Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junwei Liu, Kaihu Xian, Long Ye, Zhihua Zhou
Summary: Lead chalcogenide colloidal quantum dot solar cells show excellent performance but face challenges in reducing open-circuit voltage loss, with research focusing on exploring strategies to decrease V-oc losses and achieve higher conversion efficiencies.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mingxuan Guo, Jun Bo, Xingtong Chen, Peng Wan, Mengyu Chen, Qinyi Li, Chengzhao Luo, Yu Chen, Song Chen
Summary: The study investigated carrier distribution in halide perovskite solar cells and successfully achieved a gradient structure using perovskite quantum dots, effectively reducing surface recombination without compromising photocurrent. The performance of normal structured hybrid PSCs and MAPbI(3) cells was found to be good, with open-circuit voltages exceeding their respective Shockley-Queisser limits and power conversion efficiencies reaching up to 22.36% and 20.53%, respectively.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Amir Al-Ahmed, Mohammad Afzaal, Nasurullah Mahar, Firoz Khan, Sadanand Pandey, Md. Hasan Zahir, Fahad A. Al-Suliman
Summary: Photoactive polymer and quantum dots/nanocrystals-based solar cells combine the advantages of organic semiconductors and inorganic components, with lead chalcogenide nanocrystals being particularly sensitive to near-infrared light. This Review explores the use of lead chalcogenide nanocrystals in polymer composite-based solar cells and discusses their material properties and performance.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiajiu Ye, Yuze Li, Asma Aicha Medjahed, Stephanie Pouget, Dmitry Aldakov, Yueli Liu, Peter Reiss
Summary: The bilayer ETL consisting of two different doped SnO2 nanoparticle layers improves the open-circuit voltage loss in halide perovskite solar cells, enhances electron transfer efficiency, and reduces carrier recombination processes.
The reduced strain in perovskite layers grown on the bilayer ETL contributes to increased stability and easier preparation of smooth, pinhole-free ETLs.
Additionally, the bilayer SnO2 ETL can be processed at low temperature, showing great potential for use in tandem devices or flexible PSCs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qiuchen Lu, Qungui Wang, Peng Song, Fengcai Ma, Yanhui Yang, Yuanzuo Li
Summary: The study investigates the effect of doping a medium bandgap polymer into traditional binary heterojunction solar cells for ternary solar cells. Simulation and global modeling reveal the competition mechanism of electron transfer and evaluate crucial parameters, showing that doping different bandgap polymers can enhance electron transfer and improve key performance indicators of ternary solar cells.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhiyuan Cao, Shurong Wang, Weike Zhu, Liming Ding, Feng Hao
Summary: This study applies HYU-doped PEDOT:PSS to suppress the voltage loss at the PEDOT:PSS/perovskite interface in TPSCs, resulting in improved performance.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ahmed Farag, Paul Fassl, Hang Hu, Thomas Feeney, Aina Quintilla, Marco A. Ruiz-Preciado, Wolfram Hempel, Dominik Bagrowski, Philipp Noack, Bianca Wattenberg, Torsten Dippell, Ulrich W. Paetzold
Summary: The recent development of solution-processed perovskite thin films over micrometer-sized textured silicon bottom solar cells enables tandem solar cells with power conversion efficiencies > 30%. This study provides a practical guideline to discriminate and address the voltage losses at the interfaces as well as in the bulk of solution-processed double cation perovskite thin films using photoluminescence quantum yield measurements. The guideline will be beneficial for scientists working on randomly textured surfaces and provides a deeper understanding on this timely research topic.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yuanwei Wu, Zurong Du, Xiao Kang, Jianxiao Wang, Xin Liang, Pengchao Wang, Xiaofei Qu, Yonghai Li, Xichang Bao
Summary: A new acceptor polymer PNDIOD-30Se was synthesized by partially replacing thiophene with selenophene, showing improved performance in all-polymer solar cells with high power conversion efficiency and open circuit voltage.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ping Hu, Shiqi Huang, Minghuang Guo, Yafeng Li, Mingdeng Wei
Summary: The use of DMII ionic liquid as an additive can enhance the quality of perovskite films, reduce defects, improve crystal crystallinity, and increase the efficiency and stability of photovoltaic devices.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Viktor V. Brus, Nora Schopp, Seo-Jin Ko, Joachim Vollbrecht, Jaewon Lee, Akchheta Karki, Guillermo C. Bazan, Thuc-Quyen Nguyen
