Design, Electrical, and Optical Modelling of Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cell

The energy scenario today is focused on the development and usage of solar cells, especially in the paradigm of clean energy. To readily create electron and hole pairs, solar cells utilize either photoactive or photosensitive components. A bulk heterojunction (BHJ) is a nanolayer consisting of donor and acceptor components with a large interpenetrated acceptor and donor contact area. In this context, a mix of P3HT and PCBM offers novelty for its use as an acceptor as well as a donor. In the work presented here, we address the mechanism of modelling and characterization of a BHJ-based polymer solar cell. Here, a new design of BHJ polymer solar cells have been designed, modelled, using Silvaco TCAD in the Organic Solar module, and matched with an already assembled device having similar features. Using this model, we have been able to estimate key parameters for the modelled devices, such as the short-circuit current density, open-circuit voltage, and fill factor with less than 0.25 error index compared to the fabricated counterpart, paving the way for fabless polymer solar cell design and optimization.

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CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14061684 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 1684

Author(s):

Alessandro Romeo ◽

Elisa Artegiani

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Short Circuit Current Density ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Early Years ◽

Solar Cell Efficiency ◽

Cell Efficiency

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.

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GaInP/GaAs/poly-Si Multi-Junction Solar Cells by in Metal Balls Bonding

Crystals ◽

10.3390/cryst11070726 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 726

Author(s):

Ray-Hua Horng ◽

Yu-Cheng Kao ◽

Apoorva Sood ◽

Po-Liang Liu ◽

Wei-Cheng Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Low Temperature ◽

Triple Junction ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Metal Line ◽

Solar Simulator ◽

Junction Solar Cell

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.

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Study of Photoelectrochemical Solar Cell Using WSe2 Crystal

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.665.330 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 665 ◽

pp. 330-335 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ripal Parmar ◽

Dipak Sahay ◽

R.J. Pathak ◽

R.K. Shah

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Fill Factor ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Electrical Energy ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Cell Parameters ◽

Photoelectrochemical Solar Cell ◽

Photoelectrochemical Solar Cells

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.

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SCAPS Simulation on P3HT:Graphene Nanocomposites Based Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells

International Journal of Electrical & Electronic Systems Research (IEESR) ◽

10.24191/ieesr.v9i1.950 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 28

Author(s):

Nur Shakina Mohd Shariff ◽

Puteri Sarah Mohamad Saad ◽

Mohamad Rusop Mahmood

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Organic Solar Cells ◽

Fill Factor ◽

Bulk Heterojunction ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Short Circuit Current Density ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Simulation Software ◽

Capacitance Voltage

There has been an increasing interest towards organic solar cells after the discovery of conjugated polymer and bulk-heterojunction concept. Eventhough organic solar cells are less expensive than inorganic solar cells but the power conversion energy is still considered low. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effect of the P3HT’s thickness and concentration towards the efficiency of the P3HT:Graphene solar cells. A simulation software that is specialize for photovoltaic called SCAPS is used in this research to simulate the effect on the solar cells. The solar cell’s structure will be drawn inside the simulation and the parameters for each layers is inserted. The result such as the open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current density (Jsc), fill factor (FF), efficiency (η), capacitance-voltage (C-V) and capacitance-frequency (C-f) characteristic will be calculated by the software and all the results will be put into one graph.

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Analytical Study of the Electrical Output Characteristics of c-Si Solar Cells by Cut and Shading Phenomena

Energies ◽

10.3390/en11123397 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 3397 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jong Lim ◽

Woo Shin ◽

Hyemi Hwang ◽

Young-Chul Ju ◽

Suk Ko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Incident Light ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Si Solar Cell ◽

Si Solar Cells ◽

Electrical Output

Cut solar cells have received considerable attention recently as they can reduce electrical output degradation when the c-Si solar cells (crystalline-silicon solar cells) are shaded. Cut c-Si solar cells have a lower short-circuit current than normal solar cells and the decrease in short-circuit currents is similar to the shading effect of c-Si solar cells. However, the results of this study’s experiment show that the shadow effect of a c-Si solar cell reduces the V o c (open circuit voltage) in the c-Si solar cell but the V o c does not change when the c-Si solar cell is cut because the amount of incident light does not change. In this paper, the limitations of the electrical power analysis of the cut solar cells were identified when only photo current was considered and the analysis of the electric output of the cut c-Si solar cells was interpreted with a method different from that used in previous analyses. Electrical output was measured when the shaded and cut rates of c-Si solar cells were increased from 0% to 25, 50 and 75%, and a new theoretical model was compared with the experimental results using MATLAB.

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Plasma Synthesis of Silicon Nanocrystals: Application to Organic/Inorganic Photovoltaics through Solution Processing

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.783-786.2002 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 783-786 ◽

pp. 2002-2004 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tomohiro Nozaki ◽

Yi Ding ◽

Ryan Gresback

Keyword(s):

Solar Cell ◽

Silicon Nanocrystals ◽

Semiconductor Device ◽

Bulk Heterojunction ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Weight Fraction ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Plasma Synthesis ◽

Free Standing

Silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) have unique optical and electronic properties that are advantageous for semiconductor device applications and here their application to solar cell is presented. Free-standing, narrow size distribution SiNCs were synthesized by non-thermal plasma using silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) successfully. Blended solution of as-produced SiNCs and P3HT, or Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), was spin-casted to form bulk heterojunction solar cell devices. As the weight fraction of SiNCs increased up to 50 wt%, the short circuit current and the power conversion efficiency dramatically increased, while the open circuit voltage and the fill factor do not change significantly. The improved performance is attributable to increased probability of exciton dissociation at acceptor SiNCs and donor P3HT interface.

