Sample records for a-si photovoltaic manufacturing

  1. The Capital Intensity of Photovoltaics Manufacturing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Basore, Paul

    2015-10-19

    Factory capital expenditure (capex) for photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing strongly influences the per-unit cost of a c-Si module. This provides a significant opportunity to address the U.S. DOE SunShot module price target through capex innovation. Innovation options to reduce the capex of PV manufacturing include incremental and disruptive process innovation with c-Si, platform innovations, and financial approaches. and financial approaches.

  2. Surrogate Final Technical Report for "Solar: A Photovoltaic Manufacturing Development Facility"

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Farrar, Paul

    2014-06-27

    The project goal to create a first-of-a-kind crystalline Silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) Manufacturing & Technology Development Facility (MDF) that will support the growth and maturation of a strong domestic PV manufacturing industry, based on innovative and differentiated technology, by ensuring industry participants can, in a timely and cost-effective manner, access cutting-edge manufacturing equipment and production expertise needed to accelerate the transition of innovative technologies from R&D into manufacturing.

  3. A review of manufacturing metrology for improved reliability of silicon photovoltaic modules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, Kristopher O.; Walters, Joseph; Schneller, Eric; Seigneur, Hubert; Brooker, R. Paul; Scardera, Giuseppe; Rodgers, Marianne P.; Mohajeri, Nahid; Shiradkar, Narendra; Dhere, Neelkanth G.; Wohlgemuth, John; Rudack, Andrew C.; Schoenfeld, Winston V.

    2014-10-01

    In this work, the use of manufacturing metrology across the supply chain to improve crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) module reliability and durability is addressed. Additionally, an overview and summary of a recent extensive literature survey of relevant measurement techniques aimed at reducing or eliminating the probability of field failures is presented. An assessment of potential gaps is also given, wherein the PV community could benefit from new research and demonstration efforts. This review is divided into three primary areas representing different parts of the c-Si PV supply chain: (1) feedstock production, crystallization and wafering; (2) cell manufacturing; and (3) module manufacturing.

  4. Company Partners in Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D | Photovoltaic Research

    Science.gov Websites

    | NRELA> Company Partners in Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D Company Partners in Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D More than 40 private-sector companies partnered with NREL on successful Global Photovoltaic Specialists Global Solar Energy Golden Photon Iowa Thin Film Technologies ITN Energy

  5. Awards for Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Awards for Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D Awards for Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D The following research efforts within the PV Manufacturing R&D Project were honored with prestigious industry awards. 1995-AstroPower (now GE Energy): Received an R&D 100 Award for its Silicon-Film

  6. Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Cost Analysis | Energy Analysis | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Cost Analysis Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Cost Analysis NREL's photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing cost analysis-part of our broader effort supporting manufacturing manufacturing sector, and is that growth sustainable? NREL's manufacturing cost analysis studies show that: U.S

  7. Method of manufacturing a large-area segmented photovoltaic module

    DOEpatents

    Lenox, Carl

    2013-11-05

    One embodiment of the invention relates to a segmented photovoltaic (PV) module which is manufactured from laminate segments. The segmented PV module includes rectangular-shaped laminate segments formed from rectangular-shaped PV laminates and further includes non-rectangular-shaped laminate segments formed from rectangular-shaped and approximately-triangular-shaped PV laminates. The laminate segments are mechanically joined and electrically interconnected to form the segmented module. Another embodiment relates to a method of manufacturing a large-area segmented photovoltaic module from laminate segments of various shapes. Other embodiments relate to processes for providing a photovoltaic array for installation at a site. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed.

