Article
Energy & Fuels
N. Dasilva-Villanueva, B. Arikan, H. H. Canar, D. Fuertes Marron, B. Hong, A. E. Kececi, S. K. Butuner, G. Bektas, R. Turan, C. del Canizo
Summary: The study investigates the potential efficiency of solar cells based on high-quality multicrystalline Upgraded Metallurgical Grade Silicon (UMG-Si) and explores the adoption of high-efficiency cell architectures. Results show that with optimized passivating layer configurations, UMG-Si wafers can achieve high carrier lifetimes and implied open circuit voltages, demonstrating the suitability of the material for high-efficiency cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Georg Dost, Hannes Hoeffler, Johannes M. Greulich
Summary: This article presents a method for separating contrasts in luminescence images of silicon solar cells for industrial application, achieving measurement times significantly below one second. The optimized method drastically decreases the required exposure time and eliminates the need for correction using an image under short-circuit conditions.
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nashmi H. Alrasheedi
Summary: This study used PECVD to deposit a silicon nitride layer on multicrystalline silicon with and without porous silicon, aiming to enhance its properties for solar cell applications. The results showed that the application of silicon nitride reduced reflectance and improved the carrier lifetime and minority carrier diffusion length. Combining porous silicon with a SiNx thin film further improved the performance.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yibiao Jin, Donghao Hu, Jiamiao Yin, Kuangshi Sun, Lijun Chen, Shujuan Liu, Fuyou Li, Qiang Zhao
Summary: In this study, an iridium-based probe decorated with a p-nitrophenyl group was designed and investigated for the detection and imaging of nitroreductase (NTR). The probe showed selective and precise detection of NTR using photoluminescence lifetime imaging (PLIM) within living cells.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Abigail R. Meyer, P. Craig Taylor, Michael B. Venuti, Serena Eley, Vincenzo LaSalvia, William Nemeth, Matthew R. Page, David L. Young, Paul Stradins, Sumit Agarwal
Summary: Boron-doped Czochralski silicon exhibits reduced minority carrier lifetime under light exposure due to B-O related defects. Electronic paramagnetic resonance has identified spin-active signatures of this phenomenon, shedding light on its microscopic mechanism. The formation of recombination-active defects in Cz Si is correlated with both boron and oxygen impurities.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lisa Kruckemeier, Zhifa Liu, Benedikt Krogmeier, Uwe Rau, Thomas Kirchartz
Summary: Transient photoluminescence (TPL) and transient photovoltage (TPV) measurements were studied in the field of halide-perovskite photovoltaics. The experiment showed that effective monomolecular lifetimes of around 2 μs can be consistently measured in efficient methylammonium lead-iodide solar cells using both TPL and TPV methods.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Alexandra M. M. Bothwell, Carey L. L. Reich, Adam H. H. Danielson, Arthur Onno, Zachary C. C. Holman, Walajabad S. S. Sampath, Darius Kuciauskas
Summary: The efficiencies of thin-film photovoltaic devices are limited by carrier recombination. It is crucial to understand recombination mechanisms to enhance performance. Determining the bulk minority carrier lifetime (tau(bulk)) is challenging in P-N junction devices, especially in highly doped ones. This research utilizes time-resolved photoluminescence simulations to quantify recombination properties and develop methods for determining tau(bulk) in highly doped CdSeTe structures.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Johannes M. Greulich, Wiebke Wirtz, Hannes Hoeffler, Nico Woehrle, Mattias K. Juhl, Oliver Kunz, Stefan Rein, Andreas W. Bett
Summary: The study introduces a contactless method for determining the IV characteristics of silicon solar cells and proves its effectiveness through experiments. This method reduces mechanical stress, silver consumption, and time required, while providing additional information compared to conventional testing.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Oliver Fischer, Andreas Fell, Christoph Messmer, Raphael Efinger, Florian Schindler, Stefan W. W. Glunz, Martin C. C. Schubert
Summary: To comprehensively characterize the electro-optical properties of perovskite silicon tandem devices, electro- and photoluminescence imaging are combined with illuminated lock-in thermography. This approach, along with numerical simulation models, allows for holistic investigations of device limitations. One remarkable feature observed in the investigated tandem device, showing a low photoluminescence but high electroluminescence signal at local spots, is suggested to originate from the perovskite/C-60 interface.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Nicholas E. Grant, Pietro P. Altermatt, Tim Niewelt, Regina Post, Wolfram Kwapil, Martin C. Schubert, John D. Murphy
Summary: Czochralski-grown gallium-doped silicon wafers are commonly used for commercial PERC devices due to their enhanced stability. The carrier lifetime of these wafers can reach into the millisecond region without additional processing, showing an advantage over boron-doped silicon. The stability of gallium-doped PERC cells under illumination varies, with some cells exhibiting degradation and recovery resembling LeTID, while others remain stable.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Germain Rey, Oliver Kunz, Martin Green, Thorsten Trupke
