Enhancement Of Cell Efficiency Research Articles

Optimizing the metallization process for high fill factor of n-type crystalline silicon TOPCon solar cells

The primary challenge in solar cell manufacture concerning the metallization process is the need to achieve a balance between the electrical and optical performance of the metal contacts as the contribute to shading and the series resistance (Rs) of solar cells. Addressing these challenges with the optimization of the metallization process is crucial for achieving a high fill factor (FF) in solar cells, as FF is a key parameter indicating the quality and efficiency of a solar cell. An impact of different snap-off, distances between mask and cells, of n-type TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) solar cells during the screen-printing process was conducted. This experiment employs testing and analysis to determine the most effective snap-off distance that minimizes the Rs variability, resulting in an overall enhancement in cell efficiency. The smaller snap-off distance can lead to better performance in n-TOPCon solar cells due to finer lines, uniform contacts, and lower Rs. The I-V characteristics of 1.4 mm are Jsc of 39.58 mA/cm2, Voc of 684.63 mV, FF of 80.54 %, and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.83 %, respectively. In addition, dark I-V measurement is essential for diagnosing performance issues; we got shunt resistance (Rsh) of 4.97 x 106 Ω which is the highest value that indicates minimal Rs of 0.3 Ω. As a result, it is a potential strategy for n-TOPCon solar cell improvements.

Sustainable coatings for green solar photovoltaic cells: performance and environmental impact of recyclable biomass digestate polymers

The underutilization of digestate-derived polymers presents a pressing environmental concern as these valuable materials, derived from anaerobic digestion processes, remain largely unused, contributing to pollution and environmental degradation when left unutilized. This study explores the recovery and utilization of biodegradable polymers from biomass anaerobic digestate to enhance the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells while promoting environmental sustainability. The anaerobic digestion process generates organic residues rich in biodegradable materials, often considered waste. However, this research investigates the potential of repurposing these materials by recovering and transforming them into high-quality coatings or encapsulants for PV cells. The recovered biodegradable polymers not only improve the efficiency and lifespan of PV cells but also align with sustainability objectives by reducing the carbon footprint associated with PV cell production and mitigating environmental harm. The study involves a comprehensive experimental design, varying coating thickness, direct normal irradiance (DNI) (A), dry bulb temperature (DBT) (B), and relative humidity (C) levels to analyze how different types of recovered biodegradable polymers interact with diverse environmental conditions. Optimization showed that better result was achieved at A = 8 W/m2, B = 40 °C and C = 70% for both the coated material studied. Comparative study showed that for enhanced cell efficiency and cost effectiveness, EcoPolyBlend coated material is more suited however for improving durability and reducing environmental impact NanoBioCelluSynth coated material is preferable choice. Results show that these materials offer promising improvements in PV cell performance and significantly lower environmental impact, providing a sustainable solution for renewable energy production. This research contributes to advancing both the utilization of biomass waste and the development of eco-friendly PV cell technologies, with implications for a more sustainable and greener energy future. This study underscores the pivotal role of exploring anaerobic digestate-derived polymers in advancing the sustainability and performance of solar photovoltaic cells, addressing critical environmental and energy challenges of our time.Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (given name, middle name/initial, family name). Author 7 Given name: [Ashok] Last name [Kumar Yadav]. Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.correct

Theoretical Investigation and Improvement of Characteristics of InAs/GaAs Quantum Dot Intermediate Band Solar Cells by Optimizing Quantum Dot Dimensions

Quantum dot (QD)-based solar cells have been the focus of extensive research. One of the critical challenges in this field is optimizing the size and placement of QDs within the cells to enhance light absorption and overall efficiency. This paper theoretically investigates InAs/GaAs QD intermediate band solar cells (QD-IBSC) employing cylindrical QDs. The goal is to explore factors affecting light absorption and efficiency in QD-IBSC, such as the positioning of QDs, their dimensions, and the spacing (pitch) between the centers of adjacent dots. Achieving optimal values to enhance cell efficiency involves modifying and optimizing these QD parameters. This study involves an analysis of more than 500 frequency points to optimize parameters and evaluate efficiency under three distinct conditions: output power optimization, short-circuit current optimization, and generation rate optimization. The results indicate that optimizing the short-circuit current leads to the highest efficiency compared to the other conditions. Under optimized conditions, the efficiency and current density increase to 34.3% and 38.42 mA/cm2, respectively, representing a remarkable improvement of 15% and 22% compared to the reference cell.