  8. Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D Project | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Photovoltaic (PV) Manufacturing Research and Development (R&D) Project was a cost-shared partnership between NREL and a number of private-sector solar companies. The primary project goals were to reduce costs for consumers and solar companies by improving products and manufacturing processes and ensure the

  9. Economics of Future Growth in Photovoltaics Manufacturing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Basore, Paul A.; Chung, Donald; Buonassisi, Tonio

    2015-06-14

    The past decade's record of growth in the photovoltaics manufacturing industry indicates that global investment in manufacturing capacity for photovoltaic modules tends to increase in proportion to the size of the industry. The slope of this proportionality determines how fast the industry will grow in the future. Two key parameters determine this slope. One is the annual global investment in manufacturing capacity normalized to the manufacturing capacity for the previous year (capacity-normalized capital investment rate, CapIR, units $/W). The other is how much capital investment is required for each watt of annual manufacturing capacity, normalized to the service life ofmore » the assets (capacity-normalized capital demand rate, CapDR, units $/W). If these two parameters remain unchanged from the values they have held for the past few years, global manufacturing capacity will peak in the next few years and then decline. However, it only takes a small improvement in CapIR to ensure future growth in photovoltaics. Any accompanying improvement in CapDR will accelerate that growth.« less

  10. International photovoltaic products and manufacturers directory, 1995

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shepperd, L.W.

    1995-11-01

    This international directory of more than 500 photovoltaic-related manufacturers is intended to guide potential users of photovoltaics to sources for systems and their components. Two indexes help the user to locate firms and materials. A glossary describes equipment and terminology commonly used in the photovoltaic industry.

  11. Capital intensity of photovoltaics manufacturing: Barrier to scale and opportunity for innovation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Powell, Douglas M.; Fu, Ran; Horowitz, Kelsey

    In this study, using a bottom-up cost model, we assess the impact of initial factory capital expenditure (capex) on photovoltaic (PV) module minimum sustainable price (MSP) and industry-wide trends. We find capex to have two important impacts on PV manufacturing. First, capex strongly influences the per-unit MSP of a c-Si module: we calculate that the capex-related elements sum to 22% of MSP for an integrated wafer, cell, and module manufacturer. This fraction provides a significant opportunity to reduce MSP toward the U.S. DOE SunShot module price target through capex innovation.

  12. Capital intensity of photovoltaics manufacturing: Barrier to scale and opportunity for innovation

    DOE PAGES

    Powell, Douglas M.; Fu, Ran; Horowitz, Kelsey; ...

    2015-09-07

    In this study, using a bottom-up cost model, we assess the impact of initial factory capital expenditure (capex) on photovoltaic (PV) module minimum sustainable price (MSP) and industry-wide trends. We find capex to have two important impacts on PV manufacturing. First, capex strongly influences the per-unit MSP of a c-Si module: we calculate that the capex-related elements sum to 22% of MSP for an integrated wafer, cell, and module manufacturer. This fraction provides a significant opportunity to reduce MSP toward the U.S. DOE SunShot module price target through capex innovation.

  13. Comparative study of SiC- and Si-based photovoltaic inverters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ando, Yuji; Oku, Takeo; Yasuda, Masashi; Shirahata, Yasuhiro; Ushijima, Kazufumi; Murozono, Mikio

    2017-01-01

    This article reports comparative study of 150-300 W class photovoltaic inverters (Si inverter, SiC inverter 1, and SiC inverter 2). In these sub-kW class inverters, the ON-resistance was considered to have little influence on the efficiency. The developed SiC inverters, however, have exhibited an approximately 3% higher direct current (DC)-alternating current (AC) conversion efficiency as compared to the Si inverter. Power loss analysis indicated a reduction in the switching and reverse recovery losses of SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors used for the DC-AC converter is responsible for this improvement. In the SiC inverter 2, an increase of the switching frequency up to 100 kHz achieved a state-of-the-art combination of the weight (1.25 kg) and the volume (1260 cm3) as a 150-250 W class inverter. Even though the increased switching frequency should cause the increase of the switching losses, the SiC inverter 2 exhibited an efficiency comparable to the SiC inverter 1 with a switching frequency of 20 kHz. The power loss analysis also indicated a decreased loss of the DC-DC converter built with SiC Schottky barrier diodes led to the high efficiency for its increased switching frequency. These results clearly indicated feasibility of SiC devices even for sub-kW photovoltaic inverters, which will be available for the applications where compactness and efficiency are of tremendous importance.

