Graded Band Gap Research Articles

Simulation of new thin film Zn(O,S)/CIGS solar cell with bandgap grading

Copper-Indium-Gallium-diSelenide (CIGS) thin film solar cell is a promising candidate for energy harvesting because of its high absorption coefficient and low cost compared to silicon-based solar cells. Absorber layer bandgap grading is a suitable method to improve CIGS thin film solar cell performance. Bandgap grading leads to a decrease in the recombination rate at the rear surface, which increases the open circuit voltage. Furthermore, bandgap grading improves the short circuit current due to the enhancement of collection probability. This paper introduces various routes for improving the performance of thin film CIGS solar cells by using bandgap grading. As a first step, both the bandgap energy and the thickness of the CIGS absorber layer of a uniform bandgap profile are optimized to get the best performance. Simulation is performed using SCAPS software and optimization results show that CIGS absorber layer with a bandgap of 1.2 eV and a thickness of 0.7 μm achieves a 22.48% efficiency. Then, bandgap grading with a parabolic distribution of various profiles is investigated and compared. It is found that with a parabolic double bandgap grading profile, which is a combination of front and back grading, an efficiency of up to 24.16% is achieved. This improvement is obtained using a gallium composition ratio of 0.1 for the minimal bandgap at 0.1 μm and 0.13 μm from the back contact and front contact, respectively. This result represents a 7.47% improvement compared to the baseline structure of a CIGS solar cell.

Thermal stress durability and optical characteristics of a promising solar air receiver based black alumina ceramics

In solar thermal technology, solar receiver materials with high solar absorptivity and photocatalytic efficiency have recently become a mandatory requirement for promoting and maximizing the released thermal and electrical energy. This paper presents a detailed study of the optical performance and thermal stress durability of the promising solar receiver material, black Al2O3/CuO ceramics. Different Al2O3/CuO ceramics with different CuO content (10–40 wt%) were obtained by the pressureless sintering method. Optical properties such as solar absorbance and reflectance, band gap energy and photoluminescence are inclusively investigated. The thermal stress resistance of the obtained ceramic receivers is simulated using the finite element modeling (FEM) method at different temperatures. Results indicated that adding and increasing the content of CuO to Al2O3 has a significant role in transforming alumina from a non-solar light-absorbed material to a solar absorber material with high absorptivity in the Ultraviolet–Visible-Near Infrared (UV-VIS-NIR) spectrum. Composite with 40 wt% CuO has recorded the maximum absorbance of 75% in the visible light region. Moreover, Al2O3/CuO ceramics gave multiple graded band-gaps in the range of (1.6–5 eV). Composites with high wt% of CuO have the most increased photocatalytic activity and light emissivity efficiency. Thermal stress analysis of the different ceramics showed outstanding stress durability with uniform heat distribution. Hence, black Al2O3/CuO ceramics can be considered ideal solar absorber materials with high sustainability and durability at high temperatures.

Flexible Microspectrometers Based on Printed Perovskite Pixels with Graded Bandgaps.

Miniaturized spectrometers have attracted much attention due to their capability to detect spectral information within a small size. However, such technology still faces challenges including large-scale preparation and performance repeatability. In this work, we overcome these challenges by demonstrating a microspectrometer constructed with a series of pixelized graded-bandgap perovskite photodetectors fabricated with inkjet printing. High-quality perovskite films with minimal pinholes and large grains are deposited by optimizing printing conditions including substrate temperature and surface modification. The resulting perovskite photodetectors show decent photosensing performance, and the different photodetectors based on perovskite films with different bandgaps exhibit various spectral responsivities with different cutoff wavelength edges. Microspectrometers are then constructed with the array of the pixelized graded-bandgap perovskite photodetectors, and incident spectra are algorithmically reconstructed by combining their output currents. The reconstruction performance of the miniaturized spectrometer is evaluated by comparing the results to the spectral curve measured with a commercial bulky spectrometer, indicating a reliable spectral reconstruction with a resolution of around 10 nm. More significantly, the miniaturized spectrometers are successfully fabricated on polymer substrates, and they demonstrate excellent mechanical flexibility. Therefore, this work provides a flexible miniaturized spectrometer with large-scale fabricability, which is promising for emerging applications including wearable devices, hyperspectral imaging, and internet of things.

