Equivalent diagram of a solar cell, based on short-circuit and open-circuit tests

Solar Cells ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Slonim ◽  
Avraam L. Tslaf
Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1684
Author(s):  
Alessandro Romeo ◽  
Elisa Artegiani

CdTe is a very robust and chemically stable material and for this reason its related solar cell thin film photovoltaic technology is now the only thin film technology in the first 10 top producers in the world. CdTe has an optimum band gap for the Schockley-Queisser limit and could deliver very high efficiencies as single junction device of more than 32%, with an open circuit voltage of 1 V and a short circuit current density exceeding 30 mA/cm2. CdTe solar cells were introduced at the beginning of the 70s and they have been studied and implemented particularly in the last 30 years. The strong improvement in efficiency in the last 5 years was obtained by a new redesign of the CdTe solar cell device reaching a single solar cell efficiency of 22.1% and a module efficiency of 19%. In this paper we describe the fabrication process following the history of the solar cell as it was developed in the early years up to the latest development and changes. Moreover the paper also presents future possible alternative absorbers and discusses the only apparently controversial environmental impacts of this fantastic technology.


Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 726
Author(s):  
Ray-Hua Horng ◽  
Yu-Cheng Kao ◽  
Apoorva Sood ◽  
Po-Liang Liu ◽  
Wei-Cheng Wang ◽  
...  

In this study, a mechanical stacking technique has been used to bond together the GaInP/GaAs and poly-silicon (Si) solar wafers. A GaInP/GaAs/poly-Si triple-junction solar cell has mechanically stacked using a low-temperature bonding process which involves micro metal In balls on a metal line using a high-optical-transmission spin-coated glue material. Current–voltage measurements of the GaInP/GaAs/poly-Si triple-junction solar cells have carried out at room temperature both in the dark and under 1 sun with 100 mW/cm2 power density using a solar simulator. The GaInP/GaAs/poly-Si triple-junction solar cell has reached an efficiency of 24.5% with an open-circuit voltage of 2.68 V, a short-circuit current density of 12.39 mA/cm2, and a fill-factor of 73.8%. This study demonstrates a great potential for the low-temperature micro-metal-ball mechanical stacking technique to achieve high conversion efficiency for solar cells with three or more junctions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 20901
Author(s):  
Abdul Kuddus ◽  
Md. Ferdous Rahman ◽  
Jaker Hossain ◽  
Abu Bakar Md. Ismail

This article presents the role of Bi-layer anti-reflection coating (ARC) of TiO2/ZnO and back surface field (BSF) of V2O5 for improving the photovoltaic performance of Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) and Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) based heterojunction solar cells (HJSCs). The simulation was performed at different concentrations, thickness, defect densities of each active materials and working temperatures to optimize the most excellent structure and working conditions for achieving the highest cell performance using obtained optical and electrical parameters value from the experimental investigation on spin-coated CdS, CdTe, ZnO, TiO2 and V2O5 thin films deposited on the glass substrate. The simulation results reveal that the designed CdS/CdTe based heterojunction cell offers the highest efficiency, η of ∼25% with an enhanced open-circuit voltage, Voc of 0.811 V, short circuit current density, Jsc of 38.51 mA cm−2, fill factor, FF of 80% with bi-layer ARC and BSF. Moreover, it appears that the TiO2/ZnO bi-layer ARC, as well as ETL and V2O5 as BSF, could be highly promising materials of choice for CdS/CdTe based heterojunction solar cell.


2006 ◽  
Vol 910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Wang ◽  
Matt P. Page ◽  
Eugene Iwancizko ◽  
Yueqin Xu ◽  
Yanfa Yan ◽  
...  