Structural optimization and growth of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon films by HWCVD

Although the silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell is the crystalline silicon solar cell with highest conversion efficiency at present, its higher cost of production line has been a factor restricting its industrial development. The use of hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) technology instead of the mainstream plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technology for the deposition of amorphous silicon films can effectively reduce the cost of equipment and processing, and has a bright future. In recent years, i-a-Si:H films grown by PECVD have obtained great improvement in passivation quality, whereas HWCVD technology has been neglected in this field. This has significantly limited the development and application of HWCVD technology in SHJ cell production. In this work, we exploited the differences in the films properties and microstructures deposited by various hot-wire temperatures and successfully developed a structure for the high-passivation-quality i-a-Si:H film grown by HWCVD, consisting of a buffer layer and a double-layer bulk stack. By introducing the buffer layer grown with the 1650 °C hot-wire temperature and pure silane, the effective minority carrier lifetime was improved from 2.3 ms to 7.5 ms, and a cell efficiency enhancement of 0.4%abs was obtained. By depositing the bulk layer sequentially with hot-wire temperatures of 1800 °C and 1900 °C, the passivation quality and the conductance were both improved. An effective minority carrier lifetime of 8 ms and a further cell efficiency enhancement of 0.15%abs were obtained. Finally, SHJ solar cell efficiency of 24.35% was obtained with a home-made HWCVD-based pilot SHJ cell line.

Light absorption enhancement in dye-sensitized solar cells using thin nanostructured photoelectrodes

As thin-film solar cells are the attraction of many research works nowadays, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) among other types hold the promise of excellent cost/performance ratio because of the relatively low material costs and simple processing conditions. In order to improve its relatively low performance, different approaches are being explored to enhance the photon-to-current conversion efficiency. Notably, one of the most accessible approaches is by modifying the optical characteristics of the photoelectrode of DSSCs to improve light trapping within the cell. Here, we introduce a cost-effective nanopatterning process done on the photo-active TiO2 photoelectrode layer for better light absorption. This simple technique resulted in increased cell short-circuit current density (from 4.664 to 5.963 mA/cm2) which consequently enhanced cell efficiency (from 2.243 to 2.819%). Furthermore, without compromising the absorption significantly, nanopatterned photoelectrodes with a smaller thickness can lead to reduced material costs and possibly allowing the construction of semitransparent cells. This work can contribute to an attainable efficient DSSC manufacturing route for practical applications.

BMP]+[BF4]--Modified CsPbI1.2Br1.8 Solar Cells with Improved Efficiency and Suppressed Photoinduced Phase Segregation.

With the rapid progress in a power conversion efficiency reaching up to 26.1%, which is among the highest efficiency for single-junction solar cells, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells have become a research focus in photovoltaic technology all over the world, while the instability of these perovskite solar cells, due to the decomposition of its unstable organic components, has restricted the development of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. In recent years, Br-mixed halogen all-inorganic perovskites (CsPbI3-xBrx) have aroused great interests due to their ability to balance the band gap and phase stability of pure CsPbX3. However, the photoinduced phase segregation in lead mixed halide perovskites is still a big burden on their practical industrial production and commercialization. Here, we demonstrate inhibited photoinduced phase segregation all-inorganic CsPbI1.2Br1.8 films and their corresponding perovskite solar cells by incorporating a 1-butyl-1-methylpiperidinium tetrafluoroborate ([BMP]+[BF4]-) compound into the CsPbI1.2Br1.8 films. Then, its effect on the perovskite films and the corresponding hole transport layer-free CsPbI1.2Br1.8 solar cells with carbon electrodes under light is investigated. With a prolonged time added to the reduced phase segregation terminal, this additive shows an inhibitory effect on the photoinduced phase segregation phenomenon for perovskite films and devices with enhanced cell efficiency. Our study reveals an efficient and simple route that suppresses photoinduced phase segregation in cesium lead mixed halide perovskite solar cells with enhanced efficiency.