Graded Bandgap Ultrathin CIGS Solar Cells

In this paper, we physically modeled passivated ultrathin Cu (In1−xGax) Se2 solar cells with different bandgap grading configurations. Firstly, we have designed the cell architecture according to the fabricated model. The novelty in this work is the modeling of passivated u-CIGS solar cells with different bandgap grading profile configurations in order to achieve high efficiency with a thickness of 500 nm. A significant influence on device performance has been observed while changing absorber doping density, electron affinity, and operating temperature (range of 10–70 °C) for the investigated samples. ZnS has been used as a buffer layer to replace the conventional CdS material in order to improve cell efficiency. The impact of the buffer doping density and electron affinity on u-CIGS cell performance is explored. The simulation results show that a high bandgap at the front and rear sides with an acceptor density of 2 × 1016 provide the best electrical cell parameters: Jsc of 31.53 mA/cm2, Voc of 742.78 mV, FF of 77.50%, η of 18.15%. Our findings can be considered guidelines for new single and/or tandem cell optimization to achieve high efficiency.

A study of bandgap-graded CZTGSe kesterite thin films for solar cell applications

The sustainable and harmless Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 kesterite materials for thin-film photovoltaics are still lacking efficiency, which may be solved by bandgap grading, herein obtained by two-step annealing in H2Se gas of metallic precursors.

Ge-alloyed kesterite thin-film solar cells: previous investigations and current status – a comprehensive review

Ge alloying in kesterite thin films enables to mitigate electronic defect and disorder, enhance morphology as well as realize bandgap grading, all contributing to higher performance of complete solar cells via resolved Voc and fill factor deficits.

The modelling and simulation of perovskite solar cell consisting textile-based electrodes

Perovskite solar cell (PSC) consisting textile-based electrodes has been created novel features for future energy supply. Recently, Cs0.05(FA0.85MA0.15)0.95Pb(I0.85Br0.15)3 perovskite has appeared as a favourable candidate for flexible perovskite solar cells. However, a confined performance was acquired when the conventional Spiro-OMeTAD were used as hole transport layer (HTL) material because of suboptimal valance band offset (ΔEV) between Perovskite/HTL layers. In this study, a theoretical drift–diffusion​ modelling is used by finite volume method (FVM) to investigate performance of textile perovskite solar cell with double hole transport layers (HTLs) with graded band gap energies. Copper thiocyanate (CuSCN) and Nickel Oxide (NiO) are replaced as double HTLs, which dramatically enhanced the performance due to optimal upward step by step valance band offsets (ΔEV) between Perovskite/Textile Composite Electrode layers. It is shown that the decreasing of the metal–semiconductor schottky barrier height of electrodes leads to significant increase in fill factor (FF). Also, it is revealed that the enriching of perovskite carrier diffusion length by equipoising of carrier capture cross section, carrier total defect density and carrier thermal velocity substantially promote the overall device efficiency. The short-circuit current (Jsc) of 20.65 mA/cm 2, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.19 V, fill factor (FF) of 73.57%, and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.20% have been obtained by optimization of electrodes properties and perovskite layers. Remarkably, the advantageous of low cost, flexible, and chemical stable conducive textile composite, extends new opportunities in the commercial expansion of highly efficient photovoltaic textile in optoelectronic industry field.

Performance analysis of a new Mid-Infrared phototransistor based on combined graded band gap GeSn sensitive-film and IGZO TFT platform

In this paper, a novel InGaZnO (IGZO) thin-film Mid-Infrared phototransistor (TF MIR PT) based on GeSn capping layer with band-gap grading (BGG) aspect is proposed and numerically investigated. Accurate numerical models are developed to study the device characteristics, where the sensor optical properties under MIR light exposure are investigated using FDTD method. Importantly, a new systematic approach based on introducing a new Figure of Merit (FoM) parameter combining noise effects, power consumption and IR photoresponse characteristics is proposed to efficiently investigate the device performance. It is found that the use of IGZO TFT platform combined with BGG GeSn sensitive layer paves the way for achieving enhanced IR photodetection characteristics, while maintaining low dark-noise effects and reduced power consumption. Moreover, it is revealed that the use of GeSn capping layer with BGG paradigm enables extended spectral sensitivity to MIR ranges, showing a high cutoff wavelength of 2.4 μm. Besides, the proposed GeSn/IGZO TF MIR PT demonstrates a giant responsivity of 550 A/W at a specific wavelength value of 1.7 μm, detectivity of 2.5 × 1014 Jones and over than 168 dB of signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, these findings open the perspective for the design of alternative MIR sensors, offering improved photoresponse, low noise and reduced power consumption, which are highly suitable for newly emerging CMOS-compatible optical communication and optoelectronic applications.

Efficiency enhancement of ultrathin CIGS solar cells by optimal bandgap grading. Part II: finite-difference algorithm and double-layer antireflection coatings.

