Download or read book Development of Back Contacts for CdTe Thin Films Solar Cells written by Fadhil Khalaf Dahash Alfadhili and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thin film solar cells based on polycrystalline p-type cadmium telluride (CdTe) represent one of these the most promising photovoltaic (PV) device due to high efficiency and low-cost production. Currently, CdTe solar cells provide the lowest cost electricity generation in utility-scale applications, which is a cost-competitive with the traditional power source, fossil fuel. CdTe thin film PV has attained 22.1 % of power conversion efficiency for small area scale and 18.6 % for modules scale. However, the high efficiency of CdTe devices has been achieved by increasing the photo-generated current by changing the traditional window layer (CdS) of CdTe to a wider bandgap material with better band alignment. The open-circuit voltage (VOC) remains below the theoretical limit due to a barrier at the back of the device due to the deep valence band edge of CdTe (-5.9 eV). Voc can be increased by adding a buffer layer between CdTe and the back electrode to decrease band banding and reducing carrier recombination at the back interface. In this thesis, several materials were investigated as a back-buffer layer, such as single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT), zinc telluride (ZnTe), tellurium (Te), and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) to minimize the bend bending at CdTe/back-buffer layer interface. An alternative method to reduce the carrier recombination at the rear surface, the use of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer as a passivation layer was also demonstrated. Finally, an effective method of CdCl2 treatment for CZT thin film was investigated. This method shows that zinc (Zn) can be maintained during the heat treatment.

Download or read book Development of CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells on Flexible Foil Substrates written by Deidra Ranel Hodges and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABSTRACT: Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is a leading thin film photovoltaic (PV) material due to its near ideal band gap of 1.45 eV, its high optical absorption coefficient and availability of various device fabrication methods. Superstrate CdTe solar cells fabricated on glass have to-date exhibited efficiencies of 16.5%. Work on substrate devices has been limited due to difficulties associated with the formation of an ohmic back contact with CdTe. The most promising approach used to-date is based on the use of an interlayer between the CdTe and a metal electrode, an approach that is believed to yield a pseudo-ohmic contact. This research investigates the use of ZnTe and Sb2Te3 as the interlayer, in the development of efficient back contacts. Excellent adhesion and minimum stress are also required of a CdTe thin film solar cell device on a flexible stainless steel (SS) foil substrate. Foil substrate curvature, flaking, delamination and adhesion as a result of compressive strain due to the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the flexible SS foil substrate and the solar cell films have been studied. A potential problem with the use of a SS foil as the substrate is the diffusion of iron (Fe), chromium (Cr) and other elemental impurities into the layers of the solar cell device structure during high temperature processing. A diffusion barrier limiting the out diffusion of these substrate elements is being investigated in this study. Silicon nitride (Si3N4) films deposited on SS foils are being investigated as the barrier layer, to reduce or inhibit the diffusion of substrate impurities into the solar cell. Thin film CdTe solar cells have been fabricated and characterized by AFM, XRD, SEM, ASTM D3359-08 tape test, current-voltage (I-V) and spectral measurements. My individual contributions to this work include the Molybdenum (Mo) development, the adhesion studies, the silicon nitride (Si3N4) barrier studies, and EDS and SEM lines measurements and analysis of substrate out-diffused impurities. The rest of my colleagues focused on the development of CdTe, CdS, ZnTe, the CdCl2 heat treatment, and other back contact interlayer materials.

Download or read book Solar Cells and Modules written by Arvind Shah and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-07-16 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book gives a comprehensive introduction to the field of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and modules. In thirteen chapters, it addresses a wide range of topics including the spectrum of light received by PV devices, the basic functioning of a solar cell, and the physical factors limiting the efficiency of solar cells. It places particular emphasis on crystalline silicon solar cells and modules, which constitute today more than 90 % of all modules sold worldwide. Describing in great detail both the manufacturing process and resulting module performance, the book also touches on the newest developments in this sector, such as Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCON) and heterojunction modules, while dedicating a major chapter to general questions of module design and fabrication. Overall, it presents the essential theoretical and practical concepts of PV solar cells and modules in an easy-to-understand manner and discusses current challenges facing the global research and development community.