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Preparation of the Three Main Layers of CdS/CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells Using a Single Vacuum System

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.378-379.601 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 378-379 ◽

pp. 601-605 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Saleh N. Alamri ◽

M. S. Benghanem ◽

A. A. Joraid

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Short Circuit Current Density ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Fused Silica ◽

Vacuum System ◽

Cdte Thin Film

This study investigates the preparation of the three main layers of a CdS/CdTe thin film solar cell using a single vacuum system. A Close Space Sublimation System was constructed to deposit CdS, CdTe and CdCl2 solar cell layers. Two hot plates were used to heat the source and the substrate. Three fused silica melting dishes were used as containers for the sources. The properties of the deposited CdS and CdTe films were determined via Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and optical transmission spectroscopy. An J-V characterization of the fabricated CdS/CdTe solar cells was performed under solar radiation. The short-circuit current density, Jsc, the open-circuit voltage, Voc, fill factor, FF and conversion efficiency, η, were measured and yielded values of 27 mA/cm2, 0.619 V, 58% and 9.8%, respectively.

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Fabrication of Hybrid Polymer Solar Cells By Inverted Structure Based on P3HT:PCBM Active Layer

Jurnal Elektronika dan Telekomunikasi ◽

10.14203/jet.v17.13-18 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 13

Author(s):

Shobih Shobih ◽

Rizky Abdillah ◽

Erlyta Septa Rosa

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Active Layer ◽

Bulk Heterojunction ◽

Polymer Solar Cells ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Short Circuit Current Density ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Hybrid Polymer

Hybrid polymer solar cell has privilege than its conventional structure, where it usually has structure of (ITO/PEDOT:PSS/Active Layer/Al). In humid environment the PEDOT:PSS will absorb water and hence can easily etch the ITO. Therefore it is necessary to use an alternative method to avoid this drawback and obtain more stable polymer solar cells, namely by using hybrid polymer solar cells structure with an inverted device architecture from the conventional, by reversing the nature of charge collection. In this paper we report the results of the fabrication of inverted bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells based on P3HT:PCBM as active layer, utilizing ZnO interlayer as buffer layer between the ITO and active layer with a stacked structure of ITO/ZnO/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS/Ag. The ZnO interlayer is formed through short route, i.e. by dissolving ZnO nanoparticles powder in chloroform-methanol solvent blend rather than by sol-gel process. Based on the measurement results on electrical characteristics of inverted polymer solar cells under 500 W/m2 illumination and AM 1.5 direct filter at room temperature, cell with annealing process of active layer at 110 °C for 10 minutes results in higher cell performance than without annealing, with an open-circuit voltage of 0.21 volt, a short-circuit current density of 1.33 mA/cm2 , a fill factor of 43.1%, and a power conversion efficiency of 0.22%. The low cell’s performance is caused by very rough surface of ZnO interlayer.

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Improvement of short circuit current of mono crystalline silicon solar cells

Science and Technology Development Journal ◽

10.32508/stdj.v16i1.1418 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 48-56

Author(s):

Vu Ngoc Hoang ◽

Linh Ngoc Tran ◽

Lan Truong ◽

Khoa Thanh Nhat Phan ◽

Chien Mau Dang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Indium Tin Oxide ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Front Surface ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell ◽

Antireflection Coatings

In this report we present series of experiments during which the short circuit current of mono crystalline silicon solar cell was improved step by step so as a consequence the efficiency was increased. At first, the front contact of solar cell was optimized to reduce the shadow loss and the series resistance. Then surface treatments were prepared by TMAH solution to reduce the total light reflectance and to improve the light trapping effect. Finally, antireflection coatings were deposited to passivate the front surface either by silicon nitride thin layer or to increase the collection probability by indium tin oxide layer, and to reduce the reflectance of light. As a result, solar cells of about 13% have been obtained, with the average open circuit voltage Voc about 527mV, with the fill factor about 68% and the short circuit current about 7.92 mA/cm2 under the irradiation density of 21 mW/cm2.

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Performance of Air-Stable Cs2SnI6 Perovskite as Electron Transport Layer in Inverted Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cell

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.860.28 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 860 ◽

pp. 28-33

Author(s):

Rany Khaeroni ◽

Herman ◽

Priastuti Wulandari

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Electron Transport ◽

Chemical Process ◽

Large Scale ◽

Bulk Heterojunction ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Transport Layer ◽

Electron Transport Layer

In recent years, perovskite material has been extensively studied due to its unique physical properties and promising application in the third generation of solar cells. In particular, Sn-based perovskite has been considered to replace Pb-based perovskite because of the toxic effects and it can lead to other serious problems related to the environment. Cs2SnI6 perovskite has been known to be synthesized in a simple chemical process and it can be produced on a large scale. Moreover, this material is also oxygen and moisture stable due to the high oxidation state of tin. In this study, we synthesize air-stable Cs2SnI6 perovskite by the use of the wet chemical process at room temperature. Next, we attempt to fabricate the inverted bulk heterojunction solar cells incorporated Cs2SnI6 as electron transport layer in the configuration of ITO/ZnO/Cs2SnI6/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS/Ag to improve device performance. The Cs2SnI6 perovskite shows an Fm-3m space group with a cubic lattice parameter of 11.62Å confirmed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) measurement, while UV-Vis measurement indicates this type of perovskite has direct band gap ~3.1 eV. The fabricated solar cell device reveals the enhancement in current density at short circuit condition (Jsc) from 64.69 mA/cm2 to 77.02 mA/cm2 with the addition of 2.25 mg/ml Cs2SnI6 along with the enhancement of power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 7.05% to 9.75% as characterized by J-V measurement. In our case, the voltage at open circuit condition (Voc) of the device does not perform significant improvement. Besides, it is found that the solar cell devices are quite stable even after exposure in the air for six weeks after fabrication, as indicated by PCE performance.

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