Textile-Integrated Conductive Layers for Flexible Semiconductor-Based Photovoltaic Structures

Przemysław Czarnecki, Bartosz Szudziel, Daniel Janczak, Łukasz Ruta, Maciej Sibiński and Katarzyna Znajdek ()
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Przemysław Czarnecki: Department of Semiconductor and Optoelectronic Devices, Lodz University of Technology, 10 Politechniki, 93-590 Łódź, Poland
Bartosz Szudziel: Department of Semiconductor and Optoelectronic Devices, Lodz University of Technology, 10 Politechniki, 93-590 Łódź, Poland
Daniel Janczak: Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies (CEZAMAT), Warsaw University of Technology, 19 Poleczki, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
Łukasz Ruta: Department of Semiconductor and Optoelectronic Devices, Lodz University of Technology, 10 Politechniki, 93-590 Łódź, Poland
Maciej Sibiński: Department of Semiconductor and Optoelectronic Devices, Lodz University of Technology, 10 Politechniki, 93-590 Łódź, Poland
Katarzyna Znajdek: Department of Semiconductor and Optoelectronic Devices, Lodz University of Technology, 10 Politechniki, 93-590 Łódź, Poland

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-20

Abstract: This paper presents the results of research on conductive layers dedicated to flexible photovoltaic cells based on semiconductors integrated with a textile substrate. The presented work is part of a broader project aimed at producing flexible solar cells based on the CdTe semiconductor component and manufactured directly on textiles. The research focuses on the selection of textile substrates and contact materials, as well as the methods of their application. This study compares three types of fabrics (basalt, glass, and silicone fibers) and three metals (copper, molybdenum, and silver), evaluating their mechanical and electrical properties. During the experiments, flexible metallic layers with a thickness ranging from 160 to 415 nm were obtained. Preliminary experiments indicated that metallic layers deposited directly on textiles do not provide adequate conductivity, reaching the levels of several hundred Ω/sq and necessitating the introduction of intermediate layers, such as screen-printed graphite. The results show that molybdenum layers on basalt fabrics exhibit the lowest increase in resistance after dynamic bending tests. The obtained relative resistance changes in Mo layers varied from 50% to as low as 5% after a complete set of 200 bending cycles. This article also discusses current challenges and future research directions in the field of textile-integrated photovoltaics, emphasizing the importance of further technological development to improve the energy efficiency and durability of such solutions.

Keywords: textile-integrated photovoltaics; flexible solar cells; CdTe-based flexible PV cells (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: 2024
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