Antimony Selenide Thin Film Solar Cells with an Electron Transport Layer of Alq_3

We fabricated Sb_2 Se_3 thin film solar cells using tris(8-hydroxy-quinolinato) aluminum(Alq_3) as an electron transport layer by vacuum thermal evaporation.Another small organic molecule of N,N'-bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N'-bis(phenyl)benzidine(NPB) was used as a hole transport layer.We took ITO/NPB/Sb_2Se_3/Alq_3/Al as the device architecture.An open circuit voltage(V_(oc)) of 0.37 V,a short circuit current density(J_(sc)) of 21.2 mA/cm~2,and a power conversion efficiency(PCE) of 3.79% were obtained on an optimized device.A maximum external quantum efficiency of 73% was achieved at 600 nm.The J_(sc),V_(oc),and PCE were dramatically enhanced after introducing an electron transport layer of Alq_3.The results suggest that the interface state density at Sb_2 Se_3/Al interface is decreased by inserting an Alq_3 layer,and the charge recombination loss in the device is suppressed.This work provides a new electron transport material for Sb_2Se_3 thin film solar cells.     

硅锗量子阱结构在硅异质结太阳电池中应用的数值模拟

利用半导体工艺和器件仿真软件silvaco TCAD(Technology Computer Aided Design),模拟研究了采用硅/硅锗合金(silicon/silicon germanium alloy,Si/Si_(1-x)Ge_x)量子阱结构作为吸收层的薄膜晶体硅异质结太阳电池各项性能.模拟结果显示,长波波段光学吸收随锗含量的增加而增加,而开路电压则因Si_(1-x)Ge_x)层带隙的降低而下降.锗含量为0.25时,短路电流密度的增加补偿了开路电压的衰减,效率提升0.2%.氢化非晶硅/晶体硅(a-Si:H/c-Si)界面空穴密度以及Si_(1-x)Ge_x)量子阱的体空穴载流子浓度制约着空穴费米能级的位置,进而影响到开路电压的大小.随着锗含量增加,a-Si:H/c-Si界面缺陷对开压的影响降低,Si_(1-x)Ge_x)量子阱的体缺陷对开压的影响则相应增加.高效率含Si_(1-x)Ge_x)量子阱结构的硅异质结太阳电池的制备需要a-Si:H/c-Si界面缺陷的良好钝化以及高质量Si_(1-x)Ge_x)量子阱的生长.     

Simply synthesized TiO_2 nanorods as an effective scattering layer for quantum dot sensitized solar cells

TiO2 nanorod layers are synthesized by simple chemical oxidation of Ti substrates. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements show effective light scattering properties originating from nanorods with length scales on the order of one micron. The films are sensitized with CdSe quantum dots （QDs） by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction （SILAR） and integrated as a photoanode in quantum dot sensitized solar cells （QDSCs）. Incorporating nanorods in photoanode structures provided 4- to 8-fold enhancement in light scattering, which leads to a high power conversion efficiency, 3.03% （Voc = 497 mV, Jsc = 11.32 mA/cm2, FF = 0.54）, in optimized structures. High efficiency can he obtained just by tuning the photoanode structure without further treatments, which will make this system a promising nanostructure for efficient quantum dot sensitized solar cells.     

Influence of interface states,conduction band offset,and front contact on the performance of a-SiC:H(n)/c-Si(p)heterojunction solar cells

P-type silicon heterojunction(SHJ) solar cells with a-SiC:H(n) emitters were studied by numerical computer simulation in this paper. The influence of interface states, conduction band offset, and front contact on the performance of a-SiC:H(n)/c-Si(p) SHJ solar cells was investigated systematically. It is shown that the open circuit voltage(V_(oc)) and fill factor(F F) are very sensitive to these parameters. In addition, by analyzing equilibrium energy band diagram and electric field distribution, the influence mechanisms that interface states, conduction band offset, and front contact impact on the carrier transport, interface recombination and cell performance were studied in detail. Finally, the optimum parameters for the a-SiC:H(n)/c-Si(p) SHJ solar cells were provided. By employing these optimum parameters, the efficiency of SHJ solar cell based on p-type c-Si was significantly improved.     

