Article
Energy & Fuels
Jan Keller, Lars Stolt, Olivier Donzel-Gargand, Tomas Kubart, Marika Edoff
Summary: This study evaluates the performance of CIGS and ACIGS solar cells using In2O3:Sn and In2O3:H as transparent back contact materials, highlighting the importance of optimizing the NaF precursor layer and the dependence of efficiency on absorber stoichiometry.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Alban Lafuente-Sampietro, Katsuhisa Yoshida, Shenghao Wang, Shogo Ishizuka, Hajime Shibata, Nobuyuki Sano, Katsuhiro Akimoto, Takeaki Sakurai
Summary: In this article, the effect of the double grading in a CIGS absorber is studied from the carrier perspective. It is found that finding the ideal notch position to maximize carrier collection while minimizing recombination rate is a compromise process.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wanlei Dai, Zeran Gao, Jianjun Li, Shumin Qin, Ruobing Wang, Haoyu Xu, Xinzhan Wang, Chao Gao, Xiaoyun Teng, Yu Zhang, Xiaojing Hao, Yinglong Wang, Wei Yu
Summary: The formation of a MoSe2 intermediate layer at the Mo/Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) interface can effectively reduce the back-contact barrier and improve hole transport in CIGS solar cells. This study demonstrates a method of depositing a room-temperature amorphous CIGS intermediate layer on the Mo substrate, which reacts with the Mo substrate to form a thin MoSe2 layer at high temperatures. This approach enables high-efficiency CIGS solar cells without the need for a selenium atmosphere during the sputtering process.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Louis Gouillart, Andrea Cattoni, Wei-Chao Chen, Julie Goffard, Lars Riekehr, Jan Keller, Marie Jubault, Negar Naghavi, Marika Edoff, Stephane Collin
Summary: The research investigates the design of ohmic and reflective back contacts for ultrathin CIGS solar cells, improving efficiency and short-circuit current density by carefully analyzing diffusion mechanisms and reactions in the interfaces and CIGS layer, addressing the detrimental reaction between CIGS and the top ITO layer.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Adele Debono, Hortense L'Hostis, Amelle Rebai, Erlind Mysliu, Inger Odnevall, Nathanaelle Schneider, Jean-Francois Guillemoles, Andreas Erbe, Polina Volovitch
Summary: This study investigates the stability of the interfaces between molybdenum back contact and CIGS absorber layers in CIGS-based solar cells. The results indicate that the molybdenum layer degrades through oxidation when exposed to humidity and temperature variations as well as atmospheric pollution, while the CIGS layer is less affected.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mirjam Theelen, Robin J. P. Broos, Arjan Hovestad
Summary: This study investigates the degradation mechanisms of the molybdenum back contact in Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 solar cells under the presence of atmospheric species. The degradation rate was found to be the highest when liquid water and oxygen were combined. Degradation in water was less without oxygen, while air exposure resulted in the least degradation. The main degradation product was MoO2, which was found in areas where metallic molybdenum was not fully covered by MoSe2. Therefore, MoSe2 acts as a good protective measure against molybdenum oxidation and plays an important role in protecting CIGS devices from environmental degradation.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Seung Hoon Lee, Gyu Hyun Lee, Hae-Seok Lee, Donghwan Kim, Yoonmook Kang
Summary: The study demonstrates that CIS solar cells prepared via three-stage MOCVD show high energy conversion efficiency without the need for a buffer layer. By applying a Cu-deficient layer, a buried pn junction can be created, indicating that the fabrication of fully-MOCVD-processed CIS photovoltaic devices is feasible.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhimin Fang, Qiang Zeng, Chuantian Zuo, Lixiu Zhang, Hanrui Xiao, Ming Cheng, Feng Hao, Qinye Bao, Lixue Zhang, Yongbo Yuan, Wu-Qiang Wu, Dewei Zhao, Yuanhang Cheng, Hairen Tan, Zuo Xiao, Shangfeng Yang, Fangyang Liu, Zhiwen Jin, Jinding Yan, Liming Ding
