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%.

CdTe Thin-Film Solar Cells

MRS Bulletin ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 45-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Suntola
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Cadmium Telluride ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Cdte Thin Film ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Cell Structures

Cadmium telluride is currently the most promising material for high efficiency, low-cost thin-film solar cells. Cadmium telluride is a compound semiconductor with an ideal 1.45 eV bandgap for direct light-to-electricity conversion. The light absorption coefficient of CdTe is high enough to make a one-micrometer-thick layer of material absorb over 99% of the visible light. Processing homogenous polycrystalline thin films seems to be less critical for CdTe than for many other compound semiconductors. The best small-area CdTe thin-film cells manufactured show more than 15% conversion efficiency. Large-area modules with aperture efficiencies in excess of 10% have also been demonstrated. The long-term stability of CdTe solar cell structures is not known in detail or in the necessary time span. Indication of good stability has been demonstrated. One of the concerns about CdTe solar cells is the presence of cadmium which is an environmentally hazardous material.

scholarly journals Solution-Processed CdTe Thin-Film Solar Cells Using ZnSe Nanocrystal as a Buffer Layer

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanru Chen ◽  
Xianglin Mei ◽  
Xiaolin Liu ◽  
Bin Wu ◽  
Junfeng Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Buffer Layer ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Buffer Layers ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Solution Processed ◽  
Cdte Nanocrystal ◽  
First Time

The CdTe nanocrystal (NC) is an outstanding, low-cost photovoltaic material for highly efficient solution-processed thin-film solar cells. Currently, most CdTe NC thin-film solar cells are based on CdSe, ZnO, or CdS buffer layers. In this study, a wide bandgap and Cd-free ZnSe NC is introduced for the first time as the buffer layer for all solution-processed CdTe/ZnSe NC hetero-junction thin-film solar cells with a configuration of ITO/ZnO/ZnSe/CdTe/MoOx/Au. The dependence of the thickness of the ZnSe NC film, the annealing temperature and the chemical treatment on the performance of NC solar cells are investigated and discussed in detail. We further develop a ligand-exchanging strategy that involves 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) during the fabrication of ZnSe NC film. An improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.58% is obtained, which is increased by 16.6% when compared to a device without the EDT treatment. We believe that using ZnSe NC as the buffer layer holds the potential for developing high-efficiency, low cost, and stable CdTe NC-based solar cells.

CuInSe2 thin film solar cells prepared by low-cost electrodeposition techniques from a non-aqueous bath

RSC Advances ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (109) ◽  
pp. 89635-89643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka U. Londhe ◽  
Ashwini B. Rohom ◽  
Nandu B. Chaure
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Power Conversion ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell Structure ◽  
Cuinse2 Thin Film

Highly crystalline and stoichiometric CIS thin films have been electrodeposited from non-aqueous bath at temperature 130 °C. Superstrate solar cell structure (FTO/CdS/CIS/Au) exhibited 4.5% power conversion efficiency.

scholarly journals Nanowires for High-Efficiency, Low-Cost Solar Photovoltaics

Crystals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunyan Zhang ◽  
Huiyun Liu
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Energy Source ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Photovoltaics ◽  
The Cost

Solar energy is abundant, clean, and renewable, making it an ideal energy source. Solar cells are a good option to harvest this energy. However, it is difficult to balance the cost and efficiency of traditional thin-film solar cells, whereas nanowires (NW) are far superior in making high-efficiency low-cost solar cells. Therefore, the NW solar cell has attracted great attention in recent years and is developing rapidly. Here, we review the great advantages, recent breakthroughs, novel designs, and remaining challenges of NW solar cells. Special attention is given to (but not limited to) the popular semiconductor NWs for solar cells, in particular, Si, GaAs(P), and InP.

Facile and Low-Cost Sodium-Doping Method for High-Efficiency Cu2ZnSnSe4 Thin Film Solar Cells

2015 ◽  
Vol 119 (40) ◽  
pp. 22797-22802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanchun Yang ◽  
Xiaojiao Kang ◽  
Lijian Huang ◽  
Song Wei ◽  
Daocheng Pan
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Sodium Doping

Cadmium-telluride—Material for thin film solar cells

1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2740-2753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Bonnet ◽  
Peter Meyers
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Base Material ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
Manufacturing Techniques

Due to its basic optical, electronic, and chemical properties, CdTe can become the base material for high-efficiency, low-cost thin film solar cells using robust, high-throughput manufacturing techniques. CdTe films suited for photovoltaic energy conversion have been produced by nine different processes. Using n-type CdS as a window-partner, solar cells of up to 16% efficiency have been made in the laboratory. Presently five industrial enterprises are striving to master low cost production processes and integrated modules have been delivered in sizes up to 60 × 120 cm2, showing efficiencies up to 9%. Stability, health, and environmental issues will not limit the commercial potential of the final product. The technology shows high promise for achieving cost levels of $0.5/Wp at 15% efficiency. In order to achieve this goal, scientists will have to develop a more detailed understanding of defect chemistry and device operation of cells, and engineers will have to develop methods for high-throughput manufacturing.

Recent progress of high efficiency Si thin-film solar cells in large area

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 973-988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Joo You ◽  
Sun Ho Kim ◽  
Hyun Lee ◽  
Jin-Won Chung ◽  
Sun-Tae Hwang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Si Thin Film

scholarly journals Growth and Fabrication of GaAs Thin-Film Solar Cells on a Si Substrate via Hetero Epitaxial Lift-Off

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 820
Author(s):  
Seungwan Woo ◽  
Geunhwan Ryu ◽  
Taesoo Kim ◽  
Namgi Hong ◽  
Jae-Hoon Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Threading Dislocation ◽  
Si Substrate ◽  
Lift Off

We demonstrate, for the first time, GaAs thin film solar cells epitaxially grown on a Si substrate using a metal wafer bonding and epitaxial lift-off process. A relatively thin 2.1 μm GaAs buffer layer was first grown on Si as a virtual substrate, and a threading dislocation density of 1.8 × 107 cm−2 was achieved via two In0.1Ga0.9As strained insertion layers and 6× thermal cycle annealing. An inverted p-on-n GaAs solar cell structure grown on the GaAs/Si virtual substrate showed homogenous photoluminescence peak intensities throughout the 2″ wafer. We show a 10.6% efficient GaAs thin film solar cell without anti-reflection coatings and compare it to nominally identical upright structure solar cells grown on GaAs and Si. This work paves the way for large-scale and low-cost wafer-bonded III-V multi-junction solar cells.

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