Publication

High-efficiency micromorph silicon solar cells with in-situ intermediate reflector deposited on various rough LPCVD ZnO

Christophe Ballif, Julien Claude Bailat, Andrea Feltrin, Adrian Billet
2008
Report or working paper

Abstract

Light management using intermediate reflector layers (IRL) and advanced front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) morphologies is needed to rise the short-circuit current density (Jsc) of micromorph tandem solar cells above 14 mA/cm2. For micromorph cells deposited on surface-textured ZnO layers grown by low-pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD), we study the interplay between the front TCO layer and the IRL and its impact on fill factor and current matching conditions. The key role of the angular distribution of the light scattered by the front LPCVD ZnO layer is highlighted. A micromorph cell with 11.1% stabilized conversion efficiency is demonstrated. By increasing the bottom cell thickness and adding an antireflection coating, a Jsc value of 13.8 mA/cm2 is achieved. This remarkably high Jsc yields 13.3% initial conversion efficiency.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/134017?ln=en

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Energy engineering

Solar power: Topics in solar power

Related concepts (32)

Thin-film solar cells are made by depositing one or more thin layers (thin films or TFs) of photovoltaic material onto a substrate, such as glass, plastic or metal. Thin-film solar cells are typically a few nanometers (nm) to a few microns (μm) thick–much thinner than the wafers used in conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) based solar cells, which can be up to 200 μm thick. Thin-film solar cells are commercially used in several technologies, including cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and amorphous thin-film silicon (a-Si, TF-Si).

Multi-junction (MJ) solar cells are solar cells with multiple p–n junctions made of different semiconductor materials. Each material's p-n junction will produce electric current in response to different wavelengths of light. The use of multiple semiconducting materials allows the absorbance of a broader range of wavelengths, improving the cell's sunlight to electrical energy conversion efficiency. Traditional single-junction cells have a maximum theoretical efficiency of 33.16%.

A perovskite solar cell (PSC) is a type of solar cell that includes a perovskite-structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic–inorganic lead or tin halide-based material as the light-harvesting active layer. Perovskite materials, such as methylammonium lead halides and all-inorganic cesium lead halide, are cheap to produce and simple to manufacture. Solar-cell efficiencies of laboratory-scale devices using these materials have increased from 3.8% in 2009 to 25.

Related publications (35)

Related MOOCs (3)

Learn the fundamentals of microfabrication and nanofabrication by using the most effective techniques in a cleanroom environment.

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High-efficiency micromorph silicon solar cells with in-situ intermediate reflector deposited on various rough LPCVD ZnO

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