How to Achieve Efficiencies beyond 22.1% for CdTe-Based Thin-Film Solar Cells

DHARMADASA, I. M. and ALAM, A. E. (2022). How to Achieve Efficiencies beyond 22.1% for CdTe-Based Thin-Film Solar Cells. Energies, 15 (24): 9510.

[img]
Preview
PDF
energies-15-09510-v2.pdf - Published Version
Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (6MB) | Preview
Official URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9510
Open Access URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9510/pdf?vers... (Published version)
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249510

Abstract

This review paper summarises the key issues of CdTe and CdS/CdTe solar cells as observed over the past four decades, and focuses on two growth techniques, electrodeposition (ED) and closed space sublimation (CSS), which have successfully passed through the commercialisation process. Comprehensive experience in electrical contacts to CdTe, surfaces & interfaces, electroplated CdTe and solar cell development work led to the design and experimentally test grading of band gap multilayer solar cells, which has been applied to the CdS/CdTe structure. This paper presents the consistent and reproducible results learned through electroplated CdTe and devices, and suggestions are made for achieving or surpassing the record efficiency of 22.1% using the CSS material growth technique.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: ** Article version: VoR ** From MDPI via Jisc Publications Router ** Licence for VoR version of this article: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ** Peer reviewed: TRUE ** Acknowledgements: Acknowledgments: The main author would like to thank and acknowledge the contributions made by C. J. Blomfield, S. M. McGregor, A. P. Samantilleke, N. B. Chaure, Jayne Wellings, G. Muftah, D. G. Diso, A. R. Weerasinghe, P. A. Bingham, O. K. Echendu, F. Fauzi, H. I. Salim, Fijay Fausi, N. A. Abdul-Manaf, O. I. Olusola, M. L. Madugu and A. A. Ojo. The collaborating teams in Italy (Nicola Romeo and Allesio Bosio) and in the USA (Thad Druffle, Ruvini Dharmadasa, Gamini Sumanasekera and Jacek Jasinsky) are gratefully acknowledged for their contributions through PL, other experimental work and discussions on new findings. The author would also like to thank J. S. Roberts, G. Hill, A. Tiwari, D.J.L. Brémaud, H. Reehal, K. Mahanama, M. Grätzel and K. Emery for growing materials, fabricating devices and arranging independent device measurements for graded band gap devices. Although a limited number of references have been cited in this paper, the authors wishes to acknowledge and thank many scientists who contributed to this area of research over the past few decades. Gareth Roberts (late), Mike Petty, Robin Williams and Emeric Rhoderick are gratefully acknowledged for their guidance during the main author’s early stage of scientific research to develop in this field. **Journal IDs: eissn 1996-1073 **Article IDs: publisher-id: energies-15-09510 **History: published_online 15-12-2022; accepted 12-12-2022; collection 12-2022; submitted 04-11-2022
Uncontrolled Keywords: Review, CdS, CdTe, CdS/CdTe solar cell, electrodeposition, closed space sublimation
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249510
SWORD Depositor: Colin Knott
Depositing User: Colin Knott
Date Deposited: 11 Jan 2023 11:09
Last Modified: 12 Oct 2023 08:15
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/31243

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics