics may be disposed in the environment after usage. • Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and organic (OPV) cells were compared. • Morphological and molecular effects were assessed in zebrafish embryos. • Environmental condition affected metal leaching and ecotoxicological activity. • Damaged CIGS cells pose higher risk to the environment than OPV cells.

Improving the efficiency of copper indium gallium (Di-)selenide (CIGS) solar cells through integration of a moth-eye textured resist with a refractive index similar to aluminum doped zinc oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burghoorn, M.; Kniknie, B.; Deelen, J. van; Ee, R. van [The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), De Rondom 1, 5612 AP, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Xu, M. [The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), De Rondom 1, 5612 AP, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Delft University of Technology, Optics Group, Van der Waalsweg 8, 2628 CH, Delft (Netherlands); Vroon, Z. [The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), De Rondom 1, 5612 AP, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Zuyd Hogeschool, Nieuw Eyckholt 300, 6419 DJ, Heerlen (Netherlands); Belt, R. van de [Kriya Materials BV, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD, Geleen (Netherlands); Buskens, P., E-mail: pascal.buskens@tno.nl, E-mail: buskens@dwi.rwth-aachen.de [The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), De Rondom 1, 5612 AP, Eindhoven (Netherlands); DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52056, Aachen (Germany)

2014-12-15

Textured transparent conductors are widely used in thin-film silicon solar cells. They lower the reflectivity at interfaces between different layers in the cell and/or cause an increase in the path length of photons in the Si absorber layer, which both result in an increase in the number of absorbed photons and, consequently, an increase in short-circuit current density (J{sub sc}) and cell efficiency. Through optical simulations, we recently obtained strong indications that texturing of the transparent conductor in copper indium gallium (di-)selenide (CIGS) solar cells is also optically advantageous. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that the J{sub sc} and efficiency of CIGS solar cells with an absorber layer thickness (d{sub CIGS}) of 0.85 μm, 1.00 μm and 2.00 μm increase through application of a moth-eye textured resist with a refractive index that is sufficiently similar to AZO (n{sub resist} = 1.792 vs. n{sub AZO} = 1.913 at 633 nm) to avoid large optical losses at the resist-AZO interface. On average, J{sub sc} increases by 7.2%, which matches the average reduction in reflection of 7.0%. The average relative increase in efficiency is slightly lower (6.0%). No trend towards a larger relative increase in J{sub sc} with decreasing d{sub CIGS} was observed. Ergo, the increase in J{sub sc} can be fully explained by the reduction in reflection, and we did not observe any increase in J{sub sc} based on an increased photon path length.

Scale-up issues of CIGS thin film PV modules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhere, Neelkanth G. [Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States)

2011-01-15

Photovoltaics cost has been declining following a 70% learning curve. Now the challenge is to bring down the cost of solar electricity to make it competitive with conventional sources within the next decade. In the long run, the module efficiencies tend to reach 80% of the champion cell efficiencies. Using a semiempirical methodology, it has been shown earlier that while the triple junction a-Si:H thin film technology is competitive, CIGS and CdTe thin film module technologies are highly competitive and presently offer the best approach for significantly exceeding the cost/performance levels of standard and non-standard crystalline Si PV technologies. Since 2006, the production of thin film solar cell in the U.S. has surpassed that of c-Si. At present, the production of CIGS PV modules lags considerably behind that of CdTe PV modules. This is mainly because of its complexity. Scale-up issues related to various CIGS preparation technologies such as co-evaporation, metallic precursor deposition by magnetron sputtering and non-vacuum techniques such as ink-jet printing, electroplating or doctor-blade technology followed by their selenization/sulfurization are discussed so as to assist the CIGS technology to attain its full potential. Besides the welcome announcements of large volume production, it is essential to achieve the production cost below $1/Wp in the near term and attain production speeds comparable to CdTe production speeds. Comparable production speeds are expected to be achieved within the next decade. This will enable reduction of CIGS module production costs to {proportional_to}65 cents /Wp that would be comparable to the CdTe module projected production cost. Additionally CIGS will have a higher efficiency premium. (author)

Photovoltaic characterization of Copper-Indium-Gallium Sulfide (CIGS2) solar cells for lower absorber thicknesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasekar, Parag S., E-mail: psvasekar@yahoo.co [Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Rd., Cocoa FL, 32922 (United States); Jahagirdar, Anant H.; Dhere, Neelkanth G. [Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Rd., Cocoa FL, 32922 (United States)

2010-01-31

Chalcopyrites are important contenders among thin-film solar cells due to their direct band gap and higher absorption coefficient. Copper-Indium-Gallium Sulfide (CIGS2) is a chalcopyrite material with a near-optimum band gap of {approx} 1.5 eV. Record efficiency of 11.99% has been achieved on a 2.7 {mu}m CIGS2 film prepared by sulfurization at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) PV Materials Lab. In this work, photovoltaic performance analysis has been carried out for a 1.5 {mu}m absorber prepared under similar conditions as that of a 2.7 {mu}m thick absorber sample. It was observed that there is an increase in diode factor and reverse saturation current density when the absorber thickness was decreased. The diode factor increased from 1.69 to 2.18 and reverse saturation current density increased from 1.04 x 10{sup -10} mA/cm{sup 2} to 1.78 x 10{sup -8} mA/cm{sup 2}. This can be attributed to a decrease in the grain size when the absorber thickness is decreased. It was also observed that there is an improvement in the shunt resistance. Improvement in shunt resistance can be attributed to optimized value of i:ZnO for lower absorber thickness and less shunting paths due to a smoother absorber.

Photovoltaic characterization of Copper-Indium-Gallium Sulfide (CIGS2) solar cells for lower absorber thicknesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasekar, Parag S.; Jahagirdar, Anant H.; Dhere, Neelkanth G.

2010-01-01

Chalcopyrites are important contenders among thin-film solar cells due to their direct band gap and higher absorption coefficient. Copper-Indium-Gallium Sulfide (CIGS2) is a chalcopyrite material with a near-optimum band gap of ∼ 1.5 eV. Record efficiency of 11.99% has been achieved on a 2.7 μm CIGS2 film prepared by sulfurization at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) PV Materials Lab. In this work, photovoltaic performance analysis has been carried out for a 1.5 μm absorber prepared under similar conditions as that of a 2.7 μm thick absorber sample. It was observed that there is an increase in diode factor and reverse saturation current density when the absorber thickness was decreased. The diode factor increased from 1.69 to 2.18 and reverse saturation current density increased from 1.04 x 10 -10 mA/cm 2 to 1.78 x 10 -8 mA/cm 2 . This can be attributed to a decrease in the grain size when the absorber thickness is decreased. It was also observed that there is an improvement in the shunt resistance. Improvement in shunt resistance can be attributed to optimized value of i:ZnO for lower absorber thickness and less shunting paths due to a smoother absorber.

Electrodeposition route to synthesize cigs films – an economical way ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Electrodeposition route to synthesize cigs films – an economical way to harness solar energy. ... for solar cells, how the charge separation in this nano scale photovoltaic (PV) materials occurs which help in absorption of radiation, and the electro-deposition route, a low cost one, produces thin film solar cells are analyzed.

Ecotoxicological assessment of solar cell leachates: Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) cells show higher activity than organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Brun, Nadja Rebecca; Wehrli, Bernhard; Fent, Karl

2016-02-01

Despite the increasing use of photovoltaics their potential environmental risks are poorly understood. Here, we compared ecotoxicological effects of two thin-film photovoltaics: established copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. Leachates were produced by exposing photovoltaics to UV light, physical damage, and exposure to environmentally relevant model waters, representing mesotrophic lake water, acidic rain, and seawater. CIGS cell leachates contained 583 μg L(-1) molybdenum at lake water, whereas at acidic rain and seawater conditions, iron, copper, zinc, molybdenum, cadmium, silver, and tin were present up to 7219 μg L(-1). From OPV, copper (14 μg L(-1)), zinc (87 μg L(-1)) and silver (78 μg L(-1)) leached. Zebrafish embryos were exposed until 120 h post-fertilization to these extracts. CIGS leachates produced under acidic rain, as well as CIGS and OPV leachates produced under seawater conditions resulted in a marked hatching delay and increase in heart edema. Depending on model water and solar cell, transcriptional alterations occurred in genes involved in oxidative stress (cat), hormonal activity (vtg1, ar), metallothionein (mt2), ER stress (bip, chop), and apoptosis (casp9). The effects were dependent on the concentrations of cationic metals in leachates. Addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid protected zebrafish embryos from morphological and molecular effects. Our study suggests that metals leaching from damaged CIGS cells, may pose a potential environmental risk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-pot Synthesis of Soluble Nanoscale CIGS Photoactive Functional Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Aixia

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Promising alternatives for solar energy utilization are thin film technologies involving various new materials. This contribution describes an easy and inexpensive synthetic method that can be used to prepare soluble nanoscale triphenyl phosphine-coordinated CIGS (TPP-CIGS photoactive functional materials. This complex is stable in the solid state under the irradiation of the ambient light, but its solution becomes a little bit unstable under the illumination of the low intensity laser.

TEMPERATURE EFFECT OF ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF CIGS ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-06-30

Jun 30, 2011 ... Key words: Thin film solar cells, SCAPS, CIGS, temperature, effiency energetic. 1. INTRODUCTION ... technology are the low material consumption and the high efficiency that has been demonstrated, which .... [2] S. Wenham, M. Green, M. Watt, Applied Photovoltaics, The University of New. South Wales ...

Band gap engineering of tandem structured CIGS compound absorption layer fabricated by sputtering and selenization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, San; Sharma, Rahul; Sim, Jae-Kwan; Lee, Cheul-Ro

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Systematic band gap engineering to fabricate tandem Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 absorption layers. ► XRD shows prominent (1 1 2) reflection shift for attributed CIS, CIGS, and CGS phases. ► Optical transmittance and reflectance spectrum are improved towards infrared region. ► The Cu/In + Ga and Ga/In + Ga effect is matched with highest efficient solar cell. ► Tandem CIS/CIGS/CGS layer, the band gap is increased from 1.15 to 2.06 eV. -- Abstract: Band gap engineering was executed to fabricate a multi-junction stacked i.e. tandem Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) absorption layer. The CIGS absorption layers consist of multi-junction stacked CIS/CIGS/CGS thin films from bottom to top with increasing band gap. Tandem CIGS layers were fabricated by using three precursor of CuIn, In/CuGa/In, and CuGa onto the Mo coated soda-lime glass (SLG) by the sequential sputtering of CuIn, CuGa, and In targets. The CIG precursors were converted into CIGS absorption thin film by selenization process. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of CIS/CIGS/CGS tandem layer, with the prominent peak shift for (1 1 2) reflections was attributed to the individual CIS, CIGS, and CGS phases at 26.76°, 27.15°, and 27.65° diffraction angles, respectively. The morphologies and atomic (at%) composition uniformity onto the surface and along the depth were extensively analyzed with field effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM) attached energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The optical properties such as transmittance, reflectance and absorbance were found to improve in the infrared region for all the tandem CIGS layers. Near the fundamental absorption edge, the absorption coefficient was approached to 10 5 cm −1 for CIS/CIGS/CGS tandem layer. The straight-line behavior indicates that the films have a direct band gap. The band gap was found to increase from 1.15 to 1.74 eV with the Ga-grading along the depth of individual CIS, CIGS, and CGS thin films

Band gap engineering of tandem structured CIGS compound absorption layer fabricated by sputtering and selenization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, San; Sharma, Rahul; Sim, Jae-Kwan [Semiconductor Materials Processing Laboratory, School of Advanced Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Materials Development (RCAMD), Chonbuk National University, Deokjin-dong 664-14, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Cheul-Ro, E-mail: crlee7@jbnu.ac.kr [Semiconductor Materials Processing Laboratory, School of Advanced Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Materials Development (RCAMD), Chonbuk National University, Deokjin-dong 664-14, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-06-25

Highlights: ► Systematic band gap engineering to fabricate tandem Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} absorption layers. ► XRD shows prominent (1 1 2) reflection shift for attributed CIS, CIGS, and CGS phases. ► Optical transmittance and reflectance spectrum are improved towards infrared region. ► The Cu/In + Ga and Ga/In + Ga effect is matched with highest efficient solar cell. ► Tandem CIS/CIGS/CGS layer, the band gap is increased from 1.15 to 2.06 eV. -- Abstract: Band gap engineering was executed to fabricate a multi-junction stacked i.e. tandem Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) absorption layer. The CIGS absorption layers consist of multi-junction stacked CIS/CIGS/CGS thin films from bottom to top with increasing band gap. Tandem CIGS layers were fabricated by using three precursor of CuIn, In/CuGa/In, and CuGa onto the Mo coated soda-lime glass (SLG) by the sequential sputtering of CuIn, CuGa, and In targets. The CIG precursors were converted into CIGS absorption thin film by selenization process. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of CIS/CIGS/CGS tandem layer, with the prominent peak shift for (1 1 2) reflections was attributed to the individual CIS, CIGS, and CGS phases at 26.76°, 27.15°, and 27.65° diffraction angles, respectively. The morphologies and atomic (at%) composition uniformity onto the surface and along the depth were extensively analyzed with field effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM) attached energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The optical properties such as transmittance, reflectance and absorbance were found to improve in the infrared region for all the tandem CIGS layers. Near the fundamental absorption edge, the absorption coefficient was approached to 10{sup 5} cm{sup −1} for CIS/CIGS/CGS tandem layer. The straight-line behavior indicates that the films have a direct band gap. The band gap was found to increase from 1.15 to 1.74 eV with the Ga-grading along the depth of individual CIS, CIGS

Copper zinc tin sulfide-based thin film solar cells

CERN Document Server

Ito, Kentaro

2014-01-01

Beginning with an overview and historical background of Copper Zinc Tin Sulphide (CZTS) technology, subsequent chapters cover properties of CZTS thin films, different preparation methods of CZTS thin films, a comparative study of CZTS and CIGS solar cell, computational approach, and future applications of CZTS thin film solar modules to both ground-mount and rooftop installation. The semiconducting compound (CZTS) is made up earth-abundant, low-cost and non-toxic elements, which make it an ideal candidate to replace Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) and CdTe solar cells which face material scarcity and tox

Semi-transparent photovoltaic glazing based on electrodeposited CIGS solar cells on patterned molybdenum/glass substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Sidali, Tarik; Bou, Adrien; Coutancier, Damien; Chassaing, Elisabeth; Theys, Bertrand; Barakel, Damien; Garuz, Richard; Thoulon, Pierre-Yves; Lincot, Daniel

2018-03-01

In this paper, a new way of preparing semi-transparent solar cells using Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 (CIGS) chalcopyrite semiconductors as absorbers for BIPV applications is presented. The key to the elaboration process consists in the co-electrodeposition of Cu-In-Ga mixed oxides on submillimetric hole-patterned molybdenum substrate, followed by thermal reduction to metallic alloys and selenisation. This method has the advantage of being a selective deposition technique where the thin film growth is carried out only on Mo covered areas. Thus, after annealing, the transparency of the sample is always preserved, allowing light to pass through the device. A complete device (5 × 5 cm2) with 535 μm diameter holes and total glass aperture of around 35% shows an open circuit voltage (VOC) of 400 mV. Locally, the I-V curves reveal a maximum efficiency of 7.7%, VOC of 460 mV, JSC of 24 mA.cm-2 in an area of 0.1 cm2 with 35% aperture. This efficiency on the semi-transparent area is equivalent to a record efficiency of 11.9% by taking into account only the effective area.

Microstructural evolution of all-wet-processed CIGS films using Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Hee Soo; Choi, Eunmi; Kim, Areum; Pyo, Sung Gyu [School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, 221 Heukseok-Dong, Seoul, 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Sung Pil [Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 136-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-08-15

We report a wet process deposition in order to identify a cost-effective processing scheme for CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) layers on molybdenum/soda lime glass substrates from a Cu-In-Ga precursor solution. We employed a spin coater at various settings to evaluate the uniformity of the resulting CIGS solar cell layer. After the CIGS precursor film was deposited, we applied a selenization process. In the selenization process, we used a controlled temperature RTA system and compared it to a noncontrolled temperature system. We investigated the morphological properties for different selenization temperature treatments. We used Raman mapping to detect binary compounds and found the binary compound effect on the film. Raman mapping results show that the density of the binary compound in the CIGS layer increased with selenization temperature, and at 600 C, the density of the binary compounds was highest. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Improving Performance of CIGS Solar Cells by Annealing ITO Thin Films Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuan Lung Chuang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Indium tin oxide (ITO thin films were grown on glass substrates by direct current (DC reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature. Annealing at the optimal temperature can considerably improve the composition, structure, optical properties, and electrical properties of the ITO film. An ITO sample with a favorable crystalline structure was obtained by annealing in fixed oxygen/argon ratio of 0.03 at 400°C for 30 min. The carrier concentration, mobility, resistivity, band gap, transmission in the visible-light region, and transmission in the near-IR regions of the ITO sample were -1.6E+20 cm−3, 2.7E+01 cm2/Vs, 1.4E-03 Ohm-cm, 3.2 eV, 89.1%, and 94.7%, respectively. Thus, annealing improved the average transmissions (400–1200 nm of the ITO film by 16.36%. Moreover, annealing a copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS solar cell at 400°C for 30 min in air improved its efficiency by 18.75%. The characteristics of annealing ITO films importantly affect the structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of ITO films that are used in solar cells.

Barrier effect of AlN film in flexible Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells on stainless steel foil and solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Boyan; Li, Jianjun [Institute of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Wu, Li [The MOE Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Liu, Wei; Sun, Yun [Institute of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Zhang, Yi, E-mail: yizhang@nankai.edu.cn [Institute of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)

2015-04-05

Highlights: • The adhension between AlN film and Mo are verygood. • AlN film can be effectively used as the barrier of flexible CIGS solar cell on SS substrate. • AlN film is suitable as the insulation barrier of flexible CIGS solar cell on SS substrate. - Abstract: The AlN film deposited by DC magnetron sputtering on stainless steel (SS) foils was used as the barrier in flexible Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells on stainless steel foil and characterized comprehensively by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), I–V, and QE measurements study. The study of AlN as insulation barrier in the flexible CIGS solar cell showed that the adhesion strength between the SS foil and the deposited AlN film was very strong even after annealing at high temperature at 530 °C. More importantly, a high resistance of over 10 MΩ was remained with the film with thickness of around 200 nm after annealing. This indicates that the AlN film is suitable as an effective insulation barrier in flexible CIGS solar cells based on SS foil. In addition, the XRD and SEM results showed that the AlN film did not influence the crystal structure of the Mo film which was deposited upon the AlN layer and used as the electrical contact in CIGS solar cells. It was found that the AlN film contributed to an improved crystallinity of the Mo contact layer compared to the bare SS foil. The combined results of secondary ion mass spectrometry, I–V and EQE measurements of the corresponding flexible CIGS solar cells confirmed that 1 μm-thick AlN film could be used as an efficient barrier layer in CIGS solar cells on SS foil.

Alternative bufferlayers for CIGS solarcells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beleanu, A.; Gruhn, T.; Blum, C.G.F.; Balke, B.; Felser, C. [Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg - University, Mainz (Germany)

2010-07-01

Cadmium sulfide is a highly efficient buffer layer material in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se2)[CIGS] solar devices, but for environmental reasons and possible gains in efficiency there is a great interest in replacing CdS by a cadmium-free alternative buffer layer. Using standard density functional theory (DFT) methods possible candidates like LiZnP and LiCuS have been proposed as alternative buffer layers. The experimental verification of the DFT results was quite challenging due to the fact that LiCuS was an unknow and completely new material. In a first step, we tried to synthesize LiCuS through solid state reactions in a corund crucible. After optimizing the parameters and successfully synthesizing the material its properties were investigated. In a second step, huge amounts of LiCuS and LiZnP were synthesized and pressed using Spark Plasma Sintering as 3 inch targets. LiCuS and LiZnP films were grown by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering from these target and their properties as an alternative buffer layer in CIGS solar cells were investigated. The 1:1:1 stoichiometry of the films was delivered from in-situ XPS measurements. Absorption measurements show a band gap of {approx}2.0 eV which is in good agreement with the theoretical estimates.

Semi-transparent photovoltaic glazing based on electrodeposited CIGS solar cells on patterned molybdenum/glass substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sidali Tarik

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new way of preparing semi-transparent solar cells using Cu(In1−xGaxSe2 (CIGS chalcopyrite semiconductors as absorbers for BIPV applications is presented. The key to the elaboration process consists in the co-electrodeposition of Cu-In-Ga mixed oxides on submillimetric hole-patterned molybdenum substrate, followed by thermal reduction to metallic alloys and selenisation. This method has the advantage of being a selective deposition technique where the thin film growth is carried out only on Mo covered areas. Thus, after annealing, the transparency of the sample is always preserved, allowing light to pass through the device. A complete device (5 × 5 cm2 with 535 μm diameter holes and total glass aperture of around 35% shows an open circuit voltage (VOC of 400 mV. Locally, the I-V curves reveal a maximum efficiency of 7.7%, VOC of 460 mV, JSC of 24 mA.cm−2 in an area of 0.1 cm2 with 35% aperture. This efficiency on the semi-transparent area is equivalent to a record efficiency of 11.9% by taking into account only the effective area.

Modeling and Simulation of a Dual-Junction CIGS Solar Cell Using Silvaco ATLAS

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-01

stage process, thermal evaporation, electrodeposition , deposition temperatures, content, stoichiometry and composition range on CIGS, inducing in...mesh. This location can be any specific region, and for the purposes of this thesis, a pair of cathode , and anode electrodes was assigned in the two...ATLASTM structure file for the dual-junction CIGS cell. In order to extract an overall I–V curve, two sets of anodes and cathodes were placed on the

Commercialization of High Efficiency Low Cost CIGS Technology Based on Electroplating: Final Technical Progress Report, 28 September 2007 - 30 June 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basol, B.

2010-08-01

This report describes SoloPower's work as a Photovoltaic Technology Incubator awardee within the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program. The term of this subcontract with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory was two years. The project focused on SoloPower's electrodeposition-based copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) technology. Under this subcontract, SoloPower improved the quality of its flexible metal substrates, increased the size of its solar cells from 0.5 cm2 to 120 cm2, increased the small-area cell efficiencies from near 11% to near 14%, demonstrated large-area cells, and developed a module manufacturing process.

Systems and methods for solar cells with CIS and CIGS films made by reacting evaporated copper chlorides with selenium

Science.gov (United States)

Albin, David S.; Noufi, Rommel

2015-06-09

Systems and methods for solar cells with CIS and CIGS films made by reacting evaporated copper chlorides with selenium are provided. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a thin film device comprises: providing a semiconductor film comprising indium (In) and selenium (Se) upon a substrate; heating the substrate and the semiconductor film to a desired temperature; and performing a mass transport through vapor transport of a copper chloride vapor and se vapor to the semiconductor film within a reaction chamber.

Ionization effects on Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} thin-film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakita, Shirou; Imaizumi, Mitsuru [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0031 (Japan); Ishizuka, Shogo; Shibata, Hajime [Institute of National Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568 (Japan); Okuda, Shuichi [Osaka Prefecture University, 1-2 Gakuenmachi, Sakai 599-8570 (Japan)

2017-06-15

Cu (In, Ga) Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells were irradiated with 60, 100, and 250 keV electrons to reveal the characteristics of radiation induced defects. Electrons with less than 200 keV energy cannot generate any displacement defects in CIGS materials. In addition, a low amount of the electrons can improve the roll-over behavior in current-voltage characteristics of CIGS solar cells. However, the deterioration of the electrical performance in CIGS solar cells irradiated with a high amount of electrons was observed. The deterioration rate on the cells irradiated with lower-energy electrons was higher than that induced by electrons with higher-energy. The degradation curve of J{sub SC} based on the ionizing dose estimated from the ionizing energy loss model does not depend on the energy of electrons. Therefore, it implies that the electrons can degrade CIGS solar cells due to the ionization effect. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Monolithic two-terminal hybrid a-Si:H/CIGS tandem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blanker, J.; Vroon, Z.; Zeman, M.; Smets, A.

2016-01-01

Copper-indium-gallium-di-selenide (CIGS) is the present record holder in lab-scale thin-film photovoltaics (TFPV). One of the problems of this PV technology is the scarcity of indium. Multi-junction solar cells allow better spectral utilization of the light spectrum, while the required current

Photovoltaic Manufacturing Cost and Throughput Improvements for Thin Film CIGS-Based Modules: Final Technical Report, July 1998 -- September 2001

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Britt, J.

2002-04-01

This report describes the marked improvements made of the production line under the PVMaT program: successfully developed a high-speed, all-laser, monolithic integration process for CIGS-based modules on polyimide substrates; exceeded PVMaT goals for scribing rate and total interconnect width; developed robust, well-controlled techniques for selective scribing; improved CIGS evaporation sources to allow uniform, controllable delivery; completed foundation required to integrate higher CIGS deposition rates into the production line; developed well-controlled Se delivery system to minimize Se consumption; successfully integrated the parallel-detector spectroscope ellipsometer (PDSE) into a production CIGS deposition chamber; collected useful, in-situ data with PDSE; validated the performance of the X-ray fluorescometry (XRF) sensor in the production CIGS deposition chamber; and successfully incorporated the XRF sensor into the control architecture of the production CIGS deposition chamber .

7 CFR 1466.27 - Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

..., evaluation, and implementation of: (i) Conservation adoption incentive systems, including market-based... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). 1466.27 Section... PROGRAM Contracts and Payments § 1466.27 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). (a) Definitions. In...

Inkjet printed Cu(In,Ga)S2 nanoparticles for low-cost solar cells

KAUST Repository

Barbe, Jeremy

2016-12-13

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) thin film solar cells were fabricated by direct inkjet printing of Cu(In,Ga)S2 (CIGS) nanoparticles followed by rapid thermal annealing under selenium vapor. Inkjet printing is a low-cost, low-waste, and flexible patterning method which can be used for deposition of solution-based or nanoparticle-based CIGS films with high throughput. XRD and Raman spectra indicate that no secondary phase is formed in the as-deposited CIGS film since quaternary chalcopyrite nanoparticles are used as the base solution for printing. Besides, CIGSe films with various Cu/(In + Ga) ratios could be obtained by finely tuning the composition of CIGS nanoparticles contained in the ink, which was found to strongly influence the devices performance and film morphology. To date, this is the first successful fabrication of a solar device by inkjet printing of CIGS nanoparticles.

Survey of CIG Data Base Generation from Imagery.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-09-01

200, February 1980. McGrath, J., "The Use of Wide-Angle Cinematic Simulators in Pilot Training", Technical Report NAVTRAEQUIPCEN 70-C-0306-1, March 1973... March 1974. 5 NAVTRAEQUIPCEN IH-318 algorithms which utilize data bases in which the inf)rmation is stored as planar polygons. In currint, real-time CIG...Vision Simulation and Motion Conference, April 1976. 42McGrath, J., "The Use of Wide-Angle Cinematic Simulators in Pilot Training", Technical Report

Analysis on the Performance of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS Based Photovoltaic Thermal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zulkepli Afzam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the efficiency improvement of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS Photovoltaic (PV and also solar thermal collector. Photovoltaic thermal (PV/T can improve overall efficiency for PV and also solve the problem of limited roof space at urban area. Objective of this study is to clarify the effect of mass flow rate on the efficiency of the PV/T system. A CIGS solar cell is used with rated output power 65 W and 1.18 m2 of area. 4 set of experiments were carried out, which were: thermal collector with 0.12 kg/s flow rate, PV/T with 0.12 kg/s flow rate, PV/T with 0.09 kg/s flow rate and PV. It was found that PV/T with 0.12 kg/s flow rate had the highest electrical efficiency, 2.92 %. PV/T with 0.09 kg/s flow rate had the lowest electrical efficiency, 2.68 %. It also had 2 % higher overall efficiency. The efficiency gained is low due to several factors. The rated output power of the PV is low for the area of 1.18 m2. The packing factor of the PV also need to be considered as it may not be operated at the optimal packing factor. Furthermore, aluminium sheet of the PV may affect the PV temperature due to high thermal conductivity. Further study on more values of mass flow rate and also other parameters that affect the efficiency of the PV/T is necessary.

Inkjet printed Cu(In,Ga)S{sub 2} nanoparticles for low-cost solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbé, Jérémy, E-mail: jeremy.barbe@kaust.edu.sa; Eid, Jessica [King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center (SPERC), Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering (Saudi Arabia); Ahlswede, Erik; Spiering, Stefanie; Powalla, Michael [Zentrum fur Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) (Germany); Agrawal, Rakesh [Purdue University, School of Chemical Engineering (United States); Del Gobbo, Silvano, E-mail: silvano.delgobbo@gmail.com [King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center (SPERC), Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering (Saudi Arabia)

2016-12-15

Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGSe) thin film solar cells were fabricated by direct inkjet printing of Cu(In,Ga)S{sub 2} (CIGS) nanoparticles followed by rapid thermal annealing under selenium vapor. Inkjet printing is a low-cost, low-waste, and flexible patterning method which can be used for deposition of solution-based or nanoparticle-based CIGS films with high throughput. XRD and Raman spectra indicate that no secondary phase is formed in the as-deposited CIGS film since quaternary chalcopyrite nanoparticles are used as the base solution for printing. Besides, CIGSe films with various Cu/(In + Ga) ratios could be obtained by finely tuning the composition of CIGS nanoparticles contained in the ink, which was found to strongly influence the devices performance and film morphology. To date, this is the first successful fabrication of a solar device by inkjet printing of CIGS nanoparticles.

Growth and structural properties of reactively co-sputtered CIGS films and their solar cell applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jeha [Cheongju University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of); Park, Nae-Man [Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-02-15

Using reactive sputtering, we fabricated stoichiometric CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films. Both Cu{sub 0.6}Ga{sub 0.4} (CuGa) and Cu{sub 0.4}In{sub 0.6} (CuIn) alloy targets were simultaneously sputtered under the delivery of elemental Se produced from a thermal cracker. By changing the sputtering rates of the CuGa and the CuIn, we were able to obtain the composition ratios of Cu/(Ga+In) and Ga/(Ga+In) in the range of 0.71-0.95 and 0.10-0.30, respectively. Both the grain size and the surface roughness of the CIGS film increased as the Cu/(Ga+In) ratio increased. In the X-ray diffraction analysis on CIGS films of 0.9 m, preferential growth with a [112] orientation was found, and reflections from the (211), (220)/(204), (301), (312)/(116), (400)/(008), and (332)/(316) planes were observed. The CIGS films showed the existence of Cu{sub 2-x}Se phases in the Cu-rich samples and ordered defect compound (ODC) phases in the Cu-poor films, as confirmed in the Raman measurements. A best device performance of η = 8.1%, V{sub oc} = 0.442 V, J{sub sc} = 34.3 mA/cm{sup 2}, and FF = 53.4% was obtained from a cell fabricated with a CIGS layer (t = 0.9 μm) with the Cu/(Ga+In) ratio = 0.71 and the Ga/(Ga+In) ratio = 0.10.

CIGS cells with metallized front contact: Longer cells and higher efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deelen, J. van; Frijters, C.

2017-01-01

We have investigated the benefit of a patterned metallization on top of a transparent conductive oxide in CIGS thin-film solar panels. It was found that cells with a grid have a higher efficiency compared to cells with only a TCO. This was observed for all cell lengths used. Furthermore, metallic

Modelling Defects Acceptors And Determination Of Electric Model From The Nyquist Plot And Bode In Thin Film CIGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Demba Diallo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract The performance of the chalcopyrite material CuInGaSe2 CIGS used as an absorber layer in thin-film photovoltaic devices is significantly affected by the presence of native defects. Multivalent defects e.g. double acceptors or simple acceptor are important immaterial used in solar cell production in general and in chalcopyrite materials in particular. We used the thin film solar cell simulation software SCAPS to enable the simulation of multivalent defects with up to five different charge states.Algorithms enabled us to simulate an arbitrary number of possible states of load. The presented solution method avoids numerical inaccuracies caused by the subtraction of two almost equal numbers. This new modelling facility is afterwards used to investigate the consequences of the multivalent character of defects for the simulation of chalcopyrite based CIGS. The capacitance increase with the evolution of the number of defects C- f curves have found to have defect dependence.

Materials Characterization of CIGS solar cells on Top of CMOS chips

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lu, J.; Liu, W.; Kovalgin, A.Y.; Sun, Y.; Schmitz, J.; Venkatasubramanian, R.; Radousky, H.; Liang, H.

2011-01-01

In the current work, we present a detailed study on the material properties of the CIGS layers, fabricated on top of the CMOS chips, and compare the results with the fabrication on standard glass substrates. Almost identical elemental composition on both glass and CMOS chips (within measurement

Progress in Polycrystalline Thin-Film Cu(In,GaSe2 Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Udai P. Singh

2010-01-01

Full Text Available For some time, the chalcopyrite semiconductor CuInSe2 and its alloy with Ga and/or S [Cu(InGaSe2 or Cu(InGa(Se,S2], commonly referred as CIGS, have been leading thin-film material candidates for incorporation in high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. CuInSe2-based solar cells have shown long-term stability and the highest conversion efficiencies among all thin-film solar cells, reaching 20%. A variety of methods have been reported to prepare CIGS thin film. Efficiency of solar cells depends upon the various deposition methods as they control optoelectronic properties of the layers and interfaces. CIGS thin film grown on glass or flexible (metal foil, polyimide substrates require p-type absorber layers of optimum optoelectronic properties and n-type wideband gap partner layers to form the p-n junction. Transparent conducting oxide and specific metal layers are used for front and back contacts. Progress made in the field of CIGS solar cell in recent years has been reviewed.

Confinement - assisted shock-wave-induced thin-film delamination (SWIFD) of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) on a flexible substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Pierre; Zagoranskiy, Igor; Ehrhardt, Martin; Han, Bing; Bayer, Lukas; Zimmer, Klaus

2017-12-01

The laser structuring of CIGS (copper indium gallium (di)selenide) solar cell material without influence and damaging the functionality of the active layer is a challenge for laser methods The shock-wave-induced thin-film delamination (SWIFD) process allows structuring without thermal modifications due to a spatial separation of the laser absorption from the functional layer removal process. In the present study, SWIFD structuring of CIGS solar cell stacks was investigated. The rear side of the polyimide was irradiated with a KrF-Excimer laser. The laser-induced ablation process generates a traverse shock wave, and the interaction of the shock wave with the layer-substrate interface results in a delamination process. The effect of a water confinement on the SWIFD process was studied where the rear side of the substrate was covered with a ∼2 mm thick water layer. The resultant surface morphology was analysed and discussed. At a sufficient number of laser pulses N and laser fluences Φ, the CIGS layer can be selectively removed from the Mo back contact. The water confinement, as well as the increasing laser beam size A0 and N, results in the reduction of the necessary minimal laser fluence Φth. Further, the delaminated CIGS area increased with increasing Φ, N, and A0.

Annealing enhancement effect by light illumination on proton irradiated Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawakita, Shirou; Imaizumi, Mitsuru; Matsuda, Sumio; Yamaguchi, Masafumi; Kushiya, Katsumi; Ohshima, Takeshi; Itoh, Hisayoshi

2002-01-01

In this paper, we investigated the high radiation tolerance of copper indium gallium di-selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells by conducting in situ measurements of short circuit current and open circuit voltage of CIGS thin-film solar cells during and after proton irradiation under short circuit condition. We found that the annealing rate of proton-induced defects in CIGS thin-film solar cells under light illumination with an AM0 solar simulator is higher than that under dark conditions. The activation energy of proton-induced defects in the CIGS thin-film solar cells with (without) light illumination is 0.80 eV (0.92 eV), which implies on enhanced defect annealing rate in CIGS thin-film solar cells due to minority-carrier injection. (author)

Adhesion, resistivity and structural, optical properties of molybdenum on steel sheet coated with barrier layer done by sol–gel for CIGS solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amouzou, Dodji, E-mail: dodji.amouzou@fundp.ac.be [Research Centre in Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), University of Namur (FUNDP), Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur (Belgium); Dumont, Jacques [Research Centre in Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), University of Namur (FUNDP), Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur (Belgium); Fourdrinier, Lionel; Richir, Jean-Baptiste; Maseri, Fabrizio [CRM-Group, Boulevard de Colonster, B 57, 4000 Liège (Belgium); Sporken, Robert [Research Centre in Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), University of Namur (FUNDP), Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur (Belgium)

2013-03-01

Molybdenum films are investigated on stainless steel substrates coated with polysilazane based sol–gel and SiO{sub x} layers for flexible CIGS solar cell applications. Thermal stability of the multilayer has been studied. The thickness of polysilazane films are significantly reduced (17%) after heat treatment suggesting a thermal degradation. Four different microstructures were found for Mo films by varying argon total pressure from 2.6 × 10{sup −1} Pa to 2.6 Pa. It was shown that continuous films, low sheet resistance (0.5 Ω/□) and well facetted grains can be achieved when Mo films are deposited on heated substrates at homologous temperature, T of 0.2. - Highlights: ► Steel sheet is functionalized for Cu[Inx,Ga(1 − x)Se2] solar cells. ► Varying deposition pressure impacts the microstructure of Mo films. ► High thermal stability of the sol gel based barrier layer has been investigated. ► Low sheet resistance and continuous Mo films have been obtained at 550°C. ► Thermal stability of functionalized steel sheets at 550°C has been investigated.

Influence of encapsulated electron active molecules of single walled-carbon nanotubes on superstrate-type Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jungwoo [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); CRD Laboratory, LG Chem. Research Park, Daejeon 305-738 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Wonjoo [Department of Defense Ammunitions, Daeduk College, Daejeon 305-715 (Korea, Republic of); Shrestha, Nabeen K.; Lee, Deok Yeon; Lim, Iseul [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Soon Hyung [Department of Chemistry Education, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757 (Korea, Republic of); Nah, Yoon-Chae [School of Energy, Materials, and Chemical Engineering, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan 330-708 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Soo-Hyoung, E-mail: shlee66@jbnu.ac.kr [School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Whikun, E-mail: wkyi@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Sung-Hwan, E-mail: shhan@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-03-01

Chemical functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can strongly affect the efficiency of solar cells due to change of three factors viz. electronic energy structures, interfacial resistance, and electrical field. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate the influence of these three factors on the solar cells based on the functionalization of various active molecules in CNTs. In the present study, we investigate the influence of the three factors in the efficiency of superstrate-type Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells [i.e. F-doped SnO{sub 2}/CNTs/CdS/CIGS/Au] by encapsulation of electron withdrawing and donating organic molecules inside CNTs. The CIGS solar cell was characterized using the electronic diagram, electrochemical impendence spectroscopy, reverse field emission currents, and currents–voltages curves. - Highlights: • We investigated the three effects of CNTs in superstrate-type CIGS solar cells. • Chemical functionalization of CNTs strongly affect the efficiency of solar cells. • The electrical field of solar cell was characterized using the reverse FE-currents.

The Effect of Sputtering Parameters on the Film Properties of Molybdenum Back Contact for CIGS Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng-cheng Huang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Molybdenum (Mo thin films are widely used as a back contact for CIGS-based solar cells. This paper determines the optimal settings for the sputtering parameters for an Mo thin film prepared on soda lime glass substrates, using direct current (dc magnetron sputtering, with a metal Mo target, in an argon gas environment. A Taguchi method with an L9 orthogonal array, the signal-to-noise ratio, and an analysis of variances is used to determine the performance characteristics of the coating operation. The main sputtering parameters, such as working pressure (mTorr, dc power (W, and substrate temperature (°C, are optimized with respect to the structural features, surface morphology, and electrical properties of the Mo films. An adhesive tape test is performed on each film to determine the adhesion strength of the films. The experimental results show that the working pressure has the dominant effect on electrical resistivity and reflectance. The intensity of the main peak (110 for the Mo film increases and the full width at half maximum decreases gradually as the sputtering power is increased. Additionally, the application of an Mo bilayer demonstrates good adherence and low resistivity.

Research on fabrication technology for thin film solar cells for practical use. Technological development for qualitative improvement (CuInSe2 based PV cell); Usumaku taiyo denchi seizo gijutsu no jitsuyoka kenkyu. Kohinshitsuka gijutsu (CuInSe2 taiyo denchi seizo no gijutsu kaihatsu)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tatsuta, M [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo (Japan)

1994-12-01

This paper reports the study results on the fabrication technology of CuInSe2 based PV cell in fiscal 1994. (1) On formation of high-quality CIGS thin films by bilayer method, Mo film was deposited on a glass substrate by sputtering, and CIGS film with different Ga/In ratios was next formed on the substrate by quaternary simultaneous deposition at different In and Ga deposition speeds. In addition, CdS film was deposited on the CIGS film, and ZnO and ITO films were finally deposited on it by sputtering to complete solar cell. This solar cell offered the maximum conversion efficiency among cells using CIGS film. (2) On formation of high-quality CIGS thin films by three-stage method, a certain correlation was found between substrate temperature and CIGS film composition by monitoring substrate temperature in film forming process. This phenomenon allowed rigorous control of CIS film compositions important for CIS thin film solar cells. (3) On low-cost process technology for thin film formation, Cu(In,Ga)S2 solid solution film was fabricated by expanded selenic process. 3 figs.

Nd:YAG laser annealing investigation of screen-printed CIGS layer on PET: Layer annealing method for photovoltaic cell fabrication process

KAUST Repository

Alsaggaf, Ahmed

2014-06-01

Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) ink was formulated from CIGS powder, polyvinyl butyral PVB, terpineol and polyester/polyamine co-polymeric dispersant KD-1. Thin films with different thicknesses were deposited on PET substrate using screen-printing followed by heat treatment using a Nd:YAG laser. The structure and morphology of the heated thin films were studied. The characterization of the CIGS powder, ink, and film was done using TGA, SEM, FIB, EDS, and XRD. TGA analysis shows that the CIGS ink is drying at 200 °C, which is well below the decomposition temperature of the PET substrate. It was observed by SEM that 20 pulses of 532nm and 60 mJ/cm2 Nd:YAG laser annealing causes atomic diffusion on the near surface area. Furthermore, FIB cross section images were utilized to monitor the effect of laser annealing in the depth of the layer. Laser annealing effects were compared to as deposited layer using XRD in reference to CIGS powder. The measurement shows that crystallinity of deposited CIGS is retained while EDS quantification and atomic ratio result in gradual loss of selenium as laser energy increases. The laser parameters were tuned in an effort to utilize laser annealing of screen-printed CIGS layer as a layer annealing method for solar cell fabrication process.

Hydrogen effects on deep level defects in proton implanted Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} based thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, D.W.; Seol, M.S.; Kwak, D.W.; Oh, J.S. [Department of Physics, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, J.H. [Photo-electronic Hybrids Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, H.Y., E-mail: hycho@dongguk.edu [Department of Physics, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-08-01

Hydrogen effects on deep level defects and a defect generation in proton implanted Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) based thin films for solar cell were investigated. CIGS films with a thickness of 3 {mu}m were grown on a soda-lime glass substrate by a co-evaporation method, and then were implanted with protons. To study deep level defects in the proton implanted CIGS films, deep level transient spectroscopy measurements on the CIGS-based solar cells were carried out, these measurements found 6 traps (including 3 hole traps and 3 electron traps). In the proton implanted CIGS films, the deep level defects, which are attributed to the recombination centers of the CIGS solar cell, were significantly reduced in intensity, while a deep level defect was generated around 0.28 eV above the valence band maximum. Therefore, we suggest that most deep level defects in CIGS films can be controlled by hydrogen effects. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Proton implanted Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin film and solar cell are prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Deep level defects of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin film and solar cell are investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hydrogenation using proton implantation and H{sub 2} annealing reduces deep level defects. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hydrogenation could enhance electrical properties and efficiency of solar cells.

High efficiency thin-film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schock, Hans-Werner [Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (Germany). Solar Energy

2012-11-01

Production of photovoltaics is growing worldwide on a gigawatt scale. Among the thin film technologies, Cu(In,Ga)S,Se{sub 2} (CIS or CIGS) based solar cells have been the focus of more and more attention. This paper aims to analyze the success of CIGS based solar cells and the potential of this technology for future photovoltaics large-scale production. Specific material properties make CIS unique and allow the preparation of the material with a wide range of processing options. The huge potential lies in the possibility to take advantage of modern thin film processing equipment and combine it with very high efficiencies beyond 20% already achieved on the laboratory scale. A sustainable development of this technology could be realized by modifying the materials and replacing indium by abundant elements. (orig.)

NIR emitting K2SrCl4:Eu2+, Nd3+ phosphor as a spectral converter for CIGS solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Tawalare, P. K.; Bhatkar, V. B.; Omanwar, S. K.; Moharil, S. V.

2018-05-01

Intense near-infrared emitting phosphor K2SrCl4:Eu2+,Nd3+ with various concentrations of Nd3+ were synthesized. These are characterized with X-ray diffraction, reflectance, photoluminescence emission and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, PL lifetime measurements. The emission can be excited by a broad band in near ultra violet region as a consequence of Eu2+→Nd3+ energy transfer. The efficiency of Eu2+→Nd3+ energy transfer is as high as 95%. Fluorescence decay curves for Eu2+ doped samples are almost exponential and described by τ = 500 ns. Eu2+ lifetimes are shortened after Nd3+ doping. Near infrared Emission intensity is limited by Nd3+→Nd3+ energy transfer and the consequent concentration quenching. Nd3+ emission matches well with the spectral response of CIGS and CIS solar cells. Absorption of near ultra violet radiations followed by conversion to near infrared indicates the potential application in solar photovoltaics.

Preparation and optimization of a molybdenum electrode for CIGS solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Jingxue

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Molybdenum (Mo films were deposited by radio frequency (RF, direct current (DC and mixed magnetron sputtering, respectively. With changing the deposition parameters including deposition pressure and power, the films show different surface morphology and crystallinity. Lower resistivity of the films is obtained in the DC mode and better reflectivity of the films is obtained in the RF mode. It is shown that the crystallinity increases when the deposition pressure decreases. The crystallinity and the grain size both increase as the deposition power increasing. The lowest resistivity of the single Mo film is 34×10-6 Ω·cm when the deposition pressure is 0.1 Pa and the deposition power is 300 W in the DC mode. In order to obtain lower resistivity, better adhesion and better reflectivity, bilayer films and tri-layer films were both deposited in different mode. They all show good adhesion and low resistivity. The Mo films deposited in mixed mode show better reflectivity. It is demonstrated that the resistivity of about 65×10-6 Ω·cm is achieved in DC/RF mode and the resistivity of about 61×10-6 Ω·cm is achieved in RF/DC/RF mode. And the tri-layer films achieved in RF/DC/RF mode have better reflectivity than bilayer films achieved in DC/RF mode. The tri-layer films achieved in RF/DC/RF mode is appropriate for using as the electrode of CIGS solar cells.

CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} photovoltaic devices for tandem solar cell application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seyrling, S. [Thin Film Physics Group, Laboratory for Solid-State Physics, ETH Zuerich, Technopark, Technoparkstrasse 1, 8005 Zuerich (Switzerland)], E-mail: seyrling@phys.ethz.ch; Calnan, S. [Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Buecheler, S. [Thin Film Physics Group, Laboratory for Solid-State Physics, ETH Zuerich, Technopark, Technoparkstrasse 1, 8005 Zuerich (Switzerland); Huepkes, J. [Institut fuer Energieforschung, Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Wenger, S. [Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, EPF Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Bremaud, D.; Zogg, H. [Thin Film Physics Group, Laboratory for Solid-State Physics, ETH Zuerich, Technopark, Technoparkstrasse 1, 8005 Zuerich (Switzerland); Tiwari, A.N. [Thin Film Physics Group, Laboratory for Solid-State Physics, ETH Zuerich, Technopark, Technoparkstrasse 1, 8005 Zuerich (Switzerland); Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU (United Kingdom)

2009-02-02

CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells show a good spectral response in a wide range of the solar spectrum and the bandgap of CIGS can be adjusted from 1.0 eV to 1.7 eV by increasing the gallium-to-indium ratio of the absorber. While the bandgaps of Ga-rich CIGS or CGS devices make them suitable for top or intermediate cells, the In rich CIGS or CIS devices are well suited to be used as bottom cells in tandem solar cells. The photocurrent can be adapted to the desired value for current matching in tandem cells by changing the composition of CIGS which influences the absorption characteristics. Therefore, CIGS layers with different [Ga]/[In + Ga] ratios were grown on Mo and ZnO:Al coated glass substrates. The grain size, composition of the layers, and morphology strongly depend on the Ga content. Layers with Ga rich composition exhibit smaller grain size and poor photovoltaic performance. The current densities of CIGS solar cells on ZnO:Al/glass varied from 29 mA cm{sup -2} to 13 mA cm{sup -2} depending on the Ga content, and 13.5% efficient cells were achieved using a low temperature process (450 deg. C ). However, Ga-rich solar cells exhibit lower transmission than dye sensitized solar cells (DSC). Prospects of tandem solar cells combining a DSC with CIGS are presented.

Antimony assisted low-temperature processing of CuIn1-xGaxSe2-ySy solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Min; Mitzi, David B.; Gunawan, Oki; Kellock, Andrew J.; Chey, S. Jay; Deline, Vaughn R.

2010-01-01

Application of the Sb-doping method to low-temperature (≤ 400 o C) processing of CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2-y S y (CIGS) solar cells is explored, using a hydrazine-based approach to deposit the absorber films. Power conversion efficiencies of 10.5% and 8.4% have been achieved for CIGS devices (0.45 cm 2 device area) processed at 400 o C and 360 o C, respectively, with an Sb-incorporation level at 1.2 mol % (relative to the moles of CIGS). Significant Sb-induced grain size enhancement was confirmed for these low processing temperatures using cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy, and an average 2-3% absolute efficiency improvement was achieved in Sb-doped samples compared to their Sb-free sister samples. With Sb inclusion, the CIGS film grain growth temperature is lowered to well below 450 o C, a range compatible with flexible polymer substrate materials such as polyimide. This method opens up access to opportunities in low-temperature processing of CIGS solar cells, an area that is being actively pursued using both traditional vacuum-based as well as other solution-based deposition techniques.

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.

Highly reflective rear surface passivation design for ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vermang, Bart, E-mail: Bart.Vermang@angstrom.uu.se [Ångström Solar Center, University of Uppsala, Uppsala 75121 (Sweden); ESAT-KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven 3001 (Belgium); Wätjen, Jörn Timo; Fjällström, Viktor; Rostvall, Fredrik; Edoff, Marika [Ångström Solar Center, University of Uppsala, Uppsala 75121 (Sweden); Gunnarsson, Rickard; Pilch, Iris; Helmersson, Ulf [Plasma & Coatings Physics, University of Linköping, Linköping 58183 (Sweden); Kotipalli, Ratan; Henry, Frederic; Flandre, Denis [ICTEAM/IMNC, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348 (Belgium)

2015-05-01

Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} rear surface passivated ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells with Mo nano-particles (NPs) as local rear contacts are developed to demonstrate their potential to improve optical confinement in ultra-thin CIGS solar cells. The CIGS absorber layer is 380 nm thick and the Mo NPs are deposited uniformly by an up-scalable technique and have typical diameters of 150 to 200 nm. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer passivates the CIGS rear surface between the Mo NPs, while the rear CIGS interface in contact with the Mo NP is passivated by [Ga]/([Ga] + [In]) (GGI) grading. It is shown that photon scattering due to the Mo NP contributes to an absolute increase in short circuit current density of 3.4 mA/cm{sup 2}; as compared to equivalent CIGS solar cells with a standard back contact. - Highlights: • Proof-of-principle ultra-thin CIGS solar cells have been fabricated. • The cells have Mo nano-particles (NPs) as local rear contacts. • An Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film passivates the CIGS rear surface between these nano-particles. • [Ga]/([Ga] + [In]) grading is used to reduce Mo-NP/CIGS interface recombination.

Employing Si solar cell technology to increase efficiency of ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermang, Bart; Wätjen, Jörn Timo; Fjällström, Viktor; Rostvall, Fredrik; Edoff, Marika; Kotipalli, Ratan; Henry, Frederic; Flandre, Denis

2014-10-01

Reducing absorber layer thickness below 500 nm in regular Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells decreases cell efficiency considerably, as both short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage are reduced because of incomplete absorption and high Mo/CIGS rear interface recombination. In this work, an innovative rear cell design is developed to avoid both effects: a highly reflective rear surface passivation layer with nano-sized local point contact openings is employed to enhance rear internal reflection and decrease the rear surface recombination velocity significantly, as compared with a standard Mo/CIGS rear interface. The formation of nano-sphere shaped precipitates in chemical bath deposition of CdS is used to generate nano-sized point contact openings. Evaporation of MgF 2 coated with a thin atomic layer deposited Al 2 O 3 layer, or direct current magnetron sputtering of Al 2 O 3 are used as rear surface passivation layers. Rear internal reflection is enhanced substantially by the increased thickness of the passivation layer, and also the rear surface recombination velocity is reduced at the Al 2 O 3 /CIGS rear interface. (MgF 2 /)Al 2 O 3 rear surface passivated ultra-thin CIGS solar cells are fabricated, showing an increase in short circuit current and open circuit voltage compared to unpassivated reference cells with equivalent CIGS thickness. Accordingly, average solar cell efficiencies of 13.5% are realized for 385 nm thick CIGS absorber layers, compared with 9.1% efficiency for the corresponding unpassivated reference cells.

Employing Si solar cell technology to increase efficiency of ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Vermang, Bart; Wätjen, Jörn Timo; Fjällström, Viktor; Rostvall, Fredrik; Edoff, Marika; Kotipalli, Ratan; Henry, Frederic; Flandre, Denis

2014-01-01

Reducing absorber layer thickness below 500 nm in regular Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells decreases cell efficiency considerably, as both short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage are reduced because of incomplete absorption and high Mo/CIGS rear interface recombination. In this work, an innovative rear cell design is developed to avoid both effects: a highly reflective rear surface passivation layer with nano-sized local point contact openings is employed to enhance rear internal reflection and decrease the rear surface recombination velocity significantly, as compared with a standard Mo/CIGS rear interface. The formation of nano-sphere shaped precipitates in chemical bath deposition of CdS is used to generate nano-sized point contact openings. Evaporation of MgF2 coated with a thin atomic layer deposited Al2O3 layer, or direct current magnetron sputtering of Al2O3 are used as rear surface passivation layers. Rear internal reflection is enhanced substantially by the increased thickness of the passivation layer, and also the rear surface recombination velocity is reduced at the Al2O3/CIGS rear interface. (MgF2/)Al2O3 rear surface passivated ultra-thin CIGS solar cells are fabricated, showing an increase in short circuit current and open circuit voltage compared to unpassivated reference cells with equivalent CIGS thickness. Accordingly, average solar cell efficiencies of 13.5% are realized for 385 nm thick CIGS absorber layers, compared with 9.1% efficiency for the corresponding unpassivated reference cells. PMID:26300619

Site selective doping of Zn for the p-type Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin film for solar cell application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shirakata, Sho [Faculty of Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Tokyo University of Science, Research Institute for Science and Technology, Noda, Chiba 278-8510 (Japan)

2017-06-15

Selective doping of a Zn impurity at the group III site in a Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) film was performed by the doping of Zn at the first stage of the three-stage method. The p-type CIGS:Zn film was obtained, which is in contrast to the n-type CIGS:Zn film obtained by the Zn impurity doping at the second and third-stages. Based on excitation intensity dependence of photoluminescence (PL) at low-temperature, the change in the acceptor level was observed. The enhancement of carrier concentration as a result of Zn-doping in the p-type CIGS:Zn film was observed. The CIGS:Zn solar cells exhibited η of 14.5% and V{sub oc} of 0.658 V, which are higher than that of the corresponding solar cells using the undoped CIGS films. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Controlling the physical parameters of crystalline CIGS nanowires for use in superstrate configuration using vapor phase epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dongjin; Jeon, H. C.; Kang, T. W.; Kumar, Sunil

2018-03-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a suitable candidate for smart windows and bifacial semi-transparent solar cell applications. In this study, highly crystalline CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) nanowires were successfully grown by horizontal-type vapor phase epitaxy on an ITO substrate. Length, diameter, and density of the nanowires were studied by varying the growth temperature (500, 520, and 560 °C), time (3.5, 6.5, and 9.5 h), and type of catalyst (In, Au, and Ga). Length, diameter, and density of the nanowires were found to be highly dependent on the growth conditions. At an optimized growth period and temperature of 3.5 h and 520 °C, respectively, the length and diameter of the nanowires were found to increase when grown in a catalyst-free environment. However, the density of the nanowires was found to be higher while using a catalyst during growth. Even in a catalyst-free environment, an Indium cluster formed at the bottom of the nanowires. The source of these nanowires is believed to be Indium from the ITO substrate which was observed in the EDS measurement. TEM-based EDS and line EDS indicated that the nanowires are made up of CIGS material with a very low Gallium content. XRD measurements also show the appearance of wurtzite CIS nanowires grown on ITO in addition to the chalcopyrite phase. PL spectroscopy was done to see the near-band-edge emission for finding band-to-band optical transition in this material. Optical response of the CIGS nanowire network was also studied to see the photovoltaic effect. This work creates opportunities for making real solar cell devices in superstrate configuration.

Nanosolar: Delivering Grid-Parity Solar Electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sager, Brian [Nanosolar, Inc., San Jose, CA (United States)

2012-05-31

Nanosolar has developed proprietary technology based on Copper-Indium-Gallium-diSelenide (CIGS) absorber technology that allows the printing of this semiconductor material using a high-speed, high-throughput roll-to-roll manufacturing process. A central challenge in cost-effectively constructing a large-area CIGS-based solar cell or module is that the elements of the CIGS layer must be within a narrow stoichiometric ratio on nano-, meso-, and macroscopic length scale in all three dimensions in order for the resulting cell or module to be highly efficient. Achieving precise stoichiometric composition over relatively large substrate areas is however difficult using traditional vacuum-based deposition processes. For example, it is difficult to uniformly deposit compounds and/or alloys containing more than one element by sputtering or evaporation. Both techniques rely on deposition approaches that are limited to line-of-sight and limited-area sources, tending to result in poor surface coverage. Line-of-sight trajectories and limited-area sources can result in non-uniform three-dimensional distribution of the elements in all three dimensions and/or poor film-thickness uniformity over large areas. These non-uniformities can occur over the nano-, meso-, and/or macroscopic scales. Such non-uniformity also alters the local stoichiometric ratios of the absorber layer, decreasing the potential power conversion efficiency of the complete cell or module. Nanosolar has overcome these challenges by printing nanoparticulate CIGS precursor materials onto low-cost metal foil substrates, and performing a rapid thermal processing to convert the nanoparticulate coating into a CIGS absorber layer By locking in the appropriate stochiometry into the nanoparticulate precursor material, spatial uniformity is ensured in the coated layers, while printing at high speed and throughput minimizes solar cell cost.

Indium tin oxide with titanium doping for transparent conductive film application on CIGS solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Wei-Sheng; Cheng, Huai-Ming; Hu, Hung-Chun; Li, Ying-Tse; Huang, Shi-Da; Yu, Hau-Wei [Department of Photonics Engineering, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li 32003, Taiwan (China); Pu, Nen-Wen, E-mail: nwpuccit@gmail.com [Department of Photonics Engineering, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li 32003, Taiwan (China); Liang, Shih-Chang [Materials & Electro-Optics Research Division, National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Lung Tan 32599, Taiwan (China)

2015-11-01

Highlights: • Ti-doped indium tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering. • Optimal optoelectronic properties were achieved at a sputtering power of 100 W. • Resistivity = 3.2 × 10{sup −4} Ω-cm without substrate heating or post growth annealing. • Mean visible and NIR transmittances of 83 and 80%, respectively, were achieved. • Efficient batteries (11.3%) were fabricated by applying ITO:Ti to CIGS solar cells. - Abstract: In this study, Ti-doped indium tin oxide (ITO:Ti) thin films were fabricated using a DC-magnetron sputtering deposition method. The thin films were grown without introducing oxygen or heating the substrate, and no post-growth annealing was performed after fabrication. The thickness of the ITO:Ti thin films (350 nm) was controlled while increasing the sputtering power from 50 to 150 W. According to the results, the optimal optoelectronic properties were observed in ITO:Ti thin films grown at a sputtering power of 100 W, yielding a reduced resistivity of 3.2 × 10{sup −4} Ω-cm and a mean high transmittance of 83% at wavelengths ranging from 400 to 800 nm. The optimal ITO:Ti thin films were used to fabricate a Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cell that exhibited a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 11.3%, a short-circuit current density of 33.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, an open-circuit voltage of 0.54 V, and a fill factor of 0.64.

Optical and electrical properties of electron-irradiated Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirose, Y.; Warasawa, M. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510 (Japan); Takakura, K. [Department of Information, Communication and Electrical Engineering, Kumamoto National College of Technology, 2659-2 Suya, Koshi, Kumamoto 861-1102 (Japan); Kimura, S. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510 (Japan); Chichibu, S.F. [CANTech, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Ohyama, H. [Department of Information, Communication and Electrical Engineering, Kumamoto National College of Technology, 2659-2 Suya, Koshi, Kumamoto 861-1102 (Japan); Sugiyama, M., E-mail: mutsumi@rs.noda.tus.ac.jp [Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510 (Japan)

2011-08-31

The optical and electrical properties of electron-irradiated Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells and the thin films that composed the CIGS solar cell structure were investigated. The transmittance of indium tin oxide (ITO), ZnO:Al, ZnO:Ga, undoped ZnO, and CdS thin films did not change for a fluence of up to 1.5 x 10{sup 18} cm{sup -2}. However, the resistivity of ZnO:Al and ZnO:Ga, which are generally used as window layers for CIGS solar cells, increased with increasing irradiation fluence. For CIGS thin films, the photoluminescence peak intensity due to Cu-related point defects, which do not significantly affect solar cell performance, increased with increasing electron irradiation. In CIGS solar cells, decreasing J{sub SC} and increasing R{sub s} reflected the influence of irradiated ZnO:Al, and decreasing V{sub OC} and increasing R{sub sh} mainly tended to reflect the pn-interface properties. These results may indicate that the surface ZnO:Al thin film and several heterojunctions tend to degrade easily by electron irradiation as compared with the bulk of semiconductor-composed solar cells.

Photoluminescence of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 in the solar cell preparation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sho, Shirakata; Shinji, Yudate; Jyunji, Honda; Naoki, Iwado

2010-01-01

Full text : Sequential step by step photoluminescence (PL) measurements have been carried out on Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) films just after each thin-film processes for the fabrication of the CIGS solar cell. These include, (i) the CIGS film deposition on the Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrate by three-stage method (CIGS/Mo/SLG), (ii) the chemical-bath deposition (CBD) of CdS buffer layer, (iii) deposition of undoped ZnO window layer by RF sputtering, (iv) deposition of Al doped ZnO high-conductive window layer by RF sputtering, (v) Al grid electrode deposition for the CIGS solar cell, and (vi) the mechanical scribing for the electrical isolation of small test cells. Roomtemperature PL measurements have been done with the excitation of a He-Ne laser (632.8 nm, 1 mW) focused on the sample surface to 0.2 mm diameter. PL was dispersed by a polycromator (Horiba: MicroHR) and detected by a cooled InGaAs multichannel detector (1024 pixels). In order to study the uniformity of PL within CIGS films, the two dimensional PL spectrum mapping measurement has been done (0.4-0.6 mm step) using an x-y stage operating in the raster scanning mode. Acquisition time of one PL spectrum was 1 s. Once the fresh CIGS film is exposed to the air, intensity of the near-band-edge PL decreases slowly with time. After few days, PL intensity was one order of magnitude weaker than its initial value. Thus, PL measurement was performed just after the deposition. It was shown that PL spectra of CIGS films taken for each process in the CIGS solar cell preparation. PL of the CIGS film exhibited nearband-edge peak at 1.18 eV. The slight increase of PL intensity was observed after depositions of CdS and ZnO films. After the high conductive ZnO:Al deposition, PL intensity decreases to one third of the initial PL intensity of the fresh CIGS film. No change has been observed with respect to the line shape of PL peaks during the process. In the CIGS solar cell (open circuit condition), PL intensity recovers

Degradation of Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} thin-film solar cells due to the ionization effect of low-energy electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakita, Shirou, E-mail: kawakita.shirou@jaxa.jp [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan); Imaizumi, Mitsuru [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan); Ishizuka, Shogo; Shibata, Hajime; Niki, Shigeru [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Okuda, Shuichi [Osaka Prefecture University (OPU), Sakai, Osaka 599-8570 (Japan); Kusawake, Hiroaki [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan)

2015-05-01

Cu (In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells were irradiated with 100 keV electrons to reveal the characteristics of created radiation defects. 100 keV electrons cannot produce any displacement defects in CIGS. Low-fluence electrons improve the electrical performance of the CIGS solar cells due to the change in the conductive type of donor to acceptor in a metastable defect, which is equivalent to the light-soaking effect. However, high fluence electrons cause the cell performance to decline. From analysis based on changes in carrier density and electroluminescence, defects causing the decline in performance include donor- and non-radiative types. In addition, red-on-bias experiments showed an increase in III{sub Cu} defects due to electron irradiation. Based on these results, the degradation in the electrical performance of the CIGS solar cells irradiated with high electron fluence would be attributable to a change in the conductive type of III{sub Cu} defects. - Highlights: • Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar cells were irradiated with 100 and 250 keV electrons at low temperature. • These electrons degraded the electrical performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 sola cells. • The electrons induced ⅢCu defects in Cu(In,Ga)Se2.

Antimony assisted low-temperature processing of CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2-y}S{sub y} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Min, Yuan [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P. O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Mitzi, David B., E-mail: dmitzi@us.ibm.co [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P. O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Gunawan, Oki [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P. O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Kellock, Andrew J [IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Rd, San Jose, CA 95120 (United States); Chey, S Jay [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P. O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Deline, Vaughn R [IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Rd, San Jose, CA 95120 (United States)

2010-11-01

Application of the Sb-doping method to low-temperature ({<=} 400 {sup o}C) processing of CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2-y}S{sub y} (CIGS) solar cells is explored, using a hydrazine-based approach to deposit the absorber films. Power conversion efficiencies of 10.5% and 8.4% have been achieved for CIGS devices (0.45 cm{sup 2} device area) processed at 400 {sup o}C and 360 {sup o}C, respectively, with an Sb-incorporation level at 1.2 mol % (relative to the moles of CIGS). Significant Sb-induced grain size enhancement was confirmed for these low processing temperatures using cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy, and an average 2-3% absolute efficiency improvement was achieved in Sb-doped samples compared to their Sb-free sister samples. With Sb inclusion, the CIGS film grain growth temperature is lowered to well below 450 {sup o}C, a range compatible with flexible polymer substrate materials such as polyimide. This method opens up access to opportunities in low-temperature processing of CIGS solar cells, an area that is being actively pursued using both traditional vacuum-based as well as other solution-based deposition techniques.

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.

Preparation of CIGS thin films by HiPIMS or DC sputtering and various selenization processes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Olejníček, Jiří; Hubička, Zdeněk; Kšírová, Petra; Kment, Štěpán; Brunclíková, Michaela; Kohout, Michal; Čada, Martin; Darveau, S.A.; Exstrom, C.L.

2013-01-01

Roč. 16, č. 2 (2013), s. 314-319 ISSN 1203-8407 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LH12045 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : CIGS * HIPIMS * selenization * nanocrystals * solar energy * sputtering * thin films Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 1.106, year: 2013 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/stn/jaots/2013/00000016/00000002/art00015

Investigations into alterntive substrate, absorber, and buffer layer processing for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2}-based solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuttle, J.R.; Berens, T.A.; Keane, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)] [and others

1996-05-01

High-performance Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2}(CIGS)-based solar cells are presently fabricated within a narrow range of processing options. In this contribution, alternative substrate, absorber, and buffer layer processing is considered. Cell performance varies considerably when alternative substrates are employed. These variations are narrowed with the addition of Na via a Na{sub 2}S compound. Sputtered and electrodeposited CIGS precursors and completed absorbers show promise as alternatives to evaporation. A recrystallization process is required to improve their quality. (In,Ga){sub y}Se buffer layers contribute to cell performance above 10. Further improvements in these alternatives will lead to combined cell performance greater than 10% in the near term.

Layer-by-Layer Nanoassembly of Copper Indium Gallium Selenium Nanoparticle Films for Solar Cell Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Hemati

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Thin films of CIGS nanoparticles interdigited with polymers have been fabricated through a cost-effective nonvacuum film deposition process called layer-by-layer (LbL nanoassembly. CIGS nanoparticles synthesized by heating copper chloride, indium chloride, gallium chloride, and selenium in oleylamine were dispersed in water, and desired surface charges were obtained through pH regulation and by coating the particles with polystyrene sulfonate (PSS. Raising the pH of the nanoparticle dispersion reduced the zeta-potential from +61 mV at pH 7 to −51 mV at pH 10.5. Coating the CIGS nanoparticles with PSS (CIGS-PSS produced a stable dispersion in water with −56.9 mV zeta-potential. Thin films of oppositely charged CIGS nanoparticles (CIGS/CIGS, CIGS nanoparticles and PSS (CIGS/PSS, and PSS-coated CIGS nanoparticles and polyethylenimine (CIGS-PSS/PEI were constructed through the LbL nanoassembly. Film thickness and resistivity of each bilayer of the films were measured, and photoelectric properties of the films were studied for solar cell applications. Solar cell devices fabricated with a 219 nm CIGS film, when illuminated by 50 W light-source, produced 0.7 V open circuit voltage and 0.3 mA/cm2 short circuit current density.

E-Cigs, Menthol & Dip

Science.gov (United States)

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Shunt resistance and saturation current determination in CdTe and CIGS solar cells. Part 1: a new theoretical procedure and comparison with other methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Rangel-Kuoppa, Victor-Tapio; Albor-Aguilera, María-de-Lourdes; Hérnandez-Vásquez, César; Flores-Márquez, José-Manuel; González-Trujillo, Miguel-Ángel; Contreras-Puente, Gerardo-Silverio

2018-04-01

A new proposal for the extraction of the shunt resistance (R sh ) and saturation current (I sat ) of a current-voltage (I-V) measurement of a solar cell, within the one-diode model, is given. First, the Cheung method is extended to obtain the series resistance (R s ), the ideality factor (n) and an upper limit for I sat . In this article which is Part 1 of two parts, two procedures are proposed to obtain fitting values for R sh and I sat within some voltage range. These two procedures are used in two simulated I-V curves (one in darkness and the other one under illumination) to recover the known solar cell parameters R sh , R s , n, I sat and the light current I lig and test its accuracy. The method is compared with two different common parameter extraction methods. These three procedures are used and compared in Part 2 in the I-V curves of CdS-CdTe and CIGS-CdS solar cells.

Substrate temperature optimization for Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells on flexible stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, X.; Zhu, H.; Chen, J., E-mail: chenjingwei@126.com; Zhou, D.; Zhang, C.; Guo, Y.; Niu, X.; Li, Z.; Mai, Y., E-mail: yaohuamai@hbu.edu.cn

2016-04-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • CIGS thin films are deposited on flexible SS substrates at different substrate temperatures. • CIGS thin films deposited at different T{sub S2} show different Ga/(Ga + In) ratio profiles. • All CIGS thin films show (112) and (220/204) preferred orientations with a shift to higher angles. • Conversion efficiency of 11.3% is obtained for CIGS solar cells deposited at 500 °C. - Abstract: Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films are deposited on flexible stainless steel (SS) substrates using the so called 3-stage co-evaporation process at different substrate temperatures ranging from 440 °C to 640 °C during the 2nd stage and the 3rd stage (T{sub S2}). The effects of T{sub S2} on the properties of CIGS thin films are systematically investigated. It is found by secondary ion mass spectrometry measurement that CIGS thin films deposited at different T{sub S2} show different Ga/(Ga + In) ratio (GGI) profiles along the growth direction. High T{sub S2} facilitates the grain growth and leads to larger grain size. However, high T{sub S2} worsens the spectral response of CIGS solar cells in the long wavelength range, which is partly attributed to the too much iron atom diffusion from the SS substrates into the CIGS thin films. All CIGS thin films show (112) preferred orientations with a shift to higher angle due to variation of compositions. A shoulder-like two-peak structure of (112) and (220/204) peaks appears for CIGS thin films deposited at lower T{sub S2}. Conversion efficiency of 11.3% is obtained for CIGS thin film solar cells deposited at the T{sub S2} of 500 °C.

Single-graded CIGS with narrow bandgap for tandem solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Feurer, Thomas; Bissig, Benjamin; Weiss, Thomas P; Carron, Romain; Avancini, Enrico; Löckinger, Johannes; Buecheler, Stephan; Tiwari, Ayodhya N

2018-01-01

Multi-junction solar cells show the highest photovoltaic energy conversion efficiencies, but the current technologies based on wafers and epitaxial growth of multiple layers are very costly. Therefore, there is a high interest in realizing multi-junction tandem devices based on cost-effective thin film technologies. While the efficiency of such devices has been limited so far because of the rather low efficiency of semitransparent wide bandgap top cells, the recent rise of wide bandgap perovskite solar cells has inspired the development of new thin film tandem solar devices. In order to realize monolithic, and therefore current-matched thin film tandem solar cells, a bottom cell with narrow bandgap (~1 eV) and high efficiency is necessary. In this work, we present Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 with a bandgap of 1.00 eV and a maximum power conversion efficiency of 16.1%. This is achieved by implementing a gallium grading towards the back contact into a CuInSe 2 base material. We show that this modification significantly improves the open circuit voltage but does not reduce the spectral response range of these devices. Therefore, efficient cells with narrow bandgap absorbers are obtained, yielding the high current density necessary for thin film multi-junction solar cells.

E-Cigs, Menthol & Dip

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... are many types of tobacco products. Learn how e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and other products are ... your health. What We Know About Electronic Cigarettes (E-cigarettes) Some people use e-cigs to quit smoking. ...

Development of practical application technology for photovoltaic power generation systems in fiscal 1997. Development of technologies to manufacture next-generation thin film solar cells, development of technologies to manufacture CIS solar cell modules, development of technologies to increase high-quality film area; 1997 nendo taiyoko hatsuden system jitsuyoka gijutsu kaihatsu. Jisedai usumaku taiyo denchi module no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu, CIS taiyo denchi module no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu, kohinshitsumaku no daimensekika gijutsu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

With an objective to improve efficiency and reduce cost of CIS-based thin film solar cells, research and development has been made on technologies to increase high-quality CIS film area and technologies to increase speed in the manufacturing process. This paper describes the achievements attained during fiscal 1997. The research covered development of technologies to form high-grade Cu (In, Ga) Se{sub 2} (CIGS) film by using the multi-dimensional deposition process, component technologies for forming a rear electrode, a buffer layer and a transparent electrode, and patterning technologies. As a result of the research, thickness of the CIGS film was reduced to half as much as that of the conventional films, having achieved conversion efficiency of 13.1%, which corresponds to about 90% of the conventional CIGS solar cells. In addition, elucidation was made on the effect of an MoSe{sub 2} layer existing on interface with CIGS/Mo in a CIGS solar cell imposed on solar cell characteristics. In developing an Mo film laser scribing technology, intensity dependence of laser energy was made clear, the energy being required for scribing according to surface condition of the Mo film. (NEDO)

2D Finite Element Model of a CIGS Module

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janssen, G.J.M.; Slooff, L.H.; Bende, E.E. [ECN Solar Energy, P.O.Box 1, NL-1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands)

2012-06-15

The performance of thin-film CIGS (Copper indium gallium selenide) modules is often limited due to inhomogeneities in CIGS layers. A 2-dimensional Finite Element Model for CIGS modules is presented that predicts the impact of such inhomogeneities on the module performance. Results are presented of a module with a region of poor diode characteristics. It is concluded that according to this model the effects of poor diodes depend strongly on their location in the module and on their dispersion over the module surface. Due to its generic character the model can also be applied to other series connections of photovoltaic cells.

2D - Finite element model of a CIGS module

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janssen, G.J.M.; Slooff, L.H.; Bende, E.E. [ECN Solar Energy, Petten (Netherlands)

2012-09-15

The performance of thin-film CIGS modules is often limited due to inhomogeneities in CIGS layers. A 2-dimensional Finite Element Model for CIGS modules is demonstrated that predicts the impact of such inhomogeneities on the module performance. Results are presented of a module with a region of poor diode characteristics. It is concluded that according to this model the effects of poor diodes depend strongly on their location in the module and on their dispersion over the module surface. Due to its generic character the model can also be applied to other series connections of photovoltaic cells.

Selenization of CIS and CIGS layers deposited by chemical spray pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babu, B. J.; Egaas, B.; Velumani, S.

2018-03-21

Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 (CIGS) thin films with x=0 (CIS) and x=0.3 (CIGS) were prepared on Mo-coated glass substrate by using chemical spray pyrolysis at a substrate temperature of 350 degrees C, followed by selenization treatment at 550 degrees C in selenium environment under N2 gas flow. X-ray diffraction patterns of as-deposited CIGS layers on Mo showed polycrystalline chalcopyrite phase with an intense (112) plane. Splitting of (204)/(220) and (116)/(312) planes for the film with x=0.3 reveals deviation of tetragonal nature. Field emission scanning electron microscopy cross-sectional images of selenized films showed clear re-crystallization of grains. During the selenization process of the CIGS absorber, a thin interface layer of MoSe2 is formed. Line mapping of Mo/CIGS layer showed more gallium segregation at the interface of back contact resulting in band gap grading. Chemical composition and mapping of the as-deposited and selenized samples were determined by energy dispersive analysis of X-rays. This work leads to fabrication of low cost and large scale Mo/CIGS/CdS/ZnO/ZnO:Al device structure.

Solution-deposited CIGS thin films for ultra-low-cost photovoltaics

Science.gov (United States)

Eldada, Louay A.; Hersh, Peter; Stanbery, Billy J.

2010-09-01

We describe the production of photovoltaic modules with high-quality large-grain copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin films obtained with the unique combination of low-cost ink-based precursors and a reactive transfer printing method. The proprietary metal-organic inks contain a variety of soluble Cu-, In- and Ga- multinary selenide materials; they are called metal-organic decomposition (MOD) precursors, as they are designed to decompose into the desired precursors. Reactive transfer is a two-stage process that produces CIGS through the chemical reaction between two separate precursor films, one deposited on the substrate and the other on a printing plate in the first stage. In the second stage, these precursors are rapidly reacted together under pressure in the presence of heat. The use of two independent thin films provides the benefits of independent composition and flexible deposition technique optimization, and eliminates pre-reaction prior to the synthesis of CIGS. In a few minutes, the process produces high quality CIGS films, with large grains on the order of several microns, and preferred crystallographic orientation, as confirmed by compositional and structural analysis by XRF, SIMS, SEM and XRD. Cell efficiencies of 14% and module efficiencies of 12% were achieved using this method. The atmospheric deposition processes include slot die extrusion coating, ultrasonic atomization spraying, pneumatic atomization spraying, inkjet printing, direct writing, and screen printing, and provide low capital equipment cost, low thermal budget, and high throughput.

Shunt resistance and saturation current determination in CdTe and CIGS solar cells. Part 2: application to experimental IV measurements and comparison with other methods

Science.gov (United States)

Rangel-Kuoppa, Victor-Tapio; Albor-Aguilera, María-de-Lourdes; Hérnandez-Vásquez, César; Flores-Márquez, José-Manuel; Jiménez-Olarte, Daniel; Sastré-Hernández, Jorge; González-Trujillo, Miguel-Ángel; Contreras-Puente, Gerardo-Silverio

2018-04-01

In this Part 2 of this series of articles, the procedure proposed in Part 1, namely a new parameter extraction technique of the shunt resistance (R sh ) and saturation current (I sat ) of a current-voltage (I-V) measurement of a solar cell, within the one-diode model, is applied to CdS-CdTe and CIGS-CdS solar cells. First, the Cheung method is used to obtain the series resistance (R s ) and the ideality factor n. Afterwards, procedures A and B proposed in Part 1 are used to obtain R sh and I sat . The procedure is compared with two other commonly used procedures. Better accuracy on the simulated I-V curves used with the parameters extracted by our method is obtained. Also, the integral percentage errors from the simulated I-V curves using the method proposed in this study are one order of magnitude smaller compared with the integral percentage errors using the other two methods.

Optical characteristics of thin CIGS cells on TCO back contact

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deelen, J. van; Kniknie, B.; Vroon, Z.A.E.P.; Wuerz, R.; Kessler, F.

2014-01-01

Reduction of CIGS layer thickness could translate in significant cost reduction. CIGS was made on transparent conductive oxide (TCO) to allow for optical characterization. This data was compared with external quantum efficiency (EQE) data. The results suggest that changes in surface morphology are

Device Modeling of the Performance of Cu(In,GaSe2 Solar Cells with V-Shaped Bandgap Profiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shou-Yi Kuo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS with V-shaped bandgap on device performance is investigated in detail. A series of Ga/(In+Ga ratio are set to study the influence of V-shaped bandgap profile on the electricity of CIGS thin film solar cells. The modeling of device current density-voltage (J-V curve and bandgap grading profile corresponded well to measurement results. Detailed characteristic and modeling results show that an increased gradient of bandgap from valley to the buffer layer CdS will result in a barrier and lead to an enhanced recombination in the valley. This phenomenon can be modified by the back electric field resulting from a gradient bandgap from valley (bandgap minimum to the Mo back contact. These results indicate CIGS-based solar cells can achieve higher performance by optimizing the V-shaped bandgap profile.

Optical Design of Textured Thin-Film CIGS Solar Cells with Nearly-Invisible Nanowire Assisted Front Contacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joop van Deelen

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The conductivity of transparent front contacts can be improved by patterned metallic nanowires, albeit at the cost of optical loss. The associated optical penalty can be strongly reduced by texturization of the cell stack. Remarkably, the nanowires themselves are not textured and not covered in our design. This was shown by optical modeling where the width of the nanowire, the texture height and the texture period were varied in order to obtain a good insight into the general trends. The optical performance can be improved dramatically as the reflection, which is the largest optical loss, can be reduced by 95% of the original value. The spectra reveal absorption in the Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS layer of 95% and reflection below 2% over a large part of the spectrum. In essence, a virtually black CIGS cell stack can be achieved for textured cells with a metal nanogrid. Moreover, it turned out that the ratio between the width of the nanowire and the height of the texture is a critical parameter for optical losses.

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)

Raster Scan Computer Image Generation (CIG) System Based On Refresh Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Dichter, W.; Doris, K.; Conkling, C.

1982-06-01

A full color, Computer Image Generation (CIG) raster visual system has been developed which provides a high level of training sophistication by utilizing advanced semiconductor technology and innovative hardware and firmware techniques. Double buffered refresh memory and efficient algorithms eliminate the problem of conventional raster line ordering by allowing the generated image to be stored in a random fashion. Modular design techniques and simplified architecture provide significant advantages in reduced system cost, standardization of parts, and high reliability. The major system components are a general purpose computer to perform interfacing and data base functions; a geometric processor to define the instantaneous scene image; a display generator to convert the image to a video signal; an illumination control unit which provides final image processing; and a CRT monitor for display of the completed image. Additional optional enhancements include texture generators, increased edge and occultation capability, curved surface shading, and data base extensions.

Vaping cannabis (marijuana): parallel concerns to e-cigs?

OpenAIRE

Budney, Alan J.; Sargent, James D.; Lee, Dustin C.

2015-01-01

The proliferation of vaporization (‘vaping’) as a method for administering cannabis raises many of the same public health issues being debated and investigated in relation to e-cigarettes (e-cigs). Good epidemiological data on the prevalence of vaping cannabis are not yet available, but with current trends towards societal approval of medicinal and recreational use of cannabis, the pros and cons of vaping cannabis warrant study. As with e-cigs, vaping cannabis portends putative health benefit...

Ultrafast pump-probe reflectance spectroscopy: Why sodium makes Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells better

KAUST Repository

Eid, Jessica; Usman, Anwar; Gereige, Issam; Duren, Jeroen Van; Lyssenko, Vadim; Leo, Karl; Mohammed, Omar F.

2015-01-01

Although Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells have the highest efficiency of any thin-film solar cell, especially when sodium is incorporated, the fundamental device properties of ultrafast carrier transport and recombination in such cells remain not fully understood. Here, we explore the dynamics of charge carriers in CIGS absorber layers with varying concentrations of Na by femtosecond (fs) broadband pump-probe reflectance spectroscopy with 120 fs time resolution. By analyzing the time-resolved transient spectra in a different time domain, we show that a small amount of Na integrated by NaF deposition on top of sputtered Cu(In,Ga) prior to selenization forms CIGS, which induces slower recombination of the excited carriers. Here, we provide direct evidence for the elongation of carrier lifetimes by incorporating Na into CIGS.

Ultrafast pump-probe reflectance spectroscopy: Why sodium makes Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells better

KAUST Repository

Eid, Jessica

2015-04-14

Although Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells have the highest efficiency of any thin-film solar cell, especially when sodium is incorporated, the fundamental device properties of ultrafast carrier transport and recombination in such cells remain not fully understood. Here, we explore the dynamics of charge carriers in CIGS absorber layers with varying concentrations of Na by femtosecond (fs) broadband pump-probe reflectance spectroscopy with 120 fs time resolution. By analyzing the time-resolved transient spectra in a different time domain, we show that a small amount of Na integrated by NaF deposition on top of sputtered Cu(In,Ga) prior to selenization forms CIGS, which induces slower recombination of the excited carriers. Here, we provide direct evidence for the elongation of carrier lifetimes by incorporating Na into CIGS.

Influence of growth temperature of transparent conducting oxide layer on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Dae-Hyung; Chung, Yong-Duck; Lee, Kyu-Seok; Park, Nae-Man; Kim, Kyung-Hyun; Choi, Hae-Won; Kim, Jeha

2012-01-01

We have studied the influence of growth temperature (T G ) in the deposition of an indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent conducting oxide layer on Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells. The ITO films were deposited on i-ZnO/glass and i-ZnO/CdS/CIGS/Mo/glass substrates using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at various T G up to 350 °C. Both the resistivity of ITO and the interface quality of CdS/CIGS strongly depend on T G . For a T G ≤ 200 °C, a reduction in the series resistance enhanced the solar cell performance, while the p–n interface of the device was found to become deteriorated severely at T G > 200 °C. CIGS solar cells with ITO deposited at T G = 200 °C showed the best performance in terms of efficiency.

Effect of yoghurt or yoghurt serum on microbial quality of cig kofte.

Science.gov (United States)

Dogan, Mahmut; Cankurt, Hasan; Toker, Omer Said; Yetim, Hasan; Sagdic, Osman

2014-07-01

Cig kofte, raw meatball is a traditionally produced meat product in Turkey and some other Middle East countries. It is prepared from mixtures of finely minced raw beef, bulgur, onions, various spices and tap water. Cig kofte is an uncooked product and popularly consumed with lettuce and lemon juice. In this study, yoghurt or yoghurt serum (YS) were added to the mixtures of cig kofte instead of tap water to reduce microbial risks of the raw meatball. Additionally, the effects of yoghurt and YS on some physicochemical characteristics of cig kofte were investigated. Cig kofte is generally consumed within a few hours after the preparation because of its raw nature. Also, it is generally sold under unhygienic conditions in restaurants and restaurant-like places. For this purpose, reducing of the microbial load of cig kofte is important. In the results, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected in any samples. While lactic acid bacteria count increased by addition of yoghurt and YS, the number of other microorganisms except for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB) were decreased. The aw values and% moisture contents of the samples were varied between 0.88-0.94 and 46.25-49.72, respectively. The pH values of the samples were slightly changed during the storage of 24 h while no changes detected in the control samples during the storage. In conclusion, it can be suggested that using the yoghurt or YS instead of tap water in the preparation of cig kofte might ensure the microbial safety, increase the nutritional value and its flavour or aroma.

Novel in situ resistance measurement for the investigation of CIGS growth in a selenization process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wei; He Qing; Li Fengyan; Li Changjian; Sun Yun; Tian Jianguo; Li Zubin

2009-01-01

During the selenization process of CIGS thin films, the relation between the element loss rate and the precursor depositions are analyzed. The growth of the CIGS thin films during the selenization process is investigated by the novel in situ resistance measurement, by which the formation of compound semiconductors can be observed directly and simultaneously. Their structures, phase evolutions and element losses are analyzed by XRD and XRF. Based on the experimental results, it can be concluded that the phase transforms have nothing to do with the deposition sequences of precursors, while the element loss rates are related to the deposition sequences in this process. In addition, element loss mechanisms of CIGS thin films prepared by the selenization process are analyzed by the phase evolutions and chemical combined path in the In, Ga–Se reaction processes. Moreover it is verified that the element losses are depressed by increasing the ramping-up rate finally. The results provide effective methods to fabricate high-quality CIGS thin films with low element losses

Novel in situ resistance measurement for the investigation of CIGS growth in a selenization process

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei; Tian, Jian-Guo; Li, Zu-Bin; He, Qing; Li, Feng-Yan; Li, Chang-Jian; Sun, Yun

2009-03-01

During the selenization process of CIGS thin films, the relation between the element loss rate and the precursor depositions are analyzed. The growth of the CIGS thin films during the selenization process is investigated by the novel in situ resistance measurement, by which the formation of compound semiconductors can be observed directly and simultaneously. Their structures, phase evolutions and element losses are analyzed by XRD and XRF. Based on the experimental results, it can be concluded that the phase transforms have nothing to do with the deposition sequences of precursors, while the element loss rates are related to the deposition sequences in this process. In addition, element loss mechanisms of CIGS thin films prepared by the selenization process are analyzed by the phase evolutions and chemical combined path in the In, Ga-Se reaction processes. Moreover it is verified that the element losses are depressed by increasing the ramping-up rate finally. The results provide effective methods to fabricate high-quality CIGS thin films with low element losses.

Fabrication and Characterization of Thin Film Solar Cell Made from CuIn0.75Ga0.25S2 Wurtzite Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fengyan Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available CuIn0.75Ga0.25S2 (CIGS thin film solar cells have been successfully fabricated using CIGS Wurtzite phase nanoparticles for the first time. The structure of the cell is Glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/ZnO/ZnO:Al/Ag. The light absorption layer is made from CIGS Wurtzite phase nanoparticles that are formed from single-source precursors through a microwave irradiation. The Wurtzite phase nanoparticles were converted to Chalcopyrite phase film through a single-step annealing process in the presence of argon and sulfur at 450°C. The solar cell made from Wurtzite phase nanoparticles showed 1.6% efficiency and 0.42 fill factor.

In-Situ Probing Plasmonic Energy Transfer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 Solar Cells by Ultrabroadband Femtosecond Pump-Probe Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shih-Chen; Wu, Kaung-Hsiung; Li, Jia-Xing; Yabushita, Atsushi; Tang, Shih-Han; Luo, Chih Wei; Juang, Jenh-Yih; Kuo, Hao-Chung; Chueh, Yu-Lun

2015-12-18

In this work, we demonstrated a viable experimental scheme for in-situ probing the effects of Au nanoparticles (NPs) incorporation on plasmonic energy transfer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells by elaborately analyzing the lifetimes and zero moment for hot carrier relaxation with ultrabroadband femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. The signals of enhanced photobleach (PB) and waned photoinduced absorption (PIA) attributable to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Au NPs were in-situ probed in transient differential absorption spectra. The results suggested that substantial carriers can be excited from ground state to lower excitation energy levels, which can reach thermalization much faster with the existence of SPR. Thus, direct electron transfer (DET) could be implemented to enhance the photocurrent of CIGS solar cells. Furthermore, based on the extracted hot carrier lifetimes, it was confirmed that the improved electrical transport might have been resulted primarily from the reduction in the surface recombination of photoinduced carriers through enhanced local electromagnetic field (LEMF). Finally, theoretical calculation for resonant energy transfer (RET)-induced enhancement in the probability of exciting electron-hole pairs was conducted and the results agreed well with the enhanced PB peak of transient differential absorption in plasmonic CIGS film. These results indicate that plasmonic energy transfer is a viable approach to boost high-efficiency CIGS solar cells.

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)

13.7%-efficient Zn(Se,OH){sub x}/Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se){sub 2} thin-film solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ennaoui, A. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Bereich Physikalische Chemie, Berlin (Germany); Blieske, U.; Lux-Steiner, M.Ch. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Bereich Festkoerperphysik, Berlin (Germany)

1998-12-01

Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) and related semiconducting compounds have demonstrated their high potential for high-efficiency thin-film solar cells. The highest efficiency for CIGS based thin-film solar cells has been achieved with CdS buffer layers prepared by a solution growth method known as chemical based deposition (CBD). With the aim of developing Cd-free chalcopyrite-based thin-film solar cells, Zn(Se,OH){sub x} buffer layers were deposited by CBD on polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se){sub 2} (CIGSS). A total-area conversion efficiency of 13.7% was certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. The CIGSS absorber was fabricated by Siemens Solar Industries (California). For device optimisation, the thickness and good surface coverage were controlled by XPS-UPS photoemission spectroscopy. A Zn(Se,OH){sub x} thickness below 7 nm has been found to be optimum for achieving a homogeneous and compact buffer film on CIGSS, with open-circuit photovoltage V{sub oc} = 535 mV, fill factor FF = 70.76% and a high short-circuit photocurrent density J{sub sc} 36.1 mA cm{sup -2}. (Author)

Electrochemical etching of molybdenum for shunt removal in thin film solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hovestad, A.; Bressers, P.M.M.C.; Meertens, R.M.; Frijters, C.H.; Voorthuijzen, W.P.

2015-01-01

High yield and reproducible production is a major challenge in up-scaling thin film Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) solar cells to large area roll-to-roll industrial manufacturing. Pinholes enabling Ohmic contact between the ZnO:Al front-contact and Mo back contact of the CIGS cell create electrical shunts that

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.

Investigations on electron beam evaporated Cu(In{sub 0.85}Ga{sub 0.15})Se{sub 2} thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatachalam, M.; Kannan, M.D.; Prasanna, S.; Jayakumar, S.; Balasundaraprabhu, R. [Thin Film Center, Department of Physics, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore (India); Muthukumarasamy, N. [Department of Physics, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore (India); Saroja, M. [Department of Electronics, Erode Arts College, Erode (India)

2009-09-15

CIGS bulk with composition of CuIn{sub 0.85}Ga{sub 0.15}Se{sub 2} was synthesized by direct reaction of elemental copper, indium, gallium and selenium. CIGS thin films were then deposited onto well-cleaned glass substrates using the prepared bulk alloy by electron beam deposition method. The structural properties of the deposited films were studied using X-ray diffraction technique. The as-deposited CIGS films were found to be amorphous. On annealing, the films crystallized with a tetragonal chalcopyrite structure. An intermediate Cu-rich phase precipitated at 200 C and dissociated at higher annealing temperatures. Average grain size calculated from the XRD spectra indicated that the films had a nano-crystalline structure and was further corroborated by AFM analysis of the sample surface. The chemical constituents present in the deposited CIGS films were identified using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. CIGS based solar cells were then fabricated on molybdenum and ITO coated glass substrates and the efficiencies have been evaluated. (author)

Reusing a declarative specification to check the conformance of different CIGs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grando, M.A.; Aalst, van der W.M.P.; Mans, R.S.; Daniel, F.; Barkaoui, K.; Dustdar, S.