In Part I [Appl. Opt.58, 6067 (2019)APOPAI003-693510.1364/AO.58.006067], we used a coupled optoelectronic model to optimize a thin-film C u I n 1-ξ G a ξ S e 2 (CIGS) solar cell with a graded-bandgap photon-absorbing layer and a periodically corrugated backreflector. The increase in efficiency due to the periodic corrugation was found to be tiny and that, too, only for very thin CIGS layers. Also, it was predicted that linear bandgap-grading enhances the efficiency of the CIGS solar cells. However, a significant improvement in solar cell efficiency was found using a nonlinearly (sinusoidally) graded-bandgap CIGS photon-absorbing layer. The optoelectronic model comprised two submodels: optical and electrical. The electrical submodel applied the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) scheme directly to equations for the drift and diffusion of charge carriers. As our HDG scheme sometimes fails due to negative carrier densities arising during the solution process, we devised a new, to the best of our knowledge, computational scheme using the finite-difference method, which also reduces the overall computational cost of optimization. An unfortunate normalization error in the electrical submodel in Part I came to light. This normalization error did not change the overall conclusions reported in Part I; however, some specifics did change. The new algorithm for the electrical submodel is reported here along with updated numerical results. We re-optimized the solar cells containing a CIGS photon-absorbing layer with either (i)a homogeneous bandgap, (ii)a linearly graded bandgap, or (iii)a nonlinearly graded bandgap. Considering the meager increase in efficiency with the periodic corrugation and additional complexity in the fabrication process, we opted for a flat backreflector. The new algorithm is significantly faster than the previous algorithm. Our new results confirm efficiency enhancement of 84% (resp. 63%) when the thickness of the CIGS layer is 600nm (resp. 2200nm), similarly to Part I. A hundredfold concentration of sunlight can increase the efficiency by an additional 27%. Finally, the currently used 110-nm-thick layer of M g F 2 performs almost as well as optimal single- and double-layer antireflection coatings.

Monolithically Integrable SQW High Speed Waveguide Photodiode With InGaAs/InP Graded Bandgap QW and SL Cladding

A monolithically integrable p-i-n waveguide photodiode (WGPD) has been theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. The p-i-n WGPD comprises of a single quantum-well absorbing layer, graded band gap quantum well architecture along with superlattice cladding designed through electrical, optical, and RF optimizations. Better tolerance and responsivity are achieved by integrating fiber-matched waveguide to the WGPD using a laterally tapered waveguide interconnect. A 30 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$ \mu$</tex-math></inline-formula> m long WGPD exhibits a low dark current density of 5.31 mA/ <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$cm^{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> at −3 V due to the existence of near mid-gap traps. The electrons and holes tunneling at higher electric fields further enhance the dark current generation. The WGPDs with 3 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula> m mesa width and lengths of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula> m are fabricated, studied electrically and optically, for a maximum responsivity of 0.56 A/W. Instrument limited 20 GHz 3-dB bandwidths at 1550 nm is demonstrated, which are better than any PDs with i-QW architecture. 3-dB bandwidth of over 100 Gbps is estimated from the measured scattering parameter and simulation. This device is suitable for low dark current, high responsivity, and high bandwidth performance, allowing integration of other optical components with a high-speed photodiode, without any regrowth requirements.

Interrelation of the CdTe Grain Size, Postgrowth Processing, and Window Layer Selection on Solar Cell Performance.

Recent improvements to the CdTe solar cell device structure have focused on replacing the CdS window layer with a more transparent material to reduce parasitic absorption and increase Jsc, as well as incorporating selenium into the absorber layer to achieve a graded band gap. However, altering the CdTe device structure is nontrivial due to the interdependent nature of device processing steps. The choice of the window layer influences the grain structure of the CdTe layer, which in turn can affect the chloride treatment, which itself may contribute to intermixing between the window and absorber layers. This work studies three different device architectures in parallel, allowing for an in-depth comparison of processing conditions for CdTe solar cells grown on CdS, SnO2, and CdSe. Direct replacement of the CdS window layer with a wider band gap SnO2 layer is hindered by poor growth of the absorber, producing highly strained CdTe films and a weak junction. This is alleviated by inserting a CdSe layer between the SnO2 and CdTe, which improves the growth of CdTe and results in a graded CdSexTe1–x absorber layer. For each substrate, the CdTe deposition rate and postgrowth chloride treatment are systematically varied, highlighting the distinct processing requirements of each device structure.

Multidimensional Perovskites for High Detectivity Photodiodes.