Summary: The relationship between the temperature-light intensity dependence of open-circuit voltage V-oc in nonfullerene-based organic solar cells and the material characteristics and multimechanism recombination parameters was investigated. By systematically varying the effective bandgap E-g, E-eff and the electrode layers, different contributions of bimolecular, bulk, and surface trap-assisted recombination mechanisms were observed. The analytical model and voltage-impedance spectroscopy technique provide a useful tool to quantify multimechanism recombination parameters, effective density of states N-c, and energetic disorder sigma in organic solar cells under operating conditions. The proposed model's validity in understanding the temperature and light intensity dependence of V-oc was demonstrated by applying it to four different donor:nonfullerene acceptor blend systems with conventional or inverted device architectures.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kiran P. Shejale, Arun Jaiswal, Aditya Kumar, Sumit Saxena, Shobha Shukla
Summary: The high-quality nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) synthesized using domestic microwave-assisted pyrolysis method exhibit excellent physiochemical and optical properties, and when incorporated into the DSSC structure, they lead to improved performance with high photoconversion efficiency and photocurrent density.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Matthias Auf Der Maur, Gilad Moses, Jeffrey M. Gordon, Xuanqi Huang, Yuji Zhao, Eugene A. Katz
Summary: This study analyzed the temperature and intensity dependence of open-circuit voltage of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum well solar cells in high temperature and high illumination conditions. The results show that the simple ABC model can accurately reproduce this dependence, with consideration of temperature-dependent lifetime and device heating.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuainan Liu, Jiekai Lyu, Donglei Zhou, Xinmeng Zhuang, Zhichong Shi, Rui Sun, Le Liu, Yanjie Wu, Bin Liu, Dali Liu, Hongwei Song
Summary: Interfacial engineering with Ln(3+)-based halide quantum dots can significantly enhance the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells, achieving high open voltage and efficiency.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chen Chen, Xiao Wang, Zhipeng Li, Xiaofan Du, Zhipeng Shao, Xiuhong Sun, Dachang Liu, Caiyun Gao, Lianzheng Hao, Qiangqiang Zhao, Bingqian Zhang, Guanglei Cui, Shuping Pang
Summary: Introducing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) for passivating uncoordinated lead cations in perovskite films has been successful in improving device efficiency and open-circuit voltage, increasing ion migration activation energy, and enhancing operational stability.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Andreas Pusch, Stephen P. Bremner, Murad J. Y. Tayebjee, Nicholas J. Ekins Daukes
Summary: Efficiency limits of multiple exciton generation (MEG) solar cells need to consider Auger recombination, challenging the assumption of effective separation of timescales in traditional quasi-equilibrium models. A non-equilibrium model can offer more accurate assessment of MEG solar cell performance by taking into account Auger recombination impact.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Takumi Deshimaru, Kenta Yamakoshi, Kentaro Kutsukake, Takuto Kojima, Tsubasa Umehara, Haruhiko Udono, Noritaka Usami
Summary: The growth mechanism of multicrystalline Mg2Si crystal was analyzed using optical reflection image analysis and crystal orientation measurement. It was found that grains with higher surface energy competitively expanded during crystal growth, possibly due to the difference in growth rate caused by high supercooling.
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Keisuke Shibata, Shinya Kato, Masashi Kurosawa, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Satoru Miyamoto, Noritaka Usami, Yasuyoshi Kurokawa
Summary: Boron-doped silicon nanocrystals/amorphous silicon oxide multilayers were prepared and their properties were investigated. The electrical conductivity of the multilayers increased with a thickness of the a-SiOx layer and saturated at a certain value. The Seebeck coefficient remained constant and the thermal conductivity was independent of the a-SiOx layer thickness, with a maximum power factor obtained at a specific thickness.