2012-01-01

Several Computer Interpretable Guidelines (CIGs) languages have been proposed by the health community. Even though these CIG languages share common ideas each language has to be provided with his own mechanism of verification. In an earlier work we have shown that a DECLARE model can be used for

An investigation on preparation of CIGS targets by sintering process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Ning, E-mail: zhn98@126.co [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Zhuang Daming; Zhang Gong [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2010-01-15

Pressureless sintering process was used to fabricate CIGS targets with Cu{sub 2}Se, In{sub 2}Se{sub 3}, and Ga{sub 2}Se{sub 3} as raw powders mixed according to the stoichiometry of CuIn{sub 0.72}Ga{sub 0.28}Se{sub 2} (CIGS). The results showed that only CuIn{sub 0.7}Ga{sub 0.3}Se{sub 2} phase can be detected in the sintered targets. The pores in sintered specimen become smaller and distribute more homogeneously under the conditions of finer powders and higher cold pressure. Both mass loss caused by the formation of volatile phase relating to Ga and volume expansion occur during the sintering process, which result in the decrease of density. The tendency of anti-densification becomes stronger under the conditions of coarser powders and higher cold pressure. The sintering process and causes for anti-densification were discussed. Finally, a hot pressing process was carried out, which was proved to be fairly effective to increase the density of CIGS target. The fabricated target can be used for magnetron-sputtering deposition of CIGS absorbers.

Fundamental Materials Research and Advanced Process Development for Thin-Film CIS-Based Photovoltaics: Final Technical Report, 2 October 2001 - 30 September 2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, T. J.; Li, S. S.; Crisalle, O. D.; Craciun, V.

2006-09-01

The objectives for this thin-film copper-indium-diselenide (CIS) solar cell project cover the following areas: Develop and characterize buffer layers for CIS-based solar cell; grow and characterize chemical-bath deposition of Znx Cd1-xS buffer layers grown on CIGS absorbers; study effects of buffer-layer processing on CIGS thin films characterized by the dual-beam optical modulation technique; grow epitaxial CuInSe2 at high temperature; study the defect structure of CGS by photoluminescence spectroscopy; investigate deep-level defects in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells by deep-level transient spectroscopy; conduct thermodynamic modeling of the isothermal 500 C section of the Cu-In-Se system using a defect model; form alpha-CuInSe2 by rapid thermal processing of a stacked binary compound bilayer; investigate pulsed non-melt laser annealing on the film properties and performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells; and conduct device modeling and simulation of CIGS solar cells.

Generation of electrical defects in ion beam assisted deposition of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zachmann, H.; Puttnins, S.; Daume, F.; Rahm, A.; Otte, K.

2011-01-01

Thin films of Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) absorber layers for thin film solar cells have been manufactured on polyimide foil in a low temperature, ion beam assisted co-evaporation process. In the present work a set of CIGS thin films was produced with varying selenium ion energy. Solar cell devices have been manufactured from the films and characterized via admittance spectroscopy and capacitance-voltage profiling to determine the influence of the selenium ion energy on the electric parameters of the solar cells. It is shown that the impact of energetic selenium ions in the CIGS deposition process leads to a change in the activation energy and defect density and also in the spatial distribution of electrically active defects. For the interpretation of the results two defect models are taken into account.

Electrochemical behavior of CIGS electrodeposition for applications to photovoltaic cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyunju; Ji, Changwook; Kim, Yangdo; Hwang, Yoonhwae [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jaeho [Hongik University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jo, Ilguk [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Kim, Hyoungchan [Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-04-15

The electrodeposition mechanism of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films on ITO substrates was examined by using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The CV study was performed in unitary In, binary In-Se, ternary Cu-In-Se, and quaternary Cu-In-Ga-Se systems. CV of the Cu-In-Ga-Se system revealed a reduction peak at -0.6 V with the addition of GaCl{sub 3} and showed that the current density was affected significantly by the concentrations of GaCl{sub 3} and InCl{sub 3}. This is probably due to the adsorption-site competition between In{sup 3+} and Ga{sup 3+} on the electrode surface. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the CV results. The composition of Ga in the CIGS films increased with increasing concentration of GaCl{sub 3} in the electrolyte whereas the composition of In decreased sharply. The as-deposited films were annealed at 500 .deg. C in a N{sub 2} atmosphere for crystallization. XRD revealed three major peaks corresponding to the (112), (220) and (312) planes of CIGS chalcopyrite respectively. On the other hand, a secondary phase, such as In{sub 4}Se{sub 3}, was observed in the CIGS films containing a high In composition.

Vaping cannabis (marijuana): parallel concerns to e-cigs?

Science.gov (United States)

Budney, Alan J; Sargent, James D; Lee, Dustin C

2015-11-01

The proliferation of vaporization ('vaping') as a method for administering cannabis raises many of the same public health issues being debated and investigated in relation to e-cigarettes (e-cigs). Good epidemiological data on the prevalence of vaping cannabis are not yet available, but with current trends towards societal approval of medicinal and recreational use of cannabis, the pros and cons of vaping cannabis warrant study. As with e-cigs, vaping cannabis portends putative health benefits by reducing harm from ingesting toxic smoke. Indeed, vaping is perceived and being sold as a safer way to use cannabis, despite the lack of data on the health effects of chronic vaping. Other perceived benefits include better taste, more efficient and intense effects and greater discretion which allows for use in more places. Unfortunately, these aspects of vaping could prompt an increased likelihood of trying cannabis, earlier age of onset, more positive initial experiences, and more frequent use, thereby increasing the probability of problematic use or addiction. Sales and marketing of vaping devices with no regulatory guidelines, especially related to advertising or product development targeting youth, parallels concerns under debate related to e-cigs and youth. Thus, the quandary of whether or not to promote vaping as a safer method of cannabis administration for those wishing to use cannabis, and how to regulate vaping and vaping devices, necessitates substantial investigation and discussion. Addressing these issues in concert with efforts directed towards e-cigs may save time and energy and result in a more comprehensive and effective public health policy on vaping. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Effect of zinc addition on properties of cadmium sulfide layer and performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Dowon; Gho, Junghwan; Shin, Minjung; Kwon, Sehan

2013-01-01

Cd (1−x) Zn x S (CdS:Zn) thin films were grown on an indium tin oxide-coated glass substrate and Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) surface by chemical bath deposition for solar cell applications, and their composition, and optical properties were studied to decide the optimum process conditions for buffer layer growth. The average conversion efficiency of CIGS solar panels (24-in.) with the CdS:Zn layer was 0.35% higher than that of conventional solar panels mainly because of the increased open-circuit voltage. This efficiency improvement was not due to modification of the optical properties of the buffer layer, but due to the change in the deposition rate during buffer layer growth. - Highlights: ► CdS:Zn buffer layers were fabricated for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) photovoltaic (PV) panels. ► Composition of buffer layers on indium–tin–oxide (ITO) and CIGS was investigated. ► Transmittance of CdS:Zn on ITO coated glass showed 5% higher than CdS. ► Efficiency of CdS:Zn solution adopted panels showed 0.47% higher than that with CdS. ► However, it was revealed that only Cd and S ions were found at the surface of CIGS

Investigation of Non-Vacuum Deposition Techniques in Fabrication of Chalcogenide-Based Solar Cell Absorbers

KAUST Repository

Alsaggaf, Ahmed

2015-07-01

The environmental challenges are increasing, and so is the need for renewable energy. For photovoltaic applications, thin film Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) and CuIn(S,Se)2 (CIS) solar cells are attractive with conversion efficiencies of more than 20%. However, the high-efficiency cells are fabricated using vacuum technologies such as sputtering or thermal co-evaporation, which are very costly and unfeasible at industrial level. The fabrication involves the uses of highly toxic gases such as H2Se, adding complexity to the fabrication process. The work described here focused on non-vacuum deposition methods such as printing. Special attention has been given to printing designed in a moving Roll-to-Roll (R2R) fashion. The results show potential of such technology to replace the vacuum processes. Conversion efficiencies for such non-vacuum deposition of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cells have exceeded 15% using hazardous chemicals such as hydrazine, which is unsuitable for industrial scale up. In an effort to simplify the process, non-toxic suspensions of Cu(In,Ga)S2 molecular-based precursors achieved efficiencies of ~7-15%. Attempts to further simplify the selenization step, deposition of CuIn(S,Se)2 particulate solutions without the Ga doping and non-toxic suspensions of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 quaternary precursors achieved efficiencies (~1-8%). The contribution of this research was to provide a new method to monitor printed structures through spectral-domain optical coherence tomography SD-OCT in a moving fashion simulating R2R process design at speeds up to 1.05 m/min. The research clarified morphological and compositional impacts of Nd:YAG laser heat-treatment on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 absorber layer to simplify the annealing step in non-vacuum environment compatible to R2R. Finally, the research further simplified development methods for CIGS solar cells based on suspensions of quaternary Cu(In,Ga)Se2 precursors and ternary CuInS2 precursors. The methods consisted of post deposition reactive

Effect of zinc addition on properties of cadmium sulfide layer and performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Dowon, E-mail: bae.dowon@yahoo.co.kr; Gho, Junghwan; Shin, Minjung; Kwon, Sehan

2013-05-01

Cd{sub (1−x)}Zn{sub x}S (CdS:Zn) thin films were grown on an indium tin oxide-coated glass substrate and Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) surface by chemical bath deposition for solar cell applications, and their composition, and optical properties were studied to decide the optimum process conditions for buffer layer growth. The average conversion efficiency of CIGS solar panels (24-in.) with the CdS:Zn layer was 0.35% higher than that of conventional solar panels mainly because of the increased open-circuit voltage. This efficiency improvement was not due to modification of the optical properties of the buffer layer, but due to the change in the deposition rate during buffer layer growth. - Highlights: ► CdS:Zn buffer layers were fabricated for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) photovoltaic (PV) panels. ► Composition of buffer layers on indium–tin–oxide (ITO) and CIGS was investigated. ► Transmittance of CdS:Zn on ITO coated glass showed 5% higher than CdS. ► Efficiency of CdS:Zn solution adopted panels showed 0.47% higher than that with CdS. ► However, it was revealed that only Cd and S ions were found at the surface of CIGS.

Modeling and simulation of CuIn{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} based thin film solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumari, S., E-mail: sarita.kumari132@gmail.com; Verma, A. S. [Department of Physics, Banasthali University, Rajasthan-304022 (India); Singh, P.; Gautam, R. [Department of Electronics and Communication, Krishna Institute of Engg. and Tech., Ghaziabad-201206 (India)

2014-04-24

In this work, CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide) based solar cell structure has been simulated. We have been calculated short circuit current, open circuit voltage and efficiency of the cell. The thickness of the absorption layer is varied from 400 to 3000 nm, keeping the thickness of other layers unchanged. The effect of absorption layer thickness over cell performance has been analyzed and found that the efficiency increases upto 22% until the thickness of the absorption layer reaches around 2000 nm.

Multilayer Transparent Top Electrode for Solution Processed Perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 Four Terminal Tandem Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang Michael; Chen, Qi; Hsieh, Yao-Tsung; Song, Tze-Bin; Marco, Nicholas De; Zhou, Huanping; Yang, Yang

2015-07-28

Halide perovskites (PVSK) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their high potential as a next generation solar cell material. To further improve perovskites progress toward a state-of-the-art technology, it is desirable to create a tandem structure in which perovskite may be stacked with a current prevailing solar cell such as silicon (Si) or Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS). The transparent top electrode is one of the key components as well as challenges to realize such tandem structure. Herein, we develop a multilayer transparent top electrode for perovskite photovoltaic devices delivering an 11.5% efficiency in top illumination mode. The transparent electrode is based on a dielectric/metal/dielectric structure, featuring an ultrathin gold seeded silver layer. A four terminal tandem solar cell employing solution processed CIGS and perovskite cells is also demonstrated with over 15% efficiency.

High throughput CIGS solar cell fabrication via ultra-thin absorber layer with optical confinement and (Cd, CBD)-free heterojunction partner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marsillac, Sylvain [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States)

2015-11-30

The main objective of this proposal was to use several pathways to reduce the production cost of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) PV modules and therefore the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) associated with this technology. Three high cost drivers were identified, nominally: 1) Materials cost and availability; 2) Large scale uniformity; 3) Improved throughput These three cost drivers were targeted using the following pathways: 1) Reducing the thickness of the CIGS layer while enhancing materials quality; 2) Developing and applying enhanced in-situ metrology via real time spectroscopic ellipsometry; 3) Looking into alternative heterojunction partner, back contact and anti-reflection (AR) coating Eleven main Tasks were then defined to achieve these goals (5 in Phase 1 and 6 in Phase 2), with 11 Milestones and 2 Go/No-go decision points at the end of Phase 1. The key results are summarized below

Effects of potassium on kesterite solar cells: Similarities, differences and synergies with sodium

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S. G. Haass

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Addition of alkali dopants is essential for achieving high-efficiency conversion efficiency of thin film solar cells based on chalcogenide semiconductors like Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS and Cu2ZnSn(S,Se4 (CZTSSe also called kesterite. Whereas the treatment with potassium allows boosting the performance of CIGS solar cells as compared to the conventional sodium doping, it is debated if similar effects can be expected for kesterite solar cells. Here the influence of potassium is investigated by introducing the dopant during the solution processing of kesterite absorbers. It is confirmed that the presence of potassium leads to an enhanced grain growth and a ten-fold lower potassium concentration is sufficient for obtaining grain size similar to sodium-containing absorbers. Potassium is located predominantly at grain boundaries and it suppresses incorporation of sodium into the absorber layer. The potassium doping increases the apparent carrier concentration to ∼2×1016 cm-3 for a potassium concentration of 0.2 at%. The potassium-doped solar cells yield conversion efficiency close to 10%, on par with only sodium-doped samples. Co-doping with potassium and sodium has not revealed any beneficial synergetic effects and it is concluded that both dopants exhibit similar effects on the kesterite solar cell performance.

ZnS/Zn(O,OH)S-based buffer layer deposition for solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Raghu N [Littleton, CO

2009-11-03

The invention provides CBD ZnS/Zn(O,OH)S and spray deposited ZnS/Zn(O,OH)S buffer layers prepared from a solution of zinc salt, thiourea and ammonium hydroxide dissolved in a non-aqueous/aqueous solvent mixture or in 100% non-aqueous solvent. Non-aqueous solvents useful in the invention include methanol, isopropanol and triethyl-amine. One-step deposition procedures are described for CIS, CIGS and other solar cell devices.

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%.

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

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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.

Effect of thermal annealing on the redistribution of alkali metals in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells on glass substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Kamikawa, Yukiko; Nishinaga, Jiro; Ishizuka, Shogo; Tayagaki, Takeshi; Guthrey, Harvey; Shibata, Hajime; Matsubara, Koji; Niki, Shigeru

2018-03-01

The precise control of alkali-metal concentrations in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells via post deposition treatment (PDT) has recently attracted attention. When PDT is performed at an elevated temperature, an accompanying annealing effect is expected. Here, we investigate how thermal annealing affects the redistribution of alkali metals in CIGS solar cells on glass substrates and the properties of the solar cells. In addition, we investigate the origin of non-homogeneous alkali-metal depth profiles that are typical of CIGS grown using a three-stage process. In particular, we use secondary-ion mass spectrometry measurements of the ion concentration as a function of distance from the CIGS surface to investigate the impact of thermal annealing on the distribution of alkali metals (Na, Ka, and Rb) and constituent elements (Ga and In) in the CIGS absorbers. We find that the depth profiles of the alkali metals strongly reflect the density of sites that tend to accommodate alkali metals, i.e., vacancies. Annealing at elevated temperature caused a redistribution of the alkali metals. The thermal-diffusion kinetics of alkali metals depends strongly on the species involved. We introduced low flux potassium fluoride (KF) to study a side effect of KF-PDT, i.e., Na removal from CIGS, separately from its predominant effects such as surface modification. When sufficient amounts of Na are supplied from the soda lime glass via annealing at an elevated temperature, the negative effect was not apparent. Conversely, when the Na supply was not sufficient, it caused a deterioration of the photovoltaic properties.

Effect of Thermal Annealing on the Redistribution of Alkali Metals in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells on Glass Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guthrey, Harvey L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kamikawa, Yukiko [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST); Nishinaga, Jiro [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST); Ishizuka, Shogo [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST); Tayagaki, Takeshi [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST); Shibata, Hajime [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST); Matsubara, Koji [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST); Niki, Shigeru [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

2018-03-02

The precise control of alkali-metal concentrations in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells via post deposition treatment (PDT) has recently attracted attention. When PDT is performed at an elevated temperature, an accompanying annealing effect is expected. Here, we investigate how thermal annealing affects the redistribution of alkali metals in CIGS solar cells on glass substrates and the properties of the solar cells. In addition, we investigate the origin of non-homogeneous alkali-metal depth profiles that are typical of CIGS grown using a three-stage process. In particular, we use secondary-ion mass spectrometry measurements of the ion concentration as a function of distance from the CIGS surface to investigate the impact of thermal annealing on the distribution of alkali metals (Na, Ka, and Rb) and constituent elements (Ga and In) in the CIGS absorbers. We find that the depth profiles of the alkali metals strongly reflect the density of sites that tend to accommodate alkali metals, i.e., vacancies. Annealing at elevated temperature caused a redistribution of the alkali metals. The thermal-diffusion kinetics of alkali metals depends strongly on the species involved. We introduced low flux potassium fluoride (KF) to study a side effect of KF-PDT, i.e., Na removal from CIGS, separately from its predominant effects such as surface modification. When sufficient amounts of Na are supplied from the soda lime glass via annealing at an elevated temperature, the negative effect was not apparent. Conversely, when the Na supply was not sufficient, it caused a deterioration of the photovoltaic properties.

Development of Enhanced Window layers for CIGS Photovoltaic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, J. Nicholas

One of the most promising thin film devices right now is the Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) solar cell with maximum reported power conversion efficiency of 22.3%. The Transparent Conducting Oxide (TCO) which is the top layer of the CIGS device also known as the window layer, is responsible for collecting the electrons generated in the CIGS device and conducting them to the circuit. Development of a very low resistivity film with a high optical transmission is crucial for optimal performance of devices as well as the ability to be deployed without changes to their properties for several decades. Current TCOs such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) are met with limitations with either using large amounts of expensive materials such as indium, often requiring and anneal step to obtain good conductivity, or have shown poor long term reliability. This thesis is focused on development of InZnO and zirconium doped InZnO as a potential replacement TCO to obtain high conductivity and high transmission like the leading TCOs without needing heated depositions, post deposition annealing, and maintain a good film reliability. Zirconium doping was employed to farther enhance both the optical and electrical properties through enhancement of the films high frequency permittivity of InZnO while providing improved reliability to the film. The films were grown through a mix of DC and RF co-sputtering. InZnO films were deposited at varying indium concentration ( 10-30%) and samples were able to achieve low resistivity ( 7x10-4 O-cm), high mobility (>30 cm2/v.s), high carrier concentration (>10 20 cm-3), while maintaining high transmission (> 80%) in the visible and near-infrared region. After zirconium was incorporated into the InZnO films by replacement of the ZnO target with a ZrO2/ZnO (5:95) target, films of Zr:InZnO were deposit through the same method to achieve films that maintained very similar electrical and optical properties. The little

Impact of optical properties of front glass substrates on Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells using lift-off process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tamura, Akihiro, E-mail: ro005080@ed.ritsumei.ac.jp [College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0058 (Japan); Abe, Yasuhiro [Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0058 (Japan); Minemoto, Takashi [College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0058 (Japan)

2013-11-01

Transmittance of a front glass is one of the important factors in the development of high efficiency superstrate-type Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells. In this study, we investigated the impact of optical properties of the front glass on the solar cell performance of the CIGS solar cells fabricated using the lift-off process. First, optical properties of quartz substrates and soda-lime glass (SLG) substrates with various thicknesses were investigated. Although optical properties of the SLG substrates depend on the thickness, those of the quartz substrates hardly depend on the thickness. Secondly, the superstrate-type CIGS solar cells were fabricated using 1-mm-thick SLG or 1-mm-thick quartz substrates. As a result, the short-circuit current density of the superstrate-type CIGS solar cell with 1-mm-thick quartz substrate was approximately 7% higher than that with 1-mm-thick SLG substrate, and its conversion efficiency was 7.1%. The external quantum efficiency of the solar cells was also improved using the quartz substrate as a front glass because transmittance and absorptance of the quartz substrate were superior to those of the SLG substrate. We therefore conclude that optical properties of the front glasses play an important role in the improvement of the superstrate-type solar cells. - Highlights: • Superstrate type Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells are fabricated by lift-off process. • Various glasses are used as front glass for lift-off. • The impact of optical properties of the glasses on cell performance is investigated. • Quartz front glass gives 7% higher short-circuit current than soda-lime glass. • High transmittance is desired for front glass.

Advantages of using amorphous indium zinc oxide films for window layer in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warasawa, Moe [Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510 (Japan); Kaijo, Akira [Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., 1280 Kami-izumi, Sodegaura, 229-0293 (Japan); Sugiyama, Mutsumi, E-mail: mutsumi@rs.noda.tus.ac.jp [Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510 (Japan)

2012-01-01

The advantages of using indium zinc oxide (IZO) films instead of conventional Ga-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) films for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells are described. The electrical properties of IZO are independent of film thickness. IZO films have higher mobility (30-40 cm{sup 2}/Vs) and lower resistivity (4-5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} {Omega} cm) compared to ZnO:Ga films deposited without intentional heating, because the number of grain boundaries in amorphous IZO films is small. The properties of a CIGS solar cell using IZO at the window layer were better than those obtained using a conventional ZnO:Ga at the window layer; moreover, the properties tended to be independent of thickness. These results indicate that use of IZO as a transparent conducting oxide layer is expected to increase the efficiency of CIGS solar cells.

Significant effect of substrate temperature on the phase structure, optical and electrical properties of RF sputtered CIGS films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu Zhou; Yan Yong; Li Shasha; Zhang Yanxia; Yan Chuanpeng; Liu Lian; Zhang Yong [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Suspension Technology and Maglev Vehicle, Ministry of Education, Superconductivity and New energy R and D Center (SNERDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Zhao Yong, E-mail: yzhao@swjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Suspension Technology and Maglev Vehicle, Ministry of Education, Superconductivity and New energy R and D Center (SNERDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW (Australia)

2013-01-01

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Secondary phase exist in the RF sputtered CIGS films as it deposited at 150 Degree-Sign C and 500 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CIGS films deposited beyond 350 Degree-Sign C show (1 1 2) prefer orientation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer E{sub g} of the CIGS films increased with the increase of substrate temperature. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Conductivity of the films is affected by 'variable range hopping' mechanism. - Abstract: This work studied the effect of substrate temperature on the phase structure, optical and electrical properties of the one-step radio frequency sputtered Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that all the deposited CIGS films are chalcopyrite phase with polycrystalline structure. The films deposited beyond the substrate temperature of 350 Degree-Sign C show (1 1 2) prefer orientation. Raman spectra reveal that the 150 Degree-Sign C deposited CIGS film coexists with Cu{sub 2-x}Se phase and the 500 Degree-Sign C deposited film contains ordered defect compound (ODC) phase. With the increase of substrate temperature, energy band gap of the CIGS film increase from 0.99 to 1.27 eV. Films deposited at higher temperature exhibit larger electrical conductivity. Conductivity of the CIGS films is dominated by 'variable range hopping' mechanism. The disorder in our CIGS the films is associated with the formation of intrinsic defects such as V{sub Se} and In{sub Cu} for their low formation energy.

OTRZYMYWANIE CIENKICH WARSTW ABSORBERA CIGS METODĄ ROZPYLANIA MAGNETRONOWEGO DLA ZASTOSOWAŃ FOTOWOLTAICZNYCH

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Sławomir GUŁKOWSKI

w cienkowarstwowych ogniwach słonecznych. Metoda rozpylania magnetronowego jest efektywną metodą produkcji cienkich warstw CIGS. Proces nanoszenia warstw można podzielić na dwie zasadnicze części: pierwsza to tworzenie prekursora CIG, tj. nanoszenie warstw metalicznych miedzi, galu i indu w odpowiednich proporcjach. Etap drugi to krystalizacja absorbera CIGS w wyniku procesu wygrzewania prekursora w obecności selenu. W artykule skupiono się na opracowaniu odpowiednich proporcji poszczególnych pierwiastków wchodzących w skład prekursora. Przebadano następujące konfiguracje nanoszenia poszczególnych warstw absorbera: CuGa/In oraz CuGa/In/Cu. Poszczególne warstwy naniesione zostały na podłoże molibdenowe, stanowiące tylny kontakt ogniwa budowanego na bazie absorbera CIGS. Warstwa molibdenu została przebadana metodą czteroostrzową w celu znalezienia zależności rezystywności od grubości warstwy. Przeprowadzono analizę składu pierwiastkowego warstwy za pomocą skaningowego mikroskopu elektronowego wyposażonego w system EDS. Dla każdej z otrzymanych warstw określono atomowe współczynniki proporcji występowania miedzi oraz galu w składzie warstwy. Na podstawie otrzymanych wyników badań dokonano optymalizacji parametrów technologicznych procesu takich jak: moc katody, ciśnienie oraz czas procesu, a także temperatura. Znaleziono zależności grubości warstw w funkcji czasu nanoszenia dla ustalonych warunków ciśnienia i mocy. Grubości poszczególnych warstw określono na podstawie badań profilometrycznych. W oparciu o opracowane parametry wykonane warstwy prekursora poddawane są obróbce termicznej w celu uzyskania absorbera CIGS.

The development of hydrazine-processed Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S){sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bob, Brion; Lei, Bao; Chung, Choong-Heui; Yang, Wenbing; Hsu, Wan-Ching; Duan, Hsin-Sheng; Hou, William Wei-Jen; Li, Sheng-Han; Yang, Yang [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2012-05-15

The hydrazine-based deposition of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se){sub 2} (CIGS) thin films has attracted considerable attention in recent years due to its potential for the high-throughput production of photovoltaic devices based on this absorber material. This article provides an introduction as well as presenting a complete picture of the current status of hydrazine-based CIGS solar-cell fabrication, including the three major steps of this deposition process: dissolution of the precursor materials in hydrazine, deposition of a film from the resulting precursor solution, and the completion and characterization of a photovoltaic device following absorber deposition. Recent discoveries are then discussed, regarding the dissolution chemistry of the relevant precursor complexes in hydrazine, which together represent the true foundation of this processing method. Recent studies on CIGS film formation are then summarized, including the control and analysis of the crystalline phase, electronic bandgap, and film morphology. Finally, the latest progress in high-performance device fabrication is highlighted, with a focus on optoelectronic characterization including current-voltage, junction capacitance, and minority carrier lifetime measurements. Finally, a discussion and future outlook is provided. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Assessing Rare Metal Availability Challenges for Solar Energy Technologies

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Leena Grandell

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Solar energy is commonly seen as a future energy source with significant potential. Ruthenium, gallium, indium and several other rare elements are common and vital components of many solar energy technologies, including dye-sensitized solar cells, CIGS cells and various artificial photosynthesis approaches. This study surveys solar energy technologies and their reliance on rare metals such as indium, gallium, and ruthenium. Several of these rare materials do not occur as primary ores, and are found as byproducts associated with primary base metal ores. This will have an impact on future production trends and the availability for various applications. In addition, the geological reserves of many vital metals are scarce and severely limit the potential of certain solar energy technologies. It is the conclusion of this study that certain solar energy concepts are unrealistic in terms of achieving TW scales.

Adhesion Improvement and Characterization of Magnetron Sputter Deposited Bilayer Molybdenum Thin Films for Rear Contact Application in CIGS Solar Cells

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Weimin Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Molybdenum (Mo thin films are widely used as rear electrodes in copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS solar cells. The challenge in Mo deposition by magnetron sputtering lies in simultaneously achieving good adhesion to the substrates while retaining the electrical and optical properties. Bilayer Mo films, comprising five different thickness ratios of a high pressure (HP deposited bottom layer and a low pressure (LP deposited top layer, were deposited on 40 cm × 30 cm soda-lime glass substrates by DC magnetron sputtering. We focus on understanding the effects of the individual layer properties on the resulting bilayer Mo films, such as microstructure, surface morphology, and surface oxidation. We show that the thickness of the bottom HP Mo layer plays a major role in determining the micromechanical and physical properties of the bilayer Mo stack. Our studies reveal that a thicker HP Mo bottom layer not only improves the adhesion of the bilayer Mo, but also helps to improve the film crystallinity along the preferred [110] direction. However, the surface roughness and the porosity of the bilayer Mo films are found to increase with increasing bottom layer thickness, which leads to lower optical reflectance and a higher probability for oxidation at the Mo surface.

In Situ and Ex Situ Studies of Molybdenum Thin Films Deposited by rf and dc Magnetron Sputtering as a Back Contact for CIGS Solar Cells

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K. Aryal

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Molybdenum thin films were deposited by rf and dc magnetron sputtering and their properties analyzed with regards to their potential application as a back contact for CIGS solar cells. It is shown that both types of films tend to transition from tensile to compressive strain when the deposition pressure increases, while the conductivity and the grain size decreas. The nucleation of the films characterized by in situ and real time spectroscopic ellipsometry shows that both films follow a Volmer-Weber growth, with a higher surface roughness and lower deposition rate for the rf deposited films. The electronic relaxation time was then extracted as a function of bulk layer thickness for rf and dc films by fitting each dielectric function to a Drude free-electron model combined with a broad Lorentz oscillator. The values were fitted to a conical growth mode and demonstrated that the rf-deposited films have already smaller grains than the dc films when the bulk layer thickness is 30 nm.

Toward GW/year of CIGS production within the next decade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhere, Neelkanth G. [Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922-5703 (United States)

2007-09-22

A detailed study carried out in 1996-1997 showed that manufacturing cost of crystalline silicon PV modules could be lowered to 1 ECU/Wp when the c-Si annual module production level reaches 500 MWp while an annual production of only 60 MWp would lower production cost of thin-film PV modules to 0.6 ECU/Wp. During 1976-2003, the PV module price has followed the 80% learning curve with cumulative production volume. However, the price reduction has slowed since because of the polysilicon supply problem. Because of their high potential for improvement, thin-film PV and especially copper (Cu)-indium (In)-gallium (Ga)-selenide (Se)-sulfide (CIGS) technology have the potential for growing at the fastest rate and consequently not only to complement the lagging c-Si PV production but also to assist in following the 80% learning curve. This paper reviews the CIGS PV manufacturing processes in comparison to those of other PV technologies and predicts that annual production volume of CIGS thin-film PV modules will exceed 1 GW/year within the next 10 years. (author)

Toward GW/year of CIGS production within the next decade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhere, Neelkanth G.

2007-01-01

A detailed study carried out in 1996-1997 showed that manufacturing cost of crystalline silicon PV modules could be lowered to 1 ECU/Wp when the c-Si annual module production level reaches 500 MWp while an annual production of only 60 MWp would lower production cost of thin-film PV modules to 0.6 ECU/Wp. During 1976-2003, the PV module price has followed the 80% learning curve with cumulative production volume. However, the price reduction has slowed since because of the polysilicon supply problem. Because of their high potential for improvement, thin-film PV and especially copper (Cu)-indium (In)-gallium (Ga)-selenide (Se)-sulfide (CIGS) technology have the potential for growing at the fastest rate and consequently not only to complement the lagging c-Si PV production but also to assist in following the 80% learning curve. This paper reviews the CIGS PV manufacturing processes in comparison to those of other PV technologies and predicts that annual production volume of CIGS thin-film PV modules will exceed 1 GW/year within the next 10 years. (author)

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)

Improvements in CdTe- and CIGS-based thin-film solar cells and investigation on new materials for photovoltaic applications.

OpenAIRE

Rosa, Greta

2018-01-01

Currently, thin-film solar cells are one of the most promising technologies for low-cost renewable energy production. CdTe- and CuInGaSe2-based cells, which achieved record efficiencies of 22.1% and 22.6% respectively, are the most attractive among thin-film solar cells. These high efficiencies have had a huge influence in making them highly competitive in the photovoltaic market, with an estimated final cost per module lower than US $ 0.50 per peak-watt. At the Thin Film Laboratory of the...

Synthesis of Cu-Poor Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide Nanoparticles by Solvothermal Route for Solar Cell Applications

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Chung Ping Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS thin films were fabricated using precursor nanoparticle ink and sintering technology. The precursor was a Cu-poor quaternary compound with constituent ratios of Cu/(In+Ga=0.603, Ga/(In+Ga=0.674, and Se/(Cu+In+Ga=1.036. Cu-poor CIGS nanoparticles of chalcopyrite for solar cells were successfully synthesized using a relatively simple and convenient elemental solvothermal route. After a fixed reaction time of 36 h at 180°C, CIGS nanocrystals with diameters in the range of 20–70 nm were observed. The nanoparticle ink was fabricated by mixing CIGS nanoparticles, a solvent, and an organic polymer. Analytical results reveal that the Cu-poor CIGS absorption layer prepared from a nanoparticle-ink polymer by sintering has a chalcopyrite structure and a favorable composition. For this kind of sample, its mole ratio of Cu : In : Ga : Se is equal to 0.617 : 0.410 : 0.510 : 2.464 and related ratios of Ga/(In+Ga and Cu/(In+Ga are 0.554 and 0.671, respectively. Under the condition of standard air mass 1.5 global illumination, the conversion efficiency of the solar cell fabricated by this kind of sample is 4.05%.

Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics (CIG)

Science.gov (United States)

Gurnis, M.; Kellogg, L. H.; Bloxham, J.; Hager, B. H.; Spiegelman, M.; Willett, S.; Wysession, M. E.; Aivazis, M.

2004-12-01

Solid earth geophysicists have a long tradition of writing scientific software to address a wide range of problems. In particular, computer simulations came into wide use in geophysics during the decade after the plate tectonic revolution. Solution schemes and numerical algorithms that developed in other areas of science, most notably engineering, fluid mechanics, and physics, were adapted with considerable success to geophysics. This software has largely been the product of individual efforts and although this approach has proven successful, its strength for solving problems of interest is now starting to show its limitations as we try to share codes and algorithms or when we want to recombine codes in novel ways to produce new science. With funding from the NSF, the US community has embarked on a Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics (CIG) that will develop, support, and disseminate community-accessible software for the greater geodynamics community from model developers to end-users. The software is being developed for problems involving mantle and core dynamics, crustal and earthquake dynamics, magma migration, seismology, and other related topics. With a high level of community participation, CIG is leveraging state-of-the-art scientific computing into a suite of open-source tools and codes. The infrastructure that we are now starting to develop will consist of: (a) a coordinated effort to develop reusable, well-documented and open-source geodynamics software; (b) the basic building blocks - an infrastructure layer - of software by which state-of-the-art modeling codes can be quickly assembled; (c) extension of existing software frameworks to interlink multiple codes and data through a superstructure layer; (d) strategic partnerships with the larger world of computational science and geoinformatics; and (e) specialized training and workshops for both the geodynamics and broader Earth science communities. The CIG initiative has already started to

Characterization of Damp-Heat Degradation of CuInGaSe2 Solar Cell Components and Devices by (Electrochemical) Impedance Spectroscopy: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pern, F. J. J.; Noufi, R.

2011-09-01

This work evaluated the capability of (electrochemical) impedance spectroscopy (IS, or ECIS as used here) to monitor damp heat (DH) stability of contact materials, CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) solar cell components, and devices. Cell characteristics and its variation of the CIGS devices were also examined by the ECIS.

Relationship between open-circuit voltage in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell and peak position of (220/204) preferred orientation near its absorber surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chantana, J.; Minemoto, T.; Watanabe, T.; Teraji, S.; Kawamura, K.

2013-01-01

Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) absorbers with various Ga/III, Ga/(In+Ga), profiles are prepared by the so-called “multi-layer precursor method” using multi-layer co-evaporation of material sources. It is revealed that open-circuit voltage (V OC ) of CIGS solar cell is primarily dependent on averaged Ga/III near the surface of its absorber. This averaged Ga/III is well predicted by peak position of (220/204) preferred orientation of CIGS film near its surface investigated by glancing-incidence X-ray diffraction with 0.1° incident angle. Finally, the peak position of (220/204) preferred orientation is proposed as a measure of V OC before solar cell fabrication

Identification and Validation of Novel Hedgehog-Responsive Enhancers Predicted by Computational Analysis of Ci/Gli Binding Site Density

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Neil; Parker, David S.; Johnson, Lisa A.; Allen, Benjamin L.; Barolo, Scott; Gumucio, Deborah L.

2015-01-01

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway directs a multitude of cellular responses during embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Stimulation of the pathway results in activation of Hh target genes by the transcription factor Ci/Gli, which binds to specific motifs in genomic enhancers. In Drosophila, only a few enhancers (patched, decapentaplegic, wingless, stripe, knot, hairy, orthodenticle) have been shown by in vivo functional assays to depend on direct Ci/Gli regulation. All but one (orthodenticle) contain more than one Ci/Gli site, prompting us to directly test whether homotypic clustering of Ci/Gli binding sites is sufficient to define a Hh-regulated enhancer. We therefore developed a computational algorithm to identify Ci/Gli clusters that are enriched over random expectation, within a given region of the genome. Candidate genomic regions containing Ci/Gli clusters were functionally tested in chicken neural tube electroporation assays and in transgenic flies. Of the 22 Ci/Gli clusters tested, seven novel enhancers (and the previously known patched enhancer) were identified as Hh-responsive and Ci/Gli-dependent in one or both of these assays, including: Cuticular protein 100A (Cpr100A); invected (inv), which encodes an engrailed-related transcription factor expressed at the anterior/posterior wing disc boundary; roadkill (rdx), the fly homolog of vertebrate Spop; the segment polarity gene gooseberry (gsb); and two previously untested regions of the Hh receptor-encoding patched (ptc) gene. We conclude that homotypic Ci/Gli clustering is not sufficient information to ensure Hh-responsiveness; however, it can provide a clue for enhancer recognition within putative Hedgehog target gene loci. PMID:26710299

Relationship between open-circuit voltage in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cell and peak position of (220/204) preferred orientation near its absorber surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chantana, J., E-mail: jakapan@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp; Minemoto, T. [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 (Japan); Watanabe, T.; Teraji, S.; Kawamura, K. [Environment and Energy Research Center, Nitto Denko Corporation, 2-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)

2013-11-25

Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) absorbers with various Ga/III, Ga/(In+Ga), profiles are prepared by the so-called “multi-layer precursor method” using multi-layer co-evaporation of material sources. It is revealed that open-circuit voltage (V{sub OC}) of CIGS solar cell is primarily dependent on averaged Ga/III near the surface of its absorber. This averaged Ga/III is well predicted by peak position of (220/204) preferred orientation of CIGS film near its surface investigated by glancing-incidence X-ray diffraction with 0.1° incident angle. Finally, the peak position of (220/204) preferred orientation is proposed as a measure of V{sub OC} before solar cell fabrication.

Investigation of an Electrochemical Method for Separation of Copper, Indium, and Gallium from Pretreated CIGS Solar Cell Waste Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna M. K. Gustafsson

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Recycling of the semiconductor material copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS is important to ensure a future supply of indium and gallium, which are relatively rare and therefore expensive elements. As a continuation of our previous work, where we recycled high purity selenium from CIGS waste materials, we now show that copper and indium can be recycled by electrodeposition from hydrochloric acid solutions of dissolved selenium-depleted material. Suitable potentials for the reduction of copper and indium were determined to be −0.5 V and −0.9 V (versus the Ag/AgCl reference electrode, respectively, using cyclic voltammetry. Electrodeposition of first copper and then indium from a solution containing the dissolved residue from the selenium separation and ammonium chloride in 1 M HCl gave a copper yield of 100.1 ± 0.5% and an indium yield of 98.1 ± 2.5%. The separated copper and indium fractions contained no significant contamination of the other elements. Gallium remained in solution together with a small amount of indium after the separation of copper and indium and has to be recovered by an alternative method since electrowinning from the chloride-rich acid solution was not effective.

Ion beam analysis of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karydas, A.G. [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), IAEA Laboratories, Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory, A-2444 Seibersdorf (Austria); Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics, NCSR “Demokritos”, 153 10 Aghia Paraskevi, Athens Greece (Greece); Streeck, C. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Abbestr. 2-12, 10587 Berlin (Germany); Radovic, I. Bogdanovic [Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI), Zagreb (Croatia); Kaufmann, C.; Rissom, T. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH (HZB), Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin (Germany); Beckhoff, B. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Abbestr. 2-12, 10587 Berlin (Germany); Jaksic, M. [Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI), Zagreb (Croatia); Barradas, N.P. [Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, E. N. 10, Apartado 21, 2686-953 Sacavém (Portugal)

2015-11-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Elemental depth profiles for various CIGS thin films were quantitatively determined. • Pure absorbers, complete cell and bilayer solar cells were prepared and analyzed. • Synergistic PIXE and RBS analysis of thin solar cells using alpha beam particles. • High energy alpha beam resolved completely the Indium depth profile. • Synchrotron based Reference Free GIXRF quantitative analysis validated IBA results. - Abstract: The present work investigates the potential of ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques such as the Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) using helium ions to provide quantitative in-depth elemental analysis of various types of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films. These films with a thickness of about 2 μm are used as absorber layers in photovoltaic devices with continuously increasing the performance of this technology. The preparation process generally aims to obtain an in-depth gradient of In and Ga concentrations that optimizes the optoelectronic and electrical properties of the solar cell. The measurements were performed at directly accessible single or double layered CIGS absorbers and at buried absorbers in completed thin film solar cells. The IBA data were analyzed simultaneously in order to derive best fitted profiles that match all experimental RBS and PIXE spectra. For some samples elemental profiles deduced form synchrotron based, reference free grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence analysis were compared with the IBA results and an overall good agreement was observed within quoted uncertainties.

Progress on Low-Temperature Pulsed Electron Deposition of CuInGaSe2 Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Mazzer

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The quest for single-stage deposition of CuInGaSe2 (CIGS is an open race to replace very effective but capital intensive thin film solar cell manufacturing processes like multiple-stage coevaporation or sputtering combined with high pressure selenisation treatments. In this paper the most recent achievements of Low Temperature Pulsed Electron Deposition (LTPED, a novel single stage deposition process by which CIGS can be deposited at 250 °C, are presented and discussed. We show that selenium loss during the film deposition is not a problem with LTPED as good crystalline films are formed very close to the melting temperature of selenium. The mechanism of formation of good ohmic contacts between CIGS and Mo in the absence of any MoSe2 transition layers is also illustrated, followed by a brief summary of the measured characteristics of test solar cells grown by LTPED. The 17% efficiency target achieved by lab-scale CIGS devices without bandgap modulation, antireflection coating or K-doping is considered to be a crucial milestone along the path to the industrial scale-up of LTPED. The paper ends with a brief review of the open scientific and technological issues related to the scale-up and the possible future applications of the new technology.

Fiscal 1998 New Sunshine Program achievement report. Development for practical application of photovoltaic system - Development of thin-film solar cell manufacturing technology (Development of next-generation thin-film solar cell module manufacturing technology - Development of CIS solar cell module manufacturing technology - Development of high-quality film enlargement technology); 1998 nendo taiyoko hatsuden system jitsuyoka gijutsu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Usumaku taiyo denchi no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu / jisedai usumaku taiyo denchi module no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu / CIS taiyo denchi module no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu / kohinshitsumaku no daimensekika gijutsu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

The project aims to establish a manufacturing process that enables both high-quality CuInSe{sub 2} (CIS) film solar cell enlargement and cost reduction and to develop a device structure which uses less heavy metal for the purposes of increasing the CIS thin-film solar cell size and efficiency and decreasing environmental impact. Several element technologies have been established for increasing the area of high-efficiency Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells. Concerning the enlargement of the photoabsorption layer which is to assume the most important role, it is found that a high-quality CIGS film, which is near homogeneous though within a 10cm times 10cm area, is fabricated by an in-line vapor deposition method. As for dead area reduction and high-speed patterning, it is found that laser scribing works effectively in the patterning of the window layer and photoabsorption layer. As for reduction in the use of heavy metal, a high efficiency of 16.2% is attained in a cell not using a CdS film as expected in the case of a cell using a CdS film, this thanks to a CIGS film surface reforming technique. The technique of junction formation for CIGS solar cells is improved, and then a true efficiency of 18.5% is achieved. (NEDO)

Progress in Thin Film Solar Cells Based on Cu2ZnSnS4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongxia Wang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The research in thin film solar cells has been dominated by light absorber materials based on CdTe and Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS in the last several decades. The concerns of environment impact of cadmium and the limited availability of indium in those materials have driven the research towards developing new substitute light absorbers made from earth abundant, environment benign materials. Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS semiconductor material has emerged as one of the most promising candidates for this aim and has attracted considerable interest recently. Significant progress in this relatively new research area has been achieved in the last three years. Over 130 papers on CZTS have been published since 2007, and the majority of them are on the preparation of CZTS thin films by different methods. This paper, will review the wide range of techniques that have been used to deposit CZTS semiconductor thin films. The performance of the thin film solar cells using the CZTS material will also be discussed.

Photoelectrochemical water splitting for hydrogen production using combination of CIGS2 solar cell and RuO2 photocatalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhere, Neelkanth G.; Jahagirdar, Anant H.

2005-01-01

This paper presents the development of photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell for water splitting setup using multiple band gap combination of CuIn 1-x Ga x S 2 (CIGS2) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) cell and ruthenium oxide (RuO 2 ) photocatalyst. FSEC PV Materials Lab has developed a PEC setup consisting of two illuminated CIGS2 cells, a ruthenium oxide (RuO 2 ) anode deposited on titanium sheet for oxygen evolution and a platinum foil cathode for hydrogen evolution. With this combination, a PEC efficiency of 4.29% has been achieved. This paper also presents the research aimed at further improvements in the PEC efficiency by employing highly efficient photoanode that can be illuminated by photons not absorbed at the PV cell and by increasing the concentration of electrolyte solution (pH 10). The former will be achieved by employing a p-type transparent and conducting layer at the back of PV cell to transmit the unabsorbed photons, and the latter will reduce the resistance offered by the electrolyte. Concentration of the electrolyte was increased by five times, and the I-V characteristics of both RuO 2 and RuS 2 were measured with and without illumination. The results indicate that PEC efficiencies of over 9% can be achieved using RuS 2 with illumination and five times concentrated pH 10 solution instead of pH 10 with normal concentration

Review on Alkali Element Doping in Cu(In,GaSe2 Thin Films and Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Sun

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the development history of alkali element doping on Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS solar cells and summarizes important achievements that have been made in this field. The influences of incorporation strategies on CIGS absorbers and device performances are also reviewed. By analyzing CIGS surface structure and electronic property variation induced by alkali fluoride (NaF and KF post-deposition treatment (PDT, we discuss and interpret the following issues: ① The delamination of CIGS thin films induced by Na incorporation facilitates CuInSe2 formation and inhibits Ga during low-temperature co-evaporation processes. ② The mechanisms of carrier density increase due to defect passivation by Na at grain boundaries and the surface. ③ A thinner buffer layer improves the short-circuit current without open-circuit voltage loss. This is attributed not only to better buffer layer coverage in the early stage of the chemical bath deposition process, but also to higher donor defect (CdCu+ density, which is transferred from the acceptor defect (VCu− and strengthens the buried homojunction. ④ The KF-PDT-induced lower valence band maximum at the absorber surface reduces the recombination at the absorber/buffer interface, which improves the open-circuit voltage and the fill factor of solar cells.

