Buffer Layers for Narrow Bandgap A-SIGE Solar Cells

1999 ◽  
Vol 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. B. Liao ◽  
J. Walker ◽  
X. Deng
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Absorber Layer ◽  
Buffer Layers ◽  
Narrow Bandgap ◽  
Interface Layers ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous

AbstractIn high efficiency narrow bandgap (NBG) a-SiGe solar cells, thin buffer layers of unalloyed hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si) are usually used at the interfaces between the a-SiGe intrinsic layer and the doped layers. We investigated the effect of inserting additional a-SiGe interface layers between these a-Si buffer layers and the a-SiGe absorber layer. We found that such additional interface layers increase solar cell VOC and FF sizably, most likely due to the reduction or elimination of the abrupt bandgap discontinuity between the a-SiGe absorber layer and the a-Si buffer layers. With these improved narrow bandgap solar cells incorporated into the fabrication of triple-junction a-Si based solar cells, we obtained triple cells with initial efficiency of 10.6%.

scholarly journals Numerical Design of Ultrathin Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon-Based Solar Cell

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
F. X. Abomo Abega ◽  
A. Teyou Ngoupo ◽  
J. M. B. Ndjaka
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Buffer Layer ◽  
Defect Density ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous

Numerical modelling is used to confirm experimental and theoretical work. The aim of this work is to present how to simulate ultrathin hydrogenated amorphous silicon- (a-Si:H-) based solar cells with a ITO BRL in their architectures. The results obtained in this study come from SCAPS-1D software. In the first step, the comparison between the J-V characteristics of simulation and experiment of the ultrathin a-Si:H-based solar cell is in agreement. Secondly, to explore the impact of certain properties of the solar cell, investigations focus on the study of the influence of the intrinsic layer and the buffer layer/absorber interface on the electrical parameters ( J SC , V OC , FF, and η ). The increase of the intrinsic layer thickness improves performance, while the bulk defect density of the intrinsic layer and the surface defect density of the buffer layer/ i -(a-Si:H) interface, respectively, in the ranges [109 cm-3, 1015 cm-3] and [1010 cm-2, 5 × 10 13  cm-2], do not affect the performance of the ultrathin a-Si:H-based solar cell. Analysis also shows that with approximately 1 μm thickness of the intrinsic layer, the optimum conversion efficiency is 12.71% ( J SC = 18.95   mA · c m − 2 , V OC = 0.973   V , and FF = 68.95 % ). This work presents a contribution to improving the performance of a-Si-based solar cells.

scholarly journals Numerical Modelling Analysis for Carrier Concentration Level Optimization of CdTe Heterojunction Thin Film–Based Solar Cell with Different Non-Toxic Metal Chalcogenide Buffer Layers Replacements: Using SCAPS-1D Software

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samer H. Zyoud ◽  
Ahed H. Zyoud ◽  
Naser M. Ahmed ◽  
Atef Abdekader
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Carrier Concentration ◽  
Buffer Layer ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Toxic Metal ◽  
Absorber Layer ◽  
Buffer Layers ◽  
Cds Thin Film

Cadmium telluride (CdTe), a metallic dichalcogenide material, has been utilized as an absorber layer for thin film-based solar cells with appropriate configurations, and the SCAPS-1D structures program has been used to evaluate the results. In both known and developing thin film photovoltaic systems, a CdS thin film buffer layer has been frequently employed as a traditional n-type heterojunction partner. In this study, numerical simulation was used to find a suitable non-toxic material for the buffer layer instead of CdS, among various types of buffer layers (ZnSe, ZnO, ZnS, and In2S3), and carrier concentrations for the absorber layer (NA) and buffer layer (ND) were varied to determine the optimal simulation parameters. carrier concentrations (NA from 2 x 1012 cm-3 to 2 x 1017 cm-3 and ND from 1 x 1016 cm-3 to 1 x 1022 ??−3) have been differed. The results showed that the CdS as buffer layer based CdTe absorber layer solar cell has the highest efficiency (?%) of 17.43%. Furthermore, high conversion efficiencies of 17.42% and 16.27% have been found for ZnSe and ZnO based buffer layers, respectively. As a result, ZnO and ZnSe are potential candidates for replacing the CdS buffer layer in thin-film solar cells. Here, the absorber (CdTe) and buffer (ZnSe) layers were chosen to improve the efficiency by finding the optimal density of the carrier concentration (acceptor and donor). The simulation findings above provide helpful recommendations for fabricating high-efficiency metal oxide-based solar cells in the lab.