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hao Luo, Van Hoang Nguyen, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Saya Ajito, Tomohiko Hojo, Yasuyoshi Kurokawa, Eiji Akiyama, Noritaka Usami
Summary: This study investigates the effect of post-oxidizing treatment (POT) on the structural, optical, and passivation performances of titanium oxide coated crystalline Si (c-Si) heterostructures prepared by the solution process. The results show that POT improves the passivation performance by oxidizing the TiOx film, c-Si surface, and forming POx.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
H. Kojima, T. Nishihara, K. Gotoh, N. Usami, T. Hara, K. Nakamura, Y. Ohshita, A. Ogura
Summary: We evaluated the damage caused by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) to crystalline silicon (c-Si). The damaged layer on the c-Si surface under the a-Si:H film was measured by lifetime measurements and was approximately 2.8 nm thick. The damage did not disappear even after annealing at 200 degrees C for 30 min in the air atmosphere. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements revealed that the damage was a non-luminescent defect. We found that the difference in H-2 flow rate during a-Si:H deposition affected the depth of damage penetration into c-Si. Our conclusion is that the damage introduced into c-Si during a-Si:H deposition by PECVD is primarily caused by H atoms.
ECS JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Shohei Fukaya, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Takuya Matsui, Hitoshi Sai, Yasuyoshi Kurokawa, Noritaka Usami
Summary: In this study, a simple method was proposed to investigate the effect of metallization on the surface passivation of titanium oxide (TiO x )/Si heterostructures. The relationship between implied open-circuit voltage (iV (OC)) and photoluminescence (PL) intensity imaging of solar cell precursors before metallization was studied using PL imaging technique. Based on this relationship, the quantitative evaluation of the change in iV (OC) before and after metallization on the TiO x was performed. The results showed that the iV (OC) predicted by the PL measurement decreased by 23-104 mV after metal deposition and had a good agreement with the measured V (OC) in the finished solar cells. The evaluation of iV (OC) by PL measurement provides a useful prediction of V (OC) after metallization, which helps in analyzing the passivation degradation induced by metallization.
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Kazuhiro Gotoh, Ryo Ozaki, Motoo Morimura, Aki Tanaka, Yoshiko Iseki, Kyotaro Nakamura, Kazuo Muramatsu, Yasuyoshi Kurokawa, Yoshio Ohshita, Noritaka Usami
Summary: We investigated the effect of B2H6 plasma treatment on p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (p-a-Si:H) surfaces for high-performance silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. The boron concentration at the p-a-Si:H surface increased after the B2H6 plasma treatment, and the specific contact resistance decreased by about one-third. The power conversion efficiency of SHJ solar cells improved due to increased fill factor (FF) resulting from decreased series resistance and increased shunt resistance, which was attributed to the enhanced upward band bending at the heterointerface between transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and p-a-Si:H caused by the B2H6 plasma treatment.
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Crystallography
T. Keerthivasan, Xin Liu, M. Srinivasan, Noritaka Usami, G. Anbu, G. Aravindan, P. Ramasamy
Summary: Numerical simulations were used to investigate the growth of multicrystalline silicon. By partially replacing the bottom of the susceptor with an insulation block, a better quality and lower power consumption multicrystalline silicon ingot was obtained.
JOURNAL OF CRYSTAL GROWTH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yasuyoshi Kurokawa, Kaisei Sato, Keisuke Shibata, Shinya Kato, Satoru Miyamoto, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Takashi Itoh, Noritaka Usami
Summary: By thermal evaporation of Mg and face-to-face annealing (FTFA), Mg2Si thin films were obtained on a crystalline Si substrate and a P-doped hydrogenated amorphous Si thin films on a quartz substrate. FTFA suppressed Mg evaporation, Mg2Si oxidation, and Mg2Si decomposition, resulting in the formation of polycrystalline Mg2Si thin film with large grain size. The effects of annealing temperature (TA) on crystal structure and thermoelectric properties of Mg2Si thin films were investigated. A relatively high ZT value of 0.68 was achieved at 712 K for a sample prepared at TA = 623 K, attributed to increased electrical conductivity, high Seebeck coefficient of -235 mu V center dot K-1, and low thermal conductivity of 1.4-1.7 W center dot m- 1 center dot K- 1.