Triisocyanate Derived Interlayer and High-Melting-Point Doping Promoter Boost Operational Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Formamidinium lead triiodide serves as the optimal light-absorbing layer in single-junction perovskite solar cells. However, achieving operational stability of high-efficiency n-i-p type devices at elevated temperatures remains challenging. In this work, we implemented effective surface modifications on microcrystalline perovskite films. This involved the nucleophilic addition of formamidinium cations and coordination of residual PbI2 with triphenylmethane triisocyanate as well as subsequent polymerization. The in situ growth of a cross-linking network chemically anchored on the perovskite film in this approach effectively reduced trap densities, favorably altered surface work function, suppressing interface charge recombination and thus enhancing cell efficiency. Coupled with a high-melting-point air-doping promoter, we fabricated n-i-p type perovskite solar cells surpassing 25 % efficiency, demonstrating excellent operational stability at 65 °C.

Triisocyanate Derived Interlayer and High‐Melting‐Point Doping Promoter Boost Operational Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells

AbstractFormamidinium lead triiodide serves as the optimal light‐absorbing layer in single‐junction perovskite solar cells. However, achieving operational stability of high‐efficiency n‐i‐p type devices at elevated temperatures remains challenging. In this work, we implemented effective surface modifications on microcrystalline perovskite films. This involved the nucleophilic addition of formamidinium cations and coordination of residual PbI2 with triphenylmethane triisocyanate as well as subsequent polymerization. The in situ growth of a cross‐linking network chemically anchored on the perovskite film in this approach effectively reduced trap densities, favorably altered surface work function, suppressing interface charge recombination and thus enhancing cell efficiency. Coupled with a high‐melting‐point air‐doping promoter, we fabricated n‐i‐p type perovskite solar cells surpassing 25 % efficiency, demonstrating excellent operational stability at 65 °C.

Hierarchical microporous Ni-based electrodes enable “Two Birds with One Stone” in highly efficient and robust anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE)

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) is currently the most promising technology to produce green hydrogen. However, the lack of cost-effective and scalable methods for fabricating robust and highly active non-noble metal electrodes primarily inhibits its large-scale industrialization. This study unveils an effective strategy for tackling this challenge by creating a novel hierarchical conical-microporous nickel-based electrode, through a synergistic implementation of both rapid and scalable atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and laser texturing (LT) processes. The resultant NA-LT-CA electrodes exhibits remarkable catalytic performances for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Notably, the AEMWE cell with NA-LT-CA electrodes yields a remarkable enhancement of cell efficiency, toward a reduction in cell voltage of 244 mV at 0.8 A cm−2, compared to the NA-CA electrode (without LT) cell. The notable achievements stem from the improved bubble dynamic contributed by the introduced hierarchical micropores into NA-LT-CA electrodes by the LT process. Moreover, the cell equipped with the NA-LT-CA electrodes demonstrates an outstanding durability, maintaining its performance for 1000 h without visible degradation under 0.8 A cm−2, which can be ascribed to the distinctive “pinning effect” produced by the transition layer during the LT process, adeptly preventing the catalytic layer peeling off even under industrial-scale current densities. Notably, introducing the LT process delivers a dual benefit, akin to achieving “Two Birds with One Stone.”. This work supports the effectiveness of combining APS and LT processes as a potent strategy for fabricating high-efficiency and enduring electrodes, thus advancing AEMWE for practical industrial applications.