Summary: Perovskite-based tandem solar cells have shown rapid progress in recent years, with their excellent optoelectronic properties and tunable bandgaps making them potential candidates for developing high-efficiency solar cells. These tandem cells can be combined with silicon, Cu(In,Ga)Se-2, and organic cells. However, the field also faces challenges and opportunities for further improvement and innovation.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Motoshi Nakamura, Ching Chang Lin, Chie Nishiyama, Keishi Tada, Takeru Bessho, Hiroshi Segawa
Summary: It was found that ion bombardment during ITO sputtering can improve the device performance and increase the power conversion efficiency of PVK solar cells. The use of a MoOx buffer layer can be eliminated to develop semitransparent PVK cells with higher durability and transmittance.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Motoshi Nakamura, Ching Chang Lin, Chie Nishiyama, Keishi Tada, Takeru Bessho, Hiroshi Segawa
Summary: The effect of ion bombardment during ITO sputtering on PVK solar cells was found to be non-detrimental and even improved the power conversion efficiency by enhancing band alignment through oxidation of the hole transport layer (HTL). By eliminating the use of the MoOx buffer layer, the researchers were able to develop more durable and higher transmittance semi-transparent PVK cells.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Shivani Gohri, Jaya Madan, Rahul Pandey
Summary: Thin film solar cells using copper-indium-gallium-selenium (CIGS) as the material offer a renewable energy source that can be scaled up to meet the rising demand for clean energy. In this article, a CIGS-based solar cell with In2S3 as the buffer layer is proposed, achieving an efficiency of 17.7%. By utilizing the tuneable bandgap property of CIGS, the bandgap is modified by changing the composition of the material, resulting in a maximum efficiency of 25.2% using beta grading. Optimizing the thickness of the CIGS layer is also crucial, with a thickness of 1μm found to be the optimum for CIGS-based solar cells.
JOURNAL OF ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
B. Barman, P. K. Kalita
Summary: The research aims to improve the efficiency of conventional baseline structured CIGS solar cells by adding a PbS layer between the CIGS absorber and the Mo back contact. Simulation results show an increase in conversion efficiency after adding the PbS layer, indicating its potential for enhancing carrier collection efficiency and reducing back surface recombination. Variations and optimization of the PbS layer's thickness, energy band gap, and electron affinity were studied, along with the impact of operating temperature on overall cell performance. These findings suggest promising prospects for future performance and cost-effective solar cells.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ana Belen Munoz-Garcia, Iacopo Benesperi, Gerrit Boschloo, Javier J. Concepcion, Jared H. Delcamp, Elizabeth A. Gibson, Gerald J. Meyer, Michele Pavone, Henrik Pettersson, Anders Hagfeldt, Marina Freitag
Summary: Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) and dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells (DSPECs) have seen a revival in recent years as they offer unique properties such as low cost, non-toxic materials, colorfulness, transparency, and efficiency in low light conditions. This review covers advancements in DSC technology over the past decade, including theoretical studies, characterization techniques, materials, applications, and commercialization efforts by various companies.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ahrum Jeong, Jae Myung Choi, Hyun-Jae Lee, Gee-Yeong Kim, Jong-Keuk Park, Won Mok Kim, Seungkuk Kuk, Zhen Wang, David J. Hwang, Hyeonggeun Yu, Jeung-hyun Jeong
Summary: Complementary control of the back junction, using a thin Ag precursor layer and KF post-deposition treatment, enables high efficiency and semi-transparent CIGS modules. The KF-induced increased resistances provide benefits in suppressing parasitic shunt current in CIGS solar modules.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Angelica Thomere, Marcel Placidi, Maxim Guc, Kunal Tiwari, Robert Fonoll-Rubio, Victor Izquierdo-Roca, Alejandro Perez-Rodriguez, Zacharie Jehl Li-Kao
Summary: As single-junction solar cells are reaching their limits, multijunction solar cells with low-cost wider bandgap light harvesters in tandem with silicon are the next focus in thin film photovoltaic research. Cu-based chalcogenide compounds have been successful as absorbers, but performance for bandgaps above 1.5 eV is lacking. In this study, wide bandgap CuGaSe2 absorbers are fabricated using a combination of metallic sputtering and reactive thermal annealing, with an ultrathin Mo interlayer at the CuGaSe2/back interface leading to improved device properties and a record conversion efficiency of 5.4%.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Marie Buffiere, Guy Brammertz, Sylvester Sahayaraj, Maria Batuk, Samira Khelifi, Denis Mangin, Abdel-Aziz El Mel, Ludovic Arzel, Joke Hadermann, Marc Meuris, Jef Poortmans