Thin-Film CIGS Photovoltaic Technology: Annual Technical Report-Phase II, 16 April 1999-15 April 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delahoy, A.E.; Bruns, J.; Ruppert, A.; Akhtar, M.; Chen, L.; Kiss, Z.J.

2000-08-24

A summary of Energy Photovoltaics' Phase II work includes the following: (1) EPV has demonstrated that it can sputter a Mo back-contact capable of supporting very high efficiency cell processing. Using EPV Mo, NREL has deposited a 17.1% CIGS cell (no AR coating). EPV believes it can identify the signature of ``good'' Mo. The Mo was produced on EPV's 0.43 m{sup 2} pilot-line equipment; (2) EPV has performed compound synthesis for several classes of materials, namely non-Cu precursor materials, Cu-containing materials, and ternary buffer materials. Using a ternary compound synthesized at EPV (ZIS) as an evaporation source material for the buffer layer, a Cd-free CIGS device has been produced having an efficiency of 11.5% (560 mV, 32.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, FF 64.3%). The ZIS films are photoconductive, and the devices exhibit no dark-light crossover or light soaking effects; (3) EPV initiated the interest of the University of Oregon in capacitance spectroscopy of CIGS devices. An Urbach tail with characteristic energy E0 < 20meV was identified by transient photocapacitance spectroscopy; (4) Small-area CIGS devices were produced in the pilot-line system with an efficiency of 12.0% (581 mV, 30.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, FF 68.7%), and in an R and D-scale system with 13.3% efficiency (569 mV, 34.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, FF 68.1%); (5) An improved linear evaporation source for Cu delivery has been developed and was used for CIGS formation in the pilot-line system. The deposition width is 45 cm. This technological ``tour de force'' allows EPV to build large-area CIGS systems possessing considerable flexibility. In particular, both EPV's FORNAX process and NREL's 3-stage process have been implemented on the pilot line. A CIGS thickness uniformity of 7% over a 40 cm width has been achieved; (6) A 4-head linear source assembly was designed, constructed, and is in use. Flux monitoring is practiced; (7) Large-area CIGS modules were produced with Voc's up to 36

Thin-Film CIGS Photovoltaic Technology: Annual Technical Report-Phase II, 16 April 1999-15 April 2000; ANNUAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delahoy, A.E.; Bruns, J.; Ruppert, A.; Akhtar, M.; Chen, L.; Kiss, Z.J.

2000-01-01

A summary of Energy Photovoltaics' Phase II work includes the following: (1) EPV has demonstrated that it can sputter a Mo back-contact capable of supporting very high efficiency cell processing. Using EPV Mo, NREL has deposited a 17.1% CIGS cell (no AR coating). EPV believes it can identify the signature of''good'' Mo. The Mo was produced on EPV's 0.43 m(sup 2) pilot-line equipment; (2) EPV has performed compound synthesis for several classes of materials, namely non-Cu precursor materials, Cu-containing materials, and ternary buffer materials. Using a ternary compound synthesized at EPV (ZIS) as an evaporation source material for the buffer layer, a Cd-free CIGS device has been produced having an efficiency of 11.5% (560 mV, 32.1 mA/cm(sup 2), FF 64.3%). The ZIS films are photoconductive, and the devices exhibit no dark-light crossover or light soaking effects; (3) EPV initiated the interest of the University of Oregon in capacitance spectroscopy of CIGS devices. An Urbach tail with characteristic energy E0 and lt; 20meV was identified by transient photocapacitance spectroscopy; (4) Small-area CIGS devices were produced in the pilot-line system with an efficiency of 12.0% (581 mV, 30.1 mA/cm(sup 2), FF 68.7%), and in an R and D-scale system with 13.3% efficiency (569 mV, 34.1 mA/cm(sup 2), FF 68.1%); (5) An improved linear evaporation source for Cu delivery has been developed and was used for CIGS formation in the pilot-line system. The deposition width is 45 cm. This technological''tour de force'' allows EPV to build large-area CIGS systems possessing considerable flexibility. In particular, both EPV's FORNAX process and NREL's 3-stage process have been implemented on the pilot line. A CIGS thickness uniformity of 7% over a 40 cm width has been achieved; (6) A 4-head linear source assembly was designed, constructed, and is in use. Flux monitoring is practiced; (7) Large-area CIGS modules were produced with Voc's up to 36.3 V; (8) EPV has started to construct an

Investigation of the effect of potassium on Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} layers and solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laemmle, A., E-mail: anke.laemmle@zsw-bw.de; Wuerz, R.; Powalla, M.

2015-05-01

We investigate the influence of potassium (K) on the Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) growth kinetics on alkali-free alumina substrates and the electrical parameters of the CIGS solar cell by intentional K doping of the CIGS layer by a KF-precursor layer and KF-post deposition treatment (PDT). Secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurements revealed that K can be incorporated into the CIGS layer by both processes. The CIGS composition of the KF-precursor sample shows a stronger [Ga]/([Ga] + [In]) (GGI) profile. By analysing the samples with scanning electron microscopy we observed smaller CIGS grains for the KF-precursor sample compared to the K-free reference and KF-PDT sample. jV-measurements of the KF-PDT and the KF-precursor sample show an increase in the cell efficiency η from 10.7% to 13.6% and 13.7%, respectively, compared to the K-free reference sample. The external quantum efficiency measurements of the KF-precursor sample show an increased absorption in the infrared region. Capacitance-voltage measurements reveal an increase in the net doping concentration of both samples treated with K. We assume that the enhancement is caused by passivation of grain boundaries and donor-like defects by K, as previously demonstrated for Na. - Highlights: • K-doped Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) layers from KF-precursor and KF-post deposition treatment • Separation of the K-effect from the Na-effect by using alkali-free substrates • Interdiffusion of CIGS elements during CIGS growth is hindered by K • KF-precursor leads to smaller CIGS grains and a stronger Cu depletion at the CIGS surface. • K leads to an increase in the conversion efficiency.

Lessons learned from NMSG-085 CIG Land Operation demonstration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gautreau, B.; Remmersmann, T.; Henderson, H.C.; Reus, N.M. de; Khimeche, L.; Pedersen, E.; Lillesoe, J.; Liberg, D.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the experience gained during demonstrations carried out between Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain under the umbrella of the NMSG-085 / CIG Land Operation group. The demonstration, also presented in this paper, focuses on command post exercise training. It

Atomic layer deposition for photovoltaics: applications and prospects for solar cell manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Delft, J A; Garcia-Alonso, D; Kessels, W M M

2012-01-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a vapour-phase deposition technique capable of depositing high quality, uniform and conformal thin films at relatively low temperatures. These outstanding properties can be employed to face processing challenges for various types of next-generation solar cells; hence, ALD for photovoltaics (PV) has attracted great interest in academic and industrial research in recent years. In this review, the recent progress of ALD layers applied to various solar cell concepts and their future prospects are discussed. Crystalline silicon (c-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) benefit from the application of ALD surface passivation layers, buffer layers and barrier layers, respectively. ALD films are also excellent moisture permeation barriers that have been successfully used to encapsulate flexible CIGS and organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. Furthermore, some emerging applications of the ALD method in solar cell research are reviewed. The potential of ALD for solar cells manufacturing is discussed, and the current status of high-throughput ALD equipment development is presented. ALD is on the verge of being introduced in the PV industry and it is expected that it will be part of the standard solar cell manufacturing equipment in the near future. (paper)

Notas sobre Feral y las cigüeñas, de Fernando Alonso, y la "Historia del califa cigüeña" (Wilhelm Hauff, Sara Cone Bryant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans Christian Hagedorn

2011-01-01

Full Text Available En el presente estudio se analizan las fuentes de la versión de la "Historia del califa cigüeña", incluida en la narración Feral y las cigüeñas (1971, de Fernando Alonso. Para ello se tienen en cuenta el cuento original del autor postromántico alemán Wilhelm Hauff ("Die Geschichte von Kalif Storch", 1825, y la adaptación de este cuento que Sara Cone Bryant realizó para su libro How to tell stories to children (1905, traducción española: El arte de contar cuentos, 1965.

Photoelectrochemical water splitting for hydrogen production using combination of CIGS2 solar cell and RuO{sub 2} photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhere, Neelkanth G. [University of Central Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road Cocoa, FL 32922-5703 (United States)]. E-mail: dhere@fsec.ucf.edu; Jahagirdar, Anant H. [University of Central Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road Cocoa, FL 32922-5703 (United States)

2005-06-01

This paper presents the development of photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell for water splitting setup using multiple band gap combination of CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga {sub x}S{sub 2} (CIGS2) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) cell and ruthenium oxide (RuO{sub 2}) photocatalyst. FSEC PV Materials Lab has developed a PEC setup consisting of two illuminated CIGS2 cells, a ruthenium oxide (RuO{sub 2}) anode deposited on titanium sheet for oxygen evolution and a platinum foil cathode for hydrogen evolution. With this combination, a PEC efficiency of 4.29% has been achieved. This paper also presents the research aimed at further improvements in the PEC efficiency by employing highly efficient photoanode that can be illuminated by photons not absorbed at the PV cell and by increasing the concentration of electrolyte solution (pH 10). The former will be achieved by employing a p-type transparent and conducting layer at the back of PV cell to transmit the unabsorbed photons, and the latter will reduce the resistance offered by the electrolyte. Concentration of the electrolyte was increased by five times, and the I-V characteristics of both RuO{sub 2} and RuS{sub 2} were measured with and without illumination. The results indicate that PEC efficiencies of over 9% can be achieved using RuS{sub 2} with illumination and five times concentrated pH 10 solution instead of pH 10 with normal concentration.

Effect of annealing on the structural properties of electron beam deposited CIGS thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatachalam, M. [Department of Electronics, Erode Arts College, Erode (India)], E-mail: prabhu7737@yahoo.com; Kannan, M.D.; Jayakumar, S.; Balasundaraprabhu, R. [Thin Film Center, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore (India); Muthukumarasamy, N. [Department of Physics, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore (India)

2008-08-30

CIGS bulk compound of three different compositions CuIn{sub 0.85}Ga{sub 0.15}Se{sub 2}, CuIn{sub 0.80}Ga{sub 0.20}Se{sub 2} and CuIn{sub 0.75}Ga{sub 0.25}Se{sub 2} have been prepared by direct reaction of elemental copper, indium, gallium and selenium. CIGS thin films of the three compositions have been deposited onto glass and silicon substrates using the prepared bulk by electron beam deposition method. The structural properties of the deposited films have been studied using X-ray diffraction technique. The as-deposited CIGS films have been found to be amorphous in nature. To study the effect of annealing on the structural properties, the films have been annealed in vacuum of the order of 10{sup -5} Torr. The X-ray diffractograms of the annealed CIGS films exhibited peaks revealing that the annealed films are crystalline in nature with tetragonal chalcopyrite structure. The (112) peak corresponding to the chalcopyrite structure has been observed to be the dominating peak in all the annealed films. The position of the (112) peak and other peaks in the X-ray diffraction pattern has been observed to shift to higher values of 2{theta} with the increase of gallium concentration. The lattice parameter values 'a' and 'c' have been calculated and they are found to be dependent on the concentration of gallium in the films. The FWHM in the X-ray diffraction pattern is found to decrease with an increase in annealing temperature indicating that the crystalline nature of the CIGS improves with increase in annealing temperature. The films grown on silicon substrates have been found to be of better crystalline quality than those deposited on glass substrates. The micro structural parameters like grain size, dislocation density and strain have been evaluated. The chemical constituents present in the deposited CIGS films have been identified using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The surface topographical study on the films has been performed by AFM. The

Characteristics of molybdenum bilayer back contacts for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells on Ti foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roger, Charles; Noël, Sébastien; Sicardy, Olivier; Faucherand, Pascal; Grenet, Louis; Karst, Nicolas; Fournier, Hélène; Roux, Frédéric; Ducroquet, Frédérique; Brioude, Arnaud; Perraud, Simon

2013-01-01

Molybdenum back contact properties are critical for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) solar cell performance on metallic substrates. In this work, we investigated the properties of sputter-deposited Mo bilayer back contacts on Ti foils. The morphology, electrical resistivity, optical reflectance and residual mechanical stress of the bottom Mo layer were modified by varying the working pressure during its deposition. Working pressures ranging from 0.27 Pa to 4.00 Pa were used. The top Mo layer was deposited using constant conditions at a pressure of 0.13 Pa. It was demonstrated that unlike a Mo monolayer, the use of a Mo bilayer allows controlling the mechanical stress at the Mo/CIGS interface without degrading the optical reflectance and the electrical resistance of the back contact. It was also found that the morphology of the bottom Mo layer affects the growth of the top Mo layer, resulting in a modified back contact surface morphology. This induces changes in the crystalline orientation of the CIGS layer. The resulting solar cell characteristics strongly vary as a function of the bottom Mo layer deposition pressure. A bottom Mo layer growth at 2.93 Pa allows improving the solar cell conversion efficiency by 1.5 times compared to a bottom Mo layer deposited at 0.27 Pa. Using the improved Mo bilayer back contact, a maximum solar cell efficiency of 10.0% was obtained without sodium addition nor anti-reflection coating. - Highlights: • Mo bilayer back contacts for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells were grown on Ti substrates. • The sputtering pressure of the bottom Mo layer was varied between 0.27 Pa and 4 Pa. • The top Mo layer controls the optical and electrical properties of the back contact. • The structure of the bottom Mo layer influences the morphology of the top Mo layer. • The back contact affects the CIGS texture, device series resistance and efficiency

Electrodeposition route to synthesize cigs films – an economical way ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Unlike binary conductors CIGS film preparation needs highly ... This argument also holds well in forming a hetero-junction partner CdS ..... successfully electrodeposited onto indium tin oxide substrate and it is recently reported (Li et al., 2010).

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)

Characteristics of molybdenum bilayer back contacts for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells on Ti foils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roger, Charles, E-mail: charles.rgr@gmail.com [CEA, LITEN, 17 Rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Noël, Sébastien; Sicardy, Olivier; Faucherand, Pascal; Grenet, Louis; Karst, Nicolas; Fournier, Hélène; Roux, Frédéric [CEA, LITEN, 17 Rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Ducroquet, Frédérique [IMEP-LAHC, Minatec, Grenoble-INP, CNRS UMR 5130, 38016 Grenoble (France); Brioude, Arnaud [Laboratoire des Multimatériaux et Interfaces, UMR 5615, Villeurbanne (France); Perraud, Simon [CEA, LITEN, 17 Rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

2013-12-02

Molybdenum back contact properties are critical for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cell performance on metallic substrates. In this work, we investigated the properties of sputter-deposited Mo bilayer back contacts on Ti foils. The morphology, electrical resistivity, optical reflectance and residual mechanical stress of the bottom Mo layer were modified by varying the working pressure during its deposition. Working pressures ranging from 0.27 Pa to 4.00 Pa were used. The top Mo layer was deposited using constant conditions at a pressure of 0.13 Pa. It was demonstrated that unlike a Mo monolayer, the use of a Mo bilayer allows controlling the mechanical stress at the Mo/CIGS interface without degrading the optical reflectance and the electrical resistance of the back contact. It was also found that the morphology of the bottom Mo layer affects the growth of the top Mo layer, resulting in a modified back contact surface morphology. This induces changes in the crystalline orientation of the CIGS layer. The resulting solar cell characteristics strongly vary as a function of the bottom Mo layer deposition pressure. A bottom Mo layer growth at 2.93 Pa allows improving the solar cell conversion efficiency by 1.5 times compared to a bottom Mo layer deposited at 0.27 Pa. Using the improved Mo bilayer back contact, a maximum solar cell efficiency of 10.0% was obtained without sodium addition nor anti-reflection coating. - Highlights: • Mo bilayer back contacts for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells were grown on Ti substrates. • The sputtering pressure of the bottom Mo layer was varied between 0.27 Pa and 4 Pa. • The top Mo layer controls the optical and electrical properties of the back contact. • The structure of the bottom Mo layer influences the morphology of the top Mo layer. • The back contact affects the CIGS texture, device series resistance and efficiency.

Copper-indium-gallium-diselenide nanoparticles synthesized by a solvothermal method for solar cell application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiou Chuan-Sheng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Chalcopyrite copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS nanoparticles are useful for photovoltaic applications. In this study, the synthesis of CIGS powder was examined, and the powder was successfully synthesized using a relatively simple and convenient elemental solvothermal route. From the reactions of elemental Cu, In, Se and Ga(NO33 powders in an autoclave with ethylenediamine as a solvent, spherical CIGS nanoparticles, with diameters ranging from 20-40 nm, were obtained using a temperature of 200°C for 36h. The structure, morphology, chemical composition and optical properties of the as-synthesized CIGS were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In this sample, the mole ratio of Cu:In:Ga:Se was equal to 0.89:0.71:0.29:2.01, and the optical band gap was found to be 1.18 eV. The solar cell obtained a power conversion efficiency of 5.62% under standard air mass 1.5 global illumination.

Design and realization of transparent solar modules based on luminescent solar concentrators integrating nanostructured photonic crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Solano, Alberto; Delgado-Sánchez, José-Maria; Calvo, Mauricio E; Miranda-Muñoz, José M; Lozano, Gabriel; Sancho, Diego; Sánchez-Cortezón, Emilio; Míguez, Hernán

2015-12-01

Herein, we present a prototype of a photovoltaic module that combines a luminescent solar concentrator integrating one-dimensional photonic crystals and in-plane CuInGaSe 2 (CIGS) solar cells. Highly uniform and wide-area nanostructured multilayers with photonic crystal properties were deposited by a cost-efficient and scalable liquid processing amenable to large-scale fabrication. Their role is to both maximize light absorption in the targeted spectral range, determined by the fluorophore employed, and minimize losses caused by emission at angles within the escape cone of the planar concentrator. From a structural perspective, the porous nature of the layers facilitates the integration with the thermoplastic polymers typically used to encapsulate and seal these modules. Judicious design of the module geometry, as well as of the optical properties of the dielectric mirrors employed, allows optimizing light guiding and hence photovoltaic performance while preserving a great deal of transparency. Optimized in-plane designs like the one herein proposed are of relevance for building integrated photovoltaics, as ease of fabrication, long-term stability and improved performance are simultaneously achieved. © 2015 The Authors. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Design and realization of transparent solar modules based on luminescent solar concentrators integrating nanostructured photonic crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez‐Solano, Alberto; Delgado‐Sánchez, José‐Maria; Calvo, Mauricio E.; Miranda‐Muñoz, José M.; Lozano, Gabriel; Sancho, Diego; Sánchez‐Cortezón, Emilio

2015-01-01

Abstract Herein, we present a prototype of a photovoltaic module that combines a luminescent solar concentrator integrating one‐dimensional photonic crystals and in‐plane CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) solar cells. Highly uniform and wide‐area nanostructured multilayers with photonic crystal properties were deposited by a cost‐efficient and scalable liquid processing amenable to large‐scale fabrication. Their role is to both maximize light absorption in the targeted spectral range, determined by the fluorophore employed, and minimize losses caused by emission at angles within the escape cone of the planar concentrator. From a structural perspective, the porous nature of the layers facilitates the integration with the thermoplastic polymers typically used to encapsulate and seal these modules. Judicious design of the module geometry, as well as of the optical properties of the dielectric mirrors employed, allows optimizing light guiding and hence photovoltaic performance while preserving a great deal of transparency. Optimized in‐plane designs like the one herein proposed are of relevance for building integrated photovoltaics, as ease of fabrication, long‐term stability and improved performance are simultaneously achieved. © 2015 The Authors. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:27656090

Beneficial effect of post-deposition treatment in high-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells through reduced potential fluctuations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jensen, S. A., E-mail: Soren.Jensen@nrel.gov, E-mail: Darius.Kuciauskas@nrel.gov; Glynn, S.; Kanevce, A.; Dippo, P.; Li, J. V.; Levi, D. H.; Kuciauskas, D., E-mail: Soren.Jensen@nrel.gov, E-mail: Darius.Kuciauskas@nrel.gov [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

2016-08-14

World-record power conversion efficiencies for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells have been achieved via a post-deposition treatment with alkaline metals, which increases the open-circuit voltage and fill factor. We explore the role of the potassium fluoride (KF) post-deposition treatment in CIGS by employing energy- and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and electrical characterization combined with numerical modeling. The bulk carrier lifetime is found to increase with post-deposition treatment from 255 ns to 388 ns, which is the longest charge carrier lifetime reported for CIGS, and within ∼40% of the radiative limit. We find evidence that the post-deposition treatment causes a decrease in the electronic potential fluctuations. These potential fluctuations have previously been shown to reduce the open-circuit voltage and the device efficiency in CIGS. Additionally, numerical simulations based on the measured carrier lifetimes and mobilities show a diffusion length of ∼10 μm, which is ∼4 times larger than the film thickness. Thus, carrier collection in the bulk is not a limiting factor for device efficiency. By considering differences in doping, bandgap, and potential fluctuations, we present a possible explanation for the voltage difference between KF-treated and untreated samples.

Thin-Film CIGS Photovoltaic Technology; Annual Technical Report, Phase I; 16 April 1998 - 15 April 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chorobski, D.; Delahoy, A.E.; Kiss, Z.J.; Ziobro, F.

1999-01-01

This report describes work performed by Energy Photovoltaics, Inc. (EPV) under Phase I of this subcontract. EPV's new FORNAX process for CIGS formation is capable of producing devices with high Voc ( and gt;600 mV) and no dark aging effects. Parameters of the best device so far are Voc= 611 mV, Jsc= 27.5 mA/cm2, FF= 74.5%, and efficiency= 12.5%. A 34-cm2 16-cell minimodule was produced using FORNAX CIGS with Voc= 9.58 V, Isc= 52.0 mA, FF69.8%, and efficiency= 10.2%. A new version of EPV's linear evaporation source was developed with improved rate and uniformity for Cu deposition over a width of 45 cm. Using the new linear source, the FORNAX process was implemented on 0.43-m2 substrates in EPV's CIGS pilot line, with Voc= 537 mV and FF= 70.3% being achieved on a device. The EPV Subteam of the National CIS R and D Team has produced Cd-free ZnO/CIGS devices on NREL CIGS using the ROMEAO process (reaction of metal and atomic oxygen) for ZnO deposition. After soaking, the best device exhibited a Voc of 565 mV and an efficiency of 12.3%. Novel bias drive methods were devised for field soaking/anti-soaking experiments as a function of time and temperature. Scaling laws and an activation energy of 0.51 eV were found. Thermally stimulated capacitance reveals the existence of three distinct contributions to ZnO/CIGS device capacitance, two appearing to be gap-state effects and one related to net doping concentration. The coating time of the sputtered pilot-line ZnO:Al has been reduced by a factor of 3 while maintaining film quality. The deposition rate is 48 A s-1. Plans are under way to increase the substrate size from 0.43 m2 to 0.79 m2

Thin-film photovoltaic technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhattacharya, R.N. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States)

2010-07-01

The high material and processing costs associated with single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon wafers that are commonly used in photovoltaic cells render these modules expensive. This presentation described thin-film solar cell technology as a promising alternative to silicon solar cell technology. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films along with copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS) thin films have become the leaders in this field. Their large optical absorption coefficient can be attributed to a direct energy gap that allows the use of thin layers (1-2 {mu}m) of active material. The efficiency of thin-film solar cell devices based on CIGS is 20 per cent, compared to 16.7 per cent for thin-film solar cell devices based on CdTe. IBM recently reported an efficiency of 9.7 per cent for a new type of inorganic thin-film solar cell based on a Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(S, Se){sub 4} compound. The efficiency of an organic thin-film solar cell is 7.9 per cent. This presentation included a graph of PV device efficiencies and discussed technological advances in non-vacuum deposited, CIGS-based thin-film solar cells. 1 fig.

Inkjet printed Cu(In,Ga)S2 nanoparticles for low-cost solar cells

KAUST Repository

Barbe, Jeremy; Eid, Jessica; Ahlswede, Erik; Spiering, Stefanie; Powalla, Michael; Agrawal, Rakesh; Del Gobbo, Silvano

2016-01-01

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) thin film solar cells were fabricated by direct inkjet printing of Cu(In,Ga)S2 (CIGS) nanoparticles followed by rapid thermal annealing under selenium vapor. Inkjet printing is a low-cost, low-waste, and flexible patterning

Characterization of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} by atom probe tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwarz, Torsten; Cojocaru-Miredin, Oana; Choi, Pyuck-Pa; Raabe, Dierk [Max-Planck Institute for Iron Research GmbH, Duesseldorf (Germany); Wuerz, Roland [Zentrum fuer Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Wuerttemberg (ZSW), Stuttgart (Germany)

2012-07-01

Solar cells based on the compound semiconductor Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) as absorber material exhibit the highest efficiency among all thin-film solar cells. This is surprising high in view of the polycrystalline defect-rich structure of the CIGS absorber films. The high efficiency has been commonly ascribed to the diffusion of alkali metal atoms from the soda-lime glass substrate into the CIGS layer, which can render the grain boundaries (GB) electrically inactive. However, the exact mechanisms of how these impurities enhance the cell efficiency are yet to be clarified. As a step towards a better understanding of CIGS solar cells, we have analyzed the composition of solar-grade CIGS layers at the atomic-scale by using pulsed laser Atom Probe Tomography (APT). To perform APT analyses on selected GBs site-specific sample preparation was carried out using the Focused Ion Beam lift-out technique. In addition, Electron Back Scattered Diffraction was performed to characterize the structure and misorientation of selected GBs. Using APT, segregation of impurities at the GBs was directly observed. APT data of various types of GBs are presented and discussed with respect to the possible effects on the cell efficiency.

BADANIA NAD TECHNOLOGIĄ OTRZYMYWANIA CIENKICH WARSTW EMITERA METODĄ ROZPYLANIA MAGNETRONOWEGO DLA ZASTOSOWAŃ W OGNIWACH CIGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justyna PIETRASZEK

Full Text Available Cienkowarstwowe ogniwa fotowoltaiczne wykonane na bazie struktury CIGS (mieszaniny pierwiastków miedzi, indu, galu oraz selenu należą do II generacji ogniw fotowoltaicznych. Wykazują one efektywność na poziomie zbliżonym do ogniw I generacji, lecz ze względu na niższe zużycie materiału, coraz częściej wypierają z rynku ogniwa krzemowe Artykuł przedstawia rezultaty badań dotyczących sposobu otrzymywania warstwy buforowej CdS (siarczku kadmu, zastosowanej w cienkowarstwowych ogniwach fotowoltaicznych typu CIGS. Przyjęto dwa rozwiązania technologii nanoszenia: warstwa okna CdS uzyskana metodą rozpylenia magnetronowego oraz warstwa okna CdS uzyskana metodą kąpieli chemicznej (CBD– Chemical Bath Deposition. Struktura ta powinna posiadać odpowiednią wielkość przerwy energetycznej, która pozwali na większą absorpcję fotonów, a także wymaga się, aby była cienka (mniej niż 100 nm i jednolita. Warstwy CdS zostały nałożone przez osadzanie w kąpieli chemicznej CBD na szklanych podłożach pokrytych Mo/CIGS (naniesione warstwy metodą sputteringu magnetronowego. Uzyskano dzięki temu warstwę emitera o grubości 80 nm po czasie osadzania 35 minut. Dla porównania warstwy CdS zostały nałożone poprzez sputtering magnetronowy na podłożu Mo/CIGS, uzyskanym tą samą metodą. Następnie oba rozwiązania zostały przebadane pod względem morfologii powierzchni na elektronowym mikroskopie skaningowym, jak również przeprowadzono analizy składu pierwiastkowego warstw. Zarówno jedna, jak i druga metoda prowadzi do otrzymania warstwy emitera CdS dla zastosowań w ogniwach CIGS.

Nd:YAG laser annealing investigation of screen-printed CIGS layer on PET: Layer annealing method for photovoltaic cell fabrication process

KAUST Repository

Alsaggaf, Ahmed; Alarousu, Erkki; Boulfrad, Samir; Rothenberger, Alexander

2014-01-01

by heat treatment using a Nd:YAG laser. The structure and morphology of the heated thin films were studied. The characterization of the CIGS powder, ink, and film was done using TGA, SEM, FIB, EDS, and XRD. TGA analysis shows that the CIGS ink is drying

CIGS J-V distortion in the absence of blue photons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pudov, A.O.; Sites, J.R.; Contreras, M.A.; Nakada, T.; Schock, H.-W.

2005-01-01

Common buffer materials used with CuInGaSe 2 (CIGS) absorbers produce conduction-band barriers that may significantly distort the current-voltage (J-V) curves, especially when short-wavelength photons are excluded from the illumination spectrum. Earlier work documented this effect for CuInSe 2 (CIS) absorbers (band gap near 1.0 eV) with CdS buffers. Higher band-gap (no. approxno. 1.15 eV) CIGS absorbers show little or no distortion with CdS buffer layers. However, wider band gap (lower electron affinity) ZnS(O,OH) or InS(O,OH) buffers, prepared by chemical-bath deposition (CBD), clearly show the J-V distortion. The distortions have a turn-on time constant the order of a minute and turn-off time constant the order of a day, and they correlate with major variations in apparent quantum efficiency (QE) measured with varying intensity and spectral content of bias light. The results are consistent with a conduction-band spike barrier that increases with buffer band gap and is larger when the electron concentration in the buffer is small

Experimental and theoretical investigations of structural and optical properties of CIGS thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandramohan, M., E-mail: chandramohan59@yahoo.co.in [Department of Physics, Park college of Engineering and Tecknology, Coimbatore-641 659 (India); Velumani, S., E-mail: vels64@yahoo.com [Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N.(CINVESTAV), Av. Instituto Politecnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco 07360, Mexico D.F (Mexico); Venkatachalam, T., E-mail: atvenkatachalam@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore-14. India (India)

2010-10-25

Experimental and theoretical studies of the structural and optical properties of Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide thin films have been performed. Thin films of CIGS were deposited on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition. From the XRD results of the films, it is found that the films are of chalcopyrite type structure. The lattice parameter were determined as a = 5.72 A and c = 11.462 A. The optical properties of the thin films were carried out with the help of spectrophotometer. First principles density functional theory calculations of the band structure, density of states and effective masses of electrons and holes of the CIGS crystals have been done by computer simulations. The experimental data and theoretically calculated data have demonstrated good agreement.

Hydrogenated indium oxide window layers for high-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jäger, Timo; Romanyuk, Yaroslav E.; Nishiwaki, Shiro; Bissig, Benjamin; Pianezzi, Fabian; Fuchs, Peter; Gretener, Christina; Tiwari, Ayodhya N.; Döbeli, Max

2015-01-01

High mobility hydrogenated indium oxide is investigated as a transparent contact for thin film Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells. Hydrogen doping of In 2 O 3 thin films is achieved by injection of H 2 O water vapor or H 2 gas during the sputter process. As-deposited amorphous In 2 O 3 :H films exhibit a high electron mobility of ∼50 cm 2 /Vs at room temperature. A bulk hydrogen concentration of ∼4 at. % was measured for both optimized H 2 O and H 2 -processed films, although the H 2 O-derived film exhibits a doping gradient as detected by elastic recoil detection analysis. Amorphous IOH films are implemented as front contacts in CIGS based solar cells, and their performance is compared with the reference ZnO:Al electrodes. The most significant feature of IOH containing devices is an enhanced open circuit voltage (V OC ) of ∼20 mV regardless of the doping approach, whereas the short circuit current and fill factor remain the same for the H 2 O case or slightly decrease for H 2 . The overall power conversion efficiency is improved from 15.7% to 16.2% by substituting ZnO:Al with IOH (H 2 O) as front contacts. Finally, stability tests of non-encapsulated solar cells in dry air at 80 °C and constant illumination for 500 h demonstrate a higher stability for IOH-containing devices

Behavior of deep level defects on voltage-induced stress of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, D.W.; Cho, S.E. [Department of Physics and Semiconductor Science, Dongguk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, J.H. [Solar Cell Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cho, H.Y., E-mail: hycho@dongguk.edu [Department of Physics and Semiconductor Science, Dongguk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-01

The behavior of deep level defects by a voltage-induced stress for CuInGaSe{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells has been investigated. CIGS solar cells were used with standard structures which are Al-doped ZnO/i-ZnO/CdS/CIGSe{sub 2}/Mo on soda lime glass, and that resulted in conversion efficiencies as high as 16%. The samples with the same structure were isothermally stressed at 100 °C under the reverse voltages. The voltage-induced stressing in CIGS samples causes a decrease in the carrier density and conversion efficiency. To investigate the behavior of deep level defects in the stressed CIGS cells, photo-induced current transient spectroscopy was utilized, and normally 3 deep level defects (including 2 hole traps and 1 electron trap) were found to be located at 0.18 eV and 0.29 eV above the valence band maximum (and 0.36 eV below the conduction band). In voltage-induced cells, especially, it was found that the decrease of the hole carrier density could be responsible for the increase of the 0.29 eV defect, which is known to be observed in less efficient CIGS solar cells. And the carrier density and the defects are reversible at least to a large extent by resting at room-temperature without the bias voltage. From optical capture kinetics in photo-induced current transient spectroscopy measurement, the types of defects could be distinguished into the isolated point defect and the extended defect. In this work, it is suggested that the increase of the 0.29 eV defect by voltage-induced stress could be due to electrical activation accompanied by a loss of positive ion species and the activated defect gives rise to reduction of the carrier density. - Highlights: • We investigated behavior of deep level defects by voltage-induced stress. • Defect generation could affect the decrease of the conversion efficiency of cells. • Defect generation could be electrically activated by a loss of positive ion species. • Type of defects could be studied with models of point defects

A Comprehensive Study of One-Step Selenization Process for Cu(In1-x Ga x )Se2 Thin Film Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shih-Chen; Wang, Sheng-Wen; Kuo, Shou-Yi; Juang, Jenh-Yih; Lee, Po-Tsung; Luo, Chih Wei; Wu, Kaung-Hsiung; Kuo, Hao-Chung

2017-12-01

In this work, aiming at developing a rapid and environmental-friendly process for fabricating CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells, we demonstrated the one-step selenization process by using selenium vapor as the atmospheric gas instead of the commonly used H 2 Se gas. The photoluminescence (PL) characteristics indicate that there exists an optimal location with superior crystalline quality in the CIGS thin films obtained by one-step selenization. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) reveals that the Ga lateral distribution in the one-step selenized CIGS thin film is intimately correlated to the blue-shifted PL spectra. The surface morphologies examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) further suggested that voids and binary phase commonly existing in CIGS films could be successfully eliminated by the present one-step selenization process. The agglomeration phenomenon attributable to the formation of MoSe 2 layer was also observed. Due to the significant microstructural improvement, the current-voltage (J-V) characteristics and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the devices made of the present CIGS films have exhibited the remarkable carrier transportation characteristics and photon utilization at the optimal location, resulting in a high conversion efficiency of 11.28%. Correlations between the defect states and device performance of the one-step selenized CIGS thin film were convincingly delineated by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy.

The optimization of molybdenum back contact films for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells by the cathodic arc ion plating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Yong Ki, E-mail: choyk@kitech.re.kr [Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering R and D Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Incheon 406-840 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Gang Sam; Song, Young Sik; Lim, Tae Hong [Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering R and D Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Incheon 406-840 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Donggeun [Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-02

Molybdenum back contact films for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells have been deposited using DC magnetron sputtering methods. The electronic pathway properties of the molybdenum film have been highly dependent on the working gas pressure in magnetron sputtering, which should be carefully controlled to obtain high conductivity and adhesion. A coating method, cathodic arc ion plating, was used for molybdenum back contact electrode fabrication. The aim of this work was to find a metallization method for CIGS solar cells, which has less sensitivity on the working pressure. The resistivity, grain size, growth structures, stress, and efficiency of the films in CIGS solar cells were investigated. The results reveal that the growth structures of the molybdenum films mainly affect the conductivity. The lowest electrical resistivity of the ion-plated molybdenum films was 6.9 μΩ-cm at a pressure of 0.7 Pa. The electrical resistivity variation showed a gently increasing slope with linearity under a working gas pressure of 13.3 Pa. However, a high value of the residual stress of over 1.3 GPa was measured. In order to reduce stress, titanium film was selected as the buffer layer material, and the back contact films were optimized by double-layer coating of two kinds of hetero-materials with arc ion plating. CIGS solar cells prepared molybdenum films to measure the efficiency and to examine the effects of the back contact electrode. The resistivity, grain size, and surface morphology of molybdenum films were measured by four-point probe, X-ray diffraction, and a scanning electron microscope. The residual stress of the films was calculated from differences in bending curvatures measured using a laser beam. - Highlights: • Molybdenum back contact films for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells were prepared by the cathodic arc ion plating. • The lowest electrical resistivity of molybdenum film was 6.9 μΩ-cm. • Titanium buffer layer reduced the compressive residual stress

Physics of grain boundaries in polycrystalline photovoltaic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Yanfa, E-mail: yanfa.yan@utoledo.edu; Yin, Wan-Jian; Wu, Yelong; Shi, Tingting; Paudel, Naba R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, The University of Toledo, Ohio 43606 (United States); Li, Chen [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Poplawsky, Jonathan [The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Wang, Zhiwei [Department of Physics and Astronomy and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, The University of Toledo, Ohio 43606 (United States); National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States); Moseley, John; Guthrey, Harvey; Moutinho, Helio; Al-Jassim, Mowafak M. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States); Pennycook, Stephen J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States)

2015-03-21

Thin-film solar cells based on polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) and CdTe photovoltaic semiconductors have reached remarkable laboratory efficiencies. It is surprising that these thin-film polycrystalline solar cells can reach such high efficiencies despite containing a high density of grain boundaries (GBs), which would seem likely to be nonradiative recombination centers for photo-generated carriers. In this paper, we review our atomistic theoretical understanding of the physics of grain boundaries in CIGS and CdTe absorbers. We show that intrinsic GBs with dislocation cores exhibit deep gap states in both CIGS and CdTe. However, in each solar cell device, the GBs can be chemically modified to improve their photovoltaic properties. In CIGS cells, GBs are found to be Cu-rich and contain O impurities. Density-functional theory calculations reveal that such chemical changes within GBs can remove most of the unwanted gap states. In CdTe cells, GBs are found to contain a high concentration of Cl atoms. Cl atoms donate electrons, creating n-type GBs between p-type CdTe grains, forming local p-n-p junctions along GBs. This leads to enhanced current collections. Therefore, chemical modification of GBs allows for high efficiency polycrystalline CIGS and CdTe thin-film solar cells.

Theoretical Analysis of Two Novel Hybrid Thermoelectric-Photovoltaic Systems Based on Cu₂ZnSnS₄ Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzi, Bruno; Contento, Gaetano; Sabatelli, Vincenzo; Rizzo, Antonella; Narducci, Dario

2017-03-01

The development and commercialization of Photovoltaic (PV) cells with good cost-efficiency trade-off not using critical raw materials (CRMs) is one of the strategies chosen by the European Community (EC) to address the Energy Roadmap 2050. In this context Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cells are attracting a major interest since they have the potential to combine low price with relatively high conversion efficiencies. Although a ≈9% lab scale efficiency has already been reported for CZTS this technology is still far from being competitive in terms of cost per peak-power (€/Wp) with other common materials. One possible near-future solution to increase the CZTS competiveness comes from thermoelectrics. Actually it has already been shown that Hybrid Thermoelectric-Photovoltaic Systems (HTEPVs) based on CIGS, another kesterite very similar to CZTS, can lead to a significant efficiency improvement. However it has been also clarified how the optimal hybridization strategy cannot come from the simple coupling of solar cells with commercial TEGs, but special layouts have to be implemented. Furthermore, since solar cell performances are well known to decrease with temperature, thermal decoupling strategies of the PV and TEG sections have to be taken. To address these issues, we developed a model for two different HTEPV solutions, both coupled with CZTS solar cells. In the first case we considered a Thermally-Coupled HTEPV device (TC-HTEPV) in which the TEG is placed underneath the solar cell and in thermal contact with it. The second system consists instead of an Optically-Coupled but thermally decoupled device (OC-HTEPV) in which part of the solar spectrum is focused by a non-imaging optical concentrator on the TEG hot side. For both solutions the model returns conversion efficiencies higher than that of the CZTS solar cell alone. Specifically, increases of ≈30% are predicted for both kind of systems considered.

Rubidium distribution at atomic scale in high efficient Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Vilalta-Clemente, Arantxa; Raghuwanshi, Mohit; Duguay, Sébastien; Castro, Celia; Cadel, Emmanuel; Pareige, Philippe; Jackson, Philip; Wuerz, Roland; Hariskos, Dimitrios; Witte, Wolfram

2018-03-01

The introduction of a rubidium fluoride post deposition treatment (RbF-PDT) for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) absorber layers has led to a record efficiency up to 22.6% for thin-film solar cell technology. In the present work, high efficiency CIGS samples with RbF-PDT have been investigated by atom probe tomography (APT) to reveal the atomic distribution of all alkali elements present in CIGS layers and compared with non-treated samples. A Scanning Electron Microscopy Dual beam station (Focused Ion Beam-Gas Injection System) as well as Transmission Kikuchi diffraction is used for atom probe sample preparation and localization of the grain boundaries (GBs) in the area of interest. The analysis of the 3D atomic scale APT reconstructions of CIGS samples with RbF-PDT shows that inside grains, Rb is under the detection limit, but the Na concentration is enhanced as compared to the reference sample without Rb. At the GBs, a high concentration of Rb reaching 1.5 at. % was found, and Na and K (diffusing from the glass substrate) are also segregated at GBs but at lower concentrations as compared to Rb. The intentional introduction of Rb leads to significant changes in the chemical composition of CIGS matrix and at GBs, which might contribute to improve device efficiency.

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

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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.

Hydrazine-Free Solution-Deposited CuIn(S,Se)2 Solar Cells by Spray Deposition of Metal Chalcogenides.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnou, Panagiota; van Hest, Maikel F A M; Cooper, Carl S; Malkov, Andrei V; Walls, John M; Bowers, Jake W

2016-05-18

Solution processing of semiconductors, such as CuInSe2 and its alloys (CIGS), can significantly reduce the manufacturing costs of thin film solar cells. Despite the recent success of solution deposition approaches for CIGS, toxic reagents such as hydrazine are usually involved, which introduce health and safety concerns. Here, we present a simple and safer methodology for the preparation of high-quality CuIn(S, Se)2 absorbers from metal sulfide solutions in a diamine/dithiol mixture. The solutions are sprayed in air, using a chromatography atomizer, followed by a postdeposition selenization step. Two different selenization methods are explored resulting in power conversion efficiencies of up to 8%.

Structural and electrical properties of co-evaporated Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films with varied Cu contents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Min Young; Kim, Girim; Kim, Jongwan; Park, Jae Hwan; Lim, Donggun, E-mail: dglim@ut.ac.kr

2013-11-01

Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films were fabricated with varying Cu contents. Cu/(Ga + In) ratios were varied between 0.4 and 1.02. Solar cells were then fabricated by co-evaporation using the CIGS layers as absorbers. The influences of Cu content on the cells' structural, optical and electrical properties were studied. The CIGS thin films were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, four-point probe measurement and Hall measurement. Grain size in the films increased with increasing Cu content. At a Cu/(Ga + In) ratio of 0.86, the (220/204) peak was stronger than the (112) peak and carrier concentration was 1.49 × 10{sup 16} cm{sup −3}. Optimizing the Cu content resulted in a CIGS solar cell with an efficiency of 16.5%. - Highlights: • Improvement of technique to form Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) film by co-evaporation method • Cu/(In + Ga) ratio to improve the efficiency for CIGS thin film solar cell • Cu content effects have been analyzed. • Optimum condition of CIGS layer as an absorber of thin film solar cells.

Solar Spectral and Module Temperature Influence on the Outdoor Performance of Thin Film PV Modules Deployed on a Sunny Inland Site

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Nofuentes

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This work aims at analysing the influence of both module temperature and solar spectrum distribution on the outdoor performance of the following thin film technologies: hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H, cadmium telluride (CdTe, copper indium gallium selenide sulfide (CIGS, and hydrogenated amorphous silicon/hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon hetero-junction (a-Si:H/μc-Si:H. A 12-month experimental campaign carried out in a sunny inland site in which a module of each one of these technologies was tested and measured outdoors has provided the necessary empirical data. Results show that module temperature exerts a limited influence on the performance of the tested a-Si:H, CdTe, and a-Si:H/μc-Si:H modules. In contrast, the outdoor behaviour of the CIGS module is the most affected by its temperature. Blue-rich spectra enhance the outdoor behaviour of the a-Si:H and a-Si:H/μc-Si:H modules while it is the other way round for the CIGS module. However, the CdTe specimen shows little sensitivity to the solar spectrum distribution. Anyway, spectral effects are scarcely relevant on an annual basis, ranging from gains for the CIGS module (1.5% to losses for the a-Si:H module (1.0%. However, the seasonal impact of the spectrum shape is more noticeable in these two materials; indeed, spectral issues may cause performance gains or losses of up to some 4% when winter and summer periods are considered.

Copper variation in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells with indium sulphide buffer layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spiering, S., E-mail: stefanie.spiering@zsw-bw.de [Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung (ZSW) Baden-Wuerttemberg, Industriestrasse 6, 70565 Stuttgart (Germany); Paetel, S.; Kessler, F. [Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung (ZSW) Baden-Wuerttemberg, Industriestrasse 6, 70565 Stuttgart (Germany); Igalson, M.; Abdel Maksoud, H. [Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), Faculty of Physics, Koszykowa 75, 00-662 Warszawa (Poland)

2015-05-01

In the manufacturing of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin film solar cells the application of a buffer layer on top of the absorber is essential to obtain high efficiency devices. Regarding the roll-to-roll production of CIGS cells and modules a vacuum deposition process for the buffer is preferable to the conventional cadmium sulphide buffer deposited in a chemical bath. Promising results have already been achieved for the deposition of indium sulphide buffer by different vacuum techniques. The solar device performance is very sensitive to the conditions at the absorber-buffer heterojunction. In view of optimization we investigated the influence of the Cu content in the absorber on the current-voltage characteristics. In this work the integral copper content was varied between 19 and 23 at.% in CIGS on glass substrates. An improvement of the cell performance by enhanced open circuit voltage was observed for a reduction to ~ 21 at.% when thermally evaporated indium sulphide was applied as the buffer layer. The influence of stoichiometry deviations on the transport mechanism and secondary barriers in the device was studied using detailed dark and light current-voltage analysis and admittance spectroscopy and compared to the reference CdS-buffered cells. We conclude that the composition of the absorber in the interface region affects current transport in In{sub x}S{sub y}-buffered and CdS-buffered cells in different ways hence optimal Cu content in those two types of devices is different. - Highlights: • Influence of Cu-variation in CIGS cells with In{sub x}S{sub y} buffer layer on cell performance • Enhanced efficiency by slight reduction of Cu-content to 21 at.% • Contribution of tunnelling-enhanced interface recombination for higher Cu-content.

