Possible top cells for next-generation Si-based tandem solar cells

Abstract

Si-based solar cells, which have the advantages of high efficiency, low manufacturing costs, and outstanding stability, are dominant in the photovoltaic market. Currently, state-of-the-art Si-based solar cells are approaching the practical limit of efficiency. Constructing Si-based tandem solar cells is one available pathway to break the theoretical efficiency limit of single-junction silicon solar cells. Various top cells have been explored recently in the construction of Si-based tandem devices. Nevertheless, many challenges still stand in the way of extensive commercial application of Si-based tandem solar cells. Herein, we summarize the recent progress of representative Si-based tandem solar cells with different top cells, such as III-V solar cells, wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, cadmium telluride (CdTe)-related solar cells, Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S) 2 (CIGS)-related solar cells, and amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells, and we analyze the main bottlenecks for their next steps of development. Subsequently, we suggest several potential candidate top cells for Si-based tandem devices, such as Sb 2 S 3 , Se, CdSe, and Cu 2 O. These materials have great potential for the development of high-performance and low-cost Si-based tandem solar cells in the future.

Wide Bandgap Sb2S3 Solar Cells

“…© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH as a top cell partner. Very recently, Lu et al [164] has screened the selection of potential top cell candidates for Si-based tandem devices on the preconditions of the suitable bandgap, high stability, low manufacturing cost (cheaper raw materials), and the state-of-the-art PCE of the candidates in single-junction solar cells, as illustrated in Figure 14c. They concluded that Sb 2 S 3 fulfills all the preconditions, as mentioned earlier, to serve as a potential top cell in Si-based tandem devices.…”

“…Reproduced with permission. [164] Copyright 2020, Elsevier. d) Schematic illustration of all antimony chalcogenide 4T tandem solar cell.…”

“…c)The schematic of the screening process for possible top cell candidates in c-Si-based next generation tandem solar cells. Reproduced with permission [164]. Copyright 2020, Elsevier.…”

p‐Type Antimony Selenide via Lead Doping

“…The merits, such as a suitable bandgap around 1.2 eV, [ 1,2 ] a high optical absorption coefficient over 10 5 cm −1 , and [ 3,4 ] the cheap and nontoxic elements Sb and Se, are intriguing to the researchers in the photovoltaic (PV) field. [ 5 ] In the past years, diverse growth methods have been used for growing Sb 2 Se 3 thin films with high qualities, such as thermal evaporation, [ 6 ] vapor transport deposition (VTD), [ 7 ] magnetron sputtering, [ 8 ] and solution processing. [ 3 ] Furthermore, the postselenization process and the orientation control of the atomic chain are also combined with the growth methods, due to the natural Se‐poor conditions and its unique quasi‐1D structure.…”

Efficient Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells via monitorable chemical bath deposition

“…Antimony chalcogenides (including Sb 2 Se 3 , Sb 2 S 3 and their alloys) have emerged as non-toxic alternative absorber materials to CdTe because of their excellent characteristics, such as high absorption coefficient under visible light, environmentallyfriendly constituents, low cost and outstanding physicochemical stability. [1][2][3] Over the last decade, Sb 2 Se 3 and Sb 2 S 3 solar cells have made great progresses in terms of their power conversion efficiency (PCE), 4 but Sb 2 (S,Se) 3 alloy solar cells are regarded to have higher efficiency compared to pure Sb 2 Se 3 and Sb 2 S 3 since the optical bandgap of Sb 2 (S,Se) 3 alloy can be continuously adjusted to the ideal bandgap (1.3-1.4 eV) by varying the composition ratio of Se/(Se + S). [5][6][7] As shown in Table 1, different synthetic approaches have been used to prepare Sb 2 (S,Se) 3 solar cells.…”