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2015)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Maria Batuk, Marie Buffiere, Armin E. Zaghi, Nick Lenaers, Christophe Verbist, Samira Khelifi, Jef Vleugels, Marc Meuris, Joke Hadermann
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
L. Van Puyvelde, J. Lauwaert, P. F. Smet, S. Khelifi, T. Ericson, J. J. Scragg, D. Poelman, R. Van Deun, C. Platzer-Bjorkman, H. Vrielinck
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
J. Lauwaert, S. Khelifi, H. Vrielinck
ECS JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2016)
Article
Energy & Fuels
L. de la Cueva, Y. Sanchez, L. Calvo-Barrio, F. Oliva, V. Izquierdo-Roca, S. Khelifi, T. Bertram, J. M. Merino, M. Leon, R. Caballero
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2018)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ana Obradovic, Kenneth Toch, Bert Coppens, Samira Khelifi, Johan Lauwaert, Joris Thybaut
ECS JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
A. Dulmaa, H. Vrielinck, S. Khelifi, Diederik Depla
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Physics, Applied
Sheng Yang, Samira Khelifi, Guy Brammertz, Leo Choubrac, Nicolas Barreau, Pieter Bolt, Bart Vermang, Johan Lauwaert
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Andrea Ruiz-Perona, Yudania Sanchez, Maxim Guc, Samira Khelifi, Tim Kodalle, Marcel Placidi, Jose Manuel Merino, Maximo Leon, Raquel Caballero
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sander De Bruyne, Caroline Van den Broecke, Henk Vrielinck, Samira Khelifi, Olivier De Wever, Ken Bracke, Manon Huizing, Nezahat Boston, Jonas Himpe, Marijn Speeckaert, Anne Vral, Jo Van Dorpe, Elisabeth Van Aken, Joris R. Delanghe
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Samira Khelifi, Guy Brammertz, Leo Choubrac, Maria Batuk, Sheng Yang, Marc Meuris, Nicolas Barreau, Joke Hadermann, Henk Vrielinck, Dirk Poelman, Kristiaan Neyts, Bart Vermang, Johan Lauwaert
Summary: The study indicates that using non-toxic and earth-abundant kesterite solar cells as the top cell in tandem configuration with crystalline silicon as the bottom cell requires attention to factors such as kesterite top cell efficiency, band gap, and transparency.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kwinten Maes, Lisa I. D. J. Martin, Samira Khelifi, Alexander Hoffman, Karen Leus, Pascal Van Der Voort, Etienne Goovaerts, Philippe F. Smet, Veronique Van Speybroeck, Freddy Callens, Henk Vrielinck
Summary: The study investigates the structural environment of V-IV ions doped in the metal-organic framework DUT-5(Al) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), revealing four different vanadium-related spectral components. Various experimental techniques, such as Q-band Electron Nuclear Double Resonance (ENDOR), SEM, EDX, XRD, and FTIR, are utilized to investigate the origin of these components. Simulations based on the experimental data successfully reproduce the spectra and provide insights into the contribution of different vanadyl species in relation to V-concentration.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bart Vermang, Guy Brammertz, Marc Meuris, Thomas Schnabel, Erik Ahlswede, Leo Choubrac, Sylvie Harel, Christophe Cardinaud, Ludovic Arzel, Nicolas Barreau, Joop van Deelen, Pieter-Jan Bolt, Patrice Bras, Yi Ren, Eric Jaremalm, Samira Khelifi, Sheng Yang, Johan Lauwaert, Maria Batuk, Joke Hadermann, Xeniya Kozina, Evelyn Handick, Claudia Hartmann, Dominic Gerlach, Asahiko Matsuda, Shigenori Ueda, Toyohiro Chikyow, Roberto Felix, Yufeng Zhang, Regan G. Wilks, Marcus Baer
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS
(2019)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chaoqing Yang, Anna M. Kaczmarek, Karel Folens, Gijs Du Laing, Henk Vrielinck, Samira Khelifi, Kai Li, Rik Van Deun
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2019)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marie Buffiere, Thomas Lepetit, Samira Khelifi, Abdel-Aziz El Mel
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)