GaInP2/GaAs/Ge叠层太阳电池材料的低压MOCVD外延生长

本文采用自制的LP-MOCVD设备,外延生长出GaInP₂/GaAs/Ge叠层太阳电池结构片,对电池材料进行了X射线衍射测试分析.另外,采用二次离子质谱仪测试了电池结构的剖面曲线.用此材料做出的叠层太阳电池,AMO条件下光电转换效率η=13.6%,开路电压V_oc=2230mV,短路电流密度J_sc=12.6mA/cm².     

A novel TiO2 nanoparticles/nanowires composite core with ZrO2 nanoparticles shell coating photoanode for high-performance dye-sensitized solar cell based on different electrolytes

The novel TiO₂ nanopartilces/nanowires (TNPWs) composite with ZrO₂ nanoparticles (ZNPs) shell-coated photoanodes were prepared to fabricate high-performance dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on different types of electrolytes. Hafnium oxide (HfO₂) is a new and efficient blocking layer material applied over the TNPWs-ZNPs core-shell photoanode film. TiO₂ nanoparticles (TNPs) and TiO₂ nanowires (TNWs) were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). DSSCs were fabricated using the novel photoanodes with an organic sensitizer D149 dye and different types of electrolytes namely liquid electrolyte, ionic liquid electrolyte, solid-state electrolyte, and quasi-solid-state electrolyte. The DSSC-4 made through the novel core-shell photoanode using quasi-solid-state electrolyte showed better photocurrent efficiency (PCE) as compared to the other DSSCs. It has such photocurrent-voltage characteristics: short circuit photocurrent (Jsc)?=?19 mA/cm², the open circuit voltage (Voc)?=?650 mV, fill factor (FF)?=?65 %, and PCE (η)?=?8.03 %. The improved performance of DSSC-4 is ascribed to the core-shell with blocking layer photoanode could increased electron transport and suppressed recombination of charge carriers at the TNPWs-ZNPs/dye/electrolyte interface.     

Increased open‐circuit voltage of ZnO nanowire/PbS quantum dot bulk heterojunction solar cells with solution‐deposited Mg(OH)2 interlayer

An ultrathin Mg(OH)₂ layer was solution‐deposited onto the ZnO nanowires to solve the problem of interfacial charge recombination, caused by the increase of interfacial area in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) PbS colloidal quantum dot solar cells (CQDSCs). This Mg(OH)₂ interlayer efficiently passivated the surface defects of ZnO nanowires and provided tunnel barrier at ZnO/PbS interface. As a result, the charge recombination at ZnO/PbS interface was largely suppressed, proved by the significantly elongated electron lifetime and the increased open‐circuit voltage of the Mg(OH)₂‐involved BHJ CQDSCs. Careful thickness optimization of Mg(OH)₂ interlayer finally brought a ～33% increase in V_oc and ～25% improvement in power conversion efficiency.     

退火处理ZnPc(OC_8H_(17)OPyCH_3I)_8阴极缓冲层的倒置有机太阳能电池

制备了以Zn Pc(OC8H17OPy CH3I)8为阴极缓冲层、P3HT∶PCBM为有源层的有机太阳能电池。对阴极缓冲层Zn Pc(OC8H17OPy CH3I)8薄膜分别进行了溶剂蒸汽退火和过渡舱惰性气体流退火处理,并利用原子力显微镜(AFM)对缓冲层表面形貌进行了表征。结果表明:这两种退火方法都使缓冲层形貌得以改善。电池效率从2.14%提高到3.76%,电流密度从8.12 m A/cm2提高到10.71 m A/cm2,填充因子从0.45提高到0.61。与传统器件相比,退火处理的阴极缓冲层器件的稳定性也得到了改善,器件寿命延长了1.4倍。这种简单阴极界面处理方法为改善聚合物太阳能电池性能提供了有效途径。     

Advantages of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells with stepped-thickness quantum wells

InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) solar cells with stepped-thickness quantum wells (SQW) are designed and grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The stepped-thickness quantum wells structure, in which the well thickness becomes smaller and smaller along the growth direction, reveals better crystalline quality and better spectral overlap with the solar spectrum. Consequently, the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and conversion efficiency of the solar cell are enhanced by 27.12% and 56.41% compared with the conventional structure under illumination of AM1.5G (100 mW/cm2). In addition, approaches to further promote the performance of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells are discussed and presented.     