Summary: PV electricity generation is the fastest growing energy source globally and presents an opportunity for deep decarbonisation of the energy sector. A new method using photoluminescence imaging technology allows for quality testing of field-deployed solar modules, offering a powerful inspection method for the PV industry and research.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lisa Kruckemeier, Zhifa Liu, Thomas Kirchartz, Uwe Rau
Summary: The extraction of photogenerated charge carriers and the generation of a photovoltage are crucial in solar cells. In this study, a new method was developed to analyze transient photovoltage measurements by comparing rise and decay times of photovoltage. Through this analysis, the rates of carrier recombination and extraction as a function of bias voltage were determined, providing insights into efficiency losses in perovskite solar cells.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Moganapriya Chinnasamy, Rajasekar Rathanasamy, Santhosh Sivaraj, Gobinath Velu Kaliyannan, Manju Sri Anbupalani, Saravana Kumar Jaganathan
Summary: The research focuses on enhancing the power conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells by using antireflective thin-film coatings. The study explores the use of zinc selenide as a coating material to improve light transmittance and increase the solar cell's output efficiency.
JOURNAL OF ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
R. Peibst, M. Rienaecker, Y. Larionova, N. Folchert, F. Haase, C. Hollemann, S. Wolter, J. Kruegener, P. Bayerl, J. Bayer, M. Dzinnik, R. J. Haug, R. Brendel
Summary: Numerical device simulations were used to study the optimization potential of poly-Si on oxide (POLO)(2) IBC solar cells. The implementation of photonic crystals (PCs) and reducing wafer thickness had limited impact on efficiency due to surface recombination losses. Improved surface passivation through an improved hydrogenation process led to increased efficiency potential.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Cyril Leon, Pierre Saint-Cast, Andreas Fell, Johannes M. Greulich, Stefan Rein
Summary: The robustness of a method called Fourier-transform photoluminescence (FTPL) is investigated to determine the recombination current-density (J0,met) under the front metallization fingers of silicon solar cells. The method uses a voltage-calibrated photoluminescence imaging setup and does not require any dedicated sample preparation. The results show that the FTPL method can differentiate solar cells that have undergone different metallization conditions and provides similar results compared to other characterization techniques.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Sven Kluska, Andreas Buechler, Jonas Bartsch, Benjamin Gruebel, Andreas A. Brand, Simon Gutscher, Gisela Cimiotti, Jan Nekarda, Markus Glatthaar
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2017)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Sven Wasmer, Johannes Greulich, Hannes Hoeffler, Nico Woehrle, Matthias Demant, Fabian Fertig, Stefan Rein
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2017)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Theresa Strauch, Matthias Demant, Patricia Krenckel, Stephan Riepe, Stefan Rein
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2018)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Matthias Demant, Patrick Virtue, Aditya Kovvali, Stella X. Yu, Stefan Rein
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2019)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Matthias Demant, Patrick Virtue, Aditya Kovvali, Stella X. Yu, Stefan Rein
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2019)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Andreas Buechler, Benjamin Gruebel, Varun Arya, Tobias Weingaertner, Angelika Haehnel, Volker Naumann, Jonas Bartsch, Markus Glatthaar, Sven Kluska
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2019)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Elmar Lohmueller, Julian Weber, Matthias Demant, Sabrina Lohmueller, Simon Gutscher, Pierre Saint-Cast, Andreas Wolf
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Johannes M. Greulich, Matthias Demant, Philipp Kunze, Georg Dost, Klaus Ramspeck, Andreas Vetter, Christian Probst
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hassan Merhi, Andreas Fell, Benjamin Gruebel, Markus Glatthaar, Sven Kluska
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Benjamin Gruebel, Gisela Cimiotti, Christian Schmiga, Varun Arya, Bernd Steinhauser, Norbert Bay, Michael Passig, Damian Brunner, Markus Glatthaar, Sven Kluska
Summary: The study demonstrates a lead-free metallization approach for bifacial tunneling oxide and passivating contacts (TOPCon) solar cells without the need for an initial metal seed layer, achieved by electroplating Ni/Cu/Ag. The method allows for narrow contact geometries and low contact resistivity, addressing challenges such as direct contacting of silicon and dissolution of contacts. An optimized process sequence resulted in a solar cell efficiency of 22.5% on industrial bifacial TOPCon solar cells, matching the performance of screen-printed reference solar cells.