Improved Stability of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells Fabricated by Triode-Plasma CVD

2005 ◽  
Vol 862 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sonobe ◽  
A. Sato ◽  
T. Fujibayashi ◽  
S. Shimizu ◽  
T. Matsui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Plasma Cvd ◽  
Plate Electrode ◽  
Bond Density ◽  
Degradation Ratio ◽  
Improved Stability ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous

AbstractWe have employed a triode-type plasma CVD system to fabricate highly stabilized hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells. The p-i-n type solar cells were fabricated on a textured SnO2/glass substrate (ASAHI VU type). By applying a triode system, the Si-H2 bond density in the film decreased to about one third (from 1.7 at.% for conventional parallel-plate-electrode to 0.6 at.% for a triode configuration), and correspondingly the degradation ratio decreased from 13 % to 10 %. We have achieved the degradation ratio of 5 % by optimizing the player deposition conditions. In case of a triode system, there were minor effects of higher hydrogen dilution in the stabilized efficiency. We have experimented the effects of the substrate temperature for a higher stabilized efficiency. Further improvement in solar efficiency has been made by applying antireflection layers to air/glass and TCO/p interfaces. As a result, we have achieved the stabilized efficiency of 9.22 % (Jsc = 15.9 mA/cm2, Voc = 0.863 V, FF = 0.672) with a degradation ratio of 7.8 %. We have also employed the triode-deposited a-Si:H solar cell to a tandem type solar cell with a structure of a-Si:H/hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H). We have achieved the stabilized efficiency of 10.9 % (Jsc = 12.0 mA/cm2, Voc = 1.31 V, FF = 0.691) with a degradation ratio of 7.3 %.

Improved metastability and performance of amorphous silicon solar cells

2014 ◽  
Vol 1666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuya Matsui ◽  
Adrien Bidiville ◽  
Hitoshi Sai ◽  
Takashi Suezaki ◽  
Mitsuhiro Matsumoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Silicon Solar Cells ◽  
Cell Temperature ◽  
Single Junction Solar Cell ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous

ABSTRACTWe show that high-efficiency and low-degradation hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) p-i-n solar cells can be obtained by depositing absorber layers in a triode-type plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. Although the deposition rate is relatively low (0.01-0.03 nm/s) compared to the conventional diode-type PECVD process (∼0.2 nm/s), the light-induced degradation in conversion efficiency of single-junction solar cell is substantially reduced (Δη/ηini∼10%) due to the suppression of light-induced metastable defects in the a-Si:H absorber layer. So far, we have attained an independently-confirmed stabilized efficiency of 10.11% for a 220-nm-thick a-Si:H solar cell which was light soaked under 1 sun illumination for 1000 hours at cell temperature of 50°C. We further demonstrate that stabilized efficiencies as high as 10% can be maintained even when the solar cell is thickened to >300 nm.

scholarly journals Numerical Modelling Analysis for Carrier Concentration Level Optimization of CdTe Heterojunction Thin Film–Based Solar Cell with Different Non–Toxic Metal Chalcogenide Buffer Layers Replacements: Using SCAPS–1D Software

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samer H. Zyoud ◽  
Ahed H. Zyoud ◽  
Naser M. Ahmed ◽  
Atef F. I. Abdelkader
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Carrier Concentration ◽  
Buffer Layer ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Toxic Metal ◽  
Absorber Layer ◽  
Buffer Layers ◽  
Cds Thin Film

Cadmium telluride (CdTe), a metallic dichalcogenide material, was utilized as an absorber layer for thin film–based solar cells with appropriate configurations and the SCAPS–1D structures program was used to evaluate the results. In both known and developing thin film photovoltaic systems, a CdS thin–film buffer layer is frequently employed as a traditional n–type heterojunction partner. In this study, numerical simulation was used to determine a suitable non–toxic material for the buffer layer that can be used instead of CdS, among various types of buffer layers (ZnSe, ZnO, ZnS and In2S3) and carrier concentrations for the absorber layer (NA) and buffer layer (ND) were varied to determine the optimal simulation parameters. Carrier concentrations (NA from 2 × 1012 cm−3 to 2 × 1017 cm−3 and ND from 1 × 1016 cm−3 to 1 × 1022 cm−3) differed. The results showed that the use of CdS as a buffer–layer–based CdTe absorber layer for solar cell had the highest efficiency (%) of 17.43%. Furthermore, high conversion efficiencies of 17.42% and 16.27% were for the ZnSe and ZnO-based buffer layers, respectively. As a result, ZnO and ZnSe are potential candidates for replacing the CdS buffer layer in thin–film solar cells. Here, the absorber (CdTe) and buffer (ZnSe) layers were chosen to improve the efficiency by finding the optimal density of the carrier concentration (acceptor and donor). The simulation findings above provide helpful recommendations for fabricating high–efficiency metal oxide–based solar cells in the lab.

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