Monocrystalline CdTe solar cells with open-circuit voltage over 1 V and efficiency of 17%

Yuan Zhao, Mathieu Boccard, Shi Liu, Jacob Becker, Xin-Hao Zhao, Calli M. Campbell, Ernesto Suarez, Maxwell B. Lassise, Zachary Holman and Yong-Hang Zhang ()
Additional contact information
Yuan Zhao: Center for Photonics Innovation
Mathieu Boccard: School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Shi Liu: Center for Photonics Innovation
Jacob Becker: Center for Photonics Innovation
Xin-Hao Zhao: Center for Photonics Innovation
Calli M. Campbell: Center for Photonics Innovation
Ernesto Suarez: Center for Photonics Innovation
Maxwell B. Lassise: Center for Photonics Innovation
Zachary Holman: School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Yong-Hang Zhang: Center for Photonics Innovation

Nature Energy, 2016, vol. 1, issue 6, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The open-circuit voltages of mature single-junction photovoltaic devices are lower than the bandgap energy of the absorber, typically by a gap of 400 mV. For CdTe, which has a bandgap of 1.5 eV, the gap is larger; for polycrystalline samples, the open-circuit voltage of solar cells with the record efficiency is below 900 mV, whereas for monocrystalline samples it has only recently achieved values barely above 1 V. Here, we report a monocrystalline CdTe/MgCdTe double-heterostructure solar cell with open-circuit voltages of up to 1.096 V. The latticed-matched MgCdTe barrier layers provide excellent passivation to the CdTe absorber, resulting in a carrier lifetime of 3.6 μs. The solar cells are made of 1- to 1.5-μm-thick n-type CdTe absorbers, and passivated hole-selective p-type a-SiCy:H contacts. This design allows CdTe solar cells to be made thinner and more efficient. The best power conversion efficiency achieved in a device with this structure is 17.0%.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/nenergy.2016.67

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