Enhancing perovskite solar cell performance: Investigating the impact of post-annealing on the optoelectrical and structural properties of RF-sputtered NiO films via SCAPS-1D device modeling

In recent years, perovskite solar cells have garnered significant interest in the field of solar cell research and development, primarily due to their notable efficiency. However, their limited lifespan and material defects, particularly in the interface layer and during deposition or fabrication processes, pose challenges to their widespread adoption. Innovative approaches to material processing and design are essential to addressing these issues. This paper introduces a novel method for the deposition of nickel oxide (NiO) thin films aimed at enhancing the performance of perovskite solar cells. Our study involved depositing NiO films on glass substrates using an optimised RF magnetron sputtering process at room temperature. These films were then annealed at temperatures ranging from 100 to 400 °C in an open-air setting. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that pure NiO thin films were formed. These films had a cubic crystalline structure and were mostly oriented along the (200) plane. Crucially, annealing at 100 °C significantly improved the crystallinity of the NiO films, reducing the average crystallite size from 21.05 to 6.10 nm, as evidenced by field emission scanning electron microscopy. For solar cells, this kind of microstructural refinement is very important because it changes the optical band gap, which ranged from 3.81 to 3.86 eV depending on the annealing temperature, and it also has a big effect on the films' electrical properties. The outstanding electrical characteristics of the NiO film annealed at 100 °C are particularly remarkable. We used these improved NiO films in perovskite solar cells that had a structure of FTO/NiO/MAPbI3/PCBM/Ag and ran SCAPS-1D simulations to see how well they worked. The simulation results are promising, indicating an enhancement in cell efficiency with the potential to surpass 22 %. This advancement highlights the critical role of advanced thin film deposition techniques in advancing photovoltaic technology and marks a substantial step towards unlocking the full potential of perovskite solar cells.

Influence of Eu3+ ion concentration on La2Al0.5Li0.5O4 phosphor for LEDs and solar cell efficiency enhancement

Eu-doped La2Al0.5Li0.5O4 samples were prepared using simple combustion method using urea-glycine as fuel, 800 °C of calcination follows. The samples are single phase and have crystallized into a tetragonal crystal structure with space group I4/mmm, according to Rietveld refinement analysis of XRD data. The transition peaks 5D0→7F0 and 5D0→7F2 found for peak at 593 nm and 614 nm in PL spectra. However PL emission intensity gets decreased on enhancing concentration of Eu3+ ion caused by concentration quenching phenomenon. Their intensity increases dramatically as a result of an efficient energy transfer from the oxygen vacancy state. The present sample can be used in UV-filter, UV-detector, optical devices, and WLEDs application applications by using these absorption states and emission states as metastable states. The initial efficiency of the silicon solar cell, on which this phosphor is coated, results in a 16.02% increase in intensity. This outcome shows that this phosphor is further useful in solar cell efficiency enhancement.

Improved Parasitic Capacitance-Predictively Aware DTCO: Enhanced Cell Efficiency With Manufacturability and Scalability for 4F$^{\text{2}}$ VCT-Based DRAM

Improved Parasitic Capacitance-Predictively Aware DTCO: Enhanced Cell Efficiency With Manufacturability and Scalability for 4F$^{\text{2}}$ VCT-Based DRAM

Defect Engineering of CH3NH3PbI3 towards Enhanced Carrier Lifetime: Combined Detailed Balanced Study and NAMD-TDDFT

Halide-lead perovskite materials hold great promise for photovoltaics but face efficiency limitations due to intrinsic defects causing carrier recombination. To enhance cell efficiency, comprehensively understanding and managing these defects are...

Narrow Line Width Ni–Cu–Sn Front Contact Metallization Patterns for Low‐Cost High‐Efficiency Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells using Nano‐Imprint Lithography

An in‐house‐developed nanoimprint lithography system is designed and developed to demonstrate a commercially viable method for creating Ni–Cu–Sn‐based narrow linewidth finger patterns capable of effectively reducing shadow loss in the front contact metallization on industrial silicon solar cells. Finite element analysis simulation studies estimate that an optimal force of 138 MPa is required to generate damage‐free patterns during nanoimprinting process. The poly (methyl methacrylate) residual layer is removed using reactive ion etching, which enhances the adhesion strength of Ni–Cu–Sn metallization. A low ohmic contact layer at the Si/Ni interface develops after sintering at 420 °C and formation of NiSi layer is confirmed through X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis as a function of Ar+ ion etching time. An average cell efficiency of 18.10% is achieved for silicon solar cells with micropatterned Ni/Cu/Sn‐based narrow linewidth front contact grid design, which can exhibit ≈1% enhancement in cell efficiency compared to commercial Ag screen‐printed solar cells. The Ni/Cu/Sn‐based front contact metallization can improve the cell performance by ≈6% compared to the commercial Ag screen‐printed metallization by reducing shadow loss and thereby indicating its suitability toward deploying for cost‐effective industrial solar cell manufacturing.