Download or read book Development of Materials and Structures for P type Contacts in CdTe Solar Cells written by Dino Ferizovic and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The contact performance of Cu2Te thin films was comparable to that of CdTe/ZnTe superlattices and both demonstrated an advantage over contacts based on ZnTe:N thin films which were used a standard.

Download or read book Coatings and Thin Film Technologies written by Jaime Andres Perez Taborda and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2019-01-03 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of coatings and thin-film technologies is rapidly advancing to keep up with new uses for semiconductor, optical, tribological, thermoelectric, solar, security, and smart sensing applications, among others. In this sense, thin-film coatings and structures are increasingly sophisticated with more specific properties, new geometries, large areas, the use of heterogeneous materials and flexible and rigid coating substrates to produce thin-film structures with improved performance and properties in response to new challenges that the industry presents. This book aims to provide the reader with a complete overview of the current state of applications and developments in thin-film technology, discussing applications, health and safety in thin films, and presenting reviews and experimental results of recognized experts in the area of coatings and thin-film technologies.

Download or read book Investigation of Advanced Back Contacts for CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells written by Alireza Barati and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Recent Advances in Thin Film Photovoltaics written by Udai P. Singh and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-09-02 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides recent development in thin-film solar cells (TFSC). TFSC have proven the promising approach for terrestrial and space photovoltaics. TFSC have the potential to change the device design and produce high efficiency devices on rigid/flexible substrates with significantly low manufacturing cost. TFSC have several advantages in manufacturing compared to traditional crystalline Si-solar cells like less requirement of materials, can be prepared with earth’s abundant materials, less processing steps, easy to dispose, etc. Several universities/research institutes/industry in India and abroad are involved in the research area of thin-film solar cells. The book helps the readers to find the details about different thin-film technologies and its advancement at one place. Each chapter covers properties of materials, its suitability for PV applications, simple manufacturing processes and recent and past literature survey. The issues related to the development of high efficiency TFSC devices over large area and its commercial and future prospects are discussed.

Download or read book CdTe and Related Compounds Physics Defects Hetero and Nano structures Crystal Growth Surfaces and Applications written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2009-11-11 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Almost thirty years after the remarkable monograph of K. Zanio and the numerous conferences and articles dedicated since that time to CdTe and CdZnTe, after all the significant progresses in that field and the increasing interest in these materials for several extremely attractive industrial applications, such as nuclear detectors and solar cells, the edition of a new enriched and updated monograph dedicated to these two very topical II-VI semiconductor compounds, covering all their most prominent, modern and fundamental aspects, seemed very relevant and useful. - Detailed coverage of the main topics associated with the very topical II-VI semiconductor compound CdTe and its alloy CZT - Review of the CdTe recent developments - Fundamental background of many topics clearly introduced and exposed

Download or read book Chalcogenide Photovoltaics written by Roland Scheer and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-03-31 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This first comprehensive description of the most important material properties and device aspects closes the gap between general books on solar cells and journal articles on chalcogenide-based photovoltaics. Written by two very renowned authors with years of practical experience in the field, the book covers II-VI and I-III-VI2 materials as well as energy conversion at heterojunctions. It also discusses the latest semiconductor heterojunction models and presents modern analysis concepts. Thin film technology is explained with an emphasis on current and future techniques for mass production, and the book closes with a compendium of failure analysis in photovoltaic thin film modules. With its overview of the semiconductor physics and technology needed, this practical book is ideal for students, researchers, and manufacturers, as well as for the growing number of engineers and researchers working in companies and institutes on chalcogenide photovoltaics.

