Back interface passivation reduces the back recombination of photogenerated electrons, whereas aggravates the blocking of hole transport towards back contact, which complicate the back interface engineering for ultrat...Back interface passivation reduces the back recombination of photogenerated electrons, whereas aggravates the blocking of hole transport towards back contact, which complicate the back interface engineering for ultrathin CIGSe solar cells with a Schottky back contact. In this work, theoretical explorations were conducted to study how the two contradictory electrical effects impact cell performance. For ultrathin CIGSe solar cells with a pronounced Schottky potential barrier(E_(h)> 0.2 eV), back interface passivation produces diverse performance evolution trends, which are highly dependent on cell structures and properties. Since a back Ga grading can screen the effect of reduced recombination of photogenerated electrons from back interface passivation, the hole blocking effect predominates and back interface passivation is not desirable. However, when the back Schottky diode merges with the main pn junction due to a reduced absorber thickness,the back potential barrier and the hole blocking effect is much reduced on this occasion. Consequently, cells exhibit the same efficiency evolution trend as ones with an Ohmic contact, where back interface passivation is always advantageous.The discoveries imply the complexity of back interface passivation and provide guidance to manipulate back interface for ultrathin CIGSe solar on TCOs with a pronounced Schottky back contact.展开更多
Highly crystalline and transparent CdS films are grown by utilizing the vacuum thermal evaporation （VTE） method. The structural, surface morphological, and optical properties of the films are studied and compared wi...Highly crystalline and transparent CdS films are grown by utilizing the vacuum thermal evaporation （VTE） method. The structural, surface morphological, and optical properties of the films are studied and compared with those prepared by chemical bath deposition （CBD）. It is found that the films deposited at a high substrate temperature （200 ℃） have a preferential orientation along （002） which is consistent with CBD-grown films. Absorption spectra reveal that the films are highly transparent and the optical band gap values are found to be in a range of 2.44 eV-2.56 eV. Culnl_xGaxSe2 （CIGS） solar cells with in-situ VTE-grown CdS films exhibit higher values of Voc together with smaller values of Jsc than those from CBD. Eventually the conversion efficiency and fill factor become slightly better than those from the CBD method. Our work suggests that the in-situ thermal evaporation method can be a competitive alternative to the CBD method, particularly in the physical- and vacuum-based CIGS technology.展开更多
In this study, device modeling and simulation are conducted to explain the effects of each layer thickness and temperature on the performance of ZnO/CdS/CIS thin film solar cells. Also, the thicknesses of the CIS and ...In this study, device modeling and simulation are conducted to explain the effects of each layer thickness and temperature on the performance of ZnO/CdS/CIS thin film solar cells. Also, the thicknesses of the CIS and CdS absorber layers are considered in this work theoretically and experimentally. The calculations of solar cell performances are based on the solutions of the well-known three coupling equations： the continuity equation for holes and electrons and the Poisson equation. Our simulated results show that the efficiency increases by reducing the CdS thickness. Increasing the CIS thickness can increase the efficiency but it needs more materials. The efficiency is more than 19% for a CIS layer with a thickness of 2 μm. CIS nanoparticles are prepared via the polyol route and purified through centrifugation and precipitation processes.Then nanoparticles are dispersed to obtain stable inks that could be directly used for thin-film deposition via spin coating.We also obtain x-ray diffraction（XRD） peak intensities and absorption spectra for CIS experimentally. Finally, absorption spectra for the CdS window layer in several deposition times are investigated experimentally.展开更多
The AgCuInGa alloy precursors with different Ag concentrations are fabricated by sputtering an Ag target and a CuInGa target.The precursors are selenized in the H_(2)Se-containing atmosphere to prepare(Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se...The AgCuInGa alloy precursors with different Ag concentrations are fabricated by sputtering an Ag target and a CuInGa target.The precursors are selenized in the H_(2)Se-containing atmosphere to prepare(Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se_(2)(ACIGS)absorbers.The beneficial effects of Ag doping are demonstrated and their mechanism is explained.It is found that Ag doping significantly improves the films crystallinity.This is believed to be due to the lower melting point of chalcopyrite phase obtained by the Ag doping.This leads to a higher migration ability of the atoms that in turn promotes grain boundary migration and improves the film crystallinity.The Ga enrichment at the interface between the absorber and the back electrode is also alleviated during the selenization annealing.It is found that Ag doping within a specific range can passivate the band tail and improve the quality of the films.Therefore,carrier recombination is reduced and carrier transport is improved.The negative effects of excessive Ag are also demonstrated and their origin is revealed.Because the atomic size of Ag is different from that of Cu,for the Ag/(Ag+Cu)ratio(AAC)≥0.030,lattice distortion is aggravated,and significant micro-strain appears.The atomic radius of Ag is close to those of In and Ga,so that the continued increase in AAC will give rise to the Ag;or Ag;defects.Both the structural and compositional defects degrade the quality of the absorbers and the device performance.An excellent absorber can be obtained at AAC of 0.015.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51802240)。
