Stabilized 14.0%-efficient triple-junction thin-film silicon solar cell

Abstract

We report on a high-efficiency triple-junction thin-film silicon solar cell fabricated using the substrate configuration. An undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cell grown using triode plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, which is more stable against light soaking, was applied to the a-Si:H/μc-Si:H/μc-Si:H triple-junction cells with honeycomb-textured substrates. To find the best balance in short circuit density and fill factor, we quantitatively investigated the effect of current mismatch on triple-junction cells. Accordingly, a stabilized efficiency of 14.04% was achieved in an a-Si:H/μc-Si:H/μc-Si:H triple-junction solar cell with a minimum light-induced degradation of 4%, setting a new record in this type of solar cells.

Anisotropic Disorder and Thermal Stability of Silicane

“…The peak at ∼1178 cm –1 is no longer detected. At 425 °C all of the SiH modes are still presentalbeit severely suppressedsuggesting that SiH is present within the a-Si network, which is typical of a-Si thin films. − …”

Liquid phase crystallized silicon – A holistic absorber quality assessment

“…Many approaches are being pursued to bring down material consumption of Si solar cells using the wafering process by alternative fabrication techniques. These alternatives include classical thin-film technologies like amorphous (a-Si) or microcrystalline (µ-c-Si) Si [1][2][3], top-down approaches like epitaxial lift-off techniques [4,5] or the liquid phase crystallization (LPC) technology [6]. All of them offer the potential to save material cost while having the advantage to rely on a vast existing knowledge on (crystalline) Si photovoltaics.…”

“…Efficiencies of up to 20.6 % were presented on 35 µm Si [10]. With the a-Si/µc-Si tandem technology, recently, a 14 % cell was achieved [3]. Present efficiencies on LPC-Si are 13.2 % on below 15 µm thick absorbers using an interdigitated back contact (IBC) system and up to 15.9 % on full-emitter test structures [11].…”

Development and Testing of an All-Atom Force Field for Diketopyrrolopyrrole Polymers with Conjugated Substituents

“…In contrast, devices made from less expensive polycrystalline or amorphous silicon wafers show a reduction of the PCE to around 10−14%. 7,8 Instead of using inorganic materials, the use of organic molecules (either polymers or small molecules) in photovoltaic devices is attractive because of their ease of processing from solutions, higher flexibility due to a low bulk modulus, and the nontoxicity of the compounds used. 9,10 Low dielectric screening and substantial disorder in the materials generally lead to strongly bound, localized electronic excitations, hampering the efficient generation of free charge carriers and their transport processes in donor− acceptor heterojunctions.…”

“…Obtaining such high conversion efficiencies requires, however, monocrystalline wafers whose processing causes high production costs. In contrast, devices made from less expensive polycrystalline or amorphous silicon wafers show a reduction of the PCE to around 10–14%. , Instead of using inorganic materials, the use of organic molecules (either polymers or small molecules) in photovoltaic devices is attractive because of their ease of processing from solutions, higher flexibility due to a low bulk modulus, and the nontoxicity of the compounds used. , Low dielectric screening and substantial disorder in the materials generally lead to strongly bound, localized electronic excitations, hampering the efficient generation of free charge carriers and their transport processes in donor–acceptor heterojunctions. To overcome these factors limiting the PCE of organic photovoltaic devices, significant effort is directed toward tuning electronic and structural properties of the materials by altering the architecture of donor and acceptor compounds. ,, …”