Application of AlGaInP with Sb Incorporation in Lattice-Matched 5-Junction Tandem Solar Cells

It is well known that conventional GaInP/GaInAs/Ge three-junction(3J) solar cells are difficult to continue to ascend when the efficiencies reach 32% and 42% under AMO and AM1.5 D concentrated, respectively. In AlGaInP/AlGaInAs/GaInAs/GaInNAs/Ge five-junction(5J) solar cells, the performance of the AlGaInP, AlGaInAs and GaInNAs sub cell is the key factor for conversion efficiency of the 5J solar cell. We investigate the AlGaInP/AlGaInAs/Ge 3J solar cell. By incorporating surfactant trimthylantimony into the AlGaInP material,the crystal quality of AlGalnP is improved and the spectrum absorption range of AlGaInAs is extended. The current density of each sub cell exceeds 11.3 mA/cm~2 as is desired. Then we apply this 3J structure to grow the lattice-matched 5J solar cell and obtain the short circuit current of 134.96 mA, open circuit voltage of 4399.6 mV,fill factor of 81.7% and conversion efficiency of 29.87%.     

New theoretical analysis of a novel hetero-junction SnS/CdS solar cell with homo-junction P–P+ in the rear face-numerical approach

The numerical investigation on a solar cell based on SnS was carried out in this paper utilizing SCAPS-1D simulation software. The originality of this work lies in the top efficiency reached after adding a BSF of the same type of absorber layer. Studied photovoltaic solar cell is wrought of a SnS layer, one layer of cadmium sulfide CdS, and ITO as a TCO layer. To achieve optimal performance, the impact of layer thicknesses, carrier concentration, series and shunt resistance, operating temperature, and the impact of the SnS P⁺ layer as a back surface field on solar cell performance were examined. With the insertion of the BSF in the proposed cell, the open-circuit tension improved from 820 to 930 mV, the Jsc current density slightly increased from 34.75 to 35.09 mA/cm², the FF Fill Factor increased by even more than 87%, and a top efficiency of 28.47% was reached so rather than 23.94%.     

Effect of Droop Phenomenon in InGaN/GaN Blue Laser Diodes on Threshold Current

Electroluminescence(EL) and temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements are performed to study the internal quantum efficiency droop phenomenon of blue laser diodes(LDs) before lasing. Based on the ABC mode, the EL result demonstrates that non-radiative recombination rates of LDs with threshold current densities of 4 and 6 kA/cm~2 are similar, while LD with threshold current density of 4 kA/cm~2 exhibits a smaller augerlike recombination rate compared with the one of 6 kA/cm~2. The internal quantum efficiency droop is more serious for LD with higher threshold current density. The internal quantum efficiency value estimated from temperature-dependent photoluminescence is consistent with EL measurements.     

Application of TiO2 with different structures in solar cells

The application of TiO2-based devices is mainly dependent on their crystalline structure,morphology,size,and exposed facets.Two kinds of TiO2 with different structures,namely TiO2 pompons and TiO2 nanotubes,have been prepared by the hydrothermal method.TiO2 with different structures is characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) surface area analysis.Solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) and TiO2 with different structures are fabricated.In the device ITO/TiO2/P3HT/Au,the P3HT is designed to act as the electron donor,and TiO2 pompons and TiO2 nanotubes act as the electron acceptor.The effects of the TiO2 structure on the performance of hybrid heterojunction solar cells are investigated.The device with TiO2 pompons has an open circuit voltage(Voc) of 0.51 V,a short circuit current(Jsc) of 0.21 mA/cm2,and a fill factor(FF) of 28.3%.Another device with TiO2 nanotubes has a V oc of 0.5 V,J sc of 0.27mA/cm2,and FF of 28.4%.The results indicate that the TiO2 nanotubes with a unidimensional structure have better carrier transport and light absorption properties than TiO 2 pompons.Consequently,the solar cell based on TiO2 nanotubes has a better performance.     

