Down-Shifting Phosphor Layer Enhancement in Optically Active and Inactive Thin-Film Solar Module Regions

MRS Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (43) ◽  
pp. 2953-2965 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loucas Tsakalakos ◽  
David J. Smith ◽  
Joleyn E. Brewer ◽  
Holly A. Comanzo ◽  
Ching-Yeu Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Solar Spectrum ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Optically Active ◽  
Window Layer ◽  
Phosphor Layer ◽  
Solar Module ◽  
Photovoltaic Efficiency ◽  
Phosphor Film

ABSTRACTThe enhancement of photovoltaic efficiency by incorporation of down-shifting phosphor materials in optically active and inactive regions of solar modules is presented. Thin film photovoltaic modules suffer from various optical losses, including front glass reflectance, thermalization loss of absorbed high energy photons, window layer absorption, and the loss of photons to scribe regions. There have been various efforts to improve the performance of solar modules by application of down-shifting (DS), down-converting, and up-converting materials systems. Here we show results towards the development of a low-cost phosphor film system tuned to the solar spectrum and specifically designed for CdTe thin film modules.

INFLUENCE OF ANNEALING TEMPERATURE ON SOME OPTICAL AND STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF Cu2ZnSnS4 DEPOSITED BY CZT CO-ELECTRODEPOSITION COUPLED WITH CHEMICAL BATH TECHNIQUE

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (03) ◽  
pp. 1850075
Author(s):  
OBILA JORIM OKOTH ◽  
DINFA LUKA DOMTAU ◽  
MUKABI MARINA ◽  
ONYATTA JOHN ◽  
OGACHO ALEX AWUOR
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Solar Spectrum ◽  
Electrical Characterization ◽  
Czts Film ◽  
Infrared Range ◽  
Earth Abundant ◽  
Czts Thin Films ◽  
Material Scarcity

Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) is currently most efficient thin film solar technology in use but it is faced with problems of material scarcity and toxicity. An alternative earth abundant and non-toxic materials consisting of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) have been investigated as a replacement for CIGS. In this work, CZTS thin films deposited by low cost co-electrodeposition, at a potential of [Formula: see text]1.2[Formula: see text]V, coupled with chemical bath techniques at room temperature and then annealed under sulphur rich atmosphere were investigated. CZTS thin film quality determination was carried out using Raman spectroscopy which confirmed formation of quality CZTS film, main Raman peaks at 288[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] and 338[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] were observed. Electrical characterization was carried out using four-point probe instrument and the resistivity was in the order of [Formula: see text]-cm. The optical characterization was done using UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer. The bandgaps of the annealed CZTS film ranged from 1.45 to 1.94[Formula: see text]eV with absorption coefficient of order [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] in the visible and near infrared range of the solar spectrum were observed.

Low voltage and high energy yield thin film solar module

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen-Liang Liao ◽  
Yu-Chun Peng ◽  
Yi-Kai Lin ◽  
Ching-Ying Chang ◽  
Pei-Hua Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Solar Module

Low cost high energy yield solar module lines and its applications

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Soderstrom ◽  
Y. Yao ◽  
R. Grischke ◽  
M. Gragert ◽  
B. Demaurex ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Solar Module

Research Progresses on High Efficiency Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon-Based Thin Film Solar Cells

2010 ◽  
Vol 1245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinhua Geng ◽  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Xiandan Zhang ◽  
Guofu Hou ◽  
Huizhi Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Chamber System ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Solar Module ◽  
Single Chamber

AbstractThis paper reviews our research progresses of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline (μc-Si:H) based thin film solar cells. It coves the three areas of high efficiency, low cost process, and large-area proto-type multi-chamber system design and solar module deposition. With an innovative VHF power profiling technique, we have effectively controlled the crystalline evolution and made uniform μc-Si:H materials along the growth direction, which was used as the intrinsic layers of pin solar cells. We attained a 9.36% efficiency with a μc-Si:H single-junction cell structure. We have successfully resolved the cross-contamination issue in a single-chamber system and demonstrated the feasibility of using single-chamber process for manufacturing. We designed and built a large-area multi-chamber VHF system, which is used for depositing a-Si:H/μc-Si:H micromorph tandem modules on 0.79-m2 glass substrates. Preliminary module efficiency has exceeded 8%.

scholarly journals Utilizing Quantum Dots to Enhance Solar Spectrum Conversion Efficiencies for Photovoltaics

2008 ◽  
Vol 1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard N Savage ◽  
Hans Mayer ◽  
Matthew Lewis ◽  
Dan M Marrujo
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Quantum Dots ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Band Gap ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Solar Spectrum ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Film Structure ◽  
Thin Film Structure ◽  
Silicon Based