A comparative study on charge carrier recombination across the junction region of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se4 and Cu(In,GaSe2 thin film solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Abdul Halim

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A comparative study with focusing on carrier recombination properties in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se4 (CZTSSe and the CuInGaSe2 (CIGS solar cells has been carried out. For this purpose, electroluminescence (EL and also bias-dependent time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL using femtosecond (fs laser source were performed. For the similar forward current density, the EL-intensity of the CZTSSe sample was obtained significantly lower than that of the CIGS sample. Primarily, it can be attributed to the existence of excess amount of non-radiative recombination center in the CZTSSe, and/or CZTSSe/CdS interface comparing to that of CIGS sample. In case of CIGS sample, TRPL decay time was found to increase with the application of forward-bias. This can be attributed to the reduced charge separation rate resulting from the reduced electric-field at the junction. However, in CZTSSe sample, TRPL decay time has been found almost independent under the forward and reverse-bias conditions. This phenomenon indicates that the charge recombination rate strongly dominates over the charge separation rate across the junction of the CZTSSe sample. Finally, temperature dependent VOC suggests that interface related recombination in the CZTSSe solar cell structure might be one of the major factors that affect EL-intensity and also, TRPL decay curves.

Hydrogenated indium oxide window layers for high-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jäger, Timo, E-mail: timo.jaeger@empa.ch; Romanyuk, Yaroslav E.; Nishiwaki, Shiro; Bissig, Benjamin; Pianezzi, Fabian; Fuchs, Peter; Gretener, Christina; Tiwari, Ayodhya N. [Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland); Döbeli, Max [ETH Zürich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zürich (Switzerland)

2015-05-28

High mobility hydrogenated indium oxide is investigated as a transparent contact for thin film Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells. Hydrogen doping of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films is achieved by injection of H{sub 2}O water vapor or H{sub 2} gas during the sputter process. As-deposited amorphous In{sub 2}O{sub 3}:H films exhibit a high electron mobility of ∼50 cm{sup 2}/Vs at room temperature. A bulk hydrogen concentration of ∼4 at. % was measured for both optimized H{sub 2}O and H{sub 2}-processed films, although the H{sub 2}O-derived film exhibits a doping gradient as detected by elastic recoil detection analysis. Amorphous IOH films are implemented as front contacts in CIGS based solar cells, and their performance is compared with the reference ZnO:Al electrodes. The most significant feature of IOH containing devices is an enhanced open circuit voltage (V{sub OC}) of ∼20 mV regardless of the doping approach, whereas the short circuit current and fill factor remain the same for the H{sub 2}O case or slightly decrease for H{sub 2}. The overall power conversion efficiency is improved from 15.7% to 16.2% by substituting ZnO:Al with IOH (H{sub 2}O) as front contacts. Finally, stability tests of non-encapsulated solar cells in dry air at 80 °C and constant illumination for 500 h demonstrate a higher stability for IOH-containing devices.

Oxide nanoparticle-based fabrication and optical properties of Cu(In1−xGax)S2 absorber layer for solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yo-Min; Lee, Young-In; Kim, Bum-Sung; Choa, Yong-Ho

2013-01-01

The compound Cu(In 1−x Ga x )S 2 (CIGS) was synthesized using copper oxide, indium oxide and gallium oxide mixture (CIGO) nanoparticles using salt-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (SAUSP). Under this method, CIGS can be produced without the complicated restrictions of a vacuum and an inert atmosphere. The band gap of CIGS can be controlled by introducing the desired stoichiometric quantities of starting materials. In order to synthesize CIGO nanoparticles, various NaCl/precursor ratios were used to accomplish the SAUSP process and ultimately monodisperse CIGO nanoparticles with average particle size of 9 nm without hard agglomeration were obtained. Subsequently, the CIGO nanoparticles were sulfurized to form the CIGS in H 2 S/Ar atmosphere at 500 °C. The CIGS obtained in the present study has the various band gap ranging from 1.67 to 2.34 eV depending on the Ga / (In + Ga) ratio, and those band gap correspond to the respective bulk materials. - Highlights: • CIGS is obtained using Cu, In and Ga oxide mixture (CIGO) nanoparticles. • Salt-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis is used to synthesize CIGO nanoparticles. • Nine nanometers of monodisperse CIGO nanoparticles without hard agglomeration is obtained. • The band gap of CIGS can be controlled by introducing the desired ratio of precursor

Efficiency of solar radiation conversion in photovoltaic panels

OpenAIRE

Kurpaska Sławomir; Knaga Jarosław; Latała Hubert; Sikora Jakub; Tomczyk Wiesław

2018-01-01

This paper included analysis the conversion efficiency in photovoltaic panels. The tests were done between February and June at a test stand equipped with three commonly used types of photovoltaic panels: poly- and monocrystalline silicon and with semi-conductive layer made of copper (Cu), indium (In), gallium (Ga) and selenium (Se) (CIGS). Five days of each month were selected for a detailed analysis. They were close to the so-called recommended day for calculations in solar power engineerin...

Dataset demonstrating the modeling of a high performance Cu(In,GaSe2 absorber based thin film photovoltaic cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Asaduzzaman

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The physical data of the semiconductor materials used in the design of a CIGS absorber based thin film photovoltaic cell have been presented in this data article. Besides, the values of the contact parameter and operating conditions of the cell have been reported. Furthermore, by conducting the simulation with data corresponding to the device structure: soda-lime glass (SLG substrate/Mo back-contact/CIGS absorber/CdS buffer/intrinsic ZnO/Al-doped ZnO window/Al-grid front-contact, the solar cell performance parameters such as open circuit voltage (Voc, short circuit current density Jsc, fill factor (FF, efficiency (η, and collection efficiency ηc have been analyzed.

Fabrication of selenization-free superstrate-type CuInS{sub 2} solar cells based on all-spin-coated layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheshme khavar, Amir Hossein [Department of Chemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box. 14155-4383, Gisha Bridge, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mahjoub, Alireza, E-mail: mahjouba@modares.ac.ir [Department of Chemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box. 14155-4383, Gisha Bridge, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Samghabadi, Farnaz Safi [Physics Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, 14588 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Taghavinia, Nima, E-mail: taghavinia@sharif.edu [Physics Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, 14588 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, 14588 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-01-15

Today manufacturing of high efficiency chalcogenide thin film solar cells is based on high cost vacuum-based deposition processes at high temperature (>500 °C) and in chalcogen -containing atmosphere. In this paper, we introduce a simple vacuum-free and selenization-free, solution processing for fabricating a superstrate-type CuInS{sub 2} (CIS) solar cell. The absorber, buffer and blocking layers were all deposited by spin coating of molecular precursor inks. We demonstrate the deposition of In{sub 2}S{sub 3} buffer layer by sol-gel spin casting for the first time. The rapid sintering process of CIS layer was carried out at 250 °C that is considered a very low temperature in CIGS thin-film technologies. A novel molecular-ink route to deposit In{sub 2}S{sub 3} type buffer layer is presented. For the back contact we employed carbon, deposited by simple knife coating method. Different parameters including type of buffer, thickness of absorber layer, CIS and In{sub 2}S{sub 3} annealing temperature and morphology were optimized. Our air stable simple device structure consisting of showed promising power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.67%. - Highlights: • This work is an effort on the fabrication of all spin-coated CIS solar cells. • A novel molecular-ink route to deposit In{sub 2}S{sub 3} type buffer layer is presented. • The best devices showed power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.67%.

A comparative study on charge carrier recombination across the junction region of Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(S,Se){sub 4} and Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halim, Mohammad Abdul, E-mail: halimtsukuba2012@gmail.com; Islam, Muhammad Monirul; Luo, Xianjia; Sakurai, Takeaki; Akimoto, Katsuhiro [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Sakai, Noriyuki; Kato, Takuya; Sugimoto, Hiroki [Energy Solution Business Center, Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., Minato, Tokyo 135-8074 (Japan); Tampo, Hitoshi; Shibata, Hajime; Niki, Shigeru [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)

2016-03-15

A comparative study with focusing on carrier recombination properties in Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(S,Se){sub 4} (CZTSSe) and the CuInGaSe{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells has been carried out. For this purpose, electroluminescence (EL) and also bias-dependent time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) using femtosecond (fs) laser source were performed. For the similar forward current density, the EL-intensity of the CZTSSe sample was obtained significantly lower than that of the CIGS sample. Primarily, it can be attributed to the existence of excess amount of non-radiative recombination center in the CZTSSe, and/or CZTSSe/CdS interface comparing to that of CIGS sample. In case of CIGS sample, TRPL decay time was found to increase with the application of forward-bias. This can be attributed to the reduced charge separation rate resulting from the reduced electric-field at the junction. However, in CZTSSe sample, TRPL decay time has been found almost independent under the forward and reverse-bias conditions. This phenomenon indicates that the charge recombination rate strongly dominates over the charge separation rate across the junction of the CZTSSe sample. Finally, temperature dependent V{sub OC} suggests that interface related recombination in the CZTSSe solar cell structure might be one of the major factors that affect EL-intensity and also, TRPL decay curves.

The competing roles of i-ZnO in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Williams, B.L.; Zardetto, V.; Kniknie, B.; Verheijen, M.A.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Creatore, M.

2016-01-01

The electrical role of the highly resistive and transparent (HRT) i-ZnO layer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2(CIGS) solar cells is investigated. By tuning the resistivity of atomic layer deposited (ALD) i-ZnO through the use of post-growth O2-plasma treatments, it is shown that low i-ZnO carrier densities (i.e.

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.

In-situ sol-gel synthesis and thin film deposition of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, L.; Lyubenova, T.; Marti, R.; Fraga, D.; Rey, A.; Carda, J.; Kozhukharov, V.

2013-01-01

Full text: Nowadays chalcogenide-based solar cells, like Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 , are competitive in the photovoltaic market, due to its improved performances like higher efficiency (20,3%), long-time stability and excellent durability. In addition, CIGS stand out with an exceptionally high absorption coefficient (more than; 105/cm for 1.5eV) and higher energy photons. These properties make it an excellent candidate as an absorber material for large scale production of photovoltaic modules for building-integrated applications. Traditional methods of manufacture involve vacuum processes including co-evaporation and sputtering that increase production costs. With the aim to lower the expenses by using non-vacuum solution processes we propose an ‘in-situ’ sol-gel synthesis route and direct thin film deposition in the same production step. As a result, we achieved better stoichiometric control, simplicity in the procedure and cost reduction. In this work we describe a procedure to obtain CIGS absorber layer by soft chemistry technique and further deposition onto different substrates. Preparation parameters like precursors, chemical composition, solvents, thermal treatment factors (temperature, time, and atmosphere) were detailed studied. Finally, the resulting materials were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), UV-VIS Spectroscopy among others.; key words: sol-gel synthesis, thin film deposition, photovoltaic modules, solar cells

Effector Protein Cig2 Decreases Host Tolerance of Infection by Directing Constitutive Fusion of Autophagosomes with the Coxiella-Containing Vacuole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lara J. Kohler

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Coxiella burnetii replicates in an acidified lysosome-derived vacuole. Biogenesis of the Coxiella-containing vacuole (CCV requires bacterial effector proteins delivered into host cells by the Dot/Icm secretion system. Genetic and cell biological analysis revealed that an effector protein called Cig2 promotes constitutive fusion of autophagosomes with the CCV to maintain this compartment in an autolysosomal stage of maturation. This distinguishes the CCV from other pathogen-containing vacuoles that are targeted by the host autophagy pathway, which typically confers host resistance to infection by delivering the pathogen to a toxic lysosomal environment. By maintaining the CCV in an autolysosomal stage of maturation, Cig2 enabled CCV homotypic fusion and enhanced bacterial virulence in the Galleria mellonella (wax moth model of infection by a mechanism that decreases host tolerance. Thus, C. burnetii residence in an autolysosomal organelle alters host tolerance of infection, which indicates that Cig2-dependent manipulation of a lysosome-derived vacuole influences the host response to infection.

Improved growth of solution-deposited thin films on polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witte, Wolfram; Hariskos, Dimitrios [Zentrum fuer Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Wuerttemberg (ZSW), 70565, Stuttgart (Germany); Abou-Ras, Daniel [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, 14109, Berlin (Germany)

2016-04-15

CdS and Zn(O,S) grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) are well established buffer materials for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells. As recently reported, a non-contiguous coverage of CBD buffers on CIGS grains with {112} surfaces can be detected, which was explained in terms of low surface energies of the {112} facets, leading to deteriorated wetting of the chemical solution on the CIGS surface. In the present contribution, we report on the effect of air annealing of CIGS thin films prior to the CBD of CdS and Zn(O,S) layers. In contrast to the growth on the as-grown CIGS layers, these buffer lay- ers grow densely on the annealed CIGS layer, even on grains with {112} surfaces. We explain the different growth behavior by increased surface energies of CIGS grains due to the annealing step, i.e., due to oxidation of the CIGS surface. Reference solar cells were processed and completed by i-ZnO/ZnO:Al layers for CdS and by (Zn,Mg)O/ZnO:Al for Zn(O,S) buffers. For solar cells with both, CdS and Zn(O,S) buffers, air-annealed CIGS films with improved buffer coverage resulted in higher power-conversion efficiencies, as compared with the devices containing as-grown CIGS layers. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The competing roles of i-ZnO in Cu(ln,Ga)Se¬2 solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Williams, B.L.; Zardetto, V.; Kniknie, B.J.; Verheijen, M.A.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Creatore, M.

2016-01-01

The electrical role of the highly resistive and transparent (HRT) i-ZnO layer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2(CIGS) solar cells is investigated. By tuning the resistivity of atomic layer deposited (ALD) i-ZnO through the use of post-growth O2-plasma treatments, it is shown that low i-ZnO carrier densities (i.e.

Considerations for Solar Energy Technologies to Make Progress Towards Grid Price Parity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woodhouse, Michael; Fu, Ran; Chung, Donald; Horowitz, Kelsey; Remo, Timothy; Feldman, David; Margolis, Robert

2015-11-07

In this seminar the component costs for solar photovoltaics module and system prices will be highlighted. As a basis for comparison to other renewable and traditional energy options, the metric of focus will be total lifecycle cost-of-energy (LCOE). Several innovations to traditional photovoltaics technologies (including crystalline silicon, CdTe, and CIGS) and developing technologies (including organics and perovskites) that may close the gaps in LCOE will be discussed.

Zn{sub x}Cd{sub 1-} {sub x}S as a heterojunction partner for CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}S{sub 2} thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Bhaskar [Florida Solar Energy Center, University of Central Florida, Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States); Vasekar, Parag [Florida Solar Energy Center, University of Central Florida, Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States)], E-mail: psvasekar@yahoo.com; Pethe, Shirish A.; Dhere, Neelkanth G. [Florida Solar Energy Center, University of Central Florida, Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States); Koishiyev, Galymzhan T. [Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 (United States)

2009-02-02

Zinc cadmium sulfide (Zn{sub x}Cd{sub 1-x}S) heterojunction partner layer prepared with chemical bath deposition (CBD) has exhibited better blue photon response and higher current densities due to its higher bandgap than that of conventional cadmium sulfide (CdS) layer for CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}S{sub 2} (CIGS2) solar cells. CIGS2/Zn{sub x}Cd{sub 1-x}S devices have also shown higher open circuit voltage, V{sub oc} indicating improved junction properties. A conduction band offset has been observed by J-V curves at various temperatures indicating that still higher V{sub oc} can be obtained by optimizing the conduction band offset. This contribution discusses the effect of variation of parameters such as concentration of compounds, pH of solution and deposition time during CBD on device properties and composition and crystallinity of film. Efficiencies comparable to CIGS2/CdS devices have been achieved for CIGS2/Zn{sub x}Cd{sub 1-x}S devices.

Cost and Potential of Monolithic CIGS Photovoltaic Modules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horowitz, Kelsey; Woodhouse, Michael

2015-06-17

A bottom-up cost analysis of monolithic, glass-glass Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) modules is presented, illuminating current cost drivers for this technology and possible pathways to reduced cost. At 14% module efficiency, for the case of U.S. manufacturing, a manufacturing cost of $0.56/WDC and a minimum sustainable price of $0.72/WDC were calculated. Potential for reduction in manufacturing costs to below $0.40/WDC in the long-term may be possible if module efficiency can be increased without significant increase in $/m2 costs. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in Phoenix, AZ under different conditions is assessed and compared to standard c-Si.

Atmospheric spatial atomic layer deposition of Zn(O,S) buffer layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frijters, C.H.; Poodt, P.; Illeberi, A.

2016-01-01

Zinc oxysulfide has been grown by spatial atomic layer deposition (S-ALD) and successfully applied as buffer layer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells. S-ALD combines high deposition rates (up to nm/s) with the advantages of conventional ALD, i.e. excellent control of film composition and superior

Extending the Endurance, Missions and Capabilities of Most UAVs Using Advanced Flexible/Ridged Solar Cells and New High Power Density Batteries Technology

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

Charge Controller is also a DC- to-DC power (boost) converter with MPPT function and was used in the previous thesis [3]. Figure 51. GV26-4 solar...NUMBER OF PAGES 197 14. SUBJECT TERMS Thin-Film Photovoltaics , CIGS, UAV Systems, Solar Array, Maximum Power Point Tracker ( MPPT ), Energy Storage...to a suitable level for charging the battery. The charging process is then optimized by using the MPPT as a power -conditioning unit that

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.

The performance of a combined solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric generator (TEG) system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørk, Rasmus; Nielsen, Kaspar Kirstein

2015-01-01

The performance of a combined solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric generator (TEG) system is examined using an analytical model for four different types of commercial PVs and a commercial bismuth telluride TEG. The TEG is applied directly on the back of the PV, so that the two devices have...... the same temperature. The PVs considered are crystalline Si (c-Si), amorphous Si (a-Si), copper indium gallium (di) selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) cells. The degradation of PV performance with temperature is shown to dominate the increase in power produced by the TEG, due to the low...... efficiency of the TEG. For c-Si, CIGS and CdTe PV cells the combined system produces a lower power and has a lower efficiency than the PV alone, whereas for an a-Si cell the total system performance may be slightly increased by the TEG....

Daily users compared to less frequent users find vape as or more satisfying and less dangerous than cigarettes, and are likelier to use non-cig-alike vaping products.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozlowski, Lynn T; Homish, D Lynn; Homish, Gregory G

2017-06-01

We assessed the roles of perceived satisfaction and perceived danger and vaping-product-type as correlates of more frequent use of vaping products. In a baseline assessment of a longitudinal study of US Army Reserve/National Guard Soldiers and their partners (New York State, USA, 2014-2016), participants were asked about current use of vaping products (e-cigarettes) and perceived satisfaction and danger in comparison to cigarettes as well as type of product used. Fisher-exact tests and multiple ordinal logistic regressions were used. In multivariable and univariate models, more perceived satisfaction, less perceived danger, and use of non-cig-alike products were associated with more frequent use of vaping products ( p s < 0.05, two-tailed). For self-selected, more frequent adult users, e-cigs can be at least as satisfying as cigarettes and often more satisfying and are perceived as less dangerous than cigarettes. Non-cig-alike products were more likely in daily users. Some concern that e-cigs are a gateway to cigarettes arises from assuming that e-cigs may not be as reinforcing and pleasurable as cigarettes. These results indicate that accurate perception of comparative risk and use of more effective-nicotine delivery product can produce for some users a highly-satisfying alternative to cigarettes.

Daily users compared to less frequent users find vape as or more satisfying and less dangerous than cigarettes, and are likelier to use non-cig-alike vaping products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lynn T. Kozlowski

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We assessed the roles of perceived satisfaction and perceived danger and vaping-product-type as correlates of more frequent use of vaping products. In a baseline assessment of a longitudinal study of US Army Reserve/National Guard Soldiers and their partners (New York State, USA, 2014–2016, participants were asked about current use of vaping products (e-cigarettes and perceived satisfaction and danger in comparison to cigarettes as well as type of product used. Fisher-exact tests and multiple ordinal logistic regressions were used. In multivariable and univariate models, more perceived satisfaction, less perceived danger, and use of non-cig-alike products were associated with more frequent use of vaping products (ps < 0.05, two-tailed. For self-selected, more frequent adult users, e-cigs can be at least as satisfying as cigarettes and often more satisfying and are perceived as less dangerous than cigarettes. Non-cig-alike products were more likely in daily users. Some concern that e-cigs are a gateway to cigarettes arises from assuming that e-cigs may not be as reinforcing and pleasurable as cigarettes. These results indicate that accurate perception of comparative risk and use of more effective-nicotine delivery product can produce for some users a highly-satisfying alternative to cigarettes.

Oxide nanoparticle-based fabrication and optical properties of Cu(In{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x})S{sub 2} absorber layer for solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Yo-Min [Department of Fusion Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 426-791 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Young-In [Institute of Nanosensor Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 426-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Bum-Sung [Production Technology R and D Division, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Incheon 406-840 (Korea, Republic of); Choa, Yong-Ho, E-mail: choa15@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Fusion Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 426-791 (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Nanosensor Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 426-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-11-01

The compound Cu(In{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x})S{sub 2} (CIGS) was synthesized using copper oxide, indium oxide and gallium oxide mixture (CIGO) nanoparticles using salt-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (SAUSP). Under this method, CIGS can be produced without the complicated restrictions of a vacuum and an inert atmosphere. The band gap of CIGS can be controlled by introducing the desired stoichiometric quantities of starting materials. In order to synthesize CIGO nanoparticles, various NaCl/precursor ratios were used to accomplish the SAUSP process and ultimately monodisperse CIGO nanoparticles with average particle size of 9 nm without hard agglomeration were obtained. Subsequently, the CIGO nanoparticles were sulfurized to form the CIGS in H{sub 2}S/Ar atmosphere at 500 °C. The CIGS obtained in the present study has the various band gap ranging from 1.67 to 2.34 eV depending on the Ga / (In + Ga) ratio, and those band gap correspond to the respective bulk materials. - Highlights: • CIGS is obtained using Cu, In and Ga oxide mixture (CIGO) nanoparticles. • Salt-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis is used to synthesize CIGO nanoparticles. • Nine nanometers of monodisperse CIGO nanoparticles without hard agglomeration is obtained. • The band gap of CIGS can be controlled by introducing the desired ratio of precursor.

Deuterium markers in CdS and Zn(O,S) buffer layers deposited by solution growth for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin-film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witte, Wolfram; Eicke, Axel; Hariskos, Dimitrios [Zentrum fuer Sonnenenergie und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Wuerttemberg (ZSW), Stuttgart (Germany); Souza, Roger A. de; Martin, Manfred [Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University (Germany)

2017-12-15

This contribution describes an easy and cheap approach to introduce deuterium (D) as an isotopic marker into the commonly used buffer layer materials CdS and Zn(O,S) for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin-film solar cells. D was successfully incorporated during the growth of Zn(O,S) and CdS buffer layers by chemical bath deposition (CBD) with D{sub 2}O. CIGS solar cells prepared with D-containing buffers grown by CBD exhibit power conversion efficiencies above 16%, that is, the D content has no detrimental effect on the performance or other solar cell parameters of the devices. With depth profiles obtained by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) we clearly detect the intentionally incorporated D within the solution-grown Zn(O,S) buffer. Assuming that D is present as OD, we compare the amount of OD within the Zn(O,S) layer with the amount of OH on the surface of the subsequent sputtered (Zn,Mg)O layer. Possible applications and future experiments of the method inserting isotopic markers such as D in functional layers of chalcopyrite-type thin-film solar cells and beyond are discussed. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Zinc Sulfide Buffer Layer for CIGS Solar Cells Prepared by Chemical Bath Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui-Wei You

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this study, ZnS thin films were successfully synthesized by chemical bath deposition (CBD with starting materials of NH2-NH2, SC(NH22, and ZnSO4‧7H2O. ZnS thin films were deposited with different time on glass substrates by CBD at 80oC and pH=9. Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD patterns, it is found that the ZnS thin films exhibit cubic polycrystalline phase. It was found that the optimum deposition time is 90 min for preparing ZnS thin film that is suitable as buffer layer for CuIn1-xGaxSe2 solar cells. The thin film deposited for 90 min has high transmittance up to 80% in the spectra range from 350 nm to 800 nm, and the optical band gap is about 3.59 eV.

Electronic defect study on low temperature processed Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells and the influence of an Sb layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Puyvelde, L; Lauwaert, J; Devulder, W; Detavernier, C; Vrielinck, H; Tempez, A; Nishiwaki, S; Pianezzi, F; Tiwari, A N

2015-01-01

A way to lower the manufacturing cost of Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells is to use flexible polymer substrates instead of rigid glass. Because such substrates require lower temperature during absorber deposition, the grain growth of the absorber layer can be hindered which leads to a lower cell performance. Partial compensation of this efficiency loss might be accomplished by growing the absorber in the presence of Sb, which is reported to promote grain growth. In this work CIGS solar cells, deposited on glass substrates, at a reduced substrate temperature with a thin Sb layer (7, 12 nm) on top of the Mo contact are investigated. The diffusion profile of Sb is measured with plasma profiling time of flight mass spectrometry. The beneficial effect of Sb on efficiency and grain size is shown in quantum efficiency measurements and with scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Electric spectroscopy is used to explore the possible effects on the defect structure, more in particular on the dominant shallow acceptor. Admittance spectra exhibit a capacitance step to the geometric capacitance plateau at low temperature (5–60 K). Analyzing this capacitance step, we obtained a good estimate of the activation energy of the intrinsic defects that provide the p-type conductivity of the CIGS absorber. The measurements did not show a change in the nature of the dominant acceptor upon Sb treatment. (paper)

Loss mechanisms in hydrazine-processed Cu2ZnSn(Se,S)4 solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

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

2010-12-01

We present a device characterization study for hydrazine-processed kesterite Cu2ZnSn(Se,S)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells with a focus on pinpointing the main loss mechanisms limiting device efficiency. Temperature-dependent study and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy on these cells, in comparison to analogous studies on a reference Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) cell, reveal strong recombination loss at the CZTSSe/CdS interface, very low minority-carrier lifetimes, and high series resistance that diverges at low temperature. These findings help identify the key areas for improvement of these CZTSSe cells in the quest for a high-performance indium- and tellurium-free solar cell.

Differential in-depth characterization of co-evaporated Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films for solar cell applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klinkert, Torben; Jubault, Marie; Donsanti, Frédérique; Lincot, Daniel; Guillemoles, Jean-François

2014-05-02

In this paper we report an alternative approach to perform in-depth characterisation of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) absorber layers. While usually groups stop their co-evaporation process at different points and analyse the precursor or intermediate phases, we perform in-depth analysis on the finished absorber layer as it will be used in the solar cell. A co-evaporated CIGS layer was cut to several samples, which then were chemically etched to different thicknesses. Compared to sputtering ablation techniques, this avoids the selective abrasion of atoms with different binding energies. The samples were analysed by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. In-depth information is obtained by differentiating the signals of samples with different thicknesses after etching and a first order correction for absorption losses was executed. The Ga/(Ga + In) ratio extracted from X-ray diffraction measurements is in good agreement with the double gradient observed by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy. A slight variation might indicate residual stress in the CIGS layer. A preferred (112) orientation across the whole film together with changing (220), (116) and (312) orientation preferences is reported and explained on the basis of the CIGS crystal structure. Raman signals attributed to ordered vacancy compounds are found throughout the whole sample thickness and not only close to the surface, as often reported in the literature. - Highlights: • Co-evaporated CIGS with double Ga gradient was chemically etched to different thicknesses. • X-ray diffractograms were differentiated to gain in-depth information. • (116)-oriented grains are found to tend to grow on (312)-oriented grains. • Change of preferred orientation was linked to crystal structure at grain boundaries. • Ga gradient from Vegard's law of XRD peaks is in agreement with GDOES measurement.

Efficiency of solar radiation conversion in photovoltaic panels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurpaska Sławomir

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper included analysis the conversion efficiency in photovoltaic panels. The tests were done between February and June at a test stand equipped with three commonly used types of photovoltaic panels: poly- and monocrystalline silicon and with semi-conductive layer made of copper (Cu, indium (In, gallium (Ga and selenium (Se (CIGS. Five days of each month were selected for a detailed analysis. They were close to the so-called recommended day for calculations in solar power engineering. Efficiency, calculated as the yield of electrical energy in relation to solar radiation energy reaching the panels was made conditional upon solar radiation intensity and ambient temperature. It was found that as solar radiation intensity and ambient temperature increase, the efficiency of solar radiation conversion into electricity is reduced. Correlation dependence was determined for the test data obtained, describing temperature change of panels depending on climatic conditions. It was found that as panel temperature increases, the conversion efficiency is reduced. Within the tested scope of experiment conditions, the efficiency was reduced in the range between 20.1 and 22.8%. The authors also determined the average efficiency values in individual test months together with average ambient conditions of the environment where the process of solar radiation conversion took place.

Understanding the Effect of Na in Improving the Performance of CuInSe₂ Based Photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobson, Kevin D. [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)

2015-11-17

Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) thin film photovoltaic technology is in the early stages of commercialization with an annual manufacturing capacity over 1 GW and has demonstrated the highest module efficiency of any of the thin film technologies. However there still is a lack of fundamental understanding of the relationship between the material properties and solar cell device operation. It is well known that the incorporation of a small amount of Na into the CIGS film during processing is essential for high efficiency devices. However, there are conflicting explanations for how Na behaves at the atomic scale. This report investigates how Na is incorporated into the CIGS device structure and evaluates the diffusion of Na into CIGS grain boundaries (GBs) and bulk crystallites. Participants: This project was carried out at the Institute of Energy Conversion at the University of Delaware, collaborating with the Rockett group at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne. Significant Findings: The significant outcomes of this project for each task include; Task 1.0: Effect of Na in Devices Fabricated on PVD Deposited CIGS; Na diffusion occurs through the Mo back contact via GBs driven by the presence of oxygen; Na reversibly compensates donor defects in CIGS GBs,Task 2.0: Na Incorporation in Single Crystal CIGS; and bulk Na diffusion proceeds rapidly such that grains are Na-saturated immediately following CIGS thin film manufacture. Industry Guidance: The presented results offer interesting concepts for modification of manufacturing processes of CIGS-based PV modules. Possible approaches to improve control of Na uptake and uniformly increase levels in CIGS films are highlighted for processes that employ either soda-lime glass or NaF as the Na source. Concepts include the potential of O₂ or oxidative based treatments of Mo back contacts to improve Na diffusion through the metal film and increase Na uptake into the growing CIGS. This project has also offered

Efficiency enhancement calculations of state-of-the-art solar cells by luminescent layers with spectral shifting, quantum cutting, and quantum tripling function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ten Kate, O.M.; De Jong, M.; Hintzen, H.T.; Van der Kolk, E.

2013-01-01

Solar cells of which the efficiency is not limited by the Shockley-Queisser limit can be obtained by integrating a luminescent spectral conversion layer into the cell structure. We have calculated the maximum efficiency of state-of-the-art c-Si, pc-Si, a-Si, CdTe, GaAs, CIS, CIGS, CGS, GaSb, and Ge

Competitive-IgY- Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (CIgY-ELISA to detect the cytokinins in Gerbera jamesonii plantlets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cleiton Mateus Sousa

2011-08-01

Full Text Available A competitive hyper-immune yolk Immunoglobulin Y - Enzyme Linked Immune Sorbent Assay (CIgY-ELISA, was developed as an alternative method to detect zeatin and 2ip in plantlets of gerbera. The endogenous level of hormones in the plantlets in vitro of gerbera with one or six weeks after replication was determined with competitive IgY-ELISA set to detect between 1 and 100 pmoles of plant hormone for each 1.0 g tissue. The plantlets of six weeks presented sprouts and root, while the plantlets of one week presented only sprouts. The CIgY-ELISA was set with high independent variables values of sensitivity/specificity of 96/89 % for zeatin and 94/78 % for 2ip, with high values of reproducibility (up to 90 % for both the cytokinins. Zeatin content varied from 2.2 to 2.8 pmoles.g-1 and from 2.7 to 3.3 pmoles.g-1 on the plantlet with one and six weeks, respectively. The 2ip content did not vary and was detected near the detection limit in all the assays. It was concluded that the observed capabilities of CIgY-ELISA were putative and the competitive assay was a highly robust and stable method, which could be used for the studies on plant physiology for endogenous cytokinins.

Electrical and optical characterization of the influence of chemical bath deposition time and temperature on CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} junction properties in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Han-Kyu; Ok, Eun-A [Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Won-Mok; Park, Jong-Keuk [Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Seong, Tae-Yeon [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Dong Wha; Cho, Hoon Young [Department of Physics, College of Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Jeung-hyun, E-mail: jhjeong@kist.re.kr [Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-11-01

The effects of varying the conditions for the chemical bath deposition (CBD) of cadmium sulfide (CdS) layers on CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) hetero-junctions were investigated using photoluminescence (PL), electroluminescence (EL), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), and red-light-illuminated current-voltage (I–V) measurements. We demonstrated that varying CBD-CdS conditions such as the temperature and time influenced the recombination pathways around the CdS/CIGS junction via the formation of different electronic defects, which eventually changed the photovoltaic conversion efficiency. As the CBD-CdS time and temperature were increased, the cell efficiency decreased. PL measurements revealed that this degradation of the cell efficiency was accompanied by increases in the defect-related recombination, which were attributed to the existence of donor defects around CdS/CIGS having an energy level of 0.65 eV below conduction band, as revealed by DLTS. Increasing distortions in the red-light-illuminated I–V characteristics suggested that the related defects might also have played a critical role in metastable changes around the CdS/CIGS junction. Because the CBD-CdS time and temperature were considered to influence the diffusion of impurities into the CIGS surface, the evolution of the efficiency, PL spectra, defect populations, and red-light-illuminated I–V characteristics observed in this work could be attributed to the diffusion of impurities during the CBD-CdS process. - Highlights: • CdS layers were grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD). • The CBD-CdS influenced the efficiency of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cell. • It could be related to slight alteration in carrier recombination around CdS/CIGS. • Photo- and electroluminescence spectra detected those alterations in recombination. • The variation of results could be related to the changes in deep-level defects.

In-situ X-ray Nanocharacterization of Defect Kinetics in Chalcogenide Solar Cell Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertoni, Mariana [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Lai, Barry [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS); Masser, Jorg [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS); Buonassisi, Tonio [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

2016-09-21

For decades the optimization of polycrystalline absorbers has been done using an Edisonian approach, where trial and error and complex design of experiments in large parameter spaces have driven efficiencies to the record values we see today – CIGS at 22.5%, 22.1% for CdTe, 21.3% for high purity multi-crystalline silicon. Appropriate growth parameters are critical to ensure good quality crystals with low concentration of structural defects - low dislocation density and large grain sizes. However, to bridge the gap between the efficiencies today and the fundamental Shockley-Queisser limit for these materials a much more fundamental understanding of the role and interaction between composition, structure, defect density and electrical properties is required. In recent years multiple novel characterization techniques have shown the potential that nanoscale characterization can have in deciphering the composition of grain boundaries in materials like CIGS and CdTe. However, high resolution has come at the cost of small sampling areas and number of specimens, making it extremely difficult to draw conclusions based on the characteristic small sampling sizes. The missing links thus far have been: (1) the lack of statistical meaningfulness of the nanosclae studies and (2) the direct correlation of compositional variations to electrical performance with nanoscale resolution. In this work we present the use of synchrotron-based nano-X-ray fluorescence microscopy (nano-XRF), x-ray absorption nanospectroscopy (nano-XAS) coupled with nano-x-ray beam induced current (nano-XBIC) as ideal tools for investigating elemental, chemical and electrical properties of large areas of solar cell materials at the sub-micron scale with very high sensitivity. We show how the technique can provide statistical valuable information regarding the elemental segregation in CIGS and the direct correlation to current collection. For example, we demonstrate that Cu and Ga (and with that, CGI and GGI

Ecofriendly and Nonvacuum Electrostatic Spray-Assisted Vapor Deposition of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 Thin Film Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Md Anower; Wang, Mingqing; Choy, Kwang-Leong

2015-10-14

Chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGSSe) thin films have been deposited by a novel, nonvacuum, and cost-effective electrostatic spray-assisted vapor deposition (ESAVD) method. The generation of a fine aerosol of precursor solution, and their controlled deposition onto a molybdenum substrate, results in adherent, dense, and uniform Cu(In,Ga)S2 (CIGS) films. This is an essential tool to keep the interfacial area of thin film solar cells to a minimum value for efficient charge separation as it helps to achieve the desired surface smoothness uniformity for subsequent cadmium sulfide and window layer deposition. This nonvacuum aerosol based approach for making the CIGSSe film uses environmentally benign precursor solution, and it is cheaper for producing solar cells than that of the vacuum-based thin film solar technology. An optimized CIGSSe thin film solar cell with a device configuration of molybdenum-coated soda-lime glass substrate/CIGSSe/CdS/i-ZnO/AZO shows the photovoltaic (j-V) characteristics of Voc=0.518 V, jsc=28.79 mA cm(-2), fill factor=64.02%, and a promising power conversion efficiency of η=9.55% under simulated AM 1.5 100 mW cm(-2) illuminations, without the use of an antireflection layer. This demonstrates the potential of ESAVD deposition as a promising alternative approach for making thin film CIGSSe solar cells at a lower cost.

Development of Electrodeposited CIGS Solar Cells: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-09-357

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neale, Nathan [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-09-01

At present, most PV materials are fabricated by vacuum technologies. Some of the many disadvantages of vacuum technology are complicated instrumentation, material waste, high cost of deposition per surface area, and instability of some compounds at the deposition temperature. Solution-based approaches for thin-film deposition on large areas are particularly desirable because of the low capital cost of the deposition equipment, relative simplicity of the processes, ease of doping, uniform deposition on a variety of substrates (including interior and exterior of tubes and various nonplanar devices), and potential compatibility with high-throughput (e.g., roll-to-roll) processing. Of the nonsilicon solar photovoltaic device modules that have been deployed to date, those based on the n-CdS/p-CdTe is a leading candidate. Two features in the optical characteristics of CdTe absorber are particularly attractive for photovoltaic conversion of sunlight; (a) its energy bandgap of 1.5 eV, which provides an optimal match with the solar spectrum and thus facilitates its efficient utilization and (b) the direct mode of the main optical transition which results in a large absorption coefficient and turn permits the use of thin layer (1-2 um) of active material. Thin films of CdTe required for these devices have been fabricated by a variety of methods (e.g., vapor transport deposition, vacuum deposition, screen printing and close-spaced sublimation). Electrodeposition is another candidate deserves more attention. This project will focus on delivering low-cost, high efficiency electrodeposited CdTe-based device.

Performance of Photovoltaic Modules of Different Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ankita Gaur

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an attempt of performance evaluation of semitransparent and opaque photovoltaic (PV modules of different generation solar cells, having the maximum efficiencies reported in the literature at standard test conditions (STC, has been carried out particularly for the months of January and June. The outdoor performance is also evaluated for the commercially available semitransparent and opaque PV modules. Annual electrical energy, capitalized cost, annualized uniform cost (unacost, and cost per unit electrical energy for both types of solar modules, namely, semitransparent and opaque have also been computed along with their characteristics curves. Semitransparent PV modules have shown higher efficiencies compared to the opaque ones. Calculations show that for the PV modules made in laboratory, CdTe exhibits the maximum annual electrical energy generation resulting into minimum cost per unit electrical energy, whereas a-Si/nc-Si possesses the maximum annual electrical energy generation giving minimum cost per unit electrical energy when commercially available solar modules are concerned. CIGS has shown the lowest capitalized cost over all other PV technologies.

SOLAR-ISS: A new reference spectrum based on SOLAR/SOLSPEC observations

Science.gov (United States)

Meftah, M.; Damé, L.; Bolsée, D.; Hauchecorne, A.; Pereira, N.; Sluse, D.; Cessateur, G.; Irbah, A.; Bureau, J.; Weber, M.; Bramstedt, K.; Hilbig, T.; Thiéblemont, R.; Marchand, M.; Lefèvre, F.; Sarkissian, A.; Bekki, S.

2018-03-01

Context. Since April 5, 2008 and up to February 15, 2017, the SOLar SPECtrometer (SOLSPEC) instrument of the SOLAR payload on board the International Space Station (ISS) has performed accurate measurements of solar spectral irradiance (SSI) from the middle ultraviolet to the infrared (165 to 3088 nm). These measurements are of primary importance for a better understanding of solar physics and the impact of solar variability on climate. In particular, a new reference solar spectrum (SOLAR-ISS) is established in April 2008 during the solar minima of cycles 23-24 thanks to revised engineering corrections, improved calibrations, and advanced procedures to account for thermal and aging corrections of the SOLAR/SOLSPEC instrument. Aims: The main objective of this article is to present a new high-resolution solar spectrum with a mean absolute uncertainty of 1.26% at 1σ from 165 to 3000 nm. This solar spectrum is based on solar observations of the SOLAR/SOLSPEC space-based instrument. Methods: The SOLAR/SOLSPEC instrument consists of three separate double monochromators that use concave holographic gratings to cover the middle ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and infrared (IR) domains. Our best ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectra are merged into a single absolute solar spectrum covering the 165-3000 nm domain. The resulting solar spectrum has a spectral resolution varying between 0.6 and 9.5 nm in the 165-3000 nm wavelength range. We build a new solar reference spectrum (SOLAR-ISS) by constraining existing high-resolution spectra to SOLAR/SOLSPEC observed spectrum. For that purpose, we account for the difference of resolution between the two spectra using the SOLAR/SOLSPEC instrumental slit functions. Results: Using SOLAR/SOLSPEC data, a new solar spectrum covering the 165-3000 nm wavelength range is built and is representative of the 2008 solar minimum. It has a resolution better than 0.1 nm below 1000 nm and 1 nm in the 1000-3000 nm wavelength range. The new

Improved open-circuit voltage in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells with high work function transparent electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jäger, Timo; Romanyuk, Yaroslav E.; Bissig, Benjamin; Pianezzi, Fabian; Nishiwaki, Shiro; Reinhard, Patrick; Steinhauser, Jérôme; Tiwari, Ayodhya N.; Schwenk, Johannes

2015-01-01

Hydrogenated indium oxide (IOH) is implemented as transparent front contact in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells, leading to an open circuit voltage V OC enhanced by ∼20 mV as compared to reference devices with ZnO:Al (AZO) electrodes. This effect is reproducible in a wide range of contact sheet resistances corresponding to various IOH thicknesses. We present the detailed electrical characterization of glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/intrinsic ZnO (i-ZnO)/transparent conductive oxide (TCO) with different IOH/AZO ratios in the front TCO contact in order to identify possible reasons for the enhanced V OC . Temperature and illumination intensity-dependent current-voltage measurements indicate that the dominant recombination path does not change when AZO is replaced by IOH, and it is mainly limited to recombination in the space charge region and at the junction interface of the solar cell. The main finding is that the introduction of even a 5 nm-thin IOH layer at the i-ZnO/TCO interface already results in a step-like increase in V OC . Two possible explanations are proposed and verified by one-dimensional simulations using the SCAPS software. First, a higher work function of IOH as compared to AZO is simulated to yield an V OC increase by 21 mV. Second, a lower defect density in the i-ZnO layer as a result of the reduced sputter damage during milder sputter-deposition of IOH can also add to a maximum enhanced V OC of 25 mV. Our results demonstrate that the proper choice of the front TCO contact can reduce the parasitic recombination and boost the efficiency of CIGS cells with improved corrosion stability

Full space device optimization for solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Baloch, Ahmer A B; Aly, Shahzada P; Hossain, Mohammad I; El-Mellouhi, Fedwa; Tabet, Nouar; Alharbi, Fahhad H

2017-09-20

Advances in computational materials have paved a way to design efficient solar cells by identifying the optimal properties of the device layers. Conventionally, the device optimization has been governed by single or double descriptors for an individual layer; mostly the absorbing layer. However, the performance of the device depends collectively on all the properties of the material and the geometry of each layer in the cell. To address this issue of multi-property optimization and to avoid the paradigm of reoccurring materials in the solar cell field, a full space material-independent optimization approach is developed and presented in this paper. The method is employed to obtain an optimized material data set for maximum efficiency and for targeted functionality for each layer. To ensure the robustness of the method, two cases are studied; namely perovskite solar cells device optimization and cadmium-free CIGS solar cell. The implementation determines the desirable optoelectronic properties of transport mediums and contacts that can maximize the efficiency for both cases. The resulted data sets of material properties can be matched with those in materials databases or by further microscopic material design. Moreover, the presented multi-property optimization framework can be extended to design any solid-state device.

Direct imaging of enhanced current collection on grain boundaries of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, JunHo, E-mail: jhk@incheon.ac.kr [Department of Physics, Incheon National University, Incheon 406-772 (Korea, Republic of); National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States); Kim, SeongYeon [Department of Physics, Incheon National University, Incheon 406-772 (Korea, Republic of); Jiang, Chun-Sheng; Ramanathan, Kannan; Al-Jassim, Mowafak M. [National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

2014-02-10

We report on direct imaging of current collection by performing conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) measurement on a complete Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cell. The localized current was imaged by milling away the top conductive layer of the device by repeated C-AFM scans. The result exhibits enhanced photocurrent collection on grain boundaries (GBs) of CIGS films, consistent with the argument for electric-field-assisted carrier collection on the GBs.

Atmospheric spatial atomic-layer-deposition of Zn(O, S) buffer layer for flexible Cu(In, Ga)Se2 solar cells: From lab-scale to large area roll to roll processing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frijters, C.H.; Bolt, P.J.; Poodt, P.W.G.; Knaapen, R.; Brink, J. van den; Ruth, M.; Bremaud, D.; Illiberi, A.

2016-01-01

In this manuscript we present the first successful application of a spatial atomic-layer-deposition process to thin film solar cells. Zn(O,S) has been grown by spatial atomic layer deposition (S-ALD) at atmospheric pressure and applied as buffer layer in rigid and flexible CIGS cells by a lab-scale

Improved open-circuit voltage in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells with high work function transparent electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jäger, Timo, E-mail: timo.jaeger@empa.ch; Romanyuk, Yaroslav E.; Bissig, Benjamin; Pianezzi, Fabian; Nishiwaki, Shiro; Reinhard, Patrick; Steinhauser, Jérôme; Tiwari, Ayodhya N. [Empa—Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland); Schwenk, Johannes [Empa—Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Nanoscale Materials Science, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland)

2015-06-14

Hydrogenated indium oxide (IOH) is implemented as transparent front contact in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells, leading to an open circuit voltage V{sub OC} enhanced by ∼20 mV as compared to reference devices with ZnO:Al (AZO) electrodes. This effect is reproducible in a wide range of contact sheet resistances corresponding to various IOH thicknesses. We present the detailed electrical characterization of glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/intrinsic ZnO (i-ZnO)/transparent conductive oxide (TCO) with different IOH/AZO ratios in the front TCO contact in order to identify possible reasons for the enhanced V{sub OC}. Temperature and illumination intensity-dependent current-voltage measurements indicate that the dominant recombination path does not change when AZO is replaced by IOH, and it is mainly limited to recombination in the space charge region and at the junction interface of the solar cell. The main finding is that the introduction of even a 5 nm-thin IOH layer at the i-ZnO/TCO interface already results in a step-like increase in V{sub OC}. Two possible explanations are proposed and verified by one-dimensional simulations using the SCAPS software. First, a higher work function of IOH as compared to AZO is simulated to yield an V{sub OC} increase by 21 mV. Second, a lower defect density in the i-ZnO layer as a result of the reduced sputter damage during milder sputter-deposition of IOH can also add to a maximum enhanced V{sub OC} of 25 mV. Our results demonstrate that the proper choice of the front TCO contact can reduce the parasitic recombination and boost the efficiency of CIGS cells with improved corrosion stability.