不同温度下制备的CdTe薄膜对太阳电池光电性能的影响

在不同温度下用近空间升华法（CSS）制备了CdTe多晶薄膜,结合I-V,C-V特性及深能级瞬态谱研究了不同温度制备的CdTe薄膜对CdS/CdTe太阳电池性能的影响.结果表明,制备温度对电池组件的开路电压影响不大,对短路电流和填充因子有影响,CdTe薄膜的深中心对温度和频率的响应基本一致.580℃制备的样品暗饱和电流密度最小,载流子浓度较高,光电特性较好,而且空穴陷阱浓度较低,深中心复合作用较小.在此研究基础上制备出了面积为300 mm×400 mm 关键词： 制备温度 CdTe薄膜 深能级瞬态谱（DLTS） CdS/CdTe太阳电池     

Investigation of polymer/inorganic hybrid photovoltaic device using quantum dots as the interface modifier

CdS quantum dots (QDs) were introduced as an interface modifier in the poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/TiO₂ nanorod arrays hybrid photovoltaic device. The presence of CdS QDs interlayer was found to provide enhanced light absorption, increased interfacial recombination resistance at the P3HT/TiO₂ interfaces, thus leading to a lower recombination rate of the electrons due to the stepwise structure of band edge in P3HT/CdS/TiO₂, which accounts for the observed enhanced photocurrent and photovoltage of the hybrid solar cells. The optimized performance was achieved in P3HT/CdS/TiO₂ hybrid solar cells after deposition of CdS QDs for 10 cycles, with a power conversion efficiency of 0.57 %, which is nearly ten times higher than that of P3HT/TiO₂. The findings indicate that inorganic semiconductor quantum dots provide effective means to improve the performance of polymer/TiO₂ hybrid solar cells.     

Improving power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells by cooperative LSPR of gold-silver dual nanoparticles

Enhancing optical and electrical performances is effective in improving power conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Here, gold and silver dual nanoparticles were imported and embedded in the hole transport layer of perovskite solar cells. Due to the cooperative localized surface plasmon resonance of these two kinds of metal nanostructures, light harvest of perovskite material layer and the electrical performance of device were improved, which finally upgraded short circuit current density by 10.0%, and helped to increase power conversion efficiency from 10.4% to 11.6% under AM 1.5G illumination with intensity of 100 m W/cm~2. In addition, we explored the influence of silver and gold nanoparticles on charge carrier generation, dissociation, recombination, and transportation inside perovskite solar cells.     

Improvement in IBC-silicon solar cell performance by insertion of highly doped crystalline layer at heterojunction interfaces

By inserting a thin highly doped crystalline silicon layer between the base region and amorphous silicon layer in an interdigitated back-contact(IBC) silicon solar cell, a new passivation layer is investigated. The passivation layer performance is characterized by numerical simulations. Moreover, the dependence of the output parameters of the solar cell on the additional layer parameters(doping concentration and thickness) is studied. By optimizing the additional passivation layer in terms of doping concentration and thickness, the power conversion efficiency could be improved by a factor of2.5%, open circuit voltage is increased by 30 mV and the fill factor of the solar cell by 7.4%. The performance enhancement is achieved due to the decrease of recombination rate, a decrease in solar cell resistivity and improvement of field effect passivation at heterojunction interface. The above-mentioned results are compared with reported results of the same conventional interdigitated back-contact silicon solar cell structure. Furthermore, the effect of a-Si:H/c-Si interface defect density on IBC silicon solar cell parameters with a new passivation layer is studied. The additional passivation layer also reduces the sensitivity of output parameter of solar cell to interface defect density.     

