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 ◽  
...  

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.

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myeng Gil Gang ◽  
R. B. V. Chalapathy ◽  
Jihun Kim ◽  
Chang Woo Hong ◽  
Mingrui He ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Samer H. Zyoud ◽  
Ahed H. Zyoud ◽  
Naser M. Ahmed ◽  
Atef Abdekader

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 7001-7009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pravin S. Pawar ◽  
Jae Yu Cho ◽  
KrishnaRao Eswar Neerugatti ◽  
Soumyadeep Sinha ◽  
Tanka Raj Rana ◽  
...  

MRS Bulletin ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 45-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Suntola

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 1814-1819
Author(s):  
Byoung-Min Jun ◽  
Geunho Kim ◽  
Eundo Kim ◽  
Heecheol Kim ◽  
Dong Ju Lee ◽  
...  

RSC Advances ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 4184-4190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingwen Tian ◽  
Yong Cui ◽  
Gang Wang ◽  
Daocheng Pan

The metal chalcogenides are excellent choices as absorbers and buffer-layers in thin film solar cells.


Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samer H. Zyoud ◽  
Ahed H. Zyoud ◽  
Naser M. Ahmed ◽  
Atef F. I. Abdelkader

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.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document