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Thibaud Hatt, Ozde S. Kabakli, Patricia S. C. Schulze, Armin Richter, Stefan W. Glunz, Markus Glatthaar, Jan Christoph Goldschmidt, Jonas Bartsch
Summary: The study demonstrates the electroplating of copper contacts on small-area single-junction perovskite solar cells using an atomic layer deposited Al2O3 masking layer. The successful creation of plated contact fingers and electrical contact between the Cu electrode and the ITO on the perovskite absorber is confirmed. Additionally, the plating process allows for producing well-defined copper contacts on the PSC and tandem solar cells independent of substrate size.
Proceedings Paper
Energy & Fuels
Aditya Sai Kovvali, Matthias Demant, Stefan Rein
2019 IEEE 46TH PHOTOVOLTAIC SPECIALISTS CONFERENCE (PVSC)
(2019)
Proceedings Paper
Energy & Fuels
Aditya Kovvali, Matthias Demant, Theresa Troetschler, Jonas Haunschild, Stefan Rein
SILICONPV 2018: THE 8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CRYSTALLINE SILICON PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2018)
Proceedings Paper
Energy & Fuels
Theresa Strauch, Matthias Demant, Patricia Krenckel, Stephan Riepe, Stefan Rein
7TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SILICON PHOTOVOLTAICS, SILICONPV 2017
(2017)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Elmar Lohmueller, Sabrina Werner, Mohammad Hassan Norouzi, Simon Gutscher, Matthias Demant, Pierre Saint-Cast, Michael Linse, Bernd Bitnar, Phedon Palinginis, Holger Neuhaus, Andreas Wolf
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2017)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shahriyar Safat Dipta, Md Habibur Rahaman, Walia Binte Tarique, Ashraful Hossain Howlader, Ayush Pratik, John A. Stride, Ashraf Uddin
Summary: Implementing a double-sided passivation approach can enhance the performance of n-i-p structured PSCs and improve the stability and photovoltaic properties of the cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Daniel Ourinson, Andreas Brand, Andreas Lorenz, Marwan Dhamrin, Sebastian Tepner, Michael Linse, Nathalie Goettlicher, Kosuke Tsuji, Jonas D. Huyeng, Florian Clement
Summary: This work presents two approaches to reduce the amount of silver on the rear side of M2-sized industrial iTOPCon solar cells. The Cu-based approach shows promise with similar power conversion efficiency compared to the conventional approach, while the Al-based approach exhibits some limitations but demonstrates the potential of such type of contact for iTOPCon solar cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abasifreke Ebong, Donald Intal, Sandra Huneycutt, Thad Druffel, Ruvini Dharmadasa, Kevin Elmer, Apolo Nambo
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful metallization of a PERC silicon solar cell using screen-printable copper (Cu) paste. The Cu paste contains antioxidant additives and diffusion inhibitors to prevent oxidation and diffusion of Cu. The Cu-printed cells achieved an efficiency of 19% and showed no Cu diffusion after characterization tests. The long-term stability and effectiveness of the Cu diffusion barrier were also confirmed.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Senami Zogbo, Wilfried Favre, Olivier Bonino, Marie-Estelle Gueunier-Farret
Summary: Measuring specific contact resistivity (pc) is crucial for interface engineering in high efficiency solar cells. The Transfer Length Method (TLM) is commonly used for evaluating layer sheet resistance (Rsheet) and pc, but it is not suitable for metal/Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) interface evaluation in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells. This study investigates the parameters that restrict current confinement within the TCO, including mid-gap trap density (Dit) at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface and the activation energy (Ea = Ec - EF) variation of a-Si:H contact layers.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: The phenomenon of ribbon lengthening in PV modules exposed to thermal cycling is not well explained in the literature. In this study, a three layers model is proposed to explain this effect, and the predictions of the model are validated through finite element method simulations and experiments. The results show that the model predictions are consistent with the indirect measurements, but not with the direct measurements. Additionally, it is inferred that the encapsulant plays a role after the solder failure.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: This study investigates the problematic ribbon lengthening observed in PV modules exposed to high amplitude thermal cycling. A simplified system model is proposed and accurate predictions are obtained using the Finite Element Method. The results show that the thickness of the encapsulant has a substantial impact on the lengthening of the ribbons.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Catalan-Gomez, E. Martinez Castellano, M. Schwarz, M. Montes Bajo, L. Dorado Vargas, A. Gonzalo, A. Redondo-Cubero, A. Gallego Carro, A. Hierro, J. M. Ulloa