Broadband-sensitive up-conversion in Ni2+/Er3+ co-doped Gd2MgTiO6

Ni2+ doped and Ni2+/Er3+ co-doped Gd2MgTiO6 (GMT) phosphors have been synthesized by conventional high-temperature solid-state reaction method. First-principles calculation and X-ray diffraction analysis proves that Ni2+ ions occupy the Mg2+ sites in the Gd2MgTiO6 matrix at low Ni2+ doping concentration and begin to occupy Ti4+ sites at high Ni2+ doping concentration. The near infrared emissions of Ni2+ ions occupying Mg2+ and Ti4+ sites peak at 1344 nm and 1412 nm, respectively, forming a broad near infrared emission band from 1100 nm to 1700 nm. It is found that Ni2+/Er3+ co-doped Gd2MgTiO6 phosphor is capable to up-convert near infrared photons in the wavelength range of 870–1700 nm to visible 532 nm, 555 nm and 666 nm emission, caused by the energy transfer sensitization process from Ni2+ to Er3+. The Ni2+ and Er3+ concentration dependent up-conversion properties have been investigated and it is found that the Gd2MgTiO6: 2%Ni2+/5%Er3+ phosphor shows the strongest up-conversion emission, in which the energy transfer efficiencies from the Ni2+ ions occupying Mg2+ and Ti4+ sites to the Er3+ ions are 81.5% and 79.3%, respectively. The Gd2MgTiO6: 2%Ni2+/5%Er3+ phosphor shows yellow emission under the irradiation of 1342 nm and 1550 nm lasers, and green and orange-red emissions under the irradiation of 980 nm and 1064 nm laser, respectively. The broad band excitability and multi-color up-conversion performance of the Ni2+/Er3+ co-doped Gd2MgTiO6 phosphor suggest that it has wide application prospect in anti-counterfeiting, solar cell efficiency enhancement, infrared detection and so on.

Hydrocarbon-Based Composite Membrane Using LCP-Nonwoven Fabrics for Durable Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis.

A new hydrocarbon-based (HC) composite membrane was developed using liquid crystal polymer (LCP)-nonwoven fabrics for application in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). A copolymer of sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) with a sulfonation degree of 50 mol% (SPAES50) was utilized as an ionomer for the HC membranes and impregnated into the LCP-nonwoven fabrics without any surface treatment of the LCP. The physical interlocking structure between the SPAES50 and LCP-nonwoven fabrics was investigated, validating the outstanding mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the composite membrane in comparison to the pristine membrane. In addition, the through-plane proton conductivity of the composite membrane at 80 °C was only 15% lower than that of the pristine membrane because of the defect-free impregnation state, minimizing the decrease in the proton conductivity caused by the non-proton conductive LCP. During the electrochemical evaluation, the superior cell performance of the composite membrane was evident, with a current density of 5.41 A/cm2 at 1.9 V, compared to 4.65 A/cm2 for the pristine membrane, which can be attributed to the smaller membrane resistance of the composite membrane. From the results of the degradation rates, the prepared composite membrane also showed enhanced cell efficiency and durability during the PEMWE operations.

