Numerical Investigation of Graphene as a Back Surface Field Layer on the Performance of Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell

Authors: 

Devendra KC

 ^1,†,

Deb Kumar Shah

 ^2,3,†,

M. Shaheer Akhtar

 ^3,4,

Mira Park

 ⁵,

Chong Yeal Kim

 ⁴,

O-Bong Yang

 ^2,3,4,* and

Bishweshwar Pant

 ^5,*

¹

Electrical Department, Gabriel Elektro AS, 9700 Lakselv, Norway

²

School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea

³

Graduate School of Integrated Energy-AI, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea

⁴

New and Renewable Energy Materials Development Center (NewREC), Jeonbuk National University, Jeonbuk 56332, Korea

⁵

Carbon Composite Energy Nanomaterials Research Center, Woosuk University, Wanju, Chonbuk 55338, Korea

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors are equally contributed to this work.

Molecules 2021, 26(11), 3275; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113275

Received: 26 April 2021 / Revised: 24 May 2021 / Accepted: 26 May 2021 / Published: 28 May 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Chemistry of Sustainable Energy Conversion and Storage)

Link: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/11/3275  

Citation:

MDPI and ACS Style

KC, D.; Shah, D.K.; Akhtar, M.S.; Park, M.; Kim, C.Y.; Yang, O-B.; Pant, B. Numerical Investigation of Graphene as a Back Surface Field Layer on the Performance of Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell. Molecules 2021, 26, 3275. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113275

AMA Style

KC D, Shah DK, Akhtar MS, Park M, Kim CY, Yang O-B, Pant B. Numerical Investigation of Graphene as a Back Surface Field Layer on the Performance of Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell. Molecules. 2021; 26(11):3275. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113275

Chicago/Turabian Style

KC, Devendra; Shah, Deb K.; Akhtar, M. S.; Park, Mira; Kim, Chong Y.; Yang, O-Bong; Pant, Bishweshwar. 2021. "Numerical Investigation of Graphene as a Back Surface Field Layer on the Performance of Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell" Molecules 26, no. 11: 3275. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113275

Abstract

This paper numerically explores the possibility of ultrathin layering and high efficiency of graphene as a back surface field (BSF) based on a CdTe solar cell by Personal computer one-dimensional (PC1D) simulation. CdTe solar cells have been characterized and studied by varying the carrier lifetime, doping concentration, thickness, and bandgap of the graphene layer. With simulation results, the highest short-circuit current (I_sc = 2.09 A), power conversion efficiency (h = 15%), and quantum efficiency (QE ~ 85%) were achieved at a carrier lifetime of 1 × 10³ ms and a doping concentration of 1 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ of graphene as a BSF layer-based CdTe solar cell. The thickness of the graphene BSF layer (1 mm) was proven the ultrathin, optimal, and obtainable for the fabrication of high-performance CdTe solar cells, confirming the suitability of graphene material as a BSF. This simulation confirmed that a CdTe solar cell with the proposed graphene as the BSF layer might be highly efficient with optimized parameters for fabrication.

Keywords: CdTe solar cell; graphene; back surface; efficiency; simulation