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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

A simulation approach for investigating the performances of cadmium telluride solar cells using doping concentrations, carrier lifetimes, thickness of layers, and band gaps

A simulation approach for investigating the performances of cadmium telluride solar cells using doping concentrations, carrier lifetimes, thickness of layers, and band gaps

Deb Kumar Shah, Devendra KC, M. Muddassir, M. Shaheer Akhtar, Chong Yeal Kim and O-Bong Yang

Highlights:

•      A simulation study for the optimization of high-performance cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells.

•      Doping concentrations, carrier lifetimes, and thicknesses of CdTe/CdS layers are considered.

•      Highest efficiency of 18.29% achieved at doping concentration of 1.5 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ for absorber layer.

•      The efficiency increases with increase in carrier lifetime and thickness of absorber layer. 

Abstract:

This paper describes the simulation study for the optimization of high-performance cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells using different doping concentrations, carrier lifetimes, temperature, and thickness of layers of CdTe absorber and CdS window layers. In this simulation, the highest efficiencies of ~18% and ~18.29% achieved when the doping concentrations were 1.5 × 1017 cm−3 for absorber layer and 1 × 1015 cm−3 for window layer, respectively. The efficiency of the solar cell increases with increase in carrier lifetime and the highest efficiency of 18.26% achieved at carrier lifetime 100 μs with doping concentration of 1 × 1017 cm−3. Solar cell with the thickness of absorber layer 8 μm at carrier lifetime 100 μs attained the maximum efficiency of 19.18% whereas the efficiency of 18.33% was noticed in thickness of window layer 70 nm at 100 μs carrier lifetime. The optimum efficiency of 18.3% with short-circuit current 2.66 A and open-circuit voltage 0.79 V of solar cell has been achieved at operating temperature 25 °C. The optimized energy band gap of absorber (1.7 eV) accomplished the highest efficiency of 18.31%. The photogeneration rate increases logarithmically as distance from front increases, while the recombination rate increases linearly, which could be suitable for fabrication of efficient solar cell.

 Keywords:

Doping concentration, Carrier lifetime, Thickness of layer, Temperature, Cadmium telluride solar cell, Efficiency

 Citation:

Deb Kumar Shah, Devendra KC, M. Muddassir, M. Shaheer Akhtar, Chong Yeal Kim, O-Bong Yang, A simulation approach for investigating the performances of cadmium telluride solar cells using doping concentrations, carrier lifetimes, thickness of layers, and band gaps, Solar Energy, Volume 216, 2021, Pages 259-265, ISSN 0038-092X,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2020.12.070.

Received: 29 October 2020, revised: 28 December 2020, Accepted: 31 December 2020, Available online: 1 February 2021.

Impact of Different Antireflection Layers on Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Solar Cells: a PC1D Simulation Study

Impact of Different Antireflection Layers on Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Solar Cells: a PC1D Simulation Study

Authors: Devendra KC, Deb Kumar Shah, Amer M. Alanazi & M. Shaheer Akhtar

Journal of Electronic Materials

https://www.springer.com/journal/11664

Received: 02 September 2020: Accepted: 10 December 2020: Published

23 January 2021

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-020-08696-5

Cite this article.

KC, D., Shah, D.K., Alanazi, A.M. et al. Impact of Different Antireflection Layers on Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Solar Cells: a PC1D Simulation Study. Journal of Elec Materi (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-020-08696-5

Abstract

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is currently known to be one of the reliable cost-effective materials for manufacturing solar cells. In this work, different materials such as magnesium fluoride (MgF2), aluminum trioxide (Al2O3), tin oxide (SnO2), and magnesium oxide (MgO) were applied as a single antireflection coating (ARC) layer and characterized their optoelectrical properties of the resulting CdTe solar cells. A personal computer one-dimensional (PC1D) simulation study was carried out to instigate the overall performance when varying the thickness of the absorber and window layers. Simulation results confirmed that Al2O3 single ARC layer with thickness of 83 nm achieved the best efficiency of 17.81% as compared with the other ARC materials. The Al2O3 single ARC layer resulted in a short-circuit current of 2.89 A and open-circuit voltage of 0.740 V.

Keywords

Antireflection materials, CdTe solar cells, PC1D simulation, optoelectrical properties, conversion efficiency

 

Refined optoelectronic properties of silicon nanowires for improving photovoltaic properties of crystalline solar cells: a simulation study

Refined optoelectronic properties of silicon nanowires for improving photovoltaic properties of crystalline solar cells: a simulation study.

