Comprehensive Review on Thin Film Homojunction Solar Cells: Technologies, Progress and Challenges

Omar M. Saif, Yasmine Elogail, Tarek M. Abdolkader, Ahmed Shaker (), Abdelhalim Zekry, Mohamed Abouelatta, Marwa S. Salem and Mostafa Fedawy
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Omar M. Saif: Department of Electronics and Communications, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
Yasmine Elogail: Nanotechnology and Nanoelectronics Engineering Department, UST at Zewail City, Giza 12578, Egypt
Tarek M. Abdolkader: Department of Basic Engineering Sciences, Benha Faculty of Engineering, Benha University, Benha 13511, Egypt
Ahmed Shaker: Engineering Physics and Mathematics Department, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
Abdelhalim Zekry: Department of Electronics and Communications, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
Mohamed Abouelatta: Department of Electronics and Communications, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
Marwa S. Salem: Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 55211, Saudi Arabia
Mostafa Fedawy: Faculty of Engineering, Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST), Cairo 11736, Egypt

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-23

Abstract: With the aim of achieving high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reliability of solar cells, several technologies have been studied. Recently, emerging materials have appeared to replace Si-based cells, seeking economic fabrication of solar cells. Thin-film solar cells (TFSCs) are considered strong candidates for this mission, specifically perovskite-based solar cells, reporting competitive power convergence efficiencies reaching up to 25.7%. Substantial efforts have been invested in experimental and research work to surpass the Si-based cells performance. Simulation analysis is a major tool in achieving this target by detecting design problems and providing possible solutions. Usually, a TFSC adopts p - i - n heterojunction architecture by employing carrier transport materials along with the absorber material in order to extract the photogenerated electrons and holes by realizing a built-in electric field. Eventually, this dependency of conventional heterojunction TFSCs on carrier transport layers results in cost-ineffective cells and increases the possibility of device instability and interface problems. Thus, the design of p - n homojunction TFSCs is highly desirable as an essential direction of structural innovation to realize efficient solar cell operation. In this review, a summary of the fundamentals of TFSC materials, recent design and technology progress, and methodologies for improving the device performance using experimental research studies will be discussed. Further, simulation analysis will be provided by demonstrating the latest research work outcomes, highlighting the major achievements and the most common challenges facing thin film homojunction solar cell structures and the methods to improve them.

Keywords: thin-film homojunction; perovskite-based; perovskite p - n homojunction; simulation; heterojunction; emerging; ETL; HTL (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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