Search results for " Solar cell"
showing 10 items of 309 documents
Plasmonic effects of ultra-thin Mo films on hydrogenated amorphous Si photovoltaic cells
2012
We report on the improvement of short circuit current (JSC), fill factor (FF), and open circuit resistance (ROC) in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photovoltaic cells with a p-type/intrinsic/n-type structure, achieved by the addition of an ultra-thin molybdenum film between the p-type film and the transparent conductive oxide/glass substrate. For suitable conditions, improvements of ≈10% in average internal quantum efficiency and up to 5%–10% under standard illumination in JSC, FF, and ROC are observed. These are attributed to the excitation of surface plasmon polariton modes of the a-Si:H/Mo interface.
Comparison between textured SnO2:F and Mo contacts with the p-type layer in p–i–n hydrogenate amorphous silicon solar cells by forward bias impedance…
2013
Abstract In this paper we compare the performance of the textured SnO2:F and Mo contacts with the p-type layer in p–i–n hydrogenate amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells. We use standard current–voltage (I–V) electrical characterization methods coupled with forward bias small signal impedance analysis. We show the efficacy of this technique to determine the effective carrier lifetime in photovoltaic cells. We show that such effective lifetimes are indeed directly connected to the respective dark diode saturation currents. We also find that the effective lifetime is constant with the temperature in the 0–70 °C range and it is significantly better for the solar cell with Mo diode contact. Th…
An accurate one-diode model suited to represent the current-voltage characteristics of crystalline and thin-film photovoltaic modules
2020
Abstract In this paper a new one-diode model, conceived in order to be used to represent the current-voltage curves of both crystalline and thin-film photovoltaic modules, is presented. The model parameters are calculated from the information contained in the datasheets issued by manufactures by means of simple iterative procedures that do not require the assumption of simplifying hypotheses. Some innovative relations describing the dependence of the parameters from the solar irradiance and cell temperature are adopted in order to permit the model to reliably simulate the electrical behaviour of photovoltaic devices operating in real conditions. The ability of the model to calculate the cur…
Plasmonic modes in molybdenum ultra-thin films suitable for hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film solar cells
2014
We have recently demonstrated that molybdenum ultra-thin films interposed between hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and SnO2:F transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in thin film solar cells show light trapping effects which enhance the solar cells performances. The effect of this improvement may be attributed to surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes excited at the molybdenum interface by the solar radiation. In this paper we show direct evidence of such SPP modes in the case of the molybdenum/air interface by using the attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique, pioneered by Kretschmann, and we evaluate the dielectric constant of molybdenum at 660 nm. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by …
Amorphous Silicon Nanotubes via Galvanic Displacement Deposition
2013
Amorphous silicon nanotubes were grown in a single step into a polycarbonate membrane by a galvanic displacement reaction conducted in aqueous solution. In order to optimize the process, a specifically designed galvanic cell was used. SEM images, after polycarbonate dissolution, showed interconnected nanotube bundles with an average length of 18 μm and wall thickness of 38 nm.The deposited silicon was revealed by EDS analysis, whilst X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed that nanotubes have an amorphous structure. Silicon nanotubes were also characterized by photo-electrochemical measurements that showed n-type conductivity and optical gap of ~1.6 eV. Keywords: Silicon nanotubes, …
Influence of the electro-optical properties of an a-Si:H single layer on the performances of a pin solar cell
2012
We analyze the results of an extensive characterization study involving electrical and optical measurements carried out on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) thin film materials fabricated under a wide range of deposition conditions. By adjusting the synthesis parameters, we evidenced how conductivity, activation energy, electrical transport and optical absorption of an α-Si:H layer can be modified and optimized. We analyzed the activation energy and the pre-exponential factor of the dark conductivity by varying the dopant-to-silane gas flow ratio. Optical measurements allowed to extract the absorption spectra and the optical bandgap. Additionally, we report on the temperature dependen…
Single-Exciton Amplified Spontaneous Emission in Thin Films of CsPbX3 (X = Br, I) Perovskite Nanocrystals
2019
CsPbX3 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have emerged as an excellent material for stimulated emission purposes, with even more prospective applications than conventional colloidal quantum dots. However, a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is required to achieve more ambitious targets (lasing under continuous wave optical or electrical excitation). Here, we establish the intrinsic mechanisms underlying ASE in PNCs of three different band gaps (CsPbBr3, CsPbBr1.5I1.5, and CsPbI3). Our characterization at cryogenic temperatures does not reveal any evidence of the biexciton mechanism in the formation of ASE. Instead, the measured …
Theoretical study on the influence of electric field direction on the photovoltaic performance of aryl amine organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar ce…
2019
It is very important to reveal the influence of different electric field directions on dye sensitizers. Thus, in this study, we investigated the electronic structures and optical properties of six designed aryl amine organic dye models under different electric fields using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). Moreover, the electronic structures and optical properties of these studied dyes with different electric field in tetrahydrofuran (THF) were also calculated. The key parameters of the short-circuit current density (Jsc), including light harvesting efficiency (LHE) and intra-molecular charge transfer (ICT), are discussed in detail. With …
Anthracene-containing PPE-PPV copolymers: Effect of side-chain nature and length on photophysical and photovoltaic properties
2009
Rupali Jadhav1,2, Stefan Turk3, Florian Kuhnlenz1, Vera Cimrova4, Silke Rathgeber5, Daniel A. M. Egbe*,2,3, and Harald Hoppe**,1 1 Institute of Physics, Ilmenau University of Technology, Weimarer Str. 32, 98693 Ilmenau, Germany 2 Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS), Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenbergerstr. 69, 4040 Linz, Austria 3 Institute for Print and Media Technology, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Str. 70, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany 4 Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovský Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic 5 Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
GROWTH AND PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR OF ELECTRODEPOSITED ZnO THIN FILMS FOR SOLAR CELLS
2012
Thin zinc oxide films were deposited potentiostatically from zinc nitrate aqueous solutions on ITO substrates. The influence of experimental parameters (temperature, electrolyte concentration, deposition potential) on structure and morphology of films was investigated. Deposited films were generally polycrystalline in structure, even if growth according to preferential planes occurs in certain conditions. The effect of thermal treatments in air at 150 and 350 °C was also studied. In some cases, Cl species were incorporated into deposit by adding zinc chloride to the electrolyte. A photoelectrochemical investigation, performed in neutral solution before and after thermal treatment, gives mor…