Authors: Deb Kumar Shah, Jaeho Choi, Devendra KC, M. Shaheer Akhtar, Chong Yeal Kim and O-Bong Yang

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics (2021)

Cite this article:

Shah, D.K., Choi, J., KC, D. et al. Refined optoelectronic properties of silicon nanowires for improving photovoltaic properties of crystalline solar cells: a simulation study. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-05031-w

Received 17 August 2020, Accepted 01 December 2020, Published 02 January 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-05031-w

Abstract:

Tremendous works have been devoted on reducing the materials costs and searching a low-cost antireflection (AR) layer in silicon (Si) solar cells. This work reports on the surface architectural of Si wafer (p-type) by growing the nanowires (NWs)-like structures through cost-effective wet-controlled etching method. The nanostructures over Si wafer were optimized in terms of sizes, lengths and densities by changing the etching conditions and thoroughly examined their growth and optoelectrical properties. The well-defined grown NWs textured on Si wafer exhibited the low average reflectance of ~ 2.25% in the full visible-NIR spectrum from 400 to 1000 nm which was well matched to the simulated average reflectance of 2.23%. A model was designed using PC1D simulation to evaluate the photovoltaic (PV) parameters of NWs textured Si wafer-based solar cells without AR layer. In this simulation, the length of SiNWs and reflectance were selected as input parameters to instigate the power conversion and quantum efficiencies of solar cells. The highest conversion efficiency of ~ 16.2% is observed when the average length of SiNWs and reflectance were ~ 2.52 μm and ~ 2.25%, respectively. Experimentally, the fabricated SiNWs-based solar cell with etching time of 20 min attained the highest conversion efficiency of 15.9% and the value was very close to simulated results. PV parameters of SiNWs-based solar cells without AR layer were comparable to commercial c-Si solar cells with SiNx AR layer. Thus, the controlled wet etching is an easy, facile method for fabrication of nanowires on Si wafer with low reflectance. The enhancement in optical and electrical properties would be expected to a great prospect in developing low-cost c-Si solar cells without AR layer.

Link:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10854-020-05031-w#citeas 

Vertically Arranged Zinc Oxide Nanorods as Antireflection Layer for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell: A Simulation Study of Photovoltaic Properties

Vertically Arranged Zinc Oxide Nanorods as Antireflection Layer for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell: A Simulation Study of Photovoltaic Properties

Authors: Deb Kumar Shah, Devendra KC, M. Shaheer Akhtar, Chong Yeal Kim and O-Bong Yang
School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896,  Korea; dkshah149@gmail.com
Received: 31 July 2020; Accepted: 27 August 2020; Published: 1 September 2020

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(17), 6062; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10176062

Abstract: 

This paper describes the unique antireflection (AR) layer of vertically arranged ZnO
nanorods (NRs) on crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells and studies the charge transport and photovoltaic
properties by simulation. The vertically arranged ZnO NRs were deposited on ZnO-seeded c-Si
wafers by a simple low-temperature solution process. The lengths of the ZnO NRs were optimized
by changing the reaction times. Highly dense and vertically arranged ZnO NRs were obtained
over the c-Si wafer when the reaction time was 5 h. The deposited ZnO NRs on the c-Si wafers
exhibited the lowest reflectance of ~7.5% at 838 nm, having a reasonable average reflectance of ~9.5%
in the whole wavelength range (400–1000 nm). Using PC1D software, the charge transport and
photovoltaic properties of c-Si solar cells were explored by considering the lengths of the ZnO NRs
and the reflectance values. The 1.1 m length of the ZnO NRs and a minimum average reflectance of
9.5% appeared to be the optimum values for achieving the highest power conversion eciency of
14.88%. The simulation study for the vertically arranged ZnO NRs AR layers clearly reflects that
the low-temperature deposited ZnO NRs on c-Si solar cells could pose a greater prospect in the
manufacturing of low-cost c-Si solar cells.

Keywords: 

zinc oxide; thin film; silicon solar cells; antireflection layer; power conversion eciency;
PC1D simulation

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/17/6062

Development and Characterization of Solar Simulator for Solar Cells

Title: Development and Characterization of Solar Simulator for Solar Cells

Authors: In Sung Jung, Jaeho Choi, Deb Kumar Shah and M. Shaheer Akhtar

Abstract:

The solar simulator is crucial instrument to determine the performance of solar cells and modules which are core components of solar power plants. Therefore, a precise performance measurement of solar cells is very important to think design a cost effective solar stimulator with high accuracy. This paper proposes the development of a precise and measurable innovative solar simulator technique. The designed solar stimulator is a continuous type for 6 inch solar cell measurement in which a reflector system is added for improving the uniformity of result. In addition, 2∼6 light emitting diodes (LEDs) have attached to the one side of the reflector. For reliable evaluation, the standard measurement of IEC60904-3 was applied and matched the uniformity, temporal instability, and spectrum values under 1000 W/m2 light intensity condition. The uniformity of the solar simulator was recorded to 1.43% by using Al reflector and LED, which was highly comparable to 3.06 before its utilization (without reflector). Thus, designed stimulator improved the temporal instability and spectrum match values, which might be considered as a class A.

Keywords: Solar Cell, PV Module, Uniformity, Solar Simulator

Citations:: 

In Sung Jung, Jaeho Choi, Deb Kumar Shah and M. Shaheer Akhtar, 2020, Development and Characterization of Solar Simulator for Solar Cells, Journal of Nanoelectronics and Optoelectronics, 15(6), pp.673-776

 American Scientific Publishers

https://doi.org/10.1166/jno.2020.2802