Molybdenum, molybdenum oxides, and their electrochemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Saji, Viswanathan S; Lee, Chi-Woo

2012-07-01

The electrochemical behaviors of molybdenum and its oxides, both in bulk and thin film dimensions, are critical because of their widespread applications in steels, electrocatalysts, electrochromic materials, batteries, sensors, and solar cells. An important area of current interest is electrodeposited CIGS-based solar cells where a molybdenum/glass electrode forms the back contact. Surprisingly, the basic electrochemistry of molybdenum and its oxides has not been reviewed with due attention. In this Review, we assess the scattered information. The potential and pH dependent active, passive, and transpassive behaviors of molybdenum in aqueous media are explained. The major surface oxide species observed, reversible redox transitions of the surface oxides, pseudocapacitance and catalytic reduction are discussed along with carefully conducted experimental results on a typical molybdenum glass back contact employed in CIGS-based solar cells. The applications of molybdenum oxides and the electrodeposition of molybdenum are briefly reviewed. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Advances in Cost-Efficient Thin-Film Photovoltaics Based on Cu(In,Ga)Se2

OpenAIRE

Michael Powalla; Stefan Paetel; Dimitrios Hariskos; Roland Wuerz; Friedrich Kessler; Peter Lechner; Wiltraud Wischmann; Theresa Magorian Friedlmeier

2017-01-01

In this article, we discuss the leading thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology based on the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) compound semiconductor. This contribution includes a general comparison with the conventional Si-wafer-based PV technology and discusses the basics of the CIGS technology as well as advances in world-record-level conversion efficiency, production, applications, stability, and future developments with respect to a flexible product. Once in large-scale mass production, the CIGS techno...

Theoretical comparison between solar combisystems based on bikini tanks and tank-in-tank solar combisystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazdanshenas, Eshagh; Furbo, Simon; Bales, Chris

2008-01-01

Theoretical investigations have shown that solar combisystems based on bikini tanks for low energy houses perform better than solar domestic hot water systems based on mantle tanks. Tank-in-tank solar combisystems are also attractive from a thermal performance point of view. In this paper......, theoretical comparisons between solar combisystems based on bikini tanks and tank-in-tank solar combisystems are presented....

Boron Doped diamond films as electron donors in photovoltaics: An X-ray absorption and hard X-ray photoemission study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kapilashrami, M.; Zegkinoglou, I. [Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Conti, G.; Nemšák, S.; Conlon, C. S.; Fadley, C. S. [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, California 95616 (United States); Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Törndahl, T.; Fjällström, V. [Ångström Solar Center, Uppsala University, Box 534, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden); Lischner, J. [Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Louie, Steven G. [Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Hamers, R. J.; Zhang, L. [Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Guo, J.-H. [Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Himpsel, F. J., E-mail: fhimpsel@wisc.edu [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

2014-10-14

Highly boron-doped diamond films are investigated for their potential as transparent electron donors in solar cells. Specifically, the valence band offset between a diamond film (as electron donor) and Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) as light absorber is determined by a combination of soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which is more depth-penetrating than standard soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, a theoretical analysis of the valence band is performed, based on GW quasiparticle band calculations. The valence band offset is found to be small: VBO=VBM{sub CIGS} – VBM{sub diamond}=0.3 eV±0.1 eV at the CIGS/Diamond interface and 0.0 eV±0.1 eV from CIGS to bulk diamond. These results provide a promising starting point for optimizing the band offset by choosing absorber materials with a slightly lower valence band maximum.

Identifying parasitic current pathways in CIGS solar cells by modelling dark J-V response

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Williams, B.L.; Smit, S.; Kniknie, B.J.; Bakker, K.; Keuning, W.; Schropp, R.E.I.; Creatore, M.; Kessels, W.M.M.

2015-01-01

The non-uniform presence of shunting defects is a significant cause of poor reproducibility across large-area solar cells, or from batch-to-batch for small area cells, but the most commonly used value for shunt parameterisation (the shunt resistance) fails to identify the cause for shunting. Here,

Flexible Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells for space application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otte, Karsten; Makhova, Liudmila; Braun, Alexander; Konovalov, Igor

2006-01-01

Thin film solar cells (TFSC) with Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) as absorber layer have been produced on rigid glass substrates for the terrestrial market. There exist, however, different investigations for manufacturing of TFSC on flexible substrates in order to achieve very thin and highly flexible (rollable) solar cells. Besides their capability to open new terrestrial market segments, they are considered as competitive candidates for future flexible thin film space power generators compared to traditional crystalline solar cells. This paper explains the advantages of flexible TFSC for usage in space, including:-low mass and storage volume, -high power/mass ratio [>100 W/kg at array level], -high radiation resistance against proton and electron radiation and, -lower production costs. These cells can be produced on flexible conductive and insulating substrate materials and have efficiency potentials of up to 15%. We report on the current development steps to adopt the TFSC technology to space requirements as well as the first European industrial approach to the roll-to-roll production of flexible CIGS-TFSC on polyimide as substrate material. Stability issues in space environment concern not only the TFSC itself, but all system components such as interconnects, cell assembly and flexible blankets. The adhesion of the back-contact to the substrate, the emissivity control in the infrared wavelength range, the electrical contacting and interconnection as well as flexible encapsulation are currently under investigation and are discussed in the paper. The production costs for TFSC for space application can be further reduced by sharing resources for the production of flexible TFSC for the terrestrial market; namely by using both, the existing terrestrial investment in production facilities as well as the synergies in R and D

Preparation and Characterization of Molybdenum Thin Film to Photovoltaic applications; Preparacion y Caracterizacion de Peliculas Delgadas de Molibdeno para Aplicaciones Fotovoltaicas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andres, M.; Gutierrez, M. T.

2007-09-18

Molybdenum (Mo) is one of the main material used as back ohmic contact for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells. It has to provide the electrical properties of low resistivity electrode and high reflectance in the absorbance region of CIGS layer. Also, it has to have high thermal stability, an adequate morphology and good adhesion to the substrate. The aim of this work has been the preparation of Mo layers onto two types of substrates, soda-lime glass (SLG) and a commercial flexible polyimide called Kapton, and the evaluation as a flexible substrate in CIGS solar cells. Internal stress, adhesion, microstructure and optical and electrical properties of Mo thin films have been studied as a function of deposition parameters (gas pressure, power density and time). The change of the substrate from rigid one to flexible introduces tensile stress due to the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the coating and the substrate. Low stress in Mo/Kapton structure has been obtained; this is a good result to use in CIGS flexible solar cells. (Author) 23 refs.

Potassium-induced surface modification of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films for high-efficiency solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chirilă, Adrian; Reinhard, Patrick; Pianezzi, Fabian; Bloesch, Patrick; Uhl, Alexander R; Fella, Carolin; Kranz, Lukas; Keller, Debora; Gretener, Christina; Hagendorfer, Harald; Jaeger, Dominik; Erni, Rolf; Nishiwaki, Shiro; Buecheler, Stephan; Tiwari, Ayodhya N

2013-12-01

Thin-film photovoltaic devices based on chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) absorber layers show excellent light-to-power conversion efficiencies exceeding 20%. This high performance level requires a small amount of alkaline metals incorporated into the CIGS layer, naturally provided by soda lime glass substrates used for processing of champion devices. The use of flexible substrates requires distinct incorporation of the alkaline metals, and so far mainly Na was believed to be the most favourable element, whereas other alkaline metals have resulted in significantly inferior device performance. Here we present a new sequential post-deposition treatment of the CIGS layer with sodium and potassium fluoride that enables fabrication of flexible photovoltaic devices with a remarkable conversion efficiency due to modified interface properties and mitigation of optical losses in the CdS buffer layer. The described treatment leads to a significant depletion of Cu and Ga concentrations in the CIGS near-surface region and enables a significant thickness reduction of the CdS buffer layer without the commonly observed losses in photovoltaic parameters. Ion exchange processes, well known in other research areas, are proposed as underlying mechanisms responsible for the changes in chemical composition of the deposited CIGS layer and interface properties of the heterojunction.

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.

Influence of laser wavelength on the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy measurement of thin CuIn1−xGaxSe2 solar cell films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Chan Kyu; In, Jung Hwan; Lee, Seok Hee; Jeong, Sungho

2013-01-01

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurement of thin CuIn x Ga 1−x Se 2 (CIGS) films (1.2–1.9 μm) with varying Ga to In ratios was carried out using the fundamental (1064 nm) and second harmonic (532 nm) wavelength Nd:YAG lasers (τ = 5 ns, spot diameter = 150 μm, top-hat profile) in air. The concentration ratios of Ga to In, x Ga ≡ Ga/(Ga + In), of the CIGS samples ranged from 0.027 to 0.74 for which the band gap varied nearly proportionally to x Ga from 0.96 to 1.42. It was found that the LIBS signal of 1064 nm (1.17 eV) wavelength laser was significantly influenced by x Ga , whereas that of the 532 nm (2.34 eV) laser was consistent for all values of x Ga . The observed dependency of the LIBS signal intensity on the laser wavelength was attributed to the large difference of photon energy of the two wavelengths that changed the absorption of incident laser energy by the film. The 532 nm wavelength was found to be advantageous for multi-shot analysis that enabled depth profile analysis of the thin CIGS films and for improving measurement precision by averaging the multi-shot LIBS spectra. - Highlights: • The ablation characteristics of CIGS solar cell films change drastically with laser wavelength. • The LIBS signal intensity of 1064 nm wavelength laser depends strongly on Ga concentration. • Multi-shot LIBS analysis using a 532 nm laser is more advantageous for accuracy and consistency

CIG-DB: the database for human or mouse immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes available for cancer studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Furue Motoki

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Immunoglobulin (IG or antibody and the T-cell receptor (TR are pivotal proteins in the immune system of higher organisms. In cancer immunotherapy, the immune responses mediated by tumor-epitope-binding IG or TR play important roles in anticancer effects. Although there are public databases specific for immunological genes, their contents have not been associated with clinical studies. Therefore, we developed an integrated database of IG/TR data reported in cancer studies (the Cancer-related Immunological Gene Database [CIG-DB]. Description This database is designed as a platform to explore public human and murine IG/TR genes sequenced in cancer studies. A total of 38,308 annotation entries for IG/TR proteins were collected from GenBank/DDBJ/EMBL and the Protein Data Bank, and 2,740 non-redundant corresponding MEDLINE references were appended. Next, we filtered the MEDLINE texts by MeSH terms, titles, and abstracts containing keywords related to cancer. After we performed a manual check, we classified the protein entries into two groups: 611 on cancer therapy (Group I and 1,470 on hematological tumors (Group II. Thus, a total of 2,081 cancer-related IG and TR entries were tabularized. To effectively classify future entries, we developed a computational method based on text mining and canonical discriminant analysis by parsing MeSH/title/abstract words. We performed a leave-one-out cross validation for the method, which showed high accuracy rates: 94.6% for IG references and 94.7% for TR references. We also collected 920 epitope sequences bound with IG/TR. The CIG-DB is equipped with search engines for amino acid sequences and MEDLINE references, sequence analysis tools, and a 3D viewer. This database is accessible without charge or registration at http://www.scchr-cigdb.jp/, and the search results are freely downloadable. Conclusions The CIG-DB serves as a bridge between immunological gene data and cancer studies, presenting

Single source precursors for fabrication of I-III-VI{sub 2} thin-film solar cells via spray CVD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hollingsworth, J.A.; Banger, K.K.; Jin, M.H.-C.; Harris, J.D.; Cowen, J.E.; Bohannan, E.W.; Switzer, J.A.; Buhro, W.E.; Hepp, A.F

2003-05-01

The development of thin-film solar cells on flexible, lightweight, space-qualified substrates provides an attractive cost solution to fabricating solar arrays with high specific power (W/kg). Thin-film fabrication studies demonstrate that ternary single source precursors can be used in either a hot, or cold-wall spray chemical vapour deposition reactor, for depositing CuInS{sub 2}, CuGaS{sub 2} and CuGaInS{sub 2} at reduced temperatures (400-450 sign C), which display good electrical and optical properties suitable for photovoltaic devices. X-ray diffraction studies, energy dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of the single phase CIS, CGS, CIGS thin-films on various substrates at reduced temperatures.

Ternary Precursors for Depositing I-III-VI2 Thin Films for Solar Cells via Spray CVD

Science.gov (United States)

Banger, K. K.; Hollingsworth, J. A.; Jin, M. H.-C.; Harris, J. D.; Duraj, S. A.; Smith, M.; Scheiman, D.; Bohannan, E. W.; Switzer, J. A.; Buhro, W. E.

2002-01-01

The development of thin-film solar cells on flexible, lightweight, space-qualified substrates provides an attractive cost solution to fabricating solar arrays with high specific power (W/kg). Thin-film fabrication studies demonstrate that ternary single source precursors (SSP's) can be used in either a hot or cold-wall spray chemical vapour deposition (CVD) reactor, for depositing CuInS2, CuGaS2, and CuGaInS2 at reduced temperatures (400 to 450 C), which display good electrical and optical properties suitable for photovoltaic (PV) devices. X-ray diffraction studies, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the formation of the single phase CIS, CGS, CIGS thin-films on various substrates at reduced temperatures.

Boron Doped diamond films as electron donors in photovoltaics: An X-ray absorption and hard X-ray photoemission study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapilashrami, M.; Zegkinoglou, I.; Conti, G.; Nemšák, S.; Conlon, C. S.; Fadley, C. S.; Törndahl, T.; Fjällström, V.; Lischner, J.; Louie, Steven G.; Hamers, R. J.; Zhang, L.; Guo, J.-H.; Himpsel, F. J.

2014-01-01

Highly boron-doped diamond films are investigated for their potential as transparent electron donors in solar cells. Specifically, the valence band offset between a diamond film (as electron donor) and Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) as light absorber is determined by a combination of soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which is more depth-penetrating than standard soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, a theoretical analysis of the valence band is performed, based on GW quasiparticle band calculations. The valence band offset is found to be small: VBO = VBM CIGS – VBM diamond  = 0.3 eV ± 0.1 eV at the CIGS/Diamond interface and 0.0 eV ± 0.1 eV from CIGS to bulk diamond. These results provide a promising starting point for optimizing the band offset by choosing absorber materials with a slightly lower valence band maximum.

Advances in Cost-Efficient Thin-Film Photovoltaics Based on Cu(In,Ga)Se2

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Michael Powalla; Stefan Paetel; Dimitrios Hariskos; Roland Wuerz; Friedrich Kessler; Peter Lechner; Wiltraud Wischmann; Theresa Magorian Friedlmeier

2017-01-01

In this article,we discuss the leading thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology based on the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS)compound semiconductor.This contribution includes a general comparison with the conventional Si-wafer-based PV technology and discusses the basics of the CIGS technology as well as advances in worldrecord-level conversion efficiency,production,applications,stability,and future developments with respect to a flexible product.Once in large-scale mass production,the CIGS technology has the highest potential of all PV technologies for cost-efficient clean energy generation.

Advances in Cost-Efficient Thin-Film Photovoltaics Based on Cu(In,GaSe2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Powalla

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this article, we discuss the leading thin-film photovoltaic (PV technology based on the Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS compound semiconductor. This contribution includes a general comparison with the conventional Si-wafer-based PV technology and discusses the basics of the CIGS technology as well as advances in world-record-level conversion efficiency, production, applications, stability, and future developments with respect to a flexible product. Once in large-scale mass production, the CIGS technology has the highest potential of all PV technologies for cost-efficient clean energy generation.

Solar Panel based Milk Pasteurization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kirsten Mølgaard; Pedersen, Tom Søndergaard

This paper treats the subject of analysis, design and development of the control system for a solar panel based milk pasteurization system to be used in small villages in Tanzania. The analysis deals with the demands for an acceptable pasteurization, the varying energy supply and the low cost, low...... complexity, simple user interface and high reliability demands. Based on these demands a concept for the pasteurization system is established and a control system is developed. A solar panel has been constructed and the energy absorption has been tested in Tanzania. Based on the test, the pasteurization...... system is dimensioned. A functional prototype of the pasteurization facility with a capacity of 200 l milk/hour has been developed and tested. The system is prepared for solar panels as the main energy source and is ready for a test in Tanzania....

Solar Panel based Milk Pasteurization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kirsten Mølgaard; Pedersen, Tom Søndergaard

2002-01-01

This paper treats the subject of analysis, design and development of the control system for a solar panel based milk pasteurization system to be used in small villages in Tanzania. The analysis deals with the demands for an acceptable pasteurization, the varying energy supply and the low cost, low...... complexity, simple user interface and high reliability demands. Based on these demands a concept for the pasteurization system is established and a control system is developed. A solar panel has been constructed and the energy absorption has been tested in Tanzania. Based on the test, the pasteurization...... system is dimensioned. A functional prototype of the pasteurization facility with a capacity of 200 l milk/hour has been developed and tested. The system is prepared for solar panels as the main energy source and is ready for a test in Tanzania....

Carbon- and oxygen-free Cu(InGa)(SSe)₂ solar cell with a 4.63% conversion efficiency by electrostatic spray deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Hyun; Na, Seung Heon; Choi, Jae Young; Kim, Min Woo; Kim, Hayong; An, Hee Sang; Min, Byoung Koun; Ahn, SeJin; Yun, Jae Ho; Gwak, Jihye; Yoon, KyungHoon; Kolekar, Sanjay S; van Hest, Maikel F A M; Al-Deyab, Salem S; Swihart, Mark T; Yoon, Sam S

2014-06-11

We have demonstrated the first example of carbon- and oxygen-free Cu(In,Ga)(SSe)2 (CIGSSe) absorber layers prepared by electrospraying a CuInGa (CIG) precursor followed by annealing, sulfurization, and selenization at elevated temperature. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy showed that the amorphous as-deposited (CIG) precursor film was converted into polycrystalline CIGSSe with a flat-grained morphology after post-treatment. The optimal post-treatment temperature was 300 °C for annealing and 500 °C for both sulfurization and selenization, with a ramp rate of 5 °C/min. The carbon impurities in the precursor film were removed by air annealing, and oxide that was formed during annealing was removed by sulfurization. The fabricated CIGSSe solar cell showed a conversion efficiency of 4.63% for a 0.44 cm(2) area, with Voc = 0.4 V, Jsc = 21 mA/cm(2), and FF = 0.53.

Tantalum-based semiconductors for solar water splitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Peng; Zhang, Jijie; Gong, Jinlong

2014-07-07

Solar energy utilization is one of the most promising solutions for the energy crises. Among all the possible means to make use of solar energy, solar water splitting is remarkable since it can accomplish the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy. The produced hydrogen is clean and sustainable which could be used in various areas. For the past decades, numerous efforts have been put into this research area with many important achievements. Improving the overall efficiency and stability of semiconductor photocatalysts are the research focuses for the solar water splitting. Tantalum-based semiconductors, including tantalum oxide, tantalate and tantalum (oxy)nitride, are among the most important photocatalysts. Tantalum oxide has the band gap energy that is suitable for the overall solar water splitting. The more negative conduction band minimum of tantalum oxide provides photogenerated electrons with higher potential for the hydrogen generation reaction. Tantalates, with tunable compositions, show high activities owning to their layered perovskite structure. (Oxy)nitrides, especially TaON and Ta3N5, have small band gaps to respond to visible-light, whereas they can still realize overall solar water splitting with the proper positions of conduction band minimum and valence band maximum. This review describes recent progress regarding the improvement of photocatalytic activities of tantalum-based semiconductors. Basic concepts and principles of solar water splitting will be discussed in the introduction section, followed by the three main categories regarding to the different types of tantalum-based semiconductors. In each category, synthetic methodologies, influencing factors on the photocatalytic activities, strategies to enhance the efficiencies of photocatalysts and morphology control of tantalum-based materials will be discussed in detail. Future directions to further explore the research area of tantalum-based semiconductors for solar water splitting

Microcontroller Based Solar Charge Controller for Power Application

OpenAIRE

Mr. Vikas Khare

2012-01-01

Photovoltaic cell converts solar energy directly into electricity. This paper describes a design of microcontroller based solar charge controller for power application.[2] The work of the Paper is to charge a 12 volt battery by using a 50 watt solar panel with maximum power. This circuit regulates the charging of battery in a solar system by monitoring battery voltage and switching the solar or other power source off when the battery reached a preset value.[1] The microprocessor based charge ...

Controlled formation of MoSe{sub 2} by MoN{sub x} thin film as a diffusion barrier against Se during selenization annealing for CIGS solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Chan-Wook [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsangbuk-do 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Cheon, Taehoon [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsangbuk-do 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Center for Core Research Facilities, DaeguGyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hangil [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsangbuk-do 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Min-Su [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsangbuk-do 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Soo-Hyun [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsangbuk-do 712-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-25

Highlights: • Mo/MoN{sub x}/Mo multilayer was investigated as a back contact for CIGS solar cell. • The MoN{sub x} protected the underlying Mo layer during high temperature selenization. • The formation of MoSe{sub 2} layer was precisely controlled. • The diffusion barrier performance of MoN{sub x} against Se was evaluated using TEM analysis. - Abstract: This study investigated the interfacial reactions and electrical properties of a Mo single layer and Mo/MoN{sub x}/Mo multilayer during high temperature selenization annealing. The Mo single layer was converted easily to MoSe{sub 2}, which was 7 times thicker than the Mo layer consumed ∼900 nm, by selenization at 460 °C for 10 min and the sheet resistance increased 8 fold compared to that of the as-deposited Mo film. On the other hand, in the Mo/MoN{sub x}/Mo structure, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the MoSe{sub 2} transformation was localized only in the top Mo layer and the bottom Mo layer was completely unaffected, even after selenization at 560 °C. The sheet resistance of the multilayer was relatively unchanged by selenization. This suggests that the MoN{sub x} layer performed well as a diffusion barrier against Se and the thickness of MoSe{sub 2} can be controlled precisely by adjusting the top Mo layer thickness. Furthermore, TEM and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis showed that the selenized multilayer consisted of MoSe{sub 2}/Mo/MoN{sub x}/Mo, in which the top Mo layer of 60 nm was not fully converted to MoSe{sub 2} and 20 nm was left unreacted. The residual Mo interlayer located at the interface of MoSe{sub 2} and MoN{sub x} is believed to be beneficial for the ohmic contact of the selenized multilayer.

Bismuth-doped Cu(In,Ga)Se2 absorber prepared by multi-layer precursor method and its solar cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chantana, Jakapan; Hironiwa, Daisuke; Minemoto, Takashi; Watanabe, Taichi; Teraji, Seiki; Kawamura, Kazunori

2015-01-01

Bismuth (Bi)-doped Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) films were prepared by the so-called ''multi-layer precursor method'', obtained by depositing them onto Bi layers with various thicknesses on Mo-coated soda-lime glass (SLG) substrates. Material composition (Cu, In, Ga, and Se) profiles of the CIGS films are almost identical, whereas sodium (Na) is reduced, when Bi thickness is increased. Moreover, the incorporation of Bi into the CIGS film is enhanced with thicker Bi layer. With Bi thickness from 0 to 70 nm, the 2.4-μm-thick CIGS absorbers demonstrate the increase in CIGS grain size, carrier lifetime, and carrier concentration, thus improving their cell performances, especially open-circuit voltage (V OC ). With further increase in Bi thickness of above 70 nm, the CIGS films show the deterioration of CIGS film quality owing to the formation of Bi compounds such as Bi, BiSe, and Bi 4 Se 3 . Consequently, Bi-doped CIGS absorber with thickness of 2.4 μm, prepared with the 70-nm-thick Bi layer on Mo-coated SLG substrate, gives rise to the improvement of photovoltaic performances, especially V OC . (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Photoelectric properties of variably RTP processed CIGS{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riediger, Julia; Ohland, Joerg; Knipper, Martin; Parisi, Juergen; Riedel, Ingo [Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oldenburg (Germany); Mainz, Roland; Merdes, Saoussen; Klaer, Joachim [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany)

2011-07-01

The open circuit voltage V{sub oc} of CuInS{sub 2} solar cells was found to improve via incorporation of gallium. The Cu(In,Ga)S{sub 2} absorber of the samples studied in this work was prepared by sputtering (Cu,Ga) and In precursors subsequently sulfurized via rapid thermal processing (RTP) in sulfur vapor. Distinctive top/bottom CuInS{sub 2}/CuGaS{sub 2} segregation has been observed which extent depends on the substrate temperature and holding time of the temperature during RTP-process. The insufficient gallium accumulation at the surface impedes high values of V{sub oc}.We studied the consequences of RTP-process parameter variation in regard of the interdiffusion of CuInS{sub 2} and CuGaS{sub 2}. Quantum efficiency (QE) and temperature-/illumination-dependent current-voltage (IV) profiling have been carried out for differently processed samples. These measurements provide the minimum band gap E{sub g} of the graded absorber layer, the temperature dependent V{sub oc} and the activation energy E{sub a} for carrier recombination. Drive level capacitance (DLCP) profiling reveals the spatially resolved in-depth variation of the doping/defect concentration close to the space charge region.

Influence of carrier concentration on the performance of CIAS solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Kinjal; Ray, Jaymin

2018-05-01

Photovoltaic research has moved beyond the use of single crystalline materials such as Group IV elemental Si and Group III-V compounds like GaAs to much more complex compounds of the Group I-III-VI2 with chalcopyrite structure. The ternary ABC2 chalcopyrites (A=Cu; B=In, Ga or Al; C= S, Se or Te) form a large group of semiconducting materials with diverse structural and electrical properties. These materials are attractive for thin film photovoltaic application for a number of reasons. The bandgap of CuInSe2 is relatively low, 1.04 eV, but it can be adjusted to better match the solar spectrum either by substituting part of In by Ga or part of Se by S. Most reported and popular Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) is one of its derivative. Efficiency of the CIGS devices with Eg >1.3 eV is reduced by the degradation of the electronic properties of the absorber leading to losses in the fill-factor and the open-circuit voltage. Alternatively, the performance can be improved by the addition of Al to form CuInAlSe2 (CIAS) absorber layers with an increase in the bandgap energy, which matches closely with the solar spectrum. In the present work an effort was made in the direction of improving the conversion efficiency by studying the influence of carrier concentration. SCAPS simulation program is used to simulate the CIAS structure numerically. The obtained results intended the significant variation in the values of conversion efficiency. Variation in the efficiency can be considered because of the relation optical absorption and carrier concentration. Observed highest efficiency is 10 %, which can be further improved by considering actual parameters of the device as well as the operating condition.

Bismuth-doped Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} absorber prepared by multi-layer precursor method and its solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chantana, Jakapan; Hironiwa, Daisuke; Minemoto, Takashi [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 (Japan); Watanabe, Taichi; Teraji, Seiki; Kawamura, Kazunori [Environment and Energy Research Center, Nitto Denko Corporation, 2-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)

2015-06-15

Bismuth (Bi)-doped Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) films were prepared by the so-called ''multi-layer precursor method'', obtained by depositing them onto Bi layers with various thicknesses on Mo-coated soda-lime glass (SLG) substrates. Material composition (Cu, In, Ga, and Se) profiles of the CIGS films are almost identical, whereas sodium (Na) is reduced, when Bi thickness is increased. Moreover, the incorporation of Bi into the CIGS film is enhanced with thicker Bi layer. With Bi thickness from 0 to 70 nm, the 2.4-μm-thick CIGS absorbers demonstrate the increase in CIGS grain size, carrier lifetime, and carrier concentration, thus improving their cell performances, especially open-circuit voltage (V{sub OC}). With further increase in Bi thickness of above 70 nm, the CIGS films show the deterioration of CIGS film quality owing to the formation of Bi compounds such as Bi, BiSe, and Bi{sub 4}Se{sub 3}. Consequently, Bi-doped CIGS absorber with thickness of 2.4 μm, prepared with the 70-nm-thick Bi layer on Mo-coated SLG substrate, gives rise to the improvement of photovoltaic performances, especially V{sub OC}. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Application of femtosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for quantitative analysis of thin Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cell films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seokhee [School of Mechatronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 1 Oryong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Gonzalez, Jhanis J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Applied Spectra Inc., 46665 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94538 (United States); Yoo, Jong H. [Applied Spectra Inc., 46665 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94538 (United States); Chirinos, Jose R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas 1041A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Russo, Richard E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Applied Spectra Inc., 46665 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94538 (United States); Jeong, Sungho, E-mail: shjeong@gist.ac.kr [School of Mechatronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 1 Oryong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-02-27

This work reports that the composition of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin solar cell films can be quantitatively predicted with high accuracy and precision by femtosecond laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (fs-LA-ICP-MS). It is demonstrated that the results are strongly influenced by sampling conditions during fs-laser beam (λ = 1030 nm, τ = 450 fs) scanning on the CIGS surface. The fs-LA-ICP-MS signals measured at optimal sampling conditions generally provide a straight line calibration with respect to the reference concentrations measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The concentration ratios predicted by fs-LA-ICP-MS showed high accuracy, to 95–97% of the values measured with ICP-OES, for Cu, In, Ga, and Se elements. - Highlights: • Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry of thin film is reported. • Concentration ratio prediction with a confidence level of 95–97% is achieved. • Quantitative determination of composition is demonstrated.

Key techniques for space-based solar pumped semiconductor lasers

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yang; Xiong, Sheng-jun; Liu, Xiao-long; Han, Wei-hua

2014-12-01

In space, the absence of atmospheric turbulence, absorption, dispersion and aerosol factors on laser transmission. Therefore, space-based laser has important values in satellite communication, satellite attitude controlling, space debris clearing, and long distance energy transmission, etc. On the other hand, solar energy is a kind of clean and renewable resources, the average intensity of solar irradiation on the earth is 1353W/m2, and it is even higher in space. Therefore, the space-based solar pumped lasers has attracted much research in recent years, most research focuses on solar pumped solid state lasers and solar pumped fiber lasers. The two lasing principle is based on stimulated emission of the rare earth ions such as Nd, Yb, Cr. The rare earth ions absorb light only in narrow bands. This leads to inefficient absorption of the broad-band solar spectrum, and increases the system heating load, which make the system solar to laser power conversion efficiency very low. As a solar pumped semiconductor lasers could absorb all photons with energy greater than the bandgap. Thus, solar pumped semiconductor lasers could have considerably higher efficiencies than other solar pumped lasers. Besides, solar pumped semiconductor lasers has smaller volume chip, simpler structure and better heat dissipation, it can be mounted on a small satellite platform, can compose satellite array, which can greatly improve the output power of the system, and have flexible character. This paper summarizes the research progress of space-based solar pumped semiconductor lasers, analyses of the key technologies based on several application areas, including the processing of semiconductor chip, the design of small and efficient solar condenser, and the cooling system of lasers, etc. We conclude that the solar pumped vertical cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers will have a wide application prospects in the space.

Solar Electricity and Solar Fuels: Status and Perspectives in the Context of the Energy Transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Armaroli, Nicola; Balzani, Vincenzo

2016-01-04

The energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables is already ongoing, but it will be a long and difficult process because the energy system is a gigantic and complex machine. Key renewable energy production data show the remarkable growth of solar electricity technologies and indicate that crystalline silicon photovoltaics (PV) and wind turbines are the workhorses of the first wave of renewable energy deployment on the TW scale around the globe. The other PV alternatives (e.g., copper/indium/gallium/selenide (CIGS) or CdTe), along with other less mature options, are critically analyzed. As far as fuels are concerned, the situation is significantly more complex because making chemicals with sunshine is far more complicated than generating electric current. The prime solar artificial fuel is molecular hydrogen, which is characterized by an excellent combination of chemical and physical properties. The routes to make it from solar energy (photoelectrochemical cells (PEC), dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells (DSPEC), PV electrolyzers) and then synthetic liquid fuels are presented, with discussion on economic aspects. The interconversion between electricity and hydrogen, two energy carriers directly produced by sunlight, will be a key tool to distribute renewable energies with the highest flexibility. The discussion takes into account two concepts that are often overlooked: the energy return on investment (EROI) and the limited availability of natural resources-particularly minerals-which are needed to manufacture energy converters and storage devices on a multi-TW scale. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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.

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

Growth of polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films using a radio frequency-cracked Se-radical beam source and application for photovoltaic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizuka, Shogo; Shibata, Hajime; Yamada, Akimasa; Fons, Paul; Sakurai, Keiichiro; Matsubara, Koji; Niki, Shigeru

2007-01-01

Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin films were grown using a rf-cracked Se-radical beam source. A unique combination of film properties, a highly dense and smooth surface with large grain size, is shown. These features seem to have no significant influence on the photovoltaic performance. Defect control in bulk CIGS leading to corresponding variations in the electrical and photoluminescence properties was found to be possible by regulating the Se-radical source parameters. A competitive energy conversion efficiency of 17.5%, comparable to that of a Se-evaporative source grown CIGS device, has been demonstrated from a solar cell fabricated using a Se-radical source grown CIGS absorber

Surface microstructure evolution of highly transparent and conductive Al-doped ZnO thin films and its application in CIGS solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Ke; Liu, Jingjing; Jin, Ranran; Liu, Jingling; Liu, Xinsheng; Lu, Zhangbo; Liu, Ya; Liu, Xiaolan; Du, Zuliang

2017-07-01

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) has attained intensive attention as being a very good transparent conducting oxide for photovoltaic applications. In this work, AZO films have been deposited on glass substrate by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The influences of substrate temperatures on morphological, structural, optical and electrical properties of AZO films were systematically investigated. The results indicate that all AZO films have the hexagonal structure with c-axis preferred orientation. Morphological and electrical measurements have revealed that the substrate temperatures have strong influence on the microstructure, optical and electrical properties of AZO films. The AZO film is highly transparent from ultraviolet up to near infrared range with highest average transparency exceeding 83%. The minimum resistivity is as low as 6.1 × 10-4 Ω cm. The carrier concentration and mobility are as high as 3.357 × 1020 cm-3 and 30.48 cm2/Vs, respectively. Finally, the performances of the AZO film are evaluated by its practical application in Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 (CIGS) photovoltaic device as a transparent electrode. Benefited from its highly transparent and conductive feature, the most efficient device reveals an efficiency of 7.8% with a short-circuit current density of 28.99 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage of 430 mV, and a fill factor of 62.44 under standard conditions.

Mg-doped ZnO thin films deposited by the atomic layer chemical vapor deposition for the buffer layer of CIGS solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Zhao-Hui [Department of Electronics Engineering, Gachon University, Soojung-gu, Seongnam city 461-701, Gyunggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Center for Photovoltaic and Solar Energy, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen city 518055 (China); Cho, Eou-Sik [Department of Electronics Engineering, Gachon University, Soojung-gu, Seongnam city 461-701, Gyunggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Sang Jik, E-mail: sjkwon@gachon.ac.kr [Department of Electronics Engineering, Gachon University, Soojung-gu, Seongnam city 461-701, Gyunggi-do (Korea, Republic of)

2014-09-30

Highlights: • Mg-doped ZnO film as CIGS buffer was prepared by ALD process. • The grain size of ZnO-like hexagonal phase decreased with Mg content. • The transmittance and crystallinity increased but the band gap decreased with temperature. - Abstract: Mg-doped ZnO [(Zn, Mg)O] thin films were prepared by atomic layer chemical vapor deposition (ALCVD) process with different Mg content, using diethyl zinc, biscyclopentadienyl magnesium, and water as the metal and oxygen sources, respectively. The ratio of Mg to Zn was varied by changing the pulse ratio of MgCp{sub 2} to DEZn precursor to study its effect on the properties of (Zn, Mg)O thin films. From the experimental results, it was shown that the grain size of the ZnO-like hexagonal phase (Zn, Mg)O decreased as the Mg content increased. But the transmittance and optical band gap of (Zn, Mg)O films increased with the increase of the Mg content. In addition, the effect of the substrate temperature on the properties of (Zn, Mg)O films was also investigated. The deposition rate, transmittance, and crystallinity of (Zn, Mg)O films increased as the substrate temperature increased. But its band gap decreased slightly with the increase of substrate temperature.

Self-assembled synthesis of 3D Cu(In1 − xGax)Se2 nanoarrays by one-step electroless deposition into ordered AAO template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Bin; Zheng, Maojun; Xiong, Zuzhou; Zhu, Changqing; Li, Hong; Wang, Faze; Shen, Wenzhong; Zhou, Tao; Ma, Li

2014-01-01

Quaternary nanostructured Cu(In 1 − x Ga x )Se 2 (CIGS) arrays were successfully fabricated via a novel and simple solution-based protocol on the electroless deposition method, using a flexible, highly ordered anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) substrate. This method does not require electric power, complicated sensitization processes, or complexing agents, but provides nearly 100% pore fill factor to AAO templates. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images show that we obtained uniformly three-dimensional nanostructured CIGS arrays, and we can tailor the diameter and wall thicknesses of the nanostructure by adjusting the pore diameter of the AAO and metal Mo layer. Their chemical composition was determined by energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis, which is very close to the stoichiometric value. The Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further confirm the formation of nanostructured CIGS with prominent chalcopyrite structure. The nanostructured CIGS arrays can support the design of low-cost, highlight-trapping, and enhanced carrier collection nanostructured solar cells. (paper)

Characterization of in-situ annealed sub-micron thick Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Byoung-Soo; Sung, Shi-Joon; Hwang, Dae-Kue, E-mail: dkhwang@dgist.ac.kr

2015-09-01

Sub-micron thick Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films were deposited on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates under various conditions by single-stage co-evaporation. Generally, the short circuit current (J{sub sc}) decreased with the decreasing thickness of the absorber layer. However, in this study, J{sub sc} was nearly unchanged with decreasing thickness, while the open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) and fill factor (FF) decreased by 31.9 and 31.1%, respectively. We believe that the remarkable change of V{sub oc} and FF can be attributed to the difference in the total amount of injected thermal energy. Using scanning electron microscopy, we confirmed that the surface morphology becomes smooth and the grain size increased after the annealing process. In the X-ray diffraction patterns, the CIGS thin film also showed an improved crystal quality. We observed that the electric properties were improved by the in-situ annealing of CIGS thin films. The reverse saturation current density of the annealed CIGS solar cell was 100 times smaller than that of reference solar cell. Thus, sub-micron CIGS thin films annealed under a constant Se rate showed a 64.7% improvement in efficiency. - Highlights: • The effects of in-situ annealing the sub-micron CIGS film have been investigated. • The surface morphology and the grain size were improved by in-situ annealing. • The V{sub oc} and FF of the films were increased by about 30% after in-situ annealing. • In-situ annealing of sub-micron thick CIGS films can be improved an efficiency.

Understanding the cell-to-module efficiency gap in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 photovoltaics scale-up

Science.gov (United States)

Bermudez, Veronica; Perez-Rodriguez, Alejandro

2018-06-01

Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) solar cells show record efficiencies comparable to those of crystalline Si-based technologies. Their industrial module production costs are also comparable to those of Si photovoltaics in spite of their much lower production volume. However, the competitiveness of CIGS is compromised by the difference in performance between cell and module scales, known as the cell-to-module efficiency gap, which is significantly higher than in competing industrial photovoltaic technologies. In this Review, we quantify the main cell-to-module efficiency loss mechanisms and discuss the various strategies explored in academia and industry to reduce the efficiency gap: new transparent conductive oxides, hybrid modularization approaches and the use of wide-bandgap solar absorbers in the 1.4-1.5 eV range. To implement these strategies, research gaps relating to various device layers need to be filled.

Solar based water treatment technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, I.; Hyder, M.J.

2000-01-01

In developing countries, the quality of drinking water is so poor that reports of 80% diseases from water-related causes is no surprise (Tebbet, 90). Frequently, there are reports in press of outbreak of epidemics in cities due to the unhygienic drinking-water. The state of affairs in the rural areas can be well imagined, where majority of the people live with no piped water. This paper describes the solar-based methods of removing organic pollutants from waste-water (also called Advanced Oxidation Technologies) and solar desalination. Experimental results of a simple solar water-sterilization technique have been discussed, along with suggestions to enhance the performance of this technique. (author)

Semiconductor-based Multilayer Selective Solar Absorber for Unconcentrated Solar Thermal Energy Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Nathan H; Chen, Zhen; Fan, Shanhui; Minnich, Austin J

2017-07-13

Solar thermal energy conversion has attracted substantial renewed interest due to its applications in industrial heating, air conditioning, and electricity generation. Achieving stagnation temperatures exceeding 200 °C, pertinent to these technologies, with unconcentrated sunlight requires spectrally selective absorbers with exceptionally low emissivity in the thermal wavelength range and high visible absorptivity for the solar spectrum. In this Communication, we report a semiconductor-based multilayer selective absorber that exploits the sharp drop in optical absorption at the bandgap energy to achieve a measured absorptance of 76% at solar wavelengths and a low emittance of approximately 5% at thermal wavelengths. In field tests, we obtain a peak temperature of 225 °C, comparable to that achieved with state-of-the-art selective surfaces. With straightforward optimization to improve solar absorption, our work shows the potential for unconcentrated solar thermal systems to reach stagnation temperatures exceeding 300 °C, thereby eliminating the need for solar concentrators for mid-temperature solar applications such as supplying process heat.

Toward maximum transmittance into absorption layers in solar cells: investigation of lossy-film-induced mismatches between reflectance and transmittance extrema.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yin-Jung; Lai, Chi-Sheng

2013-09-01

The mismatch in film thickness and incident angle between reflectance and transmittance extrema due to the presence of lossy film(s) is investigated toward the maximum transmittance design in the active region of solar cells. Using a planar air/lossy film/silicon double-interface geometry illustrates important and quite opposite mismatch behaviors associated with TE and TM waves. In a typical thin-film CIGS solar cell, mismatches contributed by TM waves in general dominate. The angular mismatch is at least 10° in about 37%-53% of the spectrum, depending on the thickness combination of all lossy interlayers. The largest thickness mismatch of a specific interlayer generally increases with the thickness of the layer itself. Antireflection coating designs for solar cells should therefore be optimized in terms of the maximum transmittance into the active region, even if the corresponding reflectance is not at its minimum.

Temperature Effect on Power Drop of Different Photovoltaic Modules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emad Talib Hahsim

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Solar module operating temperature is the second major factor affects the performance of solar photovoltaic panels after the amount of solar radiation. This paper presents a performance comparison of mono-crystalline Silicon (mc-Si, poly-crystalline Silicon (pc-Si, amorphous Silicon (a-Si and Cupper Indium Gallium di-selenide (CIGS photovoltaic technologies under Climate Conditions of Baghdad city. Temperature influence on the solar modules electric output parameters was investigated experimentally and their temperature coefficients was calculated. These temperature coefficients are important for all systems design and sizing. The experimental results revealed that the pc-Si module showed a decrease in open circuit voltage by -0.0912V/ºC while mc-Si and a-Si had nearly -0.07V/ºC and the CIGS has -0.0123V/ºC. The results showed a slightly increase in short circuit current with temperature increasing about 0.3mA/ºC ,4.4mA/ºC and 0.9mA/ºC for mc-Si , pc-Si and both a-Si and CIGS. The mc-Si had the largest drop in output power about -0.1353W/ºC while -0.0915, -0.0114 and -0.0276 W/ºC for pc-Si, a-Si and CIGS respectively. The amorphous silicon is the more suitable module for high operation temperature but it has the lowest conversion efficiency between the tested modules.

Complementary Characterization of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ Thin-Film Photovoltaic Cells Using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, Auger Electron Spectroscopy, and Atom Probe Tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Yun Jung; Lee, Jihye; Jeong, Jeung-Hyun; Lee, Kang-Bong; Kim, Donghwan; Lee, Yeonhee

2018-05-01

To enhance the conversion performance of solar cells, a quantitative and depth-resolved elemental analysis of photovoltaic thin films is required. In this study, we determined the average concentration of the major elements (Cu, In, Ga, and Se) in fabricated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin films, using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and wavelengthdispersive electron probe microanalysis. Depth profiling results for CIGS thin films with different cell efficiencies were obtained using secondary ion mass spectrometry and Auger electron spectroscopy to compare the atomic concentrations. Atom probe tomography, a characterization technique with sub-nanometer resolution, was used to obtain three-dimensional elemental mapping and the compositional distribution at the grain boundaries (GBs). GBs are identified by Na increment accompanied by Cu depletion and In enrichment. Segregation of Na atoms along the GB had a beneficial effect on cell performance. Comparative analyses of different CIGS absorber layers using various analytical techniques provide us with understanding of the compositional distributions and structures of high efficiency CIGS thin films in solar cells.

Effect of bath temperature on the properties of CuIn{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x} Se{sub 2} thin films grown by the electrodeposition technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao Jie; Qu Shengchun; Liu Kong; Wang Zhanguo, E-mail: qsc@semi.ac.c [Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China)

2010-08-15

Electrodeposition is a promising and low cost method to synthesize CuIn{sub x} Ga{sub 1-x} Se{sub 2} (CIGS)thin films as an absorber layer for solar cells. The effect of bath temperature on the properties of CIGS thin films was investigated in this paper. CIGS films of 1 {mu}m thickness were electrodeposited potentiostatically from aqueous solution, containing trisodium citrate as a complexing agent, on Mo/glass substrate under a voltage of -0.75 V, and bath temperatures were varied from 20 to 60{sup 0}C. The effects of bath temperature on the properties of CIGS thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy. XRD revealed the presence of the CuIni{sub 0.7}Ga{sub 0.3} Se{sub 2} phase, the optimal phase for application in solar cells. The grain dimensions and crystallizability increase along with the increase of the bath temperature, and the films become stacked and homogeneous. There were few changes in surface morphology and the composition of the films. (semiconductor materials)

New Temperature-based Models for Predicting Global Solar Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, Gasser E.; Youssef, M. Elsayed; Mohamed, Zahraa E.; Ali, Mohamed A.; Hanafy, Ahmed A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • New temperature-based models for estimating solar radiation are investigated. • The models are validated against 20-years measured data of global solar radiation. • The new temperature-based model shows the best performance for coastal sites. • The new temperature-based model is more accurate than the sunshine-based models. • The new model is highly applicable with weather temperature forecast techniques. - Abstract: This study presents new ambient-temperature-based models for estimating global solar radiation as alternatives to the widely used sunshine-based models owing to the unavailability of sunshine data at all locations around the world. Seventeen new temperature-based models are established, validated and compared with other three models proposed in the literature (the Annandale, Allen and Goodin models) to estimate the monthly average daily global solar radiation on a horizontal surface. These models are developed using a 20-year measured dataset of global solar radiation for the case study location (Lat. 30°51′N and long. 29°34′E), and then, the general formulae of the newly suggested models are examined for ten different locations around Egypt. Moreover, the local formulae for the models are established and validated for two coastal locations where the general formulae give inaccurate predictions. Mostly common statistical errors are utilized to evaluate the performance of these models and identify the most accurate model. The obtained results show that the local formula for the most accurate new model provides good predictions for global solar radiation at different locations, especially at coastal sites. Moreover, the local and general formulas of the most accurate temperature-based model also perform better than the two most accurate sunshine-based models from the literature. The quick and accurate estimations of the global solar radiation using this approach can be employed in the design and evaluation of performance for

Quadruple-Junction Thin-Film Silicon-Based Solar Cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Si, F.T.

