EAGER: TDM Solar Cells: Collaborative Research: Exploration of High Open-Circuit Voltage and Stable Wide-Bandgap Cu2BaSnS4 Solar Cells for Monolithic Tandem Cell Applications

EAGER：TDM 太阳能电池：合作研究：用于单片串联电池应用的高开路电压和稳定宽带隙 Cu2BaSnS4 太阳能电池的探索

• 批准号: 1665028
• 负责人: Yanfa Yan
• 金额: $ 21.99万
• 依托单位: University of Toledo
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-03-01 至 2020-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1665028&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; TDM; Solar; Cells; Collaborative

AbstractNontechnicalThe successful development of low-cost and high conversion efficiency solar cells will enable widespread use of solar electricity as an abundant source of electricity for a sustainable energy economy in the U.S. A proven method for producing the most efficient solar cells is to stack two materials in tandem such that one material absorbs the blue part of the solar spectrum and the other the red part. However, most solar cells that successfully employ this technique to date can only be produced using highly specialized single crystal materials. The complexity of growth methods and their use of expensive single crystal substrates have prevented these tandem solar cells from achieving low cost. This project proposes to explore stable and low-cost polycrystalline thin-film semiconductors, in particular one that absorbs the blue part of the solar spectrum, to enable low-cost and high conversion efficiency tandem solar cells. The integrative nature of the research and education will train and mentor graduate and undergraduate students in cross-disciplinary skills that are essential for developing innovative solutions as they enter the workplace and contribute to the U.S. leadership in the burgeoning field of electronics. The proposed project will benefit the education and research of graduate and undergraduate students and prepare them as the workforce of future energy industries.TechnicalThis project will develop the fundamental scientific knowledge that will lead to the fabrication of stable and efficient wide bandgap solar cells and eventually tandem cells made with two dissimilar materials. Polycrystalline thin film photovoltaic devices offer much lower production cost and complexity than epitaxial thin films, but their ultimate conversion efficiencies cannot go beyond the theoretical Shockley-Queisser limit for single-junction solar cells. A tandem cell made with two dissimilar materials, both low-cost polycrystalline thin films, would be an ideal choice for next generation low-cost and ultra-high conversion efficiency photovoltaic devices. The chief reason for failure to achieve high conversion efficiency polycrystalline thin-film tandem devices is the lack of an efficient top cell using suitable polycrystalline wide-bandgap semiconductor materials. Since the efficiency of a tandem device predominantly depends on the combined open circuit voltages of both semiconductors, a promising top cell must be able to produce high open circuit voltage. The proposed project will yield several break-through results: 1) approaches for synthesizing high-quality wide bandgap thin films will be developed; 2) fundamental defects physics of such wide bandgap semiconductors will be thoroughly understood; 3) buffer layers forming front and back junctions will be discovered and optimized; 4) Wide-bandgap top cells with high conversion efficiency and high open circuit voltage will be demonstrated; 5) If successful, it will enable the fabrication of low-cost and high conversion efficiency thin-film tandem solar cells.

摘要非技术性的低成本和高转化效率太阳能电池的成功开发将使太阳能用作可持续能源经济的丰富电力来源，是美国可持续能源经济的一种可靠的方法来生产最有效的太阳能电池，这是排行两种材料，因此一种材料吸收了一种材料，即蓝色的太阳能光谱和其他红色部分。但是，迄今为止，大多数成功使用该技术的太阳能电池只能使用高度专业的单晶材料生产。生长方法的复杂性及其使用昂贵的单晶底物使这些串联太阳能电池无法达到低成本。该项目建议探索稳定和低成本的多晶薄膜半导体，特别是吸收太阳能光谱的蓝色部分的一个项目，以实现低成本和高转化效率串联太阳能电池。研究和教育的综合性质将培训和导师的毕业生和本科生跨学科技能，这对于开发创新解决方案进入工作场所并为美国新兴电子领域的领导层做出贡献至关重要。拟议的项目将使研究生和本科生的教育和研究受益，并作为未来能源行业的劳动力做好准备。技术项目将开发基本的科学知识，这将导致制造稳定有效的宽带太阳能太阳能电池，并最终与两种同种材料制成。多晶薄膜光伏设备的生产成本和复杂性要比外延薄膜低得多，但是它们的最终转换效率不能超出单连接太阳能电池的理论冲击式标题极限。由两种不同的材料制成的串联电池，两种低成本的多晶薄膜，是下一代低成本和超高转换效率光伏设备的理想选择。未能实现高转化效率多晶薄膜串联设备的主要原因是缺乏使用合适的多晶宽带半导体材料的高效顶细胞。由于串联设备的效率主要取决于两个半导体的组合开路电压，因此有希望的顶部电池必须能够产生高的开路电压。拟议的项目将产生几个突破性的结果：1）将开发合成高质量宽带镜薄膜的方法； 2）将彻底了解如此宽的带隙半导体的基本缺陷； 3）将发现和优化形成前后连接的缓冲层； 4）将证明具有较高转化效率和高开路电压的宽带顶部细胞； 5）如果成功，它将能够制造低成本和高转化效率薄膜串联太阳能电池。