Summary: This study investigates the use of core-shell gallium nanoparticles as functional light scatterers on solar cells. By optimizing the nanoparticle size, the short-circuit current of the solar cells is significantly improved. The underlying physical mechanism is studied through optical measurements and simulations, and a method to reduce the plasmonic effect of the nanoparticles is demonstrated.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. Gamel, G. Lopez, A. M. Medrano, A. Jimenez, A. Datas, M. Garin, I. Martin
Summary: In this study, a highly reflective ohmic contact to p-type c-Ge material is demonstrated, which can improve the efficiency of thermophotovoltaic devices. The experimental results show that this contact can simultaneously meet the requirements of good back surface passivation, low electrical resistivity, and high reflectivity. Moreover, simulations suggest that implementing these back contacts has the potential to achieve conversion efficiencies comparable to high-efficiency c-Ge TPV cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hongyang Wei, Qing Xu, Dongchu Chen, Min Chen, Menglei Chang, Xiufang Ye
Summary: This study prepared solar selective absorption films based on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) photonic crystals using a unique electrodeposition method. The Co-Ag electrodeposited film exhibited superior solar selective absorption properties and thermal stability.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ankit Kumar, Ankit Chauhan, Jordi Llobet, Helder Fonseca, Patricia C. Sousa, Carlos Calaza, Gil Shalev
Summary: This study found that decorating subwavelength arrays with SiO2 quasi-nanolenses (qNL arrays) can enhance the absorption of the solar spectrum. Optical absorption mechanisms in qNL arrays were investigated using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), revealing that the enhancement is a result of the combination of effective antireflection coating, increased optical interactions between adjacent dielectrics for elevated light trapping, and strong light concentration due to the presence of qNLs.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Pingel, T. Wenzel, N. Goettlicher, M. Linse, L. Folcarelli, J. Schube, S. Hoffmann, S. Tepner, Y. C. Lau, J. Huyeng, A. Lorenz, F. Clement
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential to reduce silver consumption in highly efficient SHJ cells through fine-line screen printing using low temperature paste with various screens. The results show that using finer mesh allows for narrower grid fingers and lower resistance, leading to improved cell efficiency. Simulation results indicate that module wire configuration is crucial for reducing silver consumption.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xibo He, Jun Qiu, Wei Wang, Yicheng Hou, Yong Shuai
Summary: This paper proposes a novel phase change material with high thermal conductivity and stability for fast photo-thermal conversion and storage. The experimental results demonstrate excellent durability and stability of the phase change material, with good performance in thermal conductivity and thermal storage efficiency.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qingyuan Liu, Lin Wang, Zheng Liu, Guohua Liu
Summary: A new evaporating structure consisting of liquid marble with tunable nanowire array is proposed to enhance solar evaporation. The experiments show that the liquid marble with nanowire array exhibits outstanding evaporation performance, which has significant implications for seawater desalination or wastewater treatment.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Liu, Qiming Liu, Jinpei Liu, Yonggang Zhao, Yingjie Yu, Yue An, Ganghui Wei, Yanzheng Li, Yujun Fu, Junshuai Li, Deyan He
Summary: Moisture in the air is identified as the main cause of performance degradation in organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells. Exposure to air leads to the growth of thin oxide layer on the interface and the formation of silver sulfide, increasing the series resistance and decreasing the fill factor, thus degrading the cell performance.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
E. Blanco, P. Martin, M. Dominguez, P. Fernandez-Palacios, I. Lombardero, C. Sanchez-Perez, I. Garcia, C. Algora, M. Gabas
Summary: This study addresses the lack of optical parameters for p-type Ge wafers by determining the complex refractive indices of commercial Ge wafers with varying doping levels. The obtained data successfully reproduces the critical points associated with interband transitions and absorption features below the bandgap. The refractive indices were validated through experimental measurements and solar cell simulations.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)