Low-dimensional perovskites attract increasing interest due to tunable optoelectronic properties and high stability. Here, it is shown that perovskite thin films with a vertical gradient in dimensionality result in graded electronic bandgap structures that are ideal for photodiode applications. Positioning low-dimensional, vertically-oriented perovskite phases at the interface with the electron blocking layer increases the activation energy for thermal charge generation and thereby effectively lowers the dark current density to a record-low value of 5 × 10-9 mA cm-2 without compromising responsivity, resulting in a noise-current-based specific detectivity exceeding 7 × 1012 Jones at 600nm. These multidimensional perovskite photodiodes show promising air stability and a dynamic range over ten orders of magnitude, and thus represent a new generation of high-performance low-cost photodiodes.

Bandgap graded perovskite solar cell for above 30% efficiency

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are deemed to be the upcoming photovoltaic technology with a promise to surpass the silicon solar cell in near future. Herein, we propose a bandgap grading (of 1–3 eV under the effect of stoichiometry variation) profile to maximize the spectrum absorption for the perovskite absorber material, leading to efficiency reaching the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit. A comparative study of linear bandgap grading for the different absorber conduction band slope profiles has been analytically performed and analyzed. The bandgaps grading profiles were optimized for device performance, defect tolerances, and optical absorption (quantum efficiency). Accordingly, it has been observed that for optimal efficiency, a high range of bandgap grading is not essential, but rather a well-optimized small range of bandgap grading of 1.4–1.2 eV at the two ends of the absorber layer results in 31% power conversion efficiency.

Reduced Graphene Oxide/MXene-Derived TiO2 Hybrid Interface Layer for the Improvement of Zinc Oxide Nanorod Growth and Their Applications in Glutathione Sensing

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor is an important type of biosensor widely used in glutathione (GSH) sensing. The PEC properties of the photoanode present in the sensor are critical to its sensing performance. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an excellent semiconductor with a suitable band gap and light absorption ability for photoanode applications. Meanwhile, the interfacial layer is also important in the separation and transportation process of the excitons. In this work, high-quality ZnO nanorods were grown on the indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. An interfacial layer consisting of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) or MXene (a two-dimensional transition metal carbide)-derived TiO2 was introduced. Our results show that the introduction of the RGO/TiO2 hybrid interfacial layer can promote both the high-quality growth of ZnO nanorods and also provides suitable band gap grading for efficient excitons separation and transportation. The GSH sensing performance of the PEC sensor based on the ZnO nanorods grown on the RGO/TiO2 hybrid layer-coated ITO photoanode can dramatically improve the photocurrent strength and linearity.

Improving the absorption spectrum and performance of CIGS solar cells by optimizing the stepped band gap profile of the multilayer absorber

In this paper, we investigate a way to improve the performance of thin films CIGS-based solar cells by optimizing their spectral responses. Band gap profile grading, aroused this last decade as a very promising strategy to achieve higher efficiency. This work was performed on a CIGS-based thin-film solar cell model, using cadmium sulphide CdS as a buffer layer, with zinc oxide ZnO as window layer. Focusing on electrical properties such as band gap and electron susceptibility, we modified gallium content of the absorber layer of a reference cell. Using aforementioned band gap grading strategy, we stacked three CIGS layers with different gallium contents, and we modelled a stepped band gap profile using SCAPS-1D. The comparative analysis of the results obtained through numerical simulation, with those of six different band gap profiles of the absorber layer, supports the statement that, stepped band gap profile is a promising approach for engineering improvement of high-efficiency CIGS-based solar cells. In fact, the absorption spectrum of the optimized cell has improved compared to the other band gap profiles simulated in this work; with a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 94%. Efficiencies losses dues to recombination were reduced and the generated photocurrent is higher than that of classical profiles. Record efficiency of 28.03% was achieved with a fill factor of 86.42%. We believe absorber layer stacked in a stepped band gap profile, as a complementary approach to improve performances, is definitely a must-have technology for all future generations high efficiency thin films solar cells.

SRH suppressed P-G-I design for very long-wavelength infrared HgCdTe photodiodes.

