High-efficiency, flexible CdTe solar cells on ultra-thin glass substrates

Mahabaduge, Hasitha; Rance, William L.; Burst, James M.; Reese, Matthew O.; Meysing, D. M.; Wolden, Colin A.; Li, J.; Beach, J. D.; Gessert, T. A.; Metzger, Wyatt K.; Garner, Sean; Barnes, Teresa M.

doi:10.1063/1.4916634

Cited by 106 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…77 Higher temperatures can be used on metal foil, but the PCE is still limited to 13.6%. 76,78 On the other hand, flexible CIGS cells reached very high PCE, similar to the rigid equivalent. The record for flexible CIGS is 20.4% on polyimide foil, only 2% lower than the one for glass based cells.…”

Section: View Article Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

“…If the efficiency of rigid devices can go up to 22.1%, on flexible glass substrates the efficiency is lowered to 16.4% and the relatively high price and the brittleness of flexible glass make them less attractive for a number of large area applications together with limits on the bending radius. 76 CdTe can be also produced on polyimide films, but the efficiency is reduced to 13.8% due to the processing temperature limited to 450 1C. 77 Higher temperatures can be used on metal foil, but the PCE is still limited to 13.6%.…”

Section: View Article Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

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Progress, challenges and perspectives in flexible perovskite solar cells

Giacomo

Fakharuddin

Jose

et al. 2016

Energy Environ. Sci.

362

257

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a Perovskite solar cells have attracted enormous interest since their discovery only a few years ago because they are able to combine the benefits of high efficiency and remarkable ease of processing over large areas. Whereas most of research has been carried out on glass, perovskite deposition and synthesis is carried out at low temperatures (o150 1C) to convert precursors into its final semiconducting form. Thus, developing the technology on flexible substrates can be considered a suitable and exciting arena both from the manufacturing view point (e.g. web processing, low embodied energy manufacturing) and that of the applications (e.g. flexible, lightweight, portable, easy to integrate over both small, large and curved surfaces). Research has been accelerating on flexible PSCs and has achieved notable milestones including PCEs of 15.6% on laboratory cells, the first modules being manufactured, ultralight cells with record power per gram ratios, and even cells made on fibres.Reviewing the literature, it becomes apparent that more work can be carried out in closing the efficiency gap with glass based counterparts especially at the large-area module level and, in particular, investigating and improving the lifetime of these devices which are built on inherently permeable plastic films. Here we review and provide a perspective on the issues pertaining progress in materials, processes, devices, industrialization and costs of flexible perovskite solar cells. Broader contextFor a number of years, solar cells had been considered as an inferior energy technology due to high cost -even in the renewable energy paradigm; however, more recently progress in materials processing and engineering of highly efficient and stable solar panels have helped them emerge as a frontline renewable energy technology with energy payback time that has been lowered from over a decade to a couple of years (at least in some parts of the world) during the last ten years. Commercial solar panels are typically manufactured on rigid platforms. Fabricating them on flexible substrates, such as transparent plastics and metallic foils, would enable effective harvesting of energy in a number of diverse areas from indoor electronics to automobiles and from building integrated photovoltaics to portable applications. Furthermore, it would open up web-based roll-to-roll fabrication conducive to massive throughputs. Solution processable perovskite solar cells offer promising opportunities towards this end. Being these cells the most efficient among the solution processable ones, with efficiency in their laboratory scale devices on par with the commercially available silicon and thin film counterparts, significant recent efforts devoted to their manufacturing on flexible substrates have seen efficiencies rise as high as 15.6% together with moderate stability. We approach the developments in this area by critically analyzing the factors affecting the final performance indicators such as efficiency, stability, and functionality and relate these to its proces...

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Section: View Article Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: View Article Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

Progress, challenges and perspectives in flexible perovskite solar cells

Giacomo

Fakharuddin

Jose

et al. 2016

Energy Environ. Sci.

362

257

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…During the past decade, various flexible substrates like polymer film, thin metal foil, flexible glasses etc have been evaluated for production of flexible photovoltaic (PV) modules. In this respect, flexible glass substrates have the advantage of high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion coefficient over plastic substrates or metallic foils . Furthermore, the fabrication of efficient photonic/plasmonic nanostructures via imprinting processes on these substrates and their subsequent integration in the PV device opens up the room for further improvement in the energy conversion efficiency of the solar cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of the VHF Plasma Etching of Micro/Nano Patterned PMMA Coated on Ultra‐Thin Flexible Glass Substrates

Mandal

Kole

Garner

et al. 2016

Plasma Processes & Polymers

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Flexible substrates are useful for roll to roll production of photovoltaic modules. In this study, we have demonstrated DVD (digital versatile disc) like pattern replication from a Nickel mold onto PMMA coated ultra‐thin flexible Corning® Willow® Glass substrates (thickness 150 μm) by thermal nanoimprint lithography (T‐NIL) technique. These embossed PMMA coatings were subsequently etched in a capacitively coupled very high frequency (VHF) discharge of 40.68 MHz using Ar/O2 gas mixture at a chamber pressure of 6.66 Pa for different periods of etching times in the range from 6 to 600 s. High plasma density under VHF together with low gas pressure promote ion directionality toward the substrate. Identification of the emitted species during the etching process was carried out by a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The temporal evolution of the etched patterns on PMMA was studied in detail by atomic force microscopy. The study may be helpful for understanding the plasma etching process of the micro/nano patterned PMMA under VHF leading to the surface structuring on the ultra‐thin flexible glass substrates.

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“…During the time of immersion, the alkali ions from the glass that are close enough to the surface are exchanged for those from the molten salt [3,4]. From the point of view of photovoltaic applications this type of glass is very popular as a substrate for the production of CdTe solar cells [5][6][7], CIGS solar cells [8] or perovskite based solar cells [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrathin Glass for the Photovoltaic Applications

Dziedzic¹,

Inglot

2017

Acta Phys. Pol. A

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Chemically strengthened ultrathin glass with a thickness of less than 1 mm has many advantages, such as flexibility, smooth surface, good transmittance, excellent gas and water barrier, much higher toughened in relations to thermally tempered glass, higher impact resistance, increased corrosion resistance and much higher abrasion rate. Chemical strengthening process is a process where an ion exchange occurs by diffusion between the glass panes and the brine solution bath. The deeper penetration of the glass surface by ions contained in the brine bath contributes to the hardness of the glass sheets, which reduces the occurrence of surface defects that cause reflections. From the point of view of photovoltaic applications ultrathin glass significantly reduces the weight of the whole photovoltaic panel structure with respect to known solutions. Furthermore, the reduction of the glass thickness increases the transmission of solar energy in the visible range directly through the glass. In addition, chemical tempered glass has a lower reflectance of light from the surface than the thermally tempered glass. What is more, ultrathin glass is perfect substrate for deposition of nanomaterials, i.e. conductive films or quantum dots.In this work we demonstrate that chemically strengthened ultrathin glass is a perfect material for the photovoltaic applications, i.e. as a substrate for deposition of thin layers and for the design of photovoltaic modules of reduced weight.

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High-efficiency, flexible CdTe solar cells on ultra-thin glass substrates

Abstract: Articles you may be interested inThe effects of high temperature processing on the structural and optical properties of oxygenated CdS window layers in CdTe solar cells

Cited by 106 publications

References 11 publications

Progress, challenges and perspectives in flexible perovskite solar cells

Progress, challenges and perspectives in flexible perovskite solar cells

Study of the VHF Plasma Etching of Micro/Nano Patterned PMMA Coated on Ultra‐Thin Flexible Glass Substrates

Ultrathin Glass for the Photovoltaic Applications

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