MATERIALS SCIENCE IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Takeshi Tayagaki, Kohei Yamamoto, Takurou N. Murakami, Masahiro Yoshita
Summary: This study investigated the effects of temperature-dependent ion migration on the power reduction of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) under illumination. It was found that the power reduction became faster at higher temperatures due to an increase in slow mobile ions and a decrease in fast mobile ions. The concentration of mobile ions increased with temperature, resulting in the formation of deep-level defects with low mobility. Furthermore, the transient power responses during maximum-power-point tracking (MPPT) became slower at high temperatures, indicating an increase in the number of slow mobile ions.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Masashi Matsumi, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Markus Wilde, Yasuyoshi Kurokawa, Katsuyuki Fukutani, Noritaka Usami
Summary: A two-step hydrogen plasma treatment was used to improve the passivation performance of Si nanocrystals/silicon oxide compound passivating contacts. This treatment enhanced the hydrogenation of the Si nanocrystals/silicon oxide compound layer, leading to an improved implied open-circuit voltage. However, it also resulted in an increase in contact resistivity.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuqing Li, Hitoshi Sai, Calum Mcdonald, Zhihao Xu, Yasuyoshi Kurokawa, Noritaka Usami, Takuya Matsui
Summary: This study investigates the influence of nanoscale Si pyramid textures on the performance of perovskite/Si tandem solar cells. It is found that excessive texture size leads to non-uniform top-cell formation and reduced performance. However, reducing the texture size within a certain range can suppress reflection and enhance the open-circuit voltage and current of the cell.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kosuke O. Hara, Ryota Takagaki, Keisuke Arimoto, Noritaka Usami
Summary: In this study, the microstructure and its effects on the electrical and optoelectronic properties of BaSi2 films grown by close-spaced evaporation were investigated. It was found that using Si(100) substrates, increasing film thickness and growth temperature can decrease the density of epitaxial domain boundaries, improve carrier lifetime, and enhance the performance of BaSi2 films for photovoltaic applications.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yuto Kimata, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Satoru Miyamoto, Shinya Kato, Yasuyoshi Kurokawa, Noritaka Usami
Summary: Vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) is a promising technology for achieving a decarbonized society in the future. The solar cells used in VIPV require low cost, high efficiency, and the ability to be applied to curved surfaces. One way to meet these requirements is by reducing the thickness of the silicon substrate, although it may result in lower near-infrared light absorption and efficiency. To address this issue, a nanoimprinting method was employed in this study to fabricate submicron-sized light trapping structures (LTSs) on solar cells over a large area. By controlling the parameters such as silica coverage, diameter of silica particles, and etching time, the density, height, and size of LTSs can be controlled, leading to improved light absorption and potential short-circuit current gain.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kenta Yamakoshi, Yutaka Ohno, Kentaro Kutsukake, Takuto Kojima, Tatsuya Yokoi, Hideto Yoshida, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Xin Liu, Hiroaki Kudo, Noritaka Usami
Summary: A comprehensive analysis of optical and photoluminescence images from multicrystalline silicon wafers is conducted using machine learning models, resulting in the establishment of a realistic 3D model that includes the generation point of dislocation clusters. The study reveals the mechanism of dislocation generation and its importance in materials science.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Takeshi Tayagaki, Haruka Kobayashi, Kohei Yamamoto, Takurou N. Murakami, Masahiro Yoshita
Summary: This study evaluates the metastability and UV degradation of lead halide perovskite solar cells under UV light irradiation through light-dark cycle analysis. Results show that the power drop under UV irradiation can be recovered after storing the cells in dark due to ion-migration effects. The energy yield slightly reduces during the light-dark cycles, indicating that the power drop observed after UV irradiation is not caused by UV-induced degradation of the perovskite.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)