AbstractWe have achieved an independently-confirmed 17.8% conversion efficiency in a 1-cm2, p-type, float-zone silicon (FZ-Si) based heterojunction solar cell. Both the front emitter and back contact are hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposited by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD). This is the highest reported efficiency for a HWCVD silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell. Two main improvements lead to our most recent increases in efficiency: 1) the use of textured Si wafers, and 2) the application of a-Si:H heterojunctions on both sides of the cell. Despite the use of textured c-Si to increase the short-circuit current, we were able to maintain the same 0.65 V open-circuit voltage as on flat c-Si. This is achieved by coating a-Si:H conformally on the c-Si surfaces, including covering the tips of the anisotropically-etched pyramids. A brief atomic H treatment before emitter deposition is not necessary on the textured wafers, though it was helpful in the flat wafers. It is essential to high efficiency SHJ solar cells that the emitter grows abruptly as amorphous silicon, instead of as microcrystalline or epitaxial Si. The contact on each side of the cell comprises a thin (< 5 nm) low substrate temperature (~100°C) intrinsic a-Si:H layer, followed by a doped layer. Our intrinsic layers are deposited at 0.3-1.2 nm/s. The doped emitter and back-contact layers were deposited at a higher temperature (>200°C) and grown from PH3/SiH4/H2 and B2H6/SiH4/H2 doping gas mixtures, respectively. This combination of low (intrinsic) and high (doped layer) growth temperatures was optimized by lifetime and surface recombination velocity measurements. Our rapid efficiency advance suggests that HWCVD may have advantages over plasma-enhanced (PE) CVD in fabrication of high-efficiency heterojunction c-Si cells; there is no need for process optimization to avoid plasma damage to the delicate, high-quality, Si wafers.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Chun Chen ◽  
Chao-Ying Yu ◽  
Chih-Ping Chen ◽  
Shu-Hua Chan ◽  
Ching Ting

A novel soluble conjugated polymers, P2, with coplanar thiophene-phenylene-thiophene unit is designed and synthesized as suitable active material used in tandem cells to compensate the poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/[6,6]-phenyl-C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) bulk-heterojunction cell in this paper. P2 polymer bears advantages in both low optical bandgap (1.7 eV) and high hole mobility properties (3.4×10−3 cm2/V-s from field-effect transistor measurement). Furthermore, the electrochemical studies of P2 indicate desirable highest occupied molecular orbital/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO/LUMO) band structure that enables a high open circuit voltage when pairing with PCBM acceptor. The best power conversion efficiency of this polymer solar cell thus far based on P2/PC71BM system with a weight ratio of 1:3 reached 4.4% with a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 10.2 mA/cm2, an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.81 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.53 under air mass (AM) 1.5 G (100 mW/cm2). The preliminary data of the tandem cell with indium tin oxide (ITO) glass/PEDOT:PSS/P2:PC71BM/TiOx/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PC71BM/TiOx/Al configuration has reached Jsc of 6.2 mA/cm2, Voc of 1.33 V, FF of 0.56 and an overall efficiency of 4.6% under AM 1.5 G (100 mW/cm2).


2009 ◽  
Vol 1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewei Zhao ◽  
Xiao Wei Sun ◽  
Lin Ke ◽  
Swee Tiam Tan

AbstractWe present an efficient polymer-small molecule triple-tandem organic solar cell (OSC), consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 (PCBM) bulk heterojunction as the first and second cells, and small molecules copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and fullerene (C60) as the third cell on top. These sub-cells are connected by an intermediate layer of Al(1 nm)/MoO3(15 nm), which appears to be highly transparent, structurally smooth, and electrically functional. Compared to our previous all polymer triple-tandem organic solar cells (2.03%), this polymer-small molecule triple-tandem organic solar cell achieves an improved power conversion efficiency of 2.18% with a short-circuit current density (Jsc) = 3.02 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage (Voc) = 1.51 V, and fill factor (FF) = 47.7% under simulated solar irradiation of 100 mW/cm2 (AM1.5G), which can be attributed to the increased photocurrent generation in the third cell since the third cell has the complementary absorption with two bottom cells despite a slightly reduced Voc.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika Zafiah M. Rus ◽  
Nur Munirah Abdullah ◽  
M. F. L. Abdullah