文摘Back interface passivation reduces the back recombination of photogenerated electrons, whereas aggravates the blocking of hole transport towards back contact, which complicate the back interface engineering for ultrathin CIGSe solar cells with a Schottky back contact. In this work, theoretical explorations were conducted to study how the two contradictory electrical effects impact cell performance. For ultrathin CIGSe solar cells with a pronounced Schottky potential barrier(E_(h)> 0.2 eV), back interface passivation produces diverse performance evolution trends, which are highly dependent on cell structures and properties. Since a back Ga grading can screen the effect of reduced recombination of photogenerated electrons from back interface passivation, the hole blocking effect predominates and back interface passivation is not desirable. However, when the back Schottky diode merges with the main pn junction due to a reduced absorber thickness,the back potential barrier and the hole blocking effect is much reduced on this occasion. Consequently, cells exhibit the same efficiency evolution trend as ones with an Ohmic contact, where back interface passivation is always advantageous.The discoveries imply the complexity of back interface passivation and provide guidance to manipulate back interface for ultrathin CIGSe solar on TCOs with a pronounced Schottky back contact.
基金Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Grant No.13ZR1428200)
文摘Highly crystalline and transparent CdS films are grown by utilizing the vacuum thermal evaporation （VTE） method. The structural, surface morphological, and optical properties of the films are studied and compared with those prepared by chemical bath deposition （CBD）. It is found that the films deposited at a high substrate temperature （200 ℃） have a preferential orientation along （002） which is consistent with CBD-grown films. Absorption spectra reveal that the films are highly transparent and the optical band gap values are found to be in a range of 2.44 eV-2.56 eV. Culnl_xGaxSe2 （CIGS） solar cells with in-situ VTE-grown CdS films exhibit higher values of Voc together with smaller values of Jsc than those from CBD. Eventually the conversion efficiency and fill factor become slightly better than those from the CBD method. Our work suggests that the in-situ thermal evaporation method can be a competitive alternative to the CBD method, particularly in the physical- and vacuum-based CIGS technology.
文摘In this study, device modeling and simulation are conducted to explain the effects of each layer thickness and temperature on the performance of ZnO/CdS/CIS thin film solar cells. Also, the thicknesses of the CIS and CdS absorber layers are considered in this work theoretically and experimentally. The calculations of solar cell performances are based on the solutions of the well-known three coupling equations： the continuity equation for holes and electrons and the Poisson equation. Our simulated results show that the efficiency increases by reducing the CdS thickness. Increasing the CIS thickness can increase the efficiency but it needs more materials. The efficiency is more than 19% for a CIS layer with a thickness of 2 μm. CIS nanoparticles are prepared via the polyol route and purified through centrifugation and precipitation processes.Then nanoparticles are dispersed to obtain stable inks that could be directly used for thin-film deposition via spin coating.We also obtain x-ray diffraction（XRD） peak intensities and absorption spectra for CIS experimentally. Finally, absorption spectra for the CdS window layer in several deposition times are investigated experimentally.
基金supported by the analysis support of the State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing。
文摘The AgCuInGa alloy precursors with different Ag concentrations are fabricated by sputtering an Ag target and a CuInGa target.The precursors are selenized in the H_(2)Se-containing atmosphere to prepare(Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se_(2)(ACIGS)absorbers.The beneficial effects of Ag doping are demonstrated and their mechanism is explained.It is found that Ag doping significantly improves the films crystallinity.This is believed to be due to the lower melting point of chalcopyrite phase obtained by the Ag doping.This leads to a higher migration ability of the atoms that in turn promotes grain boundary migration and improves the film crystallinity.The Ga enrichment at the interface between the absorber and the back electrode is also alleviated during the selenization annealing.It is found that Ag doping within a specific range can passivate the band tail and improve the quality of the films.Therefore,carrier recombination is reduced and carrier transport is improved.The negative effects of excessive Ag are also demonstrated and their origin is revealed.Because the atomic size of Ag is different from that of Cu,for the Ag/(Ag+Cu)ratio(AAC)≥0.030,lattice distortion is aggravated,and significant micro-strain appears.The atomic radius of Ag is close to those of In and Ga,so that the continued increase in AAC will give rise to the Ag;or Ag;defects.Both the structural and compositional defects degrade the quality of the absorbers and the device performance.An excellent absorber can be obtained at AAC of 0.015.