2017-01-01

The direct utilization of sunlight is a critical energy source in a sustainable future. One of the options is to convert the solar energy into electricity using thin-film silicon-based solar cells (TFSSCs). Solar cells in a triple-junction configuration have exhibited the highest energy conversion

A Two-Dimensional Solar Tracking Stationary Guidance Method Based on Feature-Based Time Series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keke Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The amount of satellite energy acquired has a direct impact on operational capacities of the satellite. As for practical high functional density microsatellites, solar tracking guidance design of solar panels plays an extremely important role. Targeted at stationary tracking problems incurred in a new system that utilizes panels mounted in the two-dimensional turntable to acquire energies to the greatest extent, a two-dimensional solar tracking stationary guidance method based on feature-based time series was proposed under the constraint of limited satellite attitude coupling control capability. By analyzing solar vector variation characteristics within an orbit period and solar vector changes within the whole life cycle, such a method could be adopted to establish a two-dimensional solar tracking guidance model based on the feature-based time series to realize automatic switching of feature-based time series and stationary guidance under the circumstance of different β angles and the maximum angular velocity control, which was applicable to near-earth orbits of all orbital inclination. It was employed to design a two-dimensional solar tracking stationary guidance system, and a mathematical simulation for guidance performance was carried out in diverse conditions under the background of in-orbit application. The simulation results show that the solar tracking accuracy of two-dimensional stationary guidance reaches 10∘ and below under the integrated constraints, which meet engineering application requirements.

Strategies to reduce the open-circuit voltage deficit in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin film solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jekyung; Shin, Byungha

2017-09-01

Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin film solar cell has attracted significant attention in thin film solar cell technologies considering its low-cost, non-toxicity, and earth-abundance. However, the highest efficiency still remains at 12.6%, far below the theoretical efficiency of Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit of around 30%. The limitation behind such shortcoming in the device performance was reported to stem primarily from a high V oc deficit compared to other thin film solar cell technologies such as CdTe or Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS), whose origins are attributed to the prevalence of band tailing from cation disordering as well as to the high recombination at the interfaces. In this report, systematic studies on the causes of a high V oc deficit and associated remarkable approaches to achieve high V oc have been reviewed, provided with a guidance on the future direction of CZTSSe research in resolving the high V oc deficit issue. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Point contacts at the copper-indium-gallium-selenide interface—A theoretical outlook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bercegol, Adrien, E-mail: adrien.bercegol@polytechnique.edu; Chacko, Binoy; Klenk, Reiner; Lauermann, Iver; Lux-Steiner, Martha Ch. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Albert Einstein Straße 15, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Liero, Matthias [Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, 10117 Berlin (Germany)

2016-04-21

For a long time, it has been assumed that recombination in the space-charge region of copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) is dominant, at least in high efficiency solar cells with low band gap. The recent developments like potassium fluoride post deposition treatment and point-contact junction may call this into question. In this work, a theoretical outlook is made using three-dimensional simulations to investigate the effect of point-contact openings through a passivation layer on CIGS solar cell performance. A large set of solar cells is modeled under different scenarios for the charged defect levels and density, radius of the openings, interface quality, and conduction band offset. The positive surface charge created by the passivation layer induces band bending and this influences the contact (CdS) properties, making it beneficial for the open circuit voltage and efficiency, and the effect is even more pronounced when coverage area is more than 95%, and also makes a positive impact on the device performance, even in the presence of a spike at CIGS/CdS heterojunction.

Development of a hybrid sputtering/evaporation process for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acciarri, M.; Binetti, S.; Le Donne, A.; Lorenzi, B.; Caccamo, L.; Miglio, L. [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali e Solar Energy Research Center MIB-SOLAR, Universita di Milano Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Moneta, R.; Marchionna, S.; Meschia, M. [Voltasolar s.r.l, Turate (Italy)

2011-08-15

In this paper we report a new method for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} deposition for solar cell application. Differently from the common co-evaporation process, an alterative approach for thin film Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} has been tested: the sputtering deposition of metal elements combined with the selenium evaporation. We have studied the relationships between the growth parameters of our hybrid sputtering/evaporation method and the chemical-physical properties of the CIGS films. The cells are completed with a CdS buffer layer deposited by chemical bath deposition and ZnO + ITO deposited by RF sputtering. Test solar cells of 0.5 cm{sup 2} have shown an efficiency of 10% and 2.5% on glass and stainless steel substrate respectively. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Photocatalytic hydrogen production under direct solar light in a CPC based solar reactor: Reactor design and preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing Dengwei; Liu Huan; Zhang Xianghui; Zhao Liang; Guo Liejin

2009-01-01

In despite of so many types of solar reactors designed for solar detoxification purposes, few attempts have been made for photocatalytic hydrogen production, which in our option, is one of the most promising approaches for solar to chemical energy conversion. Addressing both the similarity and dissimilarity for these two processes and by fully considering the special requirements for the latter reaction, a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) based photocatalytic hydrogen production solar reactor has been designed for the first time. The design and optimization of this CPC based solar reactor has been discussed in detail. Preliminary results demonstrated that efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production under direct solar light can be accomplished by coupling tubular reactors with CPC concentrators. It is anticipated that this first demonstration of concentrator-based solar photocatalytic hydrogen production would draw attention for further studies in this promising direction.

Intrinsic ZnO films fabricated by DC sputtering from oxygen-deficient targets for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell application

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Chongyin Yang; DongyunWan; Zhou Wang; Fuqiang Huang

2011-01-01

Intrinsic zinc oxide films, normally deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering, are fabricated by direct current (DC) sputtering. The oxygen-deficient targets are prepared via a newly developed double crucible method. The 800-nm-thick film obtaines significantly higher carrier mobility compareing with that of the 800-nm-thick ZnO film. This is achieved by the widely used RF sputtering, which favors the prevention of carrier recombination at the interfaces and reduction of the series resistance of solar cells. The optimal ZnO film is used in a Cu (In, Ga) Se2 (CIGS) solar cell with a high efficiency of 11.57%. This letter demonstrates that the insulating ZnO films can be deposited by DC sputtering from oxygen-deficient ZnO targets to lower the cost of thin film solar cells.%Intrinsic zinc oxide films,normally deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering,are fabricated by direct current (DC) sputtering.The oxygen-deficient targets are prepared via a newly developed double crucible method.The 800-nm-thick film obtaines significantly higher carrier mobility compareing with that of the 800-nm-thick ZnO film.This is achieved by the widely used RF sputtering,which favors the prevention of carrier recombination at the interfaces and reduction of the series resistance of solar cells.The optimal ZnO film is used in a Cu (In,Ga) Se2 (C1GS) solar cell with a high efficiency of 11.57％.This letter demonstrates that the insulating ZnO films can be deposited by DC sputtering from oxygen-deficient ZnO targets to lower the cost of thin film solar cells.High resistance transparent intrinsic zinc oxide (i-ZnO)thin film has been widely nsed as the front electrode in transparent electronics and photovoltaic devices because of its low cost and nontoxicity.Owing to its unique characteristics of high transparency and adjustable resistivity in a certain range,the use of i-ZnO thin films as diffusion barrier layers of a-Si/μc-Si,CdTe,and CIGS thin-film solar cells has been advantageous

Experimental characterization of a solar cooker with thermal energy storage based on solar salt

Science.gov (United States)

Coccia, G.; Di Nicola, G.; Tomassetti, S.; Gabrielli, G.; Chieruzzi, M.; Pierantozzi, M.

2017-11-01

High temperature solar cooking allows to cook food fast and with good efficiency. An unavoidable drawback of this technology is that it requires nearly clear-sky conditions. In addition, evening cooking is difficult to be accomplished, particularly on the winter season during which solar radiation availability is limited to a few hours in the afternoon in most of countries. These restrictions could be overcome using a cooker thermal storage unit (TSU). In this work, a TSU based on solar salt was studied. The unit consists of two metal concentric cylindrical vessels, connected together to form a double-walled vessel. The volume between walls was filled with a certain amount of nitrate based phase change material (solar salt). In order to characterize the TSU, a test bench used to assess solar cooker performance was adopted. Experimental load tests with the TSU were carried out to evaluate the cooker performance. The obtained preliminary results show that the adoption of the solar salt TSU seems to allow both the opportunity of evening cooking and the possibility to better stabilize the cooker temperature when sky conditions are variable.

Optical characterization of In{sub 2}S{sub 3} solar cell buffer layers grown by chemical bath and physical vapor deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trigo, J.F.; Asenjo, B.; Herrero, J.; Gutierrez, M.T. [Department of Energy, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense, 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2008-09-15

In this paper, we study the optical properties of indium sulfide thin films to establish the best conditions to obtain a good solar cell buffer layer. The In{sub 2}S{sub 3} buffer layers have been prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) and thermal evaporation (PVD). Optical behavior differences have been found between CBD and PVD In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films that have been explained as due to structural, morphological and compositional differences observed in the films prepared by both methods. The resultant refractive index difference has to be attributed to the lower density of the CBD films, which can be related to the presence of oxygen. Its higher refractive index makes PVD film better suited to reduce overall reflectance in a typical CIGS solar cell. (author)

Individual identification of free hole and electron dynamics in CuIn{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} thin films by simultaneous monitoring of two optical transitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okano, Makoto [Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Hagiya, Hideki; Sakurai, Takeaki; Akimoto, Katsuhiro [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Shibata, Hajime; Niki, Shigeru [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Kanemitsu, Yoshihiko, E-mail: kanemitu@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan)

2015-05-04

The photocarrier dynamics of CuIn{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films were studied using white-light transient absorption (TA) measurements, as an understanding of this behavior is essential for improving the performance of solar cells composed of CIGS thin films. A characteristic double-peak structure due to the splitting of the valence bands in the CIGS was observed in the TA spectra under near-band-gap resonant excitation. From a comparison of the TA decay dynamics monitored at these two peaks, it was found that the slow-decay components of the electron and hole relaxation are on the nanosecond timescale. This finding is clear evidence of the long lifetimes of free photocarriers in polycrystalline CIGS thin films.

Solar combi system based on a mantle tank

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazdanshenas, Eshagh; Furbo, Simon

2007-01-01

A solar combisystem based on a mantle tank is investigated numerically and experimentally. Three different houses with four different radiator systems are considered for the simulations. The needed temperature for the auxiliary heater is determined for different houses and radiator systems....... The thermal performance of the solar combisystem is compared to the thermal performance of a solar domestic hot water system based on a mantle tank. In the experimental study, tank temperatures and the heat transfer coefficient for the top mantle for a discharge test is determined. The investigations showed...

Improved quantitative analysis of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films using MCs{sup +}-SIMS depth profiling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jihye; Kim, Seon Hee; Lee, Kang-Bong; Lee, Yeonhee [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Advanced Analysis Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Min, Byoung Koun [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Clean Energy Research Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-06-15

The chalcopyrite semiconductor, Cu(InGa)Se{sub 2} (CIGS), is popular as an absorber material for incorporation in high-efficiency photovoltaic devices because it has an appropriate band gap and a high absorption coefficient. To improve the efficiency of solar cells, many research groups have studied the quantitative characterization of the CIGS absorber layers. In this study, a compositional analysis of a CIGS thin film was performed by depth profiling in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) with MCs{sup +} (where M denotes an element from the CIGS sample) cluster ion detection, and the relative sensitivity factor of the cluster ion was calculated. The emission of MCs{sup +} ions from CIGS absorber elements, such as Cu, In, Ga, and Se, under Cs{sup +} ion bombardment was investigated using time-of-flight SIMS (TOF-SIMS) and magnetic sector SIMS. The detection of MCs{sup +} ions suppressed the matrix effects of varying concentrations of constituent elements of the CIGS thin films. The atomic concentrations of the CIGS absorber layers from the MCs{sup +}-SIMS exhibited more accurate quantification compared to those of elemental SIMS and agreed with those of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Both TOF-SIMS and magnetic sector SIMS depth profiles showed a similar MCs{sup +} distribution for the CIGS thin films. (orig.)

Applications of AMPS-1D for solar cell simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Hong; Kalkan, Ali Kaan; Hou, Jingya; Fonash, Stephen J.

1999-03-01

The AMPS-1D PC computer program is now used by over 70 groups world-wide for detector and solar cell analysis. It has proved to be a very powerful tool in understanding device operation and physics for single crystal, poly-crystalline and amorphous structures. For example, AMPS-1D has been successful in explaining the "red kink" [1] and the "transient effect" in CdS/CIGS poly-crystalline solar cells. It has been used to show that thin film poly-Si structures, with reasonable light trapping, are capable of competitive solar cell conversion efficiencies. In the case of a-Si:H structures, it has been used, for example, to settle the discrepancies in bandgap measurement, to predict the effective QE>1 phenomenon later seen in these materials [2], to determine the relative roles of interface and bulk properties, and to point the direction toward 16% triple junction structures. In general AMPS-1D is used for cell and detector design, material parameter sensitivity studies, and parameter extraction. Recently we have shown that it can be used to determine optimum structure and light and voltage biasing conditions in the material parameter extraction function. Information on AMPS can be found at www.psu.edu/dept/AMPS/amps_web/AMPS.html and at other web sites set up by user groups.

A Solar Position Sensor Based on Image Vision.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruelas, Adolfo; Velázquez, Nicolás; Villa-Angulo, Carlos; Acuña, Alexis; Rosales, Pedro; Suastegui, José

2017-07-29

Solar collector technologies operate with better performance when the Sun beam direction is normal to the capturing surface, and for that to happen despite the relative movement of the Sun, solar tracking systems are used, therefore, there are rules and standards that need minimum accuracy for these tracking systems to be used in solar collectors' evaluation. Obtaining accuracy is not an easy job, hence in this document the design, construction and characterization of a sensor based on a visual system that finds the relative azimuth error and height of the solar surface of interest, is presented. With these characteristics, the sensor can be used as a reference in control systems and their evaluation. The proposed sensor is based on a microcontroller with a real-time clock, inertial measurement sensors, geolocation and a vision sensor, that obtains the angle of incidence from the sunrays' direction as well as the tilt and sensor position. The sensor's characterization proved how a measurement of a focus error or a Sun position can be made, with an accuracy of 0.0426° and an uncertainty of 0.986%, which can be modified to reach an accuracy under 0.01°. The validation of this sensor was determined showing the focus error on one of the best commercial solar tracking systems, a Kipp & Zonen SOLYS 2. To conclude, the solar tracking sensor based on a vision system meets the Sun detection requirements and components that meet the accuracy conditions to be used in solar tracking systems and their evaluation or, as a tracking and orientation tool, on photovoltaic installations and solar collectors.

Experiment Based Teaching of Solar Cell Operation and Characterization Using the SolarLab Platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spataru, Sergiu; Sera, Dezso; Kerekes, Tamas

2014-01-01

interfaces for exploring different solar cell principles and topics. The exercises presented in the current paper have been adapted from the original exercises developed for the SolarLab platform and are currently included in the Photovoltaic Power Systems courses (MSc and PhD level) taught at the Department...... which is a laboratory teaching tool developed at Transylvania University of Brasov. Using this platform, solar cells can be characterized under various illumination, temperature and angle of light incidence. Additionally, the SolarLab platform includes guided exercises and intuitive graphical user......Experiment based teaching methods are a great way to get students involved and interested in almost any topic. This paper presents such a hands-on approach for teaching solar cell operation principles along with characterization and modelling methods. This is achieved with the SolarLab platform...

Graphene-based transparent electrodes for hybrid solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pengfei eLi

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The graphene-based transparent and conductive films were demonstrated to be cost-effective electrodes working in organic-inorganic hybrid Schottky solar cells. Large area graphene films were produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD on copper foils and transferred onto glass as transparent electrodes. The hybrid solar cell devices consist of solution processed poly (3, 4-ethlenedioxythiophene: poly (styrenesulfonate (PEDOT: PSS which is sandwiched between silicon wafer and graphene electrode. The solar cells based on graphene electrodes, especially those doped with HNO3, has comparable performance to the reference devices using commercial indium tin oxide (ITO. Our work suggests that graphene-based transparent electrode is a promising candidate to replace ITO.

Solar-Based Boost Differential Single Phase Inverter | Eya | Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Solar-Based Boost Differential Single Phase Inverter. ... Solar-based boost differential inverter is reduced down to 22.37% in closed loop system with the aid of Proportional –integral-Differential (PID) ... The dc power source is photovoltaic cell.

Superior light trapping in thin film silicon solar cells through nano imprint lithography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soppe, W.J.; Dorenkamper, M.S.; Schropp, R.E.I.; Pex, P.P.A.C.

2013-10-15

ECN and partners have developed a fabrication process based on nanoimprint lithography (NIL) of textures for light trapping in thin film solar cells such as thin-film silicon, OPV, CIGS and CdTe. The process can be applied in roll-to-roll mode when using a foil substrate or in roll-to-plate mode when using a glass substrate. The lacquer also serves as an electrically insulating layer for cells if steel foil is used as substrate, to enable monolithic series interconnection. In this paper we will show the superior light trapping in thin film silicon solar cells made on steel foil with nanotextured back contacts. We have made single junction a-Si and {mu}c-Si and a-Si/{mu}c-Si tandem cells, where we applied several types of nano-imprints with random and periodic structures. We will show that the nano-imprinted back contact enables more than 30% increase of current in comparison with non-textured back contacts and that optimized periodic textures outperform state-of-the-art random textures. For a-Si cells we obtained Jsc of 18 mA/cm{sup 2} and for {mu}c-Si cells more than 24 mA/cm{sup 2}. Tandem cells with a total Si absorber layer thickness of only 1350 nm have an initial efficiency of 11%.

CTS and CZTS for solar cells made by pulsed laser deposition and pulsed electron deposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ettlinger, Rebecca Bolt

This thesis concerns the deposition of thin films for solar cells using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and pulsed electron deposition (PED). The aim was to deposit copper tin sulfide (CTS) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) by pulsed laser deposition to learn about these materials in relation to copper zinc tin...... time. We compared the results of CZTS deposition by PLD at DTU in Denmark to CZTS made by PED at IMEM-CNR, where CIGS solar cells have successfully been fabricated at very low processing temperatures. The main results of this work were as follows: Monoclinic-phase CTS films were made by pulsed laser...... deposition followed by high temperature annealing. The films were used to understand the double band gap that we and other groups observed in the material. The Cu-content of the CTS films varied depending on the laser fluence (the laser energy per pulse and per area). The material transfer from...

Depth Profile of Impurity Phase in Wide-Bandgap Cu(In1-x ,Ga x )Se2 Film Fabricated by Three-Stage Process

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shenghao; Nazuka, Takehiro; Hagiya, Hideki; Takabayashi, Yutaro; Ishizuka, Shogo; Shibata, Hajime; Niki, Shigeru; Islam, Muhammad M.; Akimoto, Katsuhiro; Sakurai, Takeaki

2018-02-01

For copper indium gallium selenide [Cu(In1-x ,Ga x )Se2, CIGS]-based solar cells, defect states or impurity phase always form due to both the multinary compositions of CIGS film and the difficulty of controlling the growth process, especially for high Ga concentration. To further improve device performance, it is important to understand such formation of impurity phase or defect states during fabrication. In the work presented herein, the formation mechanism of impurity phase Cu2-δ Se and its depth profile in CIGS film with high Ga content, in particular CuGaSe2 (i.e., CGS), were investigated by applying different growth conditions (i.e., normal three-stage process and two-cycle three-stage process). The results suggest that impurity phase Cu2-δ Se is distributed nonuniformly in the film because of lack of Ga diffusion. The formed Cu2-δ Se can be removed by etching the as-deposited CGS film with bromine-methanol solution, resulting in improved device performance.

MICROCONTROLLER BASED SOLAR-TRACKING SYSTEM AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Okan BİNGÖL

2006-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new micro-controller based solar-tracking system is proposed, implemented and tested. The scheme presented here can be operated as independent of the geographical location of the site of setting up. The system checks the position of the sun and controls the movement of a solar panel so that radiation of the sun comes normally to the surface of the solar panel. The developed-tracking system tracks the sun both in the azimuth as well as in the elevation plane. PC based system monitoring facility is also included in the design.

Multifunctional Solar Systems Based On Two-Stage Regeneration Absorbent Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doroshenko A.V.

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The concepts of multifunctional dehumidification solar systems, heat supply, cooling, and air conditioning based on the open absorption cycle with direct absorbent regeneration developed. The solar systems based on preliminary drainage of current of air and subsequent evaporated cooling. The solar system using evaporative coolers both types (direct and indirect. The principle of two-stage regeneration of absorbent used in the solar systems, it used as the basis of liquid and gas-liquid solar collectors. The main principle solutions are designed for the new generation of gas-liquid solar collectors. Analysis of the heat losses in the gas-liquid solar collectors, due to the mechanism of convection and radiation is made. Optimal cost of gas and liquid, as well as the basic dimensions and configuration of the working channel of the solar collector identified. Heat and mass transfer devices, belonging to the evaporative cooling system based on the interaction between the film and the gas stream and the liquid therein. Multichannel structure of the polymeric materials used to create the tip. Evaporative coolers of water and air both types (direct and indirect are used in the cooling of the solar systems. Preliminary analysis of the possibilities of multifunctional solar absorption systems made reference to problems of cooling media and air conditioning on the basis of experimental data the authors. Designed solar systems feature low power consumption and environmental friendliness.

Phenothiazine-Based Dyes in Solar Cell Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrei Bejan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Phenothiazine is a fused heterocyclic ring with strong electron-donating character which makes it an important building block for designing organic materials for solar cells applications. The present paper reviews the most recent achievements of phenothiazine-based compounds as dyes in solar cells, with special emphasis on the structure – performance relationship.

Comparison of Artificial Neural Networks and GIS Based Solar Analysis for Solar Potential Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Konakoǧlu, Berkant; Usta, Ziya; Cömert, Çetin; Gökalp, Ertan

2016-04-01

Nowadays, estimation of solar potential plays an important role in planning process for sustainable cities. The use of solar panels, which produces electricity directly from the sun, has become popular in accordance with developing technologies. Since the use of solar panels enables the users to decrease costs and increase yields, the use of solar panels will be more popular in the future. Production of electricity is not convenient for all circumstances. Shading effects, massive clouds and rainy weather are some factors that directly affect the production of electricity from solar energy. Hence, before the installation of solar panels, it is crucial to conduct spatial analysis and estimate the solar potential of the place that the solar panel will be installed. There are several approaches to determine the solar potential. Examination of the applications in the literature reveals that the applications conducted for determining the solar potential are divided into two main categories. Solar potential is estimated either by using artificial neural network approach in which statistical parameters such as the duration of sun shine, number of clear days, solar radiation etc. are used, or by spatial analysis conducted in GIS approaches in which spatial parameters such as, latitude, longitude, slope, aspect etc. are used. In the literature, there are several studies that use both approaches but the literature lacks of a study related to the comparison of these approaches. In this study, Karadeniz Technical University campus has been selected as study area. Monthly average values of the number of clear sky days, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, sunshine duration and solar radiation parameters obtained for the years between 2005 and 2015 will be used to perform artificial neural network analysis to estimate the solar potential of the study area. The solar potential will also be estimated by using GIS-based solar analysis modules. The results of

Determining the Optimum Tilt Angle and Orientation for Solar Energy Collection Based on Measured Solar Radiance Data

OpenAIRE

Li, Danny H. W.; Lam, Tony N. T.

2007-01-01

A prior requirement to the design of any solar-based conversion systems is the knowledge of optimum orientation and tilt surface at which peak solar energy can be collected. In many parts of the world, however, the solar radiation data for the surfaces of interest are not always available. This paper presents a numerical approach to calculate the solar radiation on sloped planes by integrating the measured sky radiance distributions. The annual total solar yield at different sloped surfaces ...

A synthetic method of solar spectrum based on LED

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ji-qiang; Su, Shi; Zhang, Guo-yu; Zhang, Jian

2017-10-01

A synthetic method of solar spectrum which based on the spectral characteristics of the solar spectrum and LED, and the principle of arbitrary spectral synthesis was studied by using 14 kinds of LED with different central wavelengths.The LED and solar spectrum data were selected by Origin Software firstly, then calculated the total number of LED for each center band by the transformation relation between brightness and illumination and Least Squares Curve Fit in Matlab.Finally, the spectrum curve of AM1.5 standard solar spectrum was obtained. The results met the technical indexes of the solar spectrum matching with ±20% and the solar constant with >0.5.

Reducing interface recombination for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} by atomic layer deposited buffer layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hultqvist, Adam; Bent, Stacey F. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Li, Jian V.; Kuciauskas, Darius; Dippo, Patricia; Contreras, Miguel A.; Levi, Dean H. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

2015-07-20

Partial CuInGaSe{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cell stacks with different atomic layer deposited buffer layers and pretreatments were analyzed by photoluminescence (PL) and capacitance voltage (CV) measurements to investigate the buffer layer/CIGS interface. Atomic layer deposited ZnS, ZnO, and SnO{sub x} buffer layers were compared with chemical bath deposited CdS buffer layers. Band bending, charge density, and interface state density were extracted from the CV measurement using an analysis technique new to CIGS. The surface recombination velocity calculated from the density of interface traps for a ZnS/CIGS stack shows a remarkably low value of 810 cm/s, approaching the range of single crystalline II–VI systems. Both the PL spectra and its lifetime depend on the buffer layer; thus, these measurements are not only sensitive to the absorber but also to the absorber/buffer layer system. Pretreatment of the CIGS prior to the buffer layer deposition plays a significant role on the electrical properties for the same buffer layer/CIGS stack, further illuminating the importance of good interface formation. Finally, ZnS is found to be the best performing buffer layer in this study, especially if the CIGS surface is pretreated with potassium cyanide.

Methodology for developing evidence-based clinical imaging guidelines: Joint recommendations by Korea society of radiology and national evidence-based healthcare collaborating agency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Sol Ji; Jo, Ae Jeong; Choi, Jin A [Div. for Healthcare Technology Assessment Research, National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); and others

2017-01-15

This paper is a summary of the methodology including protocol used to develop evidence-based clinical imaging guidelines (CIGs) in Korea, led by the Korean Society of Radiology and the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency. This is the first protocol to reflect the process of developing diagnostic guidelines in Korea. The development protocol is largely divided into the following sections: set-up, process of adaptation, and finalization. The working group is composed of clinical imaging experts, and the developmental committee is composed of multidisciplinary experts to validate the methodology. The Korean CIGs will continue to develop based on this protocol, and these guidelines will act for decision supporting tools for clinicians as well as reduce medical radiation exposure.

Methodology for developing evidence-based clinical imaging guidelines: Joint recommendations by Korea society of radiology and national evidence-based healthcare collaborating agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sol Ji; Jo, Ae Jeong; Choi, Jin A

2017-01-01

This paper is a summary of the methodology including protocol used to develop evidence-based clinical imaging guidelines (CIGs) in Korea, led by the Korean Society of Radiology and the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency. This is the first protocol to reflect the process of developing diagnostic guidelines in Korea. The development protocol is largely divided into the following sections: set-up, process of adaptation, and finalization. The working group is composed of clinical imaging experts, and the developmental committee is composed of multidisciplinary experts to validate the methodology. The Korean CIGs will continue to develop based on this protocol, and these guidelines will act for decision supporting tools for clinicians as well as reduce medical radiation exposure

Transport, Interfaces, and Modeling in Amorphous Silicon Based Solar Cells: Final Technical Report, 11 February 2002 - 30 September 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schiff, E. A.

2008-10-01

Results for a-Si characteristics/modeling; photocarrier drift mobilities in a-Si;H, ..mu..c-Si:H, CIGS; hole-conducting polymers as p-layer for a-Si and c-Si; IR spectra of p/i and n/i interfaces in a-Si.

MLP based LOGSIG transfer function for solar generation monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Fakroul Ridzuan; Din, Muhammad Faiz Md; Ahmad, Shahril; Arif, Farah Khairunnisa; Rizman, Zairi Ismael

2018-02-01

Solar panel is one of the renewable energy that can reduce the environmental pollution and have a wide potential of application. The exact solar prediction model will give a big impact on the management of solar power plants and the design of solar energy systems. This paper attempts to use Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural network based transfer function. The MLP network can be used to calculate the temperature module (TM) in Malaysia. This can be done by simulating the collected data of four weather variables which are the ambient temperature (TA), local wind speed (VW), solar radiation flux (GT) and the relative humidity (RH) as the input into the neural network. The transfer function will be applied to the 14 types of training. Finally, an equation from the best training algorithm will be deduced to calculate the temperature module based on the input of weather variables in Malaysia.

Microcontroller-based system for analyzing and characterizing solar panels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabbar, Muhandis Abdul; Prawito

2016-01-01

A solar cell is one of many alternative energy which is still being developed and it works by converting sunlight into electricity. In order to use a solar cell, a deep knowledge about the solar cell’s characteristics is needed. The current and voltage (I-V) produced when the light hits the solar cell surface with a certain value of intensity and at a certain value of temperature becomes the basic study to determine solar cell characteristics. In the past decade, there were so many developments of devices to characterize solar cells and solar panels. One of them used a MOSFET device for varying electronic load to observe solar cell current and voltage responses. However, many devices which have been developed even device on the market using many expensive tools and quite complex. Therefore in this research, a simple low cost electronic controlled device for solar cell characterization is built based on MOSFET method and a microcontroller but still has high reliability and accuracy.

Microcontroller-based system for analyzing and characterizing solar panels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jabbar, Muhandis Abdul, E-mail: muhandis.abdul@sci.ui.ac.id; Prawito [System and Instrumentation, Departemen Fisika, FMIPA Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok (Indonesia)

2016-04-19

A solar cell is one of many alternative energy which is still being developed and it works by converting sunlight into electricity. In order to use a solar cell, a deep knowledge about the solar cell’s characteristics is needed. The current and voltage (I-V) produced when the light hits the solar cell surface with a certain value of intensity and at a certain value of temperature becomes the basic study to determine solar cell characteristics. In the past decade, there were so many developments of devices to characterize solar cells and solar panels. One of them used a MOSFET device for varying electronic load to observe solar cell current and voltage responses. However, many devices which have been developed even device on the market using many expensive tools and quite complex. Therefore in this research, a simple low cost electronic controlled device for solar cell characterization is built based on MOSFET method and a microcontroller but still has high reliability and accuracy.

The Status and Outlook for the Photovoltaics Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, David

2006-03-01

The first silicon solar cell was made at Bell Labs in 1954, and over the following decades, shipments of photovoltaic (PV) modules increased at a rate of about 18% annually. In the last several years, the annual growth rate has increased to ˜ 35% due largely to government-supported programs in Japan and Germany. Silicon technology has dominated the PV industry since its inception, and in 2005 about 65% of all solar cells were made from polycrystalline (or multicrystalline) silicon, 24% from monocrystalline silicon and ˜ 4% from ribbon silicon. While conversion efficiencies as high as 24.7% have been obtained in the laboratory for silicon solar cells, the best efficiencies for commercial PV modules are in the range of 17 18% (the efficiency limit for a silicon solar cell is ˜ 29%). A number of companies are commercializing solar cells based on other materials such as amorphous silicon, microcrystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS), gallium arsenide (and related compounds) and dye- sensitized titanium oxide. Thin film CIGS solar cells have been fabricated with conversion efficiencies as high as 19.5% while efficiencies as high as 39% have been demonstrated for a GaInP/Ga(In)As/Ge triple-junction cell operating at a concentration of 236 suns. Thin film solar cells are being used in consumer products and in some building-integrated applications, while PV concentrator systems are being tested in grid-connected arrays located in high solar insolation areas. Nonetheless, crystalline silicon PV technology is likely to dominate the terrestrial market for at least the next decade with module efficiencies > 20% and module prices of penetration of the utility grid market. However, crystalline silicon solar cells may be challenged in the next decade or two by new low-cost, high performance devices based on organic materials and nanotechnology.

Burn-in Free Nonfullerene-Based Organic Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Gasparini, Nicola; Salvador, Michael; Strohm, Sebastian; Heumueller, Thomas; Levchuk, Ievgen; Wadsworth, Andrew; Bannock, James H.; de Mello, John C.; Egelhaaf, Hans-Joachim; Baran, Derya; McCulloch, Iain; Brabec, Christoph J.

2017-01-01

Organic solar cells that are free of burn-in, the commonly observed rapid performance loss under light, are presented. The solar cells are based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) with varying molecular weights and a nonfullerene acceptor (rhodanine-benzothiadiazole-coupled indacenodithiophene, IDTBR) and are fabricated in air. P3HT:IDTBR solar cells light-soaked over the course of 2000 h lose about 5% of power conversion efficiency (PCE), in stark contrast to [6,6]-Phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)-based solar cells whose PCE shows a burn-in that extends over several hundreds of hours and levels off at a loss of ≈34%. Replacing PCBM with IDTBR prevents short-circuit current losses due to fullerene dimerization and inhibits disorder-induced open-circuit voltage losses, indicating a very robust device operation that is insensitive to defect states. Small losses in fill factor over time are proposed to originate from polymer or interface defects. Finally, the combination of enhanced efficiency and stability in P3HT:IDTBR increases the lifetime energy yield by more than a factor of 10 when compared with the same type of devices using a fullerene-based acceptor instead.

Burn-in Free Nonfullerene-Based Organic Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Gasparini, Nicola

2017-07-03

Organic solar cells that are free of burn-in, the commonly observed rapid performance loss under light, are presented. The solar cells are based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) with varying molecular weights and a nonfullerene acceptor (rhodanine-benzothiadiazole-coupled indacenodithiophene, IDTBR) and are fabricated in air. P3HT:IDTBR solar cells light-soaked over the course of 2000 h lose about 5% of power conversion efficiency (PCE), in stark contrast to [6,6]-Phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)-based solar cells whose PCE shows a burn-in that extends over several hundreds of hours and levels off at a loss of ≈34%. Replacing PCBM with IDTBR prevents short-circuit current losses due to fullerene dimerization and inhibits disorder-induced open-circuit voltage losses, indicating a very robust device operation that is insensitive to defect states. Small losses in fill factor over time are proposed to originate from polymer or interface defects. Finally, the combination of enhanced efficiency and stability in P3HT:IDTBR increases the lifetime energy yield by more than a factor of 10 when compared with the same type of devices using a fullerene-based acceptor instead.

Solar radiation estimation based on the insolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assis, F.N. de; Steinmetz, S.; Martins, S.R.; Mendez, M.E.G.

1998-01-01

A series of daily global solar radiation data measured by an Eppley pyranometer was used to test PEREIRA and VILLA NOVA’s (1997) model to estimate the potential of radiation based on the instantaneous values measured at solar noon. The model also allows to estimate the parameters of PRESCOTT’s equation (1940) assuming a = 0,29 cosj. The results demonstrated the model’s validity for the studied conditions. Simultaneously, the hypothesis of generalizing the use of the radiation estimative formulas based on insolation, and using K = Ko (0,29 cosj + 0,50 n/N), was analysed and confirmed [pt

Charge-carrier dynamics in polycrystalline thin-film CuIn{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} photovoltaic devices after pulsed laser excitation: Interface and space-charge region analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuciauskas, Darius; Li, Jian V.; Kanevce, Ana; Guthrey, Harvey; Contreras, Miguel; Pankow, Joel; Dippo, Pat; Ramanathan, Kannan [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, Colorado 80401-3305 (United States)

2015-05-14

We used time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy to analyze time-domain and spectral-domain charge-carrier dynamics in CuIn{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) photovoltaic (PV) devices. This new approach allowed detailed characterization for the CIGS/CdS buffer interface and for the space-charge region. We find that dynamics at the interface is dominated by diffusion, where the diffusion rate is several times greater than the thermionic emission or interface recombination rate. In the space-charge region, the electric field of the pn junction has the largest effect on the carrier dynamics. Based on the minority-carrier (electron) drift-rate dependence on the electric field strength, we estimated drift mobility in compensated CuIn{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (with x ≈ 0.3) as 22 ± 2 cm{sup 2}(Vs){sup −1}. Analysis developed in this study could be applied to evaluate interface and junction properties of PV and other electronic devices. For CIGS PV devices, TRPL spectroscopy could contribute to understanding effects due to absorber compositional grading, which is one of the focus areas in developing record-efficiency CIGS solar cells.

Adsorption Machine & Desiccant Wheel based SOLAR COOLING in a Second Law perspective

OpenAIRE

Bivona, Santo

2011-01-01

This thesis work is intended to investigate energy and exergy performance of a low power prototype solar air conditioning system based on sorption materials. Its performance is analyzed in the light of both the First and Second Law of Thermodynamics and compared with conventional HVAC systems as well as with a further solar cooling technology based on desiccant wheels (Solar DEC). The adsorption machine based solar cooling plant was thoroughly designed and its thermal performance analysed ...

Photoelectrochemical solar cells based on Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}; Celdas solares fotoelectroquimicas basadas en Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madriz, Lorean; Tata, Jose; Cuartas, Veronica; Cuellar, Alejandra; Vargas, Ronald, E-mail: lmadriz@usb.ve [Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)

2014-04-15

In this study, photoelectrochemical solar cells based on bismuth tungstate electrodes were evaluated. Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} was synthesized by a hydrothermal method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction. For comparison, solar cells based on TiO{sub 2} semiconductor electrodes were evaluated. Photoelectrochemical response of Grätzel-type solar cells based on these semiconductors and their corresponding sensitization with two inexpensive phthalocyanines dyes were determined. Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}-based solar cells presented higher values of photocurrent and efficiency than those obtained with TiO{sub 2} electrodes, even without sensitization. These results portray solar cells based on Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} as promising devices for solar energy conversion owing to lower cost of production and ease of acquisition. (author)

Solar based hydrogen production systems

CERN Document Server

Dincer, Ibrahim

2013-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of various solar based hydrogen production systems. The book covers first-law (energy based) and second-law (exergy based) efficiencies and provides a comprehensive understanding of their implications. It will help minimize the widespread misuse of efficiencies among students and researchers in energy field by using an intuitive and unified approach for defining efficiencies. The book gives a clear understanding of the sustainability and environmental impact analysis of the above systems. The book will be particularly useful for a clear understanding

Design And Construction Of Microcontroller Based Solar Battery Charger

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zar Ni Tun

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This research paper describes a microcontroller based battery charger by using solar energy. Solar-powered charging systems are already available in rural as well as urban areas. Solar energy is widely used around the worldwide. This system converts solar energy to electrical energy and stores it in a battery. Photovoltaic panel is used to convert solar energy to electrical energy and stored in a 12V battery. Battery is the main component in solar charging system to store the energy generated from sunlight for various application. This system requires sensor to sense whether the battery is fully charged or not. Microcontroller is the heart of the circuit. Lead-acid batteries are the most commonly used power source for many applications. This system consists of voltage sensing charging controlling and display unit.

Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry for analysis and control of thin film polycrystalline semiconductor deposition in photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koirala, Prakash; Attygalle, Dinesh; Aryal, Puruswottam; Pradhan, Puja; Chen, Jie [Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Marsillac, Sylvain [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529 (United States); Ferlauto, Andre S.; Podraza, Nikolas J.; Collins, Robert W. [Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States)

2014-11-28

Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) from the near-infrared to ultraviolet has been applied for analysis of the deposition of polycrystalline thin films that form the basis of two key photovoltaic heterojunction configurations, superstrate SnO{sub 2}/CdS/CdTe and substrate Mo/Cu(In{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x})Se{sub 2}/CdS. The focus of this work is to develop capabilities for monitoring and controlling the key steps in the fabrication of these device structures. Analysis of RTSE data collected during sputter deposition of CdS on a rough SnO{sub 2} transparent top contact provides the time evolution of the CdS effective thickness, or film volume per unit substrate area. This thickness includes interface, bulk, and surface roughness layer components and affects the CdS/CdTe heterojunction performance and the quantum efficiency of the solar cell in the blue region of the solar spectrum. Similarly, analysis of RTSE data collected during co-evaporation of Cu(In{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x})Se{sub 2} (CIGS; x ∼ 0.3) on a rough Mo back contact provides the evolution of a second phase of Cu{sub 2−x}Se within the CIGS layer. During the last stage of CIGS deposition, the In, Ga, and Se co-evaporants convert this Cu{sub 2−x}Se phase to CIGS, and RTSE identifies the endpoint, specifically the time at which complete conversion occurs and single-phase, large-grain CIGS is obtained in this key stage. - Highlights: • Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) study of CdS and CuIn{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) films. • RTSE during CdS deposition provides the evolution of the CdS effective thickness. • RTSE for CIGS film enables to measure and control the composition and thickness. • The work leads to the development of optical models for processing steps.

The high-resolution extraterrestrial solar spectrum (QASUMEFTS determined from ground-based solar irradiance measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Gröbner

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A high-resolution extraterrestrial solar spectrum has been determined from ground-based measurements of direct solar spectral irradiance (SSI over the wavelength range from 300 to 500 nm using the Langley-plot technique. The measurements were obtained at the Izaña Atmospheric Research Centre from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, Tenerife, Spain, during the period 12 to 24 September 2016. This solar spectrum (QASUMEFTS was combined from medium-resolution (bandpass of 0.86 nm measurements of the QASUME (Quality Assurance of Spectral Ultraviolet Measurements in Europe spectroradiometer in the wavelength range from 300 to 500 nm and high-resolution measurements (0.025 nm from a Fourier transform spectroradiometer (FTS over the wavelength range from 305 to 380 nm. The Kitt Peak solar flux atlas was used to extend this high-resolution solar spectrum to 500 nm. The expanded uncertainties of this solar spectrum are 2 % between 310 and 500 nm and 4 % at 300 nm. The comparison of this solar spectrum with solar spectra measured in space (top of the atmosphere gave very good agreements in some cases, while in some other cases discrepancies of up to 5 % were observed. The QASUMEFTS solar spectrum represents a benchmark dataset with uncertainties lower than anything previously published. The metrological traceability of the measurements to the International System of Units (SI is assured by an unbroken chain of calibrations leading to the primary spectral irradiance standard of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Germany.

Solar optics-based active panel for solar energy storage and disinfection of greywater.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, W; Song, J; Son, J H; Gutierrez, M P; Kang, T; Kim, D; Lee, L P

2016-09-01

Smart city and innovative building strategies are becoming increasingly more necessary because advancing a sustainable building system is regarded as a promising solution to overcome the depleting water and energy. However, current sustainable building systems mainly focus on energy saving and miss a holistic integration of water regeneration and energy generation. Here, we present a theoretical study of a solar optics-based active panel (SOAP) that enables both solar energy storage and photothermal disinfection of greywater simultaneously. Solar collector efficiency of energy storage and disinfection rate of greywater have been investigated. Due to the light focusing by microlens, the solar collector efficiency is enhanced from 25% to 65%, compared to that without the microlens. The simulation of greywater sterilization shows that 100% disinfection can be accomplished by our SOAP for different types of bacteria including Escherichia coli . Numerical simulation reveals that our SOAP as a lab-on-a-wall system can resolve the water and energy problem in future sustainable building systems.

Optical Simulation of Light Management in CIGS Thin-Film Solar Cells Using Finite Element Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikola Bednar

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present an optical simulation of light management in Cu(In,GaSe2 thin-film solar cells with reduced absorber layer thickness, with the goal of absorption enhancement in the absorber layer. The light management was achieved by texturing of the substrate layer, and the conformal growth of all the following layers was assumed. Two texturing shapes have been explored: triangular and convex, with different periods and height aspect ratios. The simulations have shown that significant enhancement of absorption within the absorber layer can be achieved using the proposed geometry. The results showed that the triangular textures with small periods (100–200 nm and high aspect ratios have the most prominent effect on the enhancement of absorption within the absorber layer, although they are difficult to achieve experimentally.

To Enhance Performance of Light Soaking Process on ZnS/CuIn1-xGaxSe2 Solar Cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Jen Hsiao

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The ZnS/CuInGaSe2 heterojunction solar cell fabricated on Mo coated glass is studied. The crystallinity of the CIGS absorber layer is prepared by coevaporated method and the ZnS buffer layer with a band gap of 3.21 eV. The MoS2 phase was also found in the CuInGaSe2/Mo system form HRTEM. The light soaking effect of photoactive film for 10 min results in an increase in F.F. from 55.8 to 64%, but series resistivity from 7.4 to 3.8 Ω. The efficiency of the devices improved from 8.12 to 9.50%.

A self-calibrating led-based solar test platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krebs, Frederik C; Sylvester-Hvid, Kristian O.; Jørgensen, Mikkel

2011-01-01

A compact platform for testing solar cells is presented. The light source comprises a multi-wavelength high-power LED (light emitting diode) array allowing the homogenous illumination of small laboratory solar cell devices (substrate size 50 × 25 mm) within the 390–940 nm wavelength range......, it is possible to perform all the commonly employed measurements on the solar cell at very high speed without moving the sample. In particular, the LED-based illumination system provides an alternative to light-biased incident photon-to-current efficiency measurement to be performed which we demonstrate. Both...

Robins Air Force Base Solar Cogeneration Facility design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierce, B.L.; Bodenschatz, C.A.

1982-06-01

A conceptual design and a cost estimate have been developed for a Solar Cogeneration Facility at Robins Air Force Base. This demonstration solar facility was designed to generate and deliver electrical power and process steam to the existing base distribution systems. The facility was to have the potential for construction and operation by 1986 and make use of existing technology. Specific objectives during the DOE funded conceptual design program were to: prepare a Solar Cogeneration Facility (overall System) Specification, select a preferred configuration and develop a conceptual design, establish the performance and economic characteristics of the facility, and prepare a development plan for the demonstration program. The Westinghouse team, comprised of the Westinghouse Advanced Energy Systems Division, Heery and Heery, Inc., and Foster Wheeler Solar Development Corporation, in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force Logistics Command and Georgia Power Company, has selected a conceptual design for the facility that will utilize the latest DOE central receiver technology, effectively utilize the energy collected in the application, operate base-loaded every sunny day of the year, and be applicable to a large number of military and industrial facilities throughout the country. The design of the facility incorporates the use of a Collector System, a Receiver System, an Electrical Power Generating System, a Balance of Facility - Steam and Feedwater System, and a Master Control System.

Comparison of sensorless dimming control based on building modeling and solar power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Naeun; Kim, Jonghun; Jang, Cheolyong; Sung, Yoondong; Jeong, Hakgeun

2015-01-01

Artificial lighting in office buildings accounts for about 30% of the total building energy consumption. Lighting energy is important to reduce building energy consumption since artificial lighting typically has a relatively large energy conversion factor. Therefore, previous studies have proposed a dimming control using daylight. When applied dimming control, method based on building modeling does not need illuminance sensors. Thus, it can be applied to existing buildings that do not have illuminance sensors. However, this method does not accurately reflect real-time weather conditions. On the other hand, solar power generation from a PV (photovoltaic) panel reflects real-time weather conditions. The PV panel as the sensor improves the accuracy of dimming control by reflecting disturbance. Therefore, we compared and analyzed two types of sensorless dimming controls: those based on the building modeling and those that based on solar power generation using PV panels. In terms of energy savings, we found that a dimming control based on building modeling is more effective than that based on solar power generation by about 6%. However, dimming control based on solar power generation minimizes the inconvenience to occupants and can also react to changes in solar radiation entering the building caused by dirty window. - Highlights: • We conducted sensorless dimming control based on solar power generation. • Dimming controls using building modeling and solar power generation were compared. • The real time weather conditions can be considered by using solar power generation. • Dimming control using solar power generation minimizes inconvenience to occupants

Key Success Factors and Future Perspective of Silicon-Based Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Binetti

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Today, after more than 70 years of continued progress on silicon technology, about 85% of cumulative installed photovolatic (PV modules are based on crystalline silicon (c-Si. PV devices based on silicon are the most common solar cells currently being produced, and it is mainly due to silicon technology that the PV has grown by 40% per year over the last decade. An additional step in the silicon solar cell development is ongoing, and it is related to a further efficiency improvement through defect control, device optimization, surface modification, and nanotechnology approaches. This paper attempts to briefly review the most important advances and current technologies used to produce crystalline silicon solar devices and in the meantime the most challenging and promising strategies acting to increase the efficiency to cost/ratio of silicon solar cells. Eventually, the impact and the potentiality of using a nanotechnology approach in a silicon-based solar cell are also described.

