High-Performance and Industrially Viable Nanostructured SiOx Layers for Interface Passivation in Thin Film Solar Cells

M. V. Cunha, José;Oliveira, Kevin;Lontchi Jioleo, Jackson;S. Lopes, Tomás;M. P. Salomé, Pedro;et.al.
(2021) Solar RRL — Vol. 2021, n° 2000534, p. 13 (2021)

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Authors
  • M. V. Cunha, JoséINL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
    Author
  • Oliveira, KevinINL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
    Author
  • Lontchi Jioleo, JacksonUCLouvain
    Author
  • S. Lopes, TomásINL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
    Author
  • Author
  • M. P. Salomé, PedroINL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, Portugal; Departamento de Física, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
    Author
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Abstract
Herein, it is demonstrated, by using industrial techniques, that a passivation layer with nanocontacts based on silicon oxide (SiOx) leads to signicantimprovements in the optoelectronical performance of ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) solar cells. Two approaches are applied for contact patterning of thepassivation layer: point contacts and line contacts. For two CIGS growth con-ditions, 550 and 500°C, the SiOx passivation layer demonstrates positive pas-sivation properties, which are supported by electrical simulations. Such positiveeffects lead to an increase in the light to power conversion efciency value of2.6% (absolute value) for passivated devices compared with a non passivated reference device. Strikingly, both passivation architectures present similar efficiency values. However, there is a trade-off between passivation effect and chargeextraction, as demonstrated by the trade-off between open-circuit voltage (Voc)and short-circuit current density (Jsc) compared with full factor (FF). For the first time, a fully industrial upscalable process combining SiOxas rear passivationlayer deposited by chemical vapor deposition, with photolithography for linecontacts, yields promising results toward high-performance and low-costultrathin CIGS solar cells with champion devices reaching efficiency values of12%, demonstrating the potential of SiOxas a passivation material for energy conversion devices.
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Citations

M. V. Cunha, J., Oliveira, K., Lontchi Jioleo, J., S. Lopes, T., A. Curado, M., R. S. Barbosa, J., Vinhais, C., Chen, W.-C., Borme, J., Fonseca, H., Gaspar, J., Flandre, D., Edoff, M., G. Silva, A., P. Teixeira, J., A. Fernandes, P., & M. P. Salomé, P. (2021). High-Performance and Industrially Viable Nanostructured SiOx Layers for Interface Passivation in Thin Film Solar Cells. Solar RRL, 2021(2000534), 13. https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202000534 (Original work published 2021)