Generation from the existing commercial devices costs about ten times more than the conventional methods. Therefore, this paper presents a thin-film dyed solar cell (DSC) of natural dyes fromMelastoma malabathricumfruits which consist of the carbonyl and hydroxyl groups of anthocyanin molecule that influences the performance of photosensitized effect due to its bound on the surface of filler. Experimental results comparing engineering grade (>99% purity) of metal oxide; U1 and U2 with treated metal oxide; U3 and U4 using ultrasonic process, which is to break the particle agglomeration from 0.37 μm down to 0.15 μm; this treatment led to a more “sponge-like” consistency with high porosity, enabling enhanced absorption and anchorage of the dye sensitizer. The microstructures of metal oxide were observed using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Along with the highest performance ofI-Vmeasurement given by U4 with open circuit,Voc = 0.742 V, short circuit,Isc = 0.36 mA, fill factor, FF = 57.012 gives 0.039% efficiency the examples for the first outdoor application upon sunlight illumination of such DSC were also reported. Therefore, this ultrasonic treatment and novel dye fromMelastoma malabathricumfruit are reliable to be used for further application.


2013 ◽  
Vol 665 ◽  
pp. 330-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ripal Parmar ◽  
Dipak Sahay ◽  
R.J. Pathak ◽  
R.K. Shah

The solar cells have been used as most promising device to convert light energy into electrical energy. In this paper authors have attempted to fabricate Photoelectrochemical solar cell with semiconductor electrode using TMDCs. The Photoelectrochemical solar cells are the solar cells which convert the solar energy into electrical energy. The photoelectrochemical cells are clean and inexhaustible sources of energy. The photoelectrochemical solar cells are fabricated using WSe2crystal and electrolyte solution of 0.025M I2, 0.5M NaI, 0.5M Na2SO4. Here the WSe2crystals were grown by direct vapour transport technique. In our investigations the solar cell parameters like short circuit current (Isc) and Open circuit voltage (Voc) were measured and from that Fill factor (F.F.) and photoconversion efficiency (η) are investigated. The results obtained shows that the value of efficiency and fill factor of solar cell varies with the illumination intensities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 877 (1) ◽  
pp. 012001
Author(s):  
Marwah S Mahmood ◽  
N K Hassan

Abstract Perovskite solar cells attract the attention because of their unique properties in photovoltaic cells. Numerical simulation to the structure of Perovskite on p-CZTS/p-CH3NH3PbCI3/p-CZTS absorber layers is performed by using a program solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D), with changing absorber layer thickness. The effect of thickness p-CZTS/p-CH3NH3PbCI3/p-CZTS, layers at (3.2μm, 1.8 μm, 1.1 μm) respectively are studied. The obtained results are short circuit current density (Jsc ), open circuit voltage (V oc), fill factor (F. F) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) equal to (28 mA/cm2, 0.83 v, 60.58 % and 14.25 %) respectively at 1.1 μm thickness. Our findings revealed that the dependence of current - voltage characteristics on the thickness of the absorbing layers, an increase in the amount of short circuit current density with an increase in the thickness of the absorption layers and thus led to an increase in the conversion efficiency and improvement of the cell by increasing the thickness of the absorption layers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13087
Author(s):  
Waqas Farooq ◽  
Muhammad Ali Musarat ◽  
Javed Iqbal ◽  
Syed Asfandyar Ali Kazmi ◽  
Adnan Daud Khan ◽  
...  

Modification of a cell’s architecture can enhance the performance parameters. This paper reports on the numerical modeling of a thin-film organic solar cell (OSC) featuring distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) pairs. The utilization of DBR pairs via the proposed method was found to be beneficial in terms of increasing the performance parameters. The extracted results showed that using DBR pairs helps capture the reflected light back into the active region by improving the photovoltaic parameters as compared to the structure without DBR pairs. Moreover, implementing three DBR pairs resulted in the best enhancement gain of 1.076% in power conversion efficiency. The measured results under a global AM of 1.5G were as follows: open circuit voltage (Voc) = 0.839 V; short circuit current density (Jsc) = 10.98 mA/cm2; fill factor (FF) = 78.39%; efficiency (η) = 11.02%. In addition, a thermal stability analysis of the proposed design was performed and we observed that high temperature resulted in a decrease in η from 11.02 to 10.70%. Our demonstrated design may provide a pathway for the practical application of OSCs.


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