Exergy Based Performance Analysis of Double Flow Solar Air Heater with Corrugated Absorber

OpenAIRE

S. P. Sharma; Som Nath Saha

2017-01-01

This paper presents the performance, based on exergy analysis of double flow solar air heaters with corrugated and flat plate absorber. A mathematical model of double flow solar air heater based on energy balance equations has been presented and the results obtained have been compared with that of a conventional flat-plate solar air heater. The double flow corrugated absorber solar air heater performs thermally better than the flat plate double flow and conventional flat-plate solar air heate...

National Solar Radiation Data Base, Vol. 2 - Final Technical Report (1961-1990)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maxwell, E. L.; Marion, W.; Myers, D.; Rymes, M.; Wilcox, S.

1995-01-01

This technical report explains the procedures used during the 4-year production of the National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB) (1961-1990). It is the second volume in a two-volume report on the NSRDB. The first volume, User's Guide-National Solar Radiation Data Base, provides the information needed to use the data base products. Volume 2 concentrates on results from the R&D required to producea solar radiation data base that would represent a significant update of a previous data base (SOLMET). More than 90% of the data in the NSRDB were estimated using a model--the Meteorological/Statistical (METSTAT) model. Much of Volume 2 concerns the METSTAT model and the sources of its input data. In addition, it contains results of comparisons of the NSRBD with the previous SOLMET data base.Results of the model evaluations and data base comparisons favor the use of NSRDB data over SOLMET data to select optimum sites and estimate performance for solar energy systems. The report noted that to improve data on solar radiation, 'measured' data need to become the mainstav of future data bases.

Modeling low cost hybrid tandem photovoltaics with the potential for efficiencies exceeding 20%

KAUST Repository

Beiley, Zach M.; McGehee, Michael D.

2012-01-01

, that can be printed on top of one of a variety of more traditional inorganic solar cells. Our modeling shows that an organic solar cell may be added on top of a commercial CIGS cell to improve its efficiency from 15.1% to 21.4%, thereby reducing the cost

Theoretical study of solar combisystems based on bikini tanks and tank-in-tank stores

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazdanshenas, Eshagh; Furbo, Simon

2012-01-01

. Originality/value - Many different Solar Combisystem designs have been commercialized over the years. In the IEA-SHC Task 26, twenty one solar combisystems have been described and analyzed. Maybe the mantle tank approach also for solar combisystems can be used with advantage? This might be possible...... if the solar heating system is based on a so called bikini tank. Therefore the new developed solar combisystems based on bikini tanks is compared to the tank-in-tank solar combisystems to elucidate which one is suitable for three different houses with low energy heating demand, medium and high heating demand.......Purpose - Low flow bikini solar combisystems and high flow tank-in-tank solar combisystems have been studied theoretically. The aim of the paper is to study which of these two solar combisystem designs is suitable for different houses. The thermal performance of solar combisystems based on the two...

Investigation of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} using Monte Carlo and the cluster expansion technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ludwig, Christian D.R.; Gruhn, Thomas; Felser, Claudia [Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz (Germany); Windeln, Johannes [IBM Germany, Mgr. Technology Center ISC EMEA, Mainz (Germany)

2010-07-01

CIGS based solar cells are among the most promising thin-film techniques for cheap, yet efficient modules. They have been investigated for many years, but the full potential of CIGS cells has not yet been exhausted and many effects are not understood. For instance, the band gap of the absorber material Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} varies with Ga content. The question why solar cells with high Ga content have low efficiencies, despite the fact that the band gap should have the optimum value, is still unanswered. We are using Monte Carlo simulations in combination with a cluster expansion to investigate the homogeneity of the In-Ga distribution as a possible cause of the low efficiency of cells with high Ga content. The cluster expansion is created by a fit to ab initio electronic structure energies. The results we found are crucial for the processing of solar cells, shed light on structural properties and give hints on how to significantly improve solar cell performance. Above the transition temperature from the separated to the mixed phase, we observe different sizes of the In and Ga domains for a given temperature. The In domains in the Ga-rich compound are smaller and less abundant than the Ga domains in the In-rich compound. This translates into the Ga-rich material being less homogeneous.

Solar energy prediction and verification using operational model forecasts and ground-based solar measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosmopoulos, P.G.; Kazadzis, S.; Lagouvardos, K.; Kotroni, V.; Bais, A.

2015-01-01

The present study focuses on the predictions and verification of these predictions of solar energy using ground-based solar measurements from the Hellenic Network for Solar Energy and the National Observatory of Athens network, as well as solar radiation operational forecasts provided by the MM5 mesoscale model. The evaluation was carried out independently for the different networks, for two forecast horizons (1 and 2 days ahead), for the seasons of the year, for varying solar elevation, for the indicative energy potential of the area, and for four classes of cloud cover based on the calculated clearness index (k_t): CS (clear sky), SC (scattered clouds), BC (broken clouds) and OC (overcast). The seasonal dependence presented relative rRMSE (Root Mean Square Error) values ranging from 15% (summer) to 60% (winter), while the solar elevation dependence revealed a high effectiveness and reliability near local noon (rRMSE ∼30%). An increment of the errors with cloudiness was also observed. For CS with mean GHI (global horizontal irradiance) ∼ 650 W/m"2 the errors are 8%, for SC 20% and for BC and OC the errors were greater (>40%) but correspond to much lower radiation levels (<120 W/m"2) of consequently lower energy potential impact. The total energy potential for each ground station ranges from 1.5 to 1.9 MWh/m"2, while the mean monthly forecast error was found to be consistently below 10%. - Highlights: • Long term measurements at different atmospheric cases are needed for energy forecasting model evaluations. • The total energy potential at the Greek sites presented ranges from 1.5 to 1.9 MWh/m"2. • Mean monthly energy forecast errors are within 10% for all cases analyzed. • Cloud presence results of an additional forecast error that varies with the cloud cover.

Solar water heating system for a lunar base

Science.gov (United States)

Somers, Richard E.; Haynes, R. Daniel

1992-01-01

An investigation of the feasibility of using a solar water heater for a lunar base is described. During the investigation, computer codes were developed to model the lunar base configuration, lunar orbit, and heating systems. Numerous collector geometries, orientation variations, and system options were identified and analyzed. The results indicate that the recommended solar water heater could provide 88 percent of the design load and would not require changes in the overall lunar base design. The system would give a 'safe-haven' water heating capability and use only 7 percent to 10 percent as much electricity as an electric heating system. As a result, a fixed position photovoltaic array can be reduced by 21 sq m.

Photo electrochemical and organic-based solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, N.S. [California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Kamat, P. [Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States); Spitler, M. [Boston Univ., MA (United States)

1996-09-01

Research in solar photoconversion has resulted in significant advances in the fields of photoelectrochemistry and dye-sensitized solar cells. Progress is also evident in the understanding of solid state organic systems for energy transduction. It is evident, however, that the examination in this report of the accomplishments in these areas serves to highlight the great extent of research that is necessary to establish a technology base sufficient for practical application. Recommendations are made in this report on the directions that this research should take.

Energy saving using solar filters with iron base in windows; Ahorro de energia usando filtros solares con base en hierro en ventanas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chavez Galan, Jesus

2003-07-01

For the high temperature seasons, the radiation emitted by the sun later introduced through the windows, provokes a great thermal gain in the buildings causing within them an excessive warming. For the cold seasons, the exterior is at low temperature and the window is the main element through which the building losses the heat generated in the interior. The former turns out into an elevated energy consumption (mainly electricity) to obtain the conditions of human thermal comfort; this altogether with the growing energy demand that the residential, commercial and public sector experiences in Mexico, constitutes a serious problem. As a proposal for the solution to the problem of thermal discomfort generated in the interior of the buildings because of the inadequate properties of the construction materials, in this work were developed solar filers with iron base by means of which it is obtained a selective control of the solar radiation that is transmitted through the windows. These solar filters consist in thin films of FeO deposited over subtracts of lime-soda glass (the most used in our country for buildings) of 600 x 300 x 3 mm, by means of the sputtering technique added with a radio frequency and flat magnetrons, starting from a pure iron target of 127 x 254 mm and using an argon plasma. To obtain the desired oxidation degree in the iron, small samples (45 x 22 mm) were subjected to a heating process in a reducing atmosphere constituted by 50% H{sub 2} + 50% N{sub 2} for a period of time of 10 minutes at a temperature of 400 centigrade. The solar filters with the FeO base present a transmissibility of 30.2 % for the visible interval of the electromagnetic spectrum (radiation with a wave length of 380-780 nm) and of 39.9 % for the near infrared (radiation with a wave length of 780-2500 nm); while the reflectivity is of 17.5 and 19% for the visible intervals and near infrared of electromagnetic spectrum respectively. A simulation was performed by means of the

Laser microprocessing technologies for automotive, flexible electronics, and solar energy sectors

Science.gov (United States)

Nikumb, Suwas; Bathe, Ravi; Knopf, George K.

2014-10-01

Laser microprocessing technologies offer an important tool to fulfill the needs of many industrial sectors. In particular, there is growing interest in applications of these processes in the manufacturing areas such as automotive parts fabrication, printable electronics and solar energy panels. The technology is primarily driven by our understanding of the fundamental laser-material interaction, process control strategies and the advancement of significant fabrication experience over the past few years. The wide-ranging operating parameters available with respect to power, pulse width variation, beam quality, higher repetition rates as well as precise control of the energy deposition through programmable pulse shaping technologies, enables pre-defined material removal, selective scribing of individual layer within a stacked multi-layer thin film structure, texturing of material surfaces as well as precise introduction of heat into the material to monitor its characteristic properties are a few examples. In this research, results in the area of laser surface texturing of metals for added hydrodynamic lubricity to reduce friction, processing of ink-jet printed graphene oxide for flexible printed electronic circuit fabrication and scribing of multi-layer thin films for the development of photovoltaic CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) interconnects for solar panel devices will be discussed.

The Solar Umbrella: A Low-cost Demonstration of Scalable Space Based Solar Power

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras, Michael T.; Trease, Brian P.; Sherwood, Brent

2013-01-01

Within the past decade, the Space Solar Power (SSP) community has seen an influx of stakeholders willing to entertain the SSP prospect of potentially boundless, base-load solar energy. Interested parties affiliated with the Department of Defense (DoD), the private sector, and various international entities have all agreed that while the benefits of SSP are tremendous and potentially profitable, the risk associated with developing an efficient end to end SSP harvesting system is still very high. In an effort to reduce the implementation risk for future SSP architectures, this study proposes a system level design that is both low-cost and seeks to demonstrate the furthest transmission of wireless power to date. The overall concept is presented and each subsystem is explained in detail with best estimates of current implementable technologies. Basic cost models were constructed based on input from JPL subject matter experts and assume that the technology demonstration would be carried out by a federally funded entity. The main thrust of the architecture is to demonstrate that a usable amount of solar power can be safely and reliably transmitted from space to the Earth's surface; however, maximum power scalability limits and their cost implications are discussed.

Dye-sensitized solar cells based on nanostructured zinc oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conradt, Jonas; Maier-Flaig, Florian; Sartor, Janos; Fallert, Johannes [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe (Germany); Szmytkowski, Jedrzej; Kalt, Heinz [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe (Germany); Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN), Karlsruhe (Germany); Reinhard, Manuel; Colsmann, Alexander [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Lichttechnisches Institut, Karlsruhe (Germany); Lemmer, Uli [Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN), Karlsruhe (Germany); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Lichttechnisches Institut, Karlsruhe (Germany); Balaban, Teodor Silviu [Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN), Karlsruhe (Germany); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe (Germany)

2009-07-01

Hybrid solar cells represent a promising (cost-efficient) alternative to pure inorganic solar cells. We present dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) which are based on a zinc oxide (ZnO) electrode covered with a ruthenium dye. Our work focuses on the morphology of the ZnO electrode and its impact on the photovoltaic performance of the solar cell. Nanocrystalline ZnO powder layers and arrays of nanorods are incorporated into the DSSCs. The ZnO nanorods are grown by vapor transport deposition. The morphology and doping concentration of the rods can be controlled by the choice of substrate material, growth condition and catalytic metal layers. The nanorod arrays are expected to fasten the electron transport towards the anode and thereby improve the solar cell efficiency. In addition, novel self-assembling (porphyrin) dyes are tested as sensitizer within a DSSC.

A review of solar energy based heat and power generation systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Modi, Anish; Bühler, Fabian; Andreasen, Jesper Graa

2017-01-01

The utilization of solar energy based technologies has attracted increased interest in recent times in order to satisfy the various energy demands of our society. This paper presents a thorough review of the open literature on solar energy based heat and power plants. In order to limit the scope ...

Development of a Greek solar map based on solar model estimations

Science.gov (United States)

Kambezidis, H. D.; Psiloglou, B. E.; Kavadias, K. A.; Paliatsos, A. G.; Bartzokas, A.

2016-05-01

The realization of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) for power generation as the only environmentally friendly solution, moved solar systems to the forefront of the energy market in the last decade. The capacity of the solar power doubles almost every two years in many European countries, including Greece. This rise has brought the need for reliable predictions of meteorological data that can easily be utilized for proper RES-site allocation. The absence of solar measurements has, therefore, raised the demand for deploying a suitable model in order to create a solar map. The generation of a solar map for Greece, could provide solid foundations on the prediction of the energy production of a solar power plant that is installed in the area, by providing an estimation of the solar energy acquired at each longitude and latitude of the map. In the present work, the well-known Meteorological Radiation Model (MRM), a broadband solar radiation model, is engaged. This model utilizes common meteorological data, such as air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure and sunshine duration, in order to calculate solar radiation through MRM for areas where such data are not available. Hourly values of the above meteorological parameters are acquired from 39 meteorological stations, evenly dispersed around Greece; hourly values of solar radiation are calculated from MRM. Then, by using an integrated spatial interpolation method, a Greek solar energy map is generated, providing annual solar energy values all over Greece.

Improvement of the energy conversion efficiency of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells using an additional Zn(S,O) buffer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, In-Hwan, E-mail: ihchoi@cau.ac.kr [Chung-Ang University, Department of Physics, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Chul-Hwan [LG Innotek, Gyeonggi-do, Ansan-si 426-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-12-15

CuInGaSe{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells were prepared with two different buffer structures. Sample A had a single, thin CdS buffer, {approx} 25 nm in thickness, and Sample B had a very thin CdS buffer (< 5 nm thickness) with an additional Zn(S,O) buffer layer. The CIGS and CdS layers in these samples were prepared using a 3-step co-evaporation method and chemical bath deposition, respectively, whereas the additional Zn(S,O) buffer and boron (B)-doped ZnO window layer were prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The current-voltage curves, quantum efficiency, depth profile by secondary ion mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy images of both samples were analyzed. Sample B showed greater open circuit voltage than Sample A, whereas the short circuit current of Sample B was less than that of Sample A. Even though the energy conversion efficiency is not markedly improved compared to the highest recorded value of each sample, it was quite obvious throughout this experiment that the additional buffer cells had higher reliability and homogeneous properties than CdS buffer cells. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CuInGaSe{sub 2} solar cells were prepared with two different buffer structures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer One sample had a CdS buffer only, and the other had a very thin CdS and Zn(S,O) buffer. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Additional Zn(S,O) buffer was prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Energy conversion efficiency of the additional buffer cells was slightly improved. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CdS/Zn(S,O) cells had higher reliability and homogeneous properties than CdS cells.

Polymer solar cells with novel fullerene-based acceptor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riedel, I.; Martin, N.; Giacalone, F.; Segura, J.L.; Chirvase, D.; Parisi, J.; Dyakonov, V.

2004-01-01

Alternative acceptor materials are possible candidates to improve the optical absorption and/or the open circuit voltage of polymer-fullerene solar cells. We studied a novel fullerene-type acceptor, DPM-12, for application in polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices. Though DPM-12 has the identical redox potentials as methanofullerene PCBM, surprisingly high open circuit voltages in the range V OC =0.95 V were measured for OC 1 C 10 -PPV:DPM-12-based samples. The potential for photovoltaic application was studied by means of photovoltaic characterization of solar cells including current-voltage measurements and external quantum yield spectroscopy. Further studies were carried out by profiling the solar cell parameters vs. temperature and white light intensity

Short-term solar irradiation forecasting based on Dynamic Harmonic Regression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trapero, Juan R.; Kourentzes, Nikolaos; Martin, A.

2015-01-01

Solar power generation is a crucial research area for countries that have high dependency on fossil energy sources and is gaining prominence with the current shift to renewable sources of energy. In order to integrate the electricity generated by solar energy into the grid, solar irradiation must be reasonably well forecasted, where deviations of the forecasted value from the actual measured value involve significant costs. The present paper proposes a univariate Dynamic Harmonic Regression model set up in a State Space framework for short-term (1–24 h) solar irradiation forecasting. Time series hourly aggregated as the Global Horizontal Irradiation and the Direct Normal Irradiation will be used to illustrate the proposed approach. This method provides a fast automatic identification and estimation procedure based on the frequency domain. Furthermore, the recursive algorithms applied offer adaptive predictions. The good forecasting performance is illustrated with solar irradiance measurements collected from ground-based weather stations located in Spain. The results show that the Dynamic Harmonic Regression achieves the lowest relative Root Mean Squared Error; about 30% and 47% for the Global and Direct irradiation components, respectively, for a forecast horizon of 24 h ahead. - Highlights: • Solar irradiation forecasts at short-term are required to operate solar power plants. • This paper assesses the Dynamic Harmonic Regression to forecast solar irradiation. • Models are evaluated using hourly GHI and DNI data collected in Spain. • The results show that forecasting accuracy is improved by using the model proposed

Multi-viewpoint Smartphone AR-based Learning System for Solar Movement Observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Tian

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Understanding solar movement (e.g., solar diurnal motion is difficult for those are beginning to learn about astronomy. Previous research has revealed that observation-based learning can help make astronomical phenomena clearer to understand for such learners. In this research, Smartphone Augmented Reality (AR technology and 3D content were used to develop a multi-viewpoint Smartphone AR-based learning system (M-VSARLS for solar movement observations that can be used in the real-world environment. The goal of this research is to assess the usefulness of the system, usability of the AR function and 3D content, and the overall effect of the system on the learner’s motivation through task-based experiments with follow-up questionnaires. The results show that the M-VSARL system is effective in improving the observational skills and learning ability of learners, and in enhancing their motivation to learn about solar movement.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Simchi, Hamed

resulting in a 9.7% cell (with 0.3 microm thickness) which has the highest efficiency reported for ultrathin CIGS solar cells to date. In addition, sulfized back contacts including ITO-S and MoS 2 are compared. Interface properties of different contact layers with (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 absorber layers with various Ga/(Ga+In) and Ag/(Ag+Cu) ratios are discussed based on the XPS analysis and thermodynamics of reactions.

Development in fiscal 1999 of technologies to put photovoltaic power generation systems into practical use. Volume 1. Development of thin film solar cell manufacturing technologies (Development of technologies to manufacture low-cost large-area modules and survey and research on analyzing how to put products into practical use); 1999 nendo taiyoko hatsuden system jitsuyoka gijutsu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Usumaku taiyo denchi no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu (tei cost daimenseki module seizo gijutsu kaihatsu (jitsuyoka kaiseki ni kansuru chosa kenkyu 1))

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

With an objective to assist research and development to put thin film solar cells for power use into practical use and a research to put thin film solar cell manufacturing technologies into practical use, survey and research have been performed on trends in the technologies inside and outside the country. Characteristic points in thin film solar cells during the current fiscal year include: expansion of production scale of amorphous silicon solar cells, rapid progress in poly-crystalline silicon thin film solar cell technologies, and enhancement of performance in large-area modules in the a-Si, CIGS, and CdTe systems. In the trends in research and development of amorphous systems, expectation is heightening on elucidation of optical deterioration phenomena, and establishment of suppression technologies thereof. Although the highest efficiency was not renewed in thin film solar cells of small areas, progress was seen in the post-stabilization efficiency in large-area modules. A thin film solar cell manufacturing plant having an annual production capacity of 20 MW was put into operation in October in Japan. Micro (poly) crystalline silicon based solar cells have high possibility of being compatible in cost reduction and performance improvement, and energetic researches are being carried out on them in recent years as the most promising candidate of the next generation solar cells. (NEDO)

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.

Supply risks associated with CdTe and CIGS thin-film photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helbig, Christoph; Bradshaw, Alex M.; Kolotzek, Christoph; Thorenz, Andrea; Tuma, Axel

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Supply risks associated with thin film photovoltaic technologies are considered. • Eleven supply risk indicators are used to evaluate Cd, Te, Cu, In, Ga, Se and Mo. • Indicator weighting based on peer assessment and an Analytic Hierarchy Process. • Various possibilities for the aggregation of elemental supply risks discussed. • Aggregated results show a marginally lower supply risk for CdTe than for CIGS. - Abstract: As a result of the global warming potential of fossil fuels there has been a rapid growth in the installation of photovoltaic generating capacity in the last decade. While this market is dominated by crystalline silicon, thin-film photovoltaics are still expected to make a substantial contribution to global electricity supply in future, due both to lower production costs and to recent increases in conversion efficiency. At present, cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper-indium-gallium diselenide (CuIn_xGa_1_−_xSe_2) seem to be the most promising materials and currently have a share of ≈9% of the photovoltaic market. An expected stronger market penetration by these thin-film technologies raises the question as to the supply risks associated with the constituent elements. Against this background, we report here a semi-quantitative, relative assessment of mid- to long-term supply risk associated with the elements Cd, Te, Cu, In, Ga, Se and Mo. In this approach, the supply risk is measured using 11 indicators in the four categories “Risk of Supply Reduction”, “Risk of Demand Increase”, “Concentration Risk” and “Political Risk”. In a second step, the single indicator values, which are derived from publicly accessible databases, are weighted relative to each other specifically for the case of thin film photovoltaics. For this purpose, a survey among colleagues and an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach are used, in order to obtain a relative, element-specific value for the supply risk. The aggregation of these

Adaptive sensor-based ultra-high accuracy solar concentrator tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkley, Jordyn; Hassanzadeh, Ali

2017-09-01

Conventional solar trackers use information of the sun's position, either by direct sensing or by GPS. Our method uses the shading of the receiver. This, coupled with nonimaging optics design allows us to achieve ultra-high concentration. Incorporating a sensor based shadow tracking method with a two stage concentration solar hybrid parabolic trough allows the system to maintain high concentration with acute accuracy.

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

Cu(InGa)Se{sub 2} absorber formation by in-situ, low-temperature annealing of co-evaporated bilayer (InGa){sub 2}Se{sub 3}/CuSe precursors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Kyeongchan; Kim, Woo Kyoung, E-mail: wkim@ynu.ac.kr

2015-12-01

Chalcopyrite Cu(InGa)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) absorbers were fabricated by the formation of bilayer stacked glass/Mo/(InGa){sub 2}Se{sub 3}/CuSe precursors followed by in-situ thermal annealing at 450 °C for approximately 10 min in a vacuum evaporator. The material properties (e.g., crystal orientation, compositional depth profile, and overall composition) and device performance of the resulting CIGS absorbers were compared with those of the CIGS absorbers formed by conventional 1-stage and 3-stage CIGS formation processes at a similar temperature. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the 1-stage co-evaporation and in-situ annealing of the bilayer precursor produced a polycrystalline CIGS absorber without a specific texture, whereas the CIGS absorber formed by the 3-stage process showed a highly (220) preferred orientation. Secondary ion mass spectrometry revealed Ga accumulation at the bottom of CIGS formed by in-situ annealing of the bilayer precursors. The cell efficiency of the device with the CIGS absorber formed by the in-situ, low-temperature (450 °C) annealing of bilayer stacked glass/Mo/(InGa){sub 2}Se{sub 3}/CuSe precursors was comparable to that produced by the conventional 3-stage process at a similar temperature. - Highlights: • Annealing of (InGa){sub 2}Se{sub 3}/CuSe precursors was compared with coevaporation process. • In-situ annealing of (InGa){sub 2}Se{sub 3}/CuSe precursors at 450 °C produced about 9% solar cell. • Ga profile within Cu(InGa)Se{sub 2} depended on process profile during co-evaporation.

Perovskite-Based Solar Cells: Materials, Methods, and Future Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Di Zhou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A novel all-solid-state, hybrid solar cell based on organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite (CH3NH3PbX3 materials has attracted great attention from the researchers all over the world and is considered to be one of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs in 2013. The perovskite materials can be used not only as light-absorbing layer, but also as an electron/hole transport layer due to the advantages of its high extinction coefficient, high charge mobility, long carrier lifetime, and long carrier diffusion distance. The photoelectric power conversion efficiency of the perovskite solar cells has increased from 3.8% in 2009 to 22.1% in 2016, making perovskite solar cells the best potential candidate for the new generation of solar cells to replace traditional silicon solar cells in the future. In this paper, we introduce the development and mechanism of perovskite solar cells, describe the specific function of each layer, and focus on the improvement in the function of such layers and its influence on the cell performance. Next, the synthesis methods of the perovskite light-absorbing layer and the performance characteristics are discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the development of perovskite solar cells are also briefly presented.

A New Fuzzy-Based Maximum Power Point Tracker for a Solar Panel Based on Datasheet Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Kargarnejad

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Tracking maximum power point of a solar panel is of interest in most of photovoltaic applications. Solar panel modeling is also very interesting exclusively based on manufacturers data. Knowing that the manufacturers generally give the electrical specifications of their products at one operating condition, there are so many cases in which the specifications in other conditions are of interest. In this research, a comprehensive one-diode model for a solar panel with maximum obtainable accuracy is fully developed only based on datasheet values. The model parameters dependencies on environmental conditions are taken into consideration as much as possible. Comparison between real data and simulations results shows that the proposed model has maximum obtainable accuracy. Then a new fuzzy-based controller to track the maximum power point of the solar panel is also proposed which has better response from speed, accuracy and stability point of view respect to the previous common developed one.

Solar Thermal AIR Collector Based on New Type Selective Coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Musiy, R.Y.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the best for optical performance and selective coating solar thermal air collector, which operates by solar power on the principle of simultaneous ventilation and heating facilities, is designed. It can be used for vacation homes, museums, wooden churches, warehouses, garages, houses, greenhouses etc.

Machine Vision based Micro-crack Inspection in Thin-film Solar Cell Panel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Yinong

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Thin film solar cell consists of various layers so the surface of solar cell shows heterogeneous textures. Because of this property the visual inspection of micro-crack is very difficult. In this paper, we propose the machine vision-based micro-crack detection scheme for thin film solar cell panel. In the proposed method, the crack edge detection is based on the application of diagonal-kernel and cross-kernel in parallel. Experimental results show that the proposed method has better performance of micro-crack detection than conventional anisotropic model based methods on a cross- kernel.

Harnessing Sun's Energy with Quantum Dots Based Next Generation Solar Cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Halim, Mohammad A

2012-12-27

Our energy consumption relies heavily on the three components of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal) and nearly 83% of our current energy is consumed from those sources. The use of fossil fuels, however, has been viewed as a major environmental threat because of their substantial contribution to greenhouse gases which are responsible for increasing the global average temperature. Last four decades, scientists have been searching for alternative sources of energy which need to be environmentally clean, efficient, cost-effective, renewable, and sustainable. One of the promising sustainable sources of energy can be achieved by harnessing sun energy through silicon wafer, organic polymer, inorganic dye, and quantum dots based solar cells. Among them, quantum dots have an exceptional property in that they can excite multiple electrons using only one photon. These dots can easily be synthesized, processed in solution, and incorporated into solar cell application. Interestingly, the quantum dots solar cells can exceed the Shockley - Queisser limit; however, it is a great challenge for other solar cell materials to exceed the limit. Theoretically, the quantum dots solar cell can boost the power conversion efficiency up to 66% and even higher to 80%. Moreover, in changing the size of the quantum dots one can utilize the Sun's broad spectrum of visible and infrared ranges. This review briefly overviews the present performance of different materials-based solar cells including silicon wafer, dye-sensitized, and organic solar cells. In addition, recent advances of the quantum dots based solar cells which utilize cadmium sulfide/selenide, lead sulfide/selenide, and new carbon dots as light harvesting materials has been reviewed. A future outlook is sketched as to how one could improve the efficiency up to 10% from the current highest efficiency of 6.6%.

Triangle islands and cavities on the surface of evaporated Cu(In, Ga)Se2 absorber layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Anjun; Zhang Yi; Liu Wei; Li Boyan; Sun Yun

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Lots of uncommon triangle islands and cavities are found on (1 1 2) planes terminated by Se atoms of evaporated Cu(In, Ga)Se 2 thin films. ► Se ad-dimer as a nucleus, Cu atom diffusion from Cu(In, Ga)Se 2 grains brings the epitaxial triangle island. ► The triangle islands grow with a two-dimensional layered mode. ► The triangle cavities are formed due to the insufficient coalescence of triangle islands. ► The performance of solar cell without triangle islands is improved. - Abstract: Cu(In, Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin films are co-evaporated at a constant substrate temperature of 500 °C on the Mo/soda lime glass substrates. The structural properties and chemical composition of the CIGS films are studied by an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and an X-ray fluorescent spectrometer (XRF), respectively. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface morphology. Lots of uncommon triangle islands and cavities are found on some planes of the CIGS thin films. We investigate the formation mechanism of these triangle islands. It is found that the planes with the triangle islands are (1 1 2) planes terminated by Se atoms. Se ad-dimer as a nucleus, Cu diffusion from CIGS grains brings the epitaxial triangle islands which grow with a two-dimensional layered mode. The film with Cu/(Ga + In) = 0.94–0.98 is one key of the formation of these islands. The triangle cavities are formed due to the insufficient coalescence of triangle islands. The growth of triangle islands brings a compact surface with large layered grains and many jagged edges, but no triangle cavity. Finally, we compare the performance of solar cell with triangle islands and layered gains. It is found that the performance of solar cell with large layered gains is improved.

Temperature based daily incoming solar radiation modeling based on gene expression programming, neuro-fuzzy and neural network computing techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Landeras, G.; López, J. J.; Kisi, O.; Shiri, J.

2012-04-01

The correct observation/estimation of surface incoming solar radiation (RS) is very important for many agricultural, meteorological and hydrological related applications. While most weather stations are provided with sensors for air temperature detection, the presence of sensors necessary for the detection of solar radiation is not so habitual and the data quality provided by them is sometimes poor. In these cases it is necessary to estimate this variable. Temperature based modeling procedures are reported in this study for estimating daily incoming solar radiation by using Gene Expression Programming (GEP) for the first time, and other artificial intelligence models such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). Traditional temperature based solar radiation equations were also included in this study and compared with artificial intelligence based approaches. Root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) RMSE-based skill score (SSRMSE), MAE-based skill score (SSMAE) and r2 criterion of Nash and Sutcliffe criteria were used to assess the models' performances. An ANN (a four-input multilayer perceptron with ten neurons in the hidden layer) presented the best performance among the studied models (2.93 MJ m-2 d-1 of RMSE). A four-input ANFIS model revealed as an interesting alternative to ANNs (3.14 MJ m-2 d-1 of RMSE). Very limited number of studies has been done on estimation of solar radiation based on ANFIS, and the present one demonstrated the ability of ANFIS to model solar radiation based on temperatures and extraterrestrial radiation. By the way this study demonstrated, for the first time, the ability of GEP models to model solar radiation based on daily atmospheric variables. Despite the accuracy of GEP models was slightly lower than the ANFIS and ANN models the genetic programming models (i.e., GEP) are superior to other artificial intelligence models in giving a simple explicit equation for the

Evaluation of the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) Using Ground-Based Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Y.; Sengupta, M.; Habte, A.; Lopez, A.

2017-12-01

Solar resource is essential for a wide spectrum of applications including renewable energy, climate studies, and solar forecasting. Solar resource information can be obtained from ground-based measurement stations and/or from modeled data sets. While measurements provide data for the development and validation of solar resource models and other applications modeled data expands the ability to address the needs for increased accuracy and spatial and temporal resolution. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed and regular updates modeled solar resource through the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB). The recent NSRDB dataset was developed using the physics-based Physical Solar Model (PSM) and provides gridded solar irradiance (global horizontal irradiance (GHI), direct normal irradiance (DNI), and diffuse horizontal irradiance) at a 4-km by 4-km spatial and half-hourly temporal resolution covering 18 years from 1998-2015. A comprehensive validation of the performance of the NSRDB (1998-2015) was conducted to quantify the accuracy of the spatial and temporal variability of the solar radiation data. Further, the study assessed the ability of NSRDB (1998-2015) to accurately capture inter-annual variability, which is essential information for solar energy conversion projects and grid integration studies. Comparisons of the NSRDB (1998-2015) with nine selected ground-measured data were conducted under both clear- and cloudy-sky conditions. These locations provide a high quality data covering a variety of geographical locations and climates. The comparison of the NSRDB to the ground-based data demonstrated that biases were within +/- 5% for GHI and +/-10% for DNI. A comprehensive uncertainty estimation methodology was established to analyze the performance of the gridded NSRDB and includes all sources of uncertainty at various time-averaged periods, a method that is not often used in model evaluation. Further, the study analyzed the inter

Solar Cell Polymer Based Active Ingredients PPV and PCBM

Science.gov (United States)

Hardeli, H.; Sanjaya, H.; Resikarnila, R.; Nitami H, R.

2018-04-01

A polymer solar cell is a solar cell based on a polymer bulk heterojunction structure using the method of thin film, which can convert solar energy into electrical energy. Absorption of light is carried by active material layer PPV: PCBM. This study aims to make solar cells tandem and know the value of converting solar energy into electrical energy and increase the value of efficiency generated through morphological control, ie annealing temperature and the ratio of active layer mixture. The active layer is positioned above the PEDOT:PSS layer on ITO glass substrate. The characterization results show the surface morphology of the PPV:PCBM active layer is quite evenly at annealing temperature of 165 ° C. The result of conversion of electrical energy with a UV light source in annealing samples with temperature 165 ° C is 0.03 mA and voltage of 4.085 V with an efficiency of 2.61% and mixed ratio variation was obtained in comparison of P3HT: PCBM is 1: 3

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.

An alternative non-vacuum and low cost ESAVD method for the deposition of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} absorber layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Mingqing; Liu, Junpeng; Choy, KwangLeong [UCL Centre for Materials Discovery, University College London (United Kingdom); Hou, Xianghui [Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham (United Kingdom); Gibson, Paul [IMPT Ltd, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Salem, Elhamali; Koutsogeorgis, Demosthenes; Cranton, Wayne [School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University (United Kingdom)

2015-01-01

In this article, an environmentally friendly and non-vacuum electrostatic spray assisted vapor deposition (ESAVD) process has been developed as an alternative and low cost method to deposit CIGS absorber layers. ESAVD is a non-vacuum chemical vapor deposition based process whereby a mixture of chemical precursors is atomized to form aerosol. The aerosol is charged and directed towards a heated substrate where it would undergo decomposition and chemical reaction to deposit a stable solid film onto the substrate. A sol containing copper, indium, and gallium salts, as well as thiourea was formulated into a homogeneous chemical precursor mixture for the deposition of CIGS films. After selenization, both XRD and Raman results show the presence of the characteristic peaks of CIGSSe in the fabricated thin films. From SEM images and XRF results, it can be seen that the deposited absorbers are promising for good performance solar cells. The fabricated solar cell with a typical structure of glass/Mo/CIGSSe/CdS/i-ZnO/ITO shows efficiency of 2.82% under 100 mW cm{sup -2} AM1.5 illumination. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Present status of solid state photoelectrochemical solar cells and dye sensitized solar cells using PEO-based polymer electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Pramod Kumar; Bhattacharya, Bhaskar; Nagarale, R K; Pandey, S P; Rhee, H W

2011-01-01

Due to energy crises in the future, much effort is being directed towards alternate sources. Solar energy is accepted as a novel substitute for conventional sources of energy. Out of the long list of various types of solar cells available on the market, solid state photoelectrochemical solar cells (SSPECs) and dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are proposed as an alternative to costly crystalline solar cell. This review provides a common platform for SSPECs and DSSCs using polymer electrolyte, particularly on polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based polymer electrolytes. Due to numerous advantageous properties of PEO, it is frequently used as an electrolyte in both SSPECs as well as DSSCs. In DSSCs, so far high efficiency (more than 11%) has been obtained only by using volatile liquid electrolyte, which suffers many disadvantages, such as corrosion, leakage and evaporation. The PEO-based solid polymer proves its importance and could be used to solve the problems stated above. The recent developments in SSPECs and DSSCs using modified PEO electrolytes by adding nano size inorganic fillers, blending with low molecular weight polymers and ionic liquid (IL) are discussed in detail. The role of ionic liquid in modifying the electrical, structural and photoelectrochemical properties of PEO polymer electrolytes is also described. (review)

Present status of solid state photoelectrochemical solar cells and dye sensitized solar cells using PEO-based polymer electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Pramod Kumar; Nagarale, R. K.; Pandey, S. P.; Rhee, H. W.; Bhattacharya, Bhaskar

2011-06-01

Due to energy crises in the future, much effort is being directed towards alternate sources. Solar energy is accepted as a novel substitute for conventional sources of energy. Out of the long list of various types of solar cells available on the market, solid state photoelectrochemical solar cells (SSPECs) and dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are proposed as an alternative to costly crystalline solar cell. This review provides a common platform for SSPECs and DSSCs using polymer electrolyte, particularly on polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based polymer electrolytes. Due to numerous advantageous properties of PEO, it is frequently used as an electrolyte in both SSPECs as well as DSSCs. In DSSCs, so far high efficiency (more than 11%) has been obtained only by using volatile liquid electrolyte, which suffers many disadvantages, such as corrosion, leakage and evaporation. The PEO-based solid polymer proves its importance and could be used to solve the problems stated above. The recent developments in SSPECs and DSSCs using modified PEO electrolytes by adding nano size inorganic fillers, blending with low molecular weight polymers and ionic liquid (IL) are discussed in detail. The role of ionic liquid in modifying the electrical, structural and photoelectrochemical properties of PEO polymer electrolytes is also described.

Solar Adaptive Optics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas R. Rimmele

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Adaptive optics (AO has become an indispensable tool at ground-based solar telescopes. AO enables the ground-based observer to overcome the adverse effects of atmospheric seeing and obtain diffraction limited observations. Over the last decade adaptive optics systems have been deployed at major ground-based solar telescopes and revitalized ground-based solar astronomy. The relatively small aperture of solar telescopes and the bright source make solar AO possible for visible wavelengths where the majority of solar observations are still performed. Solar AO systems enable diffraction limited observations of the Sun for a significant fraction of the available observing time at ground-based solar telescopes, which often have a larger aperture than equivalent space based observatories, such as HINODE. New ground breaking scientific results have been achieved with solar adaptive optics and this trend continues. New large aperture telescopes are currently being deployed or are under construction. With the aid of solar AO these telescopes will obtain observations of the highly structured and dynamic solar atmosphere with unprecedented resolution. This paper reviews solar adaptive optics techniques and summarizes the recent progress in the field of solar adaptive optics. An outlook to future solar AO developments, including a discussion of Multi-Conjugate AO (MCAO and Ground-Layer AO (GLAO will be given.

Superthin Solar Cells Based on AIIIBV/Ge Heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Pakhanov, N. A.; Pchelyakov, O. P.; Vladimirov, V. M.

2017-11-01

A comparative analysis of the prospects of creating superthin, light-weight, and highly efficient solar cells based on AIIIBV/InGaAs and AIIIBV/Ge heterostructures is performed. Technological problems and prospects of each variant are discussed. A method of thinning of AIIIBV/Ge heterostructures with the use of an effective temporary carrier is proposed. The method allows the process to be performed almost with no risk of heterostructure fracture, thinning of the Ge junction down to several tens of micrometers (or even several micrometers), significant enhancement of the yield of good structures, and also convenient and reliable transfer of thinned solar cells to an arbitrary light and flexible substrate. Such a technology offers a possibility of creating high-efficiency thin and light solar cells for space vehicles on the basis of mass-produced AIIIBV/Ge heterostructures.

Development of gridded solar radiation data over Belgium based on Meteosat and in-situ observations

Science.gov (United States)

Journée, Michel; Vanderveken, Gilles; Bertrand, Cédric

2013-04-01

Knowledge on solar resources is highly important for all forms of solar energy applications. With the recent development in solar-based technologies national meteorological services are faced with increasing demands for high-quality and reliable site-time specific solar resource information. Traditionally, solar radiation is observed by means of networks of meteorological stations. Costs for installation and maintenance of such networks are very high and national networks comprise only few stations. Consequently the availability of ground-based solar radiation measurements has proven to be spatially and temporally inadequate for many applications. To overcome such a limitation, a major effort has been undertaken at the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI) to provide the solar energy industry, the electricity sector, governments, and renewable energy organizations and institutions with the most suitable and accurate information on the solar radiation resources at the Earth's surface over the Belgian territory. Only space-based observations can deliver a global coverage of the solar irradiation impinging on horizontal surface at the ground level. Because only geostationary data allow to capture the diurnal cycle of the solar irradiance at the Earth's surface, a method that combines information from Meteosat Second Generation satellites and ground-measurement has been implemented at RMI to generate high resolution solar products over Belgium on an operational basis. Besides these new products, the annual and seasonal variability of solar energy resource was evaluated, solar radiation climate zones were defined and the recent trend in solar radiation was characterized.

Copper (I) oxide (Cu 2 ) based solar cells - a review | Abdu | Bayero ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Copper (I) oxide (Cu2O) is a potential material for the fabrication of low cost solar cells for terrestrial application. A detailed survey on the previous work so far carried out on Cu2O based solar cells has been presented. The aspects discussed include the fabrication of Schottky (metal/semiconductor) barrier Cu2O solar cells, ...

Solar-Based Fuzzy Intelligent Water Sprinkle System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riza Muhida

2012-03-01

Full Text Available A solar-based intelligent water sprinkler system project that has been developed to ensure the effectiveness in watering the plant is improved by making the system automated. The control system consists of an electrical capacitance soil moisture sensor installed into the ground which is interfaced to a controller unit of Motorola 68HC11 Handy board microcontroller. The microcontroller was programmed based on the decision rules made using fuzzy logic approach on when to water the lawn. The whole system is powered up by the solar energy which is then interfaced to a particular type of irrigation timer for plant fertilizing schedule and rain detector through a simple design of rain dual-collector tipping bucket. The controller unit automatically disrupted voltage signals sent to the control valves whenever irrigation was not needed. Using this system we combined the logic implementation in the area of irrigation and weather sensing equipment, and more efficient water delivery can be made possible. 

Molecular monolayers for electrical passivation and functionalization of silicon-based solar energy devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veerbeek, Janneke; Firet, Nienke J.; Vijselaar, Wouter; Elbersen, R.; Gardeniers, Han; Huskens, Jurriaan

2017-01-01

Silicon-based solar fuel devices require passivation for optimal performance yet at the same time need functionalization with (photo)catalysts for efficient solar fuel production. Here, we use molecular monolayers to enable electrical passivation and simultaneous functionalization of silicon-based

EffiCiency and Safety of an eLectronic cigAreTte (ECLAT as tobacco cigarettes substitute: a prospective 12-month randomized control design study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pasquale Caponnetto

Full Text Available Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular with smokers worldwide. Users report buying them to help quit smoking, to reduce cigarette consumption, to relieve tobacco withdrawal symptoms, and to continue having a 'smoking' experience, but with reduced health risks. Research on e-cigarettes is urgently needed in order to ensure that the decisions of regulators, healthcare providers and consumers are based on science. Methods ECLAT is a prospective 12-month randomized, controlled trial that evaluates smoking reduction/abstinence in 300 smokers not intending to quit experimenting two different nicotine strengths of a popular e-cigarette model ('Categoria'; Arbi Group Srl, Italy compared to its non-nicotine choice. GroupA (n = 100 received 7.2 mg nicotine cartridges for 12 weeks; GroupB (n = 100, a 6-week 7.2 mg nicotine cartridges followed by a further 6-week 5.4 mg nicotine cartridges; GroupC (n = 100 received no-nicotine cartridges for 12 weeks. The study consisted of nine visits during which cig/day use and exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO levels were measured. Smoking reduction and abstinence rates were calculated. Adverse events and product preferences were also reviewed.Declines in cig/day use and eCO levels were observed at each study visits in all three study groups (p<0.001 vs baseline, with no consistent differences among study groups. Smoking reduction was documented in 22.3% and 10.3% at week-12 and week-52 respectively. Complete abstinence from tobacco smoking was documented in 10.7% and 8.7% at week-12 and week-52 respectively. A substantial decrease in adverse events from baseline was observed and withdrawal symptoms were infrequently reported during the study. Participants' perception and acceptance of the product under investigation was satisfactory.In smokers not intending to quit, the use of e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, decreased cigarette consumption and elicited enduring tobacco

Solar resources and power potential mapping in Vietnam using satellite-derived and GIS-based information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polo, J.; Bernardos, A.; Navarro, A.A.; Fernandez-Peruchena, C.M.; Ramírez, L.; Guisado, María V.; Martínez, S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Satellite-based, reanalysis data and measurements are combined for solar mapping. • Plant output modeling for PV and CSP results in simple expressions of solar potential. • Solar resource, solar potential are used in a GIS for determine technical solar potential. • Solar resource and potential maps of Vietnam are presented. - Abstract: The present paper presents maps of the solar resources in Vietnam and of the solar potential for concentrating solar power (CSP) and for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) technology. The mapping of solar radiation components has been calculated from satellite-derived data combined with solar radiation derived from sunshine duration and other additional sources of information based on reanalysis for several atmospheric and meteorological parameters involved. Two scenarios have been selected for the study of the solar potential: CSP Parabolic Trough of 50 MWe and grid-connected Flat Plate PV plant of around 1 MWe. For each selected scenario plant performance simulations have been computed for developing simple expressions that allow the estimation of the solar potential from the annual solar irradiation and the latitude of every site in Vietnam. Finally, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been used for combining the solar potential with the land availability according each scenario to deliver the technical solar potential maps of Vietnam

New NIR Absorbing DPP-based Polymer for Thick Organic Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Oklem, Gulce

2018-02-05

infrared region (NIR) for better photon harvesting in organic solar cells. It has been shown that copolymers compromising diketopyrrolopyrrole based acceptors and simple donors (thiophene or furan) achieve absorption maximum around 800 nm. In this study, the selenophene based donor units coupled with diketopyrrolopyrrole acceptor unit based polymer (PFDPPSe) was synthesized with an absorption maximum at 830 nm and absorption onset of 930 nm. The optimized organic solar cells with PFDDPSe: PC71BM active layer blends of 210 nm showed maximum PCE of 6.16 % (ave. 6.02 %) via solvent additive engineering with inverted device structure. Charge transport, recombination loss mechanism, and morphology are systematically studied. These results demonstrate that highly efficient NIR polymer can be achieved by the introduction of selenophene and a suitable solvent additive process suitable for NIR organic solar cells. PFDPPSe is also one of the rare examples of a polymer with a PCE over 6% that does not contain any thiophene-based unit in its backbone.

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.

Solar Adaptive Optics.