Download or read book Comprehensive Guide on Organic and Inorganic Solar Cells written by Md. Akhtaruzzaman and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2021-11-18 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprehensive Guide on Organic and Inorganic Solar Cells: Fundamental Concepts to Fabrication Methods is a one-stop, authoritative resource on all types of inorganic, organic and hybrid solar cells, including their theoretical background and the practical knowledge required for fabrication. With chapters rigorously dedicated to a particular type of solar cell, each subchapter takes a detailed look at synthesis recipes, deposition techniques, materials properties and their influence on solar cell performance, including advanced characterization methods with materials selection and experimental techniques. By addressing the evolution of solar cell technologies, second generation thin-film photovoltaics, organic solar cells, and finally, the latest hybrid organic-inorganic approaches, this book benefits students and researchers in solar cell technology to understand the similarities, differences, benefits and challenges of each device. Introduces the basic concepts of different photovoltaic cells to audiences from a wide variety of academic backgrounds Consists of working principles of a particular category of solar technology followed by dissection of every component within the architecture Crucial experimental procedures for the fabrication of solar cell devices are introduced, aiding picture practical application of the technology

Download or read book Electrical Characterization of Thin Film CdTe Solar Cells written by Darshini Desai and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Photovoltaic device modeling results obtained using AMPS (Analysis of microelectronic and photonic structures) suggest that the dominant recombination mechanism is the SRH recombination through midgap states.

Download or read book Study Of Cu Free Back Contacts to Thin Film CdTe Solar Cells written by Vijay Viswanathan and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABSTRACT: The effect of etching ambient, pressure, plasma power and etch time on contact performance will be studied.

Download or read book McEvoy s Handbook of Photovoltaics written by Soteris Kalogirou and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-08-24 with total page 1341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practical Handbook of Photovoltaics, Third Edition, is a 'benchmark' publication for those involved in the design, manufacture and use of these devices. This fully revised handbook includes brand new sections on smart grids, net metering and the modeling of photovoltaic systems, as well as fully revised content on developments in photovoltaic applications, the economics of PV manufacturing and updated chapters on solar cell function, raw materials, photovoltaic standards, calibration and testing, all with new examples and case studies. The editor has assembled internationally-respected contributors from industry and academia around the world to make this a truly global reference. It is essential reading for electrical engineers, designers of systems, installers, architects, policymakers and physicists working with photovoltaics. - Presents a cast of international experts from industry and academia to ensure the highest quality information from multiple stakeholder perspectives - Covers all things photovoltaics, from the principles of solar cell function and their raw materials, to the installation and design of full photovoltaic systems - Includes case studies, practical examples, and reports on the latest advances and worldwide applications

Download or read book Development of Transparent and Conducting Back Contacts on CdS CdTe Solar Cells for Photoelectrochemical Application written by Upendra Avachat and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research work focuses on developing various back contacts with good transparency in the infrared region (~750 - 1150 nm) for a CdS/CdTe solar cell. CdS/CdTe solar cells were prepared with three different configurations, Glass/SnO2:F/CdS/CdTe/ZnTe:Cu/ITO/Ni-Al (series 1), Glass/SnO2:F/CdS/CdTe/Cu2Te/ITO/Ni-Al (series 2), Glass/SnO2:F/CdS/CdTe/Br-Me etching/Cu/ITO/Ni-Al (series 3).

Download or read book Advances in Thin Film Solar Cells written by I. M. Dharmadasa and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-09-05 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Solar energy conversion plays a very important role in the rapid introduction of renewable energy, which is essential to meet future energy demands without further polluting the environment, but current solar panels based on silicon are expensive due to the cost of raw materials and high energy consumption during production. The way forward is to move towards thin-film solar cells using alternative materials and low-cost manufacturing methods. The photovoltaic community is actively researching thin-film solar cells based on amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and dye-sensitised and organic materials. However, progress has been slow due to a lack of proper understanding of the physics behind these devices. This book concentrates on the latest developments and attempts to improve our understanding of solid-state device physics. The material presented is mainly experimental and based on CdTe thin-film solar cells. The author extends these new findings to CIGS thin-film solar cells and presents a new device design based on graded bandgap multi-layer solar cells. This design has been experimentally tested using the well-researched GaAs/AlGaAs system, and initial devices have shown impressive device parameters. These devices are capable of absorbing all radiation (UV, visible and infra-red) within the solar spectrum and combine "impact ionisation" and "impurity photovoltaic" effects. The improved device understanding presented in this book should impact and guide future photovoltaic device development and low-cost thin-film solar panel manufacture. This new edition features an additional chapter besides exercises and their solutions, which will be useful for academics teaching in this field.