The very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR, >14 µm) spectral band is an indispensable part of new-generation infrared remote sensing. Mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe or MCT) has shown excellent potential across the entire infrared band. However, the dark current, which is extremely sensitive to the technological level and small Cd composition, severely limits the performance of VLWIR HgCdTe photodiodes. In this study, cut-off wavelengths of up to 15 µm for HgCdTe devices with novel P-G-I (including wide bandgap p-type cap layer, grading layer and intrinsic absorption layer) designs have been reported. Compared with a device with a double-layer heterojunction (DLHJ) structure, the designed P-G-I structure successfully reduced dark current by suppressing the Shockley-Read-Hall process. Considering the balance of quantum efficiency and dark current, with the introduction of an approximately 0.8 µm thickness Cd composition grading layer, the device can achieve a high detectivity of up to 2.5×1011 cm Hz1/2 W-1. Experiments show that the P-G-I-T device has a lower dark current and a better SRH process suppressing ability than DLHJ devices, the measured detectivity achieved 8.7×1010 cm Hz1/2 W-1. According to additional research, the trap-assisted tunneling current is the primary component of the dark current. Controlling the trap concentration to as low as 1×1013 cm-3 will be continuous and meaningful work. The proposed study provides guidance for VLWIR HgCdTe photodetectors.

Analytical study of gradual photovoltaic CuInGaSe2 based solar cell performances

The most significant challenge for environment and renewable energy researchers is to achieve good performance, as well as cost efficiency in terms of solar generators especially in the PV sector. Regarding the thin film solar cells based on Cu(In,Ga)Se2, the present work dissertation is concerned with the performance of a graded band gap solar cell based on (CIGS). The aim is to determine the influence of physical and geometrical parameters on performance. Results indicate that the increase in electric field resulting from the gradient of the band gap dismantles the effects of surface recombination. The results obtained are an efficiency of 26 % for Eg0=1.67 eV, Eg1=1.02 eV and a thickness of layer p and n d1=1µm, d2=2µm respectively.

Metaheuristic-based decision maker framework for the development of multispectral IGZO thin-film phototransistors

A new multispectral InGaZnO (IGZO) thin-film phototransistor (TF PT) based on a graded band-gap (GBG) SiGe capping layer with metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) is proposed. An accurate drain-current model is developed to investigate the device performances, where the optical characteristics under different light excitations (530 nm, 820 nm, and 1550 nm) are analyzed using the 3-D Finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD). It is found that the proposed device shows high photoresponse characteristics. Besides, it is revealed that the GBG configuration, MNPs spatial distribution and size can induce a complex behavior, which influences the device photoresponse over multiple spectral bands. Importantly, an iterative decision-maker framework based on the Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) metaheuristic approach is implemented to design efficient multispectral IGZO TF PT. It is demonstrated that the proposed MOGA-based scheme paves the way for the designer to identify the appropriate GBG profile and MNPs spatial distribution for highly-responsive devices at selective Visible and IR wavelengths and to realize high-performance multispectral sensors. The proposed approach based on combining the proposed IGZO TF PT structure with MOGA metaheuristic computation opens up a new strategy for the design and experimental fabrication of high-performance multispectral optoelectronic devices.

Revealing the strain-associated physical mechanisms impacting the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells

<h2>Summary</h2> Identification and investigation of strain at buried interfaces in halide perovskite photovoltaics are crucial for directing research on the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells. In this work, we find a gradual shift in the band gap of up to 60 meV over a perovskite layer thickness of 300 nm caused by interfacial strain. This graded band gap is desired insofar as it relates to the aspect of device engineering. However, in parallel, the increased defect density causes charge recombination at the buried interface. These two effects compensate for each other, resulting in an overall performance improvement under standard 1 sun illumination. Nevertheless, the disadvantage of enhanced defect density is clearly observed at low-light intensities, where the device performance becomes dominated by charge recombination and ion migration. Moreover, the strained interfaces are proven to induce enhanced defect densities, causing significantly accelerated device degradation under illumination as well as in the dark.

Impact of Band-gap Graded Intrinsic Layer on Single-junction Band-gap Tailored Solar Cells

Objective: The work investigates the performance of intrinsic layers with and without band-gap tailoring in single-junction amorphous silicon-based photovoltaic cells. The work proposes single-junction amorphous silicon solar cells in which band-gap grading has been done between layers as well as within each layer for the first time. Materials &amp; Methods: The samples of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium with different mole fractions are fabricated, and their band-gaps are validated through optical characterization and material characterization. A single-junction solar cell with an intrinsic layer made up of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (aSi:H) having a band-gap of 1.6 eV is replaced by continuously graded hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium (aSi1-xGe x H) intrinsic bottom layers having bandgaps ranging from 0.9 eV to 1.5 eV. The proposed structure has been considered as a variant of previously designed single-junction band-gap tailored structures. Results: The suitable utilization of band-gap tailoring on the intrinsic absorber layer aids more incident photons in energy conversion and thereby attain a better short circuit current density of 19.89 mA/cm2.