Morphological Design of the Photonic Crystals Influence on Improving the Optoelectronic Properties of a-SiGe:H Thin Film Solar Cell

Abstract: With their nano-engineered feature, Photonic Crystals (PhCs) allow the best control of the propagation and absorption of light in an increased way. In our work, we applied the Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA) method to calculate the diffraction efficiency, field distribution, for a specific incidence angle and absorption energy in a periodic structures using unpatterned, 1DPhC, half circle and triangular grating structures with both a-Si:H, a-SiGe:H thin film semiconductor materials with different gratings of PhCs to improve optical absorption, taking into account the J-V solar cell characteristics. According to our simulation, the ideal result was in the case of triangular grating with a-SiGe:H semiconductor material so for the presence of Germanium, which enhances light absorption by reducing the band gap energy. The optical light absorption was more than 85.7% by increase the lattice parameter from 0.3µm to 0.5µm. Moreover, we found a solar cell efficiency enhancement of 16.6%, with a total improvement of 7.74%; as compared with unpatterned grating. Concerning the incidence angle effect, the better one is ranged between 50° and 70° with a peak absorption ratio of 99%. Keywords: Photonic crystals, RCWA, Incidence angle, Triangular grating, Solar cell.

Increasing the efficiency and cycle life of Na-O2 batteries based on graphene cathodes with heteroatom doping

To overcome the challenges of Na-O2 batteries with respect to efficiency, capacity, and cycle life as well as to develop cheap, metal-free, and abundant electrocatalysts, we explored boron and nitrogen-functionalized graphene aerogels prepared by the hydrothermal self-assembly of graphene oxide with subsequent thermal reduction. The results showed an improve of both the cycling overpotential and the coulombic efficiency for the functionalized graphene aerogels. However, the nitrogen-containing cathode presented a shortened cycle life and decreased charging stability. The postmortem analysis of the full discharge, and the full discharge and charge cathodes demonstrated that nitrogen functionalization triggered the formation of solid parasitic products that passivate the cathode surface, thus resulting in a poorer electrochemical performance. By contrast, functionalization with boron-containing groups demonstrated to be a more promising strategy due to minimized parasitic products, leading to lower oxygen reduction and evolution overpotentials with a concomitantly enhanced cell efficiency vs. the undoped cathodes. This resulted in a cycle life of 70 cycles at a relatively high current density of 0.1 mA cm−2 with a capacity cut-off of 0.5 mAh cm−2. Our study underscores that functionalization with heteroatoms simultaneously alters multiple characteristics of graphene-based materials, including their chemistry, texture and morphology, which in turn presents a critical impact on the electrochemical response of the resultant Na-O2 cells.

Nitrogen-Doped Nickel Graphene Core Shell Synthesis: Structural, Morphological, and Chemical Composition for Planar Hybrid Solar Cells Application

In this study, nitrogen-doped nickel graphene core cells (N-NiGR) are synthesized using the thermal chemical vapor deposition method. The structural, morphological, and chemical composition properties of N-NiGR are investigated using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. N-NiGR has shown potential as a material that can assist charge carrier transportation in the photoactive a layer of planar hybrid solar cell (PHSC) owing to its high charge carrier mobility and stability with the solution process. Here, we investigated for the first time an enhancement of the solar cell efficiency (by up to a 2% increase) in PHSCs by incorporating the charge selective N-NiGR into the device’s photoactive layer. Synthesized N-NiGR with different concentrations are incorporated into the active layer of the devices as charge transport material. The device structure of an ITO-coated glass/Hole transport layer/(PBT7+N-NiGR+SnS)/Electron transport layer/Cathode is fabricated and the maximum power conversion efficiency of the device was observed to be about 4.35%.

Device modeling and study of AZO/i-ZnO/ZnS/CZTS-bilayer solar cell for different series and shunt resistances

The low open-circuit voltage is one of the main reasons to deteriorate the efficiency of copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) based solar cells. The double-layer structures (pp+) for CZTS cells are beneficial for reaching high open-circuit voltage due to the presence of the back surface field. Our simulation-based study on ZnS/CZTS-bilayer solar cell reveals the effect of band gap of dual CZTS layers, the thickness of different layers, front and back contact metal work-function, which helps to optimize the solar cell for these parameters. The different experimental conditions and techniques offer a wide range of shunt and series resistance for the fabricated cell. Our device reported the highest efficiency of 20.34% and 20.19% for shunt-series resistance pair of (1424.05 Ω-cm2, 1.97 Ω-cm2) and (840 Ω-cm2, 1.5 Ω-cm2) respectively. The double CZTS layer based device shows an enhancement in cell efficiency compared to a single layer.