Investigation of Interfacial Charge Separation at PbS QDs/(001) TiO2 Nanosheets Heterojunction Solar Cell

In the recent years, the heterojunction solar cells based on quantum dots (QDs) have attracted attention due to strong light absorbing characteristics and the size effect on the bandgap tuning. This paper reports on the kinetics of interfacial charge separation of PbS QDs/(001) TiO₂ nanosheets heterojunction solar cells. PbS QDs are deposited using a bifunctional linker molecule on two different TiO₂ films, i.e., TiO₂ nanosheets (with 001 dominant exposed facet) and TiO₂ nanoparticles (with 101 dominant exposed facet). Upon bandgap excitation, electrons are transferred from the PbS QDs conduction band to the lower lying conduction band of TiO₂. Based on the ultrafast pump‐probe laser spectroscopy technique, the kinetics of charge separation is scrutinized at the PbS/TiO₂ interface. The interfacial charge separation at PbS/TiO₂ nanosheets films made of (001) dominant exposed facets is five times faster than that on (101) dominant exposed facets TiO₂ nanoparticles. The quantum yields for charge injection are higher for the (001) TiO₂ nanosheets than the (101) TiO₂ nanoparticles due to enhanced interfacial interaction with (001) surface compared to the (101) nanoparticles. The superior interfacial charge separation at PbS/(001) nanosheets respect to PbS/(101) nanoparticles is consistent with the higher photocurrent and enhanced power conversion efficiency in the PbS QDs/(001) TiO₂ heterojunction solar cell. The use of (001) TiO₂ nanosheets can be a better alternative to conventional mesoporous TiO₂ films in QD heterojunction solar cells and perovskites‐based heterojunction solar cells.     

Natural dye-based photoelectrode for improvement of solar cell performance

In the present paper, photovoltaic studies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on betacyanin/TiO₂ and betacyanin/WO₃–TiO₂ have been done. The cell performances were compared through I–V curves and wavelength dependant photocurrent measurements for the two new types of DSSCs. The TiO₂-coated DSSC showed the photovoltage and photocurrent of 300 mV and 4.96 mA/cm², whereas the cell employing WO₃–TiO₂ photoelectrode showed the values 435 mV and 9.86 mA/cm², respectively. The conversion efficiency of TiO₂ based dye-sensitized solar cell was found to be 0.69 %, while WO₃–TiO₂-based cell exhibited a higher conversion efficiency of 2.2 %. The better performance of the WO₃–TiO₂ dye-sensitized solar cell photoelectrode is thought to be due to an inherent energy barrier at the electrode/electrolyte interface leading to the reduced recombination of photoinduced electrons.     

二甲基亚砜添加剂对聚合物太阳能电池性能的影响

研究了二甲基亚砜(DMSO)掺杂浓度对基于聚(3-己基噻吩)(P3HT)和(6,6)-苯基碳60丁酸甲酯(PCBM)为有源层的聚合物太阳能电池性能影响。结果表明,掺杂DMSO可以提高聚合物太阳能电池短路电流密度和填充因子。DMSO掺杂质量比为3%时,电池短路电流密度提高到7.88 mA·cm-2,填充因子为55.5%。能量转换效率达到2.54％,相比没有掺杂DMSO的电池,能量转换效率提高了17%。傅里叶变换红外光谱被用于鉴定和分析掺杂DMSO对材料P3HT∶PCBM化学性质的影响。傅里叶变换红外光谱表明,掺杂后P3HT和PCBM的化学性质都没有改变。为分析掺杂DMSO改善器件能量转换效率的原因,通过紫外-可见光谱和电流密度-电压特性曲线分别表征器件的光吸收能力以及电致发光器件的载流子迁移率。与P3HT∶PCBM薄膜相比,P3HT∶PCBM∶DMSO薄膜在可见光范围内的吸收峰有明显红移且吸收强度增强。可见光吸收的改善是实现短路电流密度提高的有力保障。太阳能电池性能的增强是因为DMSO的掺杂提高了P3HT∶PCBM的载流子迁移率和吸收光谱宽度。