Download or read book Nanostructures and Thin Films for Multifunctional Applications written by Ion Tiginyanu and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-02 with total page 585 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is focused on recent advances in the development of thin films for photovoltaic applications, TiO2/WO3 bi-layers for applications with enhanced photo-catalytic properties, nanometer oxide and hydroxide films for anticorrosive coatings, surface passivation in chemical industries, micro- and nanoelectronics, trilayers of metglas and lead free piezoelectrics for magnetic field sensors, current sensors, spintronics, microwave and read/write devices. Diluted ferromagnetic alloy films are also considered for superconducting spintronics based on superconducting spin-valves. Thermal properties of segmented nanowires are analyzed with respect to thermoelectric applications. Recent advances in template production of nanocomposites are also reviewed with particular focus on technologies for template assisted formation of metal nanotubes. Some elements related to abrasive flow machining (AFM), specifically state of the art elements of technological systems and construction of equipment are presented. The book is written for researchers in materials science, nanotechnologies, PhD students and graduate student.

Download or read book Applications of Multichannel Spectroscopic Ellipsometry for CdTe Photovoltaics written by Xinxuan Tan and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is a powerful tool for non-destructive evaluation of thin films consisting of single layers or multilayers on substrates. For such thin films, SE can provide structural parameters and component material optical properties over a wide spectral range. Further analyses of these optical properties can provide additional information of interest on the physical and chemical properties of the materials. Installation of the SE instrument on a deposition chamber enables monitoring of the thin film during deposition. This experiment, referred to as in-situ real time SE (RTSE), enables high surface sensitivity, fast data acquisition, and non-invasive probing which lead to unique insights into the dynamics of film growth. In this dissertation research, RTSE was applied for analysis of the structural evolution of oxygenated CdS (CdS:O) films deposited on c-Si substrates using different [O2 ]/{[Ar] + [O2]} gas flow ratios. The analysis of RTSE data provides valuable information including the initial film growth mode (e.g. layer-by-layer or clustering), subsequent bulk layer and surface roughness thickness evolution, the growth rate in terms of effective thickness (or volume/area), and the final film optical properties. As an additional application of SE, ex situ through-the-glass mapping SE (TG-M-SE) has been used to study the structural properties and area uniformity of CdS/CdTe solar cells over large areas. The mapping results can be correlated with the efficiency of solar cells fabricated over the same area, exploiting inevitable non-uniformities in the process to identify the optimum structural parameters for highest efficiency solar cells. In a second component of this research, RTSE has proven to be very powerful for the development and optimization of thin film FeS2 deposited by a novel hybrid sputtering/co-evaporation method. This effort started with the sputtering of elemental Fe metal thin films and proceeded to the evaporation of sulfur simultaneously with Fe deposition using different overall rates and substrate temperatures. The effects of these deposition parameters on the resulting iron sulfide film properties were explored. The nucleation, growth evolution, and optical properties of thin film FeS2 deposited by this hybrid method are key outcomes of this study that relies on in-situ RTSE. Other characterization techniques including X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy SEM, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used in the dissertation research to determine the crystal structure, surface microstructure, and the S:Fe atomic ratio of the iron sulfide films to complement the RTSE analysis. In the final component of this dissertation research, CdTe/CdS solar cells in the substrate configuration were fabricated and studied. Development of CdTe/CdS solar cells in this non-standard configuration provides an alternative approach for exploring CdTe back contacts that may require high-temperature vacuum processing. The experimental research on this subject started with a study of the effect of CdS bath temperature on the CdS/CdTe solar cell performance in the superstrate configuration in an attempt to advance the process for use in the substrate configuration. Materials including MoO3, copper indium selenide (CIS), and nitrogen doped CIS (CIS:N) were studied as p-type back contact interlayers between Mo and CdTe in the CdTe/CdS substrate configuration solar cells. The performance of the solar cells incorporating these p-type back contacts are compared and discussed in the dissertation.