Monolithic two-terminal hybrid a-Si:H/CIGS tandem cells

Blanker, J.; Vroon, Z.; Zeman, M.; Smets, A.

doi:10.1109/PVSC.2016.7749670

Monolithic two-terminal hybrid a-Si:H/CIGS tandem cells

Title

Monolithic two-terminal hybrid a-Si:H/CIGS tandem cells

Author

Blanker, J.
Vroon, Z.
Zeman, M.
Smets, A.

Publication year

2016

Abstract

Copper-indium-gallium-di-selenide (CIGS) is the present record holder in lab-scale thin-film photovoltaics (TFPV). One of the problems of this PV technology is the scarcity of indium. Multi-junction solar cells allow better spectral utilization of the light spectrum, while the required current generation per layer is much lower, allowing much thinner absorber layers of CIGS. In this contribution we demonstrate working fabricated devices of CIGS bottom cells that are monolithically integrated with a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) top cell. The proposed structures are a unique fusion of two distinct fabrication methods, being co-evaporation and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD). In addition, devices without any ZnO have been processed. In those cells a nc-SiOx:H n-layer acted as an electron recipient and lateral insulator for the CIGS p-layer, and a highly p- and n-doped nc-SiOx:H layer served as the tunnel recombination junction. The top TCO on the a-Si:H cell was varied with ZnO:Al (AZO) and In2O3/Sn2O3 (ITO). Efficiencies of the not yet optimized devices have reached 7.9% active area efficiency (with Voc=1.23V, FF=64%, Jsc= 9.95 mA/cm2).

Subject

Nano Technology
TFT - Thin Film Technology
TS - Technical Sciences
Materials
Industrial Innovation
Amorphous silicon
Doping additives
Efficiency
Indium
Plasma CVD
Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition
Silicon oxides
Zinc oxide
Active-area efficiency
Hydrogenated amorphous silicon
A-Si:H
Monolithically integrated
PE CVD
Spectral utilization
Thin film photovoltaics
Tunnel recombination junctions
Multi-junction solar cells