Photo-Sensitizing Thin-Film Ferroelectric Oxides Using Materials Databases and High-Throughput Calculations

<div> <div> <div> <p>Conventional solar cell efficiency is usually limited by the Shockley-Queisser limit. This is not the case, however, for ferroelectric materials, which present a spontaneous electric polarization that is responsible for their bulk photovoltaic effect. Even so, most ferroelectric oxides exhibit large band gaps, reducing the amount of solar energy that can be harvested. In this work, a high-throughput approach to tune the electronic properties of thin-film ferroelectric oxides is presented. Materials databases were systematically used to find substrates for the epitaxial growth of KNbO3 thin-films, using topological and stability filters. Interface models were built and their electronic and optical properties were predicted. Strain and substrate-thin-film band interaction effects were examined in detail, in order to understand the interaction between both materials. We found substrates that significantly reduce the KNbO3 band gap, maintain KNbO3 polarization, and potentially present the right band alignment, favoring the electron injection in the substrate/electrode. This methodology can be easily applied to other ferroelectric oxides, optimizing their band gaps and accelerating the development of new ferroelectric-based solar cells. </p> </div> </div> </div>

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Photo-sensitizing thin-film ferroelectric oxides using materials databases and high-throughput calculations

Journal of Materials Chemistry A ◽

10.1039/c9ta11820a ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (48) ◽

pp. 27323-27333 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jose J. Plata ◽

Javier Amaya Suárez ◽

Santiago Cuesta-López ◽

Antonio M. Márquez ◽

Javier Fdez. Sanz

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Electronic Properties ◽

High Throughput ◽

Ferroelectric Materials ◽

Solar Cell Efficiency ◽

Cell Efficiency ◽

Ferroelectric Oxides

Conventional solar cell efficiency is limited by the Shockley–Queisser limit. This is not the case for ferroelectric materials. In this work, a high-throughput approach to tune the electronic properties of thin-film ferroelectric oxides is presented.

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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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Thin‐film solar cells exceeding 22% solar cell efficiency: An overview on CdTe-, Cu(In,Ga)Se2-, and perovskite-based materials

Applied Physics Reviews ◽

10.1063/1.5061809 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 041602 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Michael Powalla ◽

Stefan Paetel ◽

Erik Ahlswede ◽

Roland Wuerz ◽

Cordula D. Wessendorf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Thin Film Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell Efficiency ◽

Cell Efficiency

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Cost Impacts of Anti-Reflection Coatings on Silicon Solar Cells

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-426-503 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 426 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

David C. Wong ◽

Art Waugh

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Conversion Efficiency ◽

Photovoltaic Effect ◽

Golden Rule ◽

Energy Conversion Efficiency ◽

Silicon Solar Cells ◽

Production Volume ◽

Solar Cell Efficiency ◽

Cell Efficiency ◽

The Cost

AbstractDespite the early discovery of the Photovoltaic effect by Bechquerel almost 107 years ago, its commercial value had never been seriously considered because of its high cost in production and low in energy conversion efficiency. A familiar predicament has restrained demand for photovoltaic application: People won't use them until they are affordable, but they won't get affordable until there is a mass market for them. As has happened in other expensive markets, businesses are desperate to crack the conundrum. Since the oil shortage in the 70s, crystalline solar cell efficiency has increased from 8% to over 13% to date on 100 mm2 commercial silicon cells by refining the process with advanced device technologies. Together with increased production volume, the cost per watt has been reduced from over $ 8 in the 80's to as low as $3 to day. However, the cost is still considered too high to compete with fossil fuel energy. Further cost reduction is necessary by improving the cell and module conversion efficiency. The increase in cell efficiency and the process to achieve the goal, however, have to follow the golden rule of economics that the operational cost is a fraction of the profit in return. It is shown numerically in this paper that Anti Reflection (AR) coating on silicon solar cells by Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (APCVD) technique for large volume production could have over 650% profit return.

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The Business of Fast ALD Equipment for Depositing Alumina Passivation Layers on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells.

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2011.1497 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1353 ◽

Author(s):

Ad Vermeer ◽

Roger Gortzen ◽

P. Poodt ◽

F. Roozeboom

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

High Throughput ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Atomic Layer ◽

Silicon Solar Cells ◽

Alumina Layer ◽

Solar Cell Efficiency ◽

Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells ◽

Cell Efficiency

ABSTRACTAtomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a gas phase deposition technique for depositing very high quality thin films with an unsurpassed conformality. The main drawback of ALD however is the very low deposition rate (~ 1 nm/min). Recently, record deposition rates for alumina of up to 1 nm/s were reached using spatial ALD, while maintaining the typical assets regarding film quality as obtained by conventional, slow ALD [1]. This allows for ALD at high throughput numbers.One interesting application is passivation of crystalline silicon solar cells. Applying a thin alumina layer is reported to increase solar cell efficiency and enables the use of thinner wafers, thus reducing the main cost factor [2]. In this paper we report on the latest progress made by SoLayTec that delivered a working prototype of a system realizing full area single sided deposition of alumina on 156 x 156 mm2, mono- and multi crystalline silicon wafers for solar cell applications. The alumina layers showed excellent passivation. Based on this concept, a high-throughput ALD deposition tool is being developed targeting throughput numbers of up to 3000 wafers/hr. Finally, we report on the process of commercializing this technology.

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