AbstractSilicon-based photovoltaics typically convert less than 30% of the solar spectrum into usable electric power. This study explores the utilization of CdSe based quantum dots as spectral converters that absorb the under utilized UV portion of the solar spectrum and fluoresce at wavelengths near the band-gap of silicon-based solar cells. A flexible 1 mm thick thin-film structure that contains an array of microfluidic channels is designed and fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using soft-lithographic techniques. The channels are approximately 85 microns wide by 37 microns tall and are filled with a solution containing the quantum dots. The thin-film structure can easily be attached to the surface of a single-junction solar cell. As a result, solar energy striking the coated solar cell with wavelengths less than 450 nm, which would normally experience low conversion efficiency, are absorbed by the quantum dots which fluoresce at 620nm. The high energy photons are converted to photons near the band-gap which increase the overall conversion efficiency of the solar cell. The quantum dots employed in this study are fabricated with a CdSe core (5.2 nm) and a ZnS outer shell and they exhibit a 25 nm hydrodynamic diameter. The UV-VIS spectral transmission properties of PDMS, along with its refractive index, are determined in order to characterize the spectral conversion efficiency of the thin-film structure. A model is developed to predict the optimum path length and concentration of quantum dots required to improve the power output of an amorphous silicon solar cell by 10%.

A low-cost thin-film photovoltaic device with high energy efficiency

SPIE Newsroom ◽  
2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Malinkiewicz ◽  
Cristina Roldán-Carmona ◽  
Hendrik Bolink ◽  
Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Photovoltaic Device ◽  
High Energy Efficiency

Transmission Electron Microscopy of oriented Co84Cr14Ta2 thin films for longitudinal magnetic recording

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 756-757
Author(s):  
T. P. Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Information Storage ◽  
High Coercivity ◽  
Magnetic Alloy ◽  
Magnetic Media ◽  
Transmission Electron

Thin film magnetic media are being used as low cost, high density forms of information storage. The development of this technology requires the study, at the sub-micron level, of morphological, crystallographic, and magnetic properties, throughout the depth of the deposited films. As the microstructure becomes increasingly fine, widi grain sizes approaching 100Å, the unique characterization capabilities of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have become indispensable to the analysis of such thin film magnetic media.Films were deposited at 225°C, on two NiP plated Al substrates, one polished, and one circumferentially textured with a mean roughness of 55Å. Three layers, a 750Å chromium underlayer, a 600Å layer of magnetic alloy of composition Co84Cr14Ta2, and a 300Å amorphous carbon overcoat were then sputter deposited using a dc magnetron system at a power of 1kW, in a chamber evacuated below 10-6 torr and filled to 12μm Ar pressure. The textured medium is presently used in industry owing to its high coercivity, Hc, and relatively low noise. One important feature is that the coercivity in the circumferential read/write direction is significandy higher than that in the radial direction.

Designing high-resolution slow scan CCD-based TEM camera systems

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 946-947
Author(s):  
James F. Mancuso ◽  
William B. Maxwell ◽  
Russell E. Camp ◽  
Mark H. Ellisman
Keyword(s):  
Fiber Optics ◽  
Ccd Camera ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Phosphor Layer ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Light Production ◽  
Camera Systems ◽  
X Ray Imaging ◽  
Electron Image ◽  
Scintillating Fiber

The imaging requirements for 1000 line CCD camera systems include resolution, sensitivity, and field of view. In electronic camera systems these characteristics are determined primarily by the performance of the electro-optic interface. This component converts the electron image into a light image which is ultimately received by a camera sensor.Light production in the interface occurs when high energy electrons strike a phosphor or scintillator. Resolution is limited by electron scattering and absorption. For a constant resolution, more energy deposition occurs in denser phosphors (Figure 1). In this respect, high density x-ray phosphors such as Gd2O2S are better than ZnS based cathode ray tube phosphors. Scintillating fiber optics can be used instead of a discrete phosphor layer. The resolution of scintillating fiber optics that are used in x-ray imaging exceed 20 1p/mm and can be made very large. An example of a digital TEM image using a scintillating fiber optic plate is shown in Figure 2.

Janus – A New Approach to Air Combat Pilot Training

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (4) ◽  
pp. 7-22
Author(s):  
Georges Bridel ◽  
Zdobyslaw Goraj ◽  
Lukasz Kiszkowiak ◽  
Jean-Georges Brévot ◽  
Jean-Pierre Devaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Training System ◽  
Embedded Sensors ◽  
Pilot Training ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Combat Aircraft ◽  
Air Combat ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Advanced jet training still relies on old concepts and solutions that are no longer efficient when considering the current and forthcoming changes in air combat. The cost of those old solutions to develop and maintain combat pilot skills are important, adding even more constraints to the training limitations. The requirement of having a trainer aircraft able to perform also light combat aircraft operational mission is adding unnecessary complexity and cost without any real operational advantages to air combat mission training. Thanks to emerging technologies, the JANUS project will study the feasibility of a brand-new concept of agile manoeuvrable training aircraft and an integrated training system, able to provide a live, virtual and constructive environment. The JANUS concept is based on a lightweight, low-cost, high energy aircraft associated to a ground based Integrated Training System providing simulated and emulated signals, simulated and real opponents, combined with real-time feedback on pilot’s physiological characteristics: traditionally embedded sensors are replaced with emulated signals, simulated opponents are proposed to the pilot, enabling out of sight engagement. JANUS is also providing new cost effective and more realistic solutions for “Red air aircraft” missions, organised in so-called “Aggressor Squadrons”.

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