  14. Crystalline silicon photovoltaics via low-temperature TiO 2/Si and PEDOT/Si heterojunctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagamatsu, Ken Alfred

    The most important goals in developing solar cell technology are to achieve high power conversion efficiencies and lower costs of manufacturing. Solar cells based on crystalline silicon currently dominate the market because they can achieve high efficiency. However, conventional p-n junction solar cells require high-temperature diffusions of dopants, and conventional heterojunction cells based on amorphous silicon require plasma-enhanced deposition, both of which can add manufacturing costs. This dissertation investigates an alternative approach, which is to form crystalline-silicon-based solar cells using heterojunctions with materials that are easily deposited at low temperatures and without plasma enhancement, such as organic semiconductors and metal oxides. We demonstrate a heterojunction between the organic polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT), and crystalline silicon, which acts as a hole-selective contact and an alternative to a diffused p-n junction. We also present the use of a heterojunction between titanium dioxide and crystalline silicon as a passivating electron-selective contact. The Si/TiO2 heterojunction is demonstrated for the first time as a back-surface field in a crystalline silicon solar cell, and is incorporated into a PEDOT/Si device. The resulting PEDOT/Si/TiO2 solar cell represents an alternative to conventional silicon solar cells that rely on thermally-diffused junctions or plasma-deposited heterojunctions. Finally, we investigate the merits of using conductive networks of silver nanowires to enhance the photovoltaic performance of PEDOT/Si solar cells. The investigation of these materials and devices contributes to the growing body of work regarding crystalline silicon solar cells made with selective contacts.

  15. Toward Cost-Effective Manufacturing of Silicon Solar Cells: Electrodeposition of High-Quality Si Films in a CaCl2 -based Molten Salt.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiao; Ji, Li; Zou, Xingli; Lim, Taeho; Zhao, Ji; Yu, Edward T; Bard, Allen J

    2017-11-20

    Electrodeposition of Si films from a Si-containing electrolyte is a cost-effective approach for the manufacturing of solar cells. Proposals relying on fluoride-based molten salts have suffered from low product quality due to difficulties in impurity control. Here we demonstrate the successful electrodeposition of high-quality Si films from a CaCl 2 -based molten salt. Soluble Si IV -O anions generated from solid SiO 2 are electrodeposited onto a graphite substrate to form a dense film of crystalline Si. Impurities in the deposited Si film are controlled at low concentrations (both B and P are less than 1 ppm). In the photoelectrochemical measurements, the film shows p-type semiconductor character and large photocurrent. A p-n junction fabricated from the deposited Si film exhibits clear photovoltaic effects. This study represents the first step to the ultimate goal of developing a cost-effective manufacturing process for Si solar cells based on electrodeposition. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Si nanocrystals-based multilayers for luminescent and photovoltaic device applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Peng; Li, Dongke; Cao, Yunqing; Xu, Jun; Chen, Kunji

    2018-06-01

    Low dimensional Si materials have attracted much attention because they can be developed in many kinds of new-generation nano-electronic and optoelectronic devices, among which Si nanocrystals-based multilayered material is one of the most promising candidates and has been extensively studied. By using multilayered structures, the size and distribution of nanocrystals as well as the barrier thickness between two adjacent Si nanocrystal layers can be well controlled, which is beneficial to the device applications. This paper presents an overview of the fabrication and device applications of Si nanocrystals, especially in luminescent and photovoltaic devices. We first introduce the fabrication methods of Si nanocrystals-based multilayers. Then, we systematically review the utilization of Si nanocrystals in luminescent and photovoltaic devices. Finally, some expectations for further development of the Si nanocrystals-based photonic and photovoltaic devices are proposed. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11774155, 11274155).

  17. Device properties of nanopore PN junction Si for photovoltaic application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Hyunjong; Chang, Te Wei; Liu, Logan Gang

    2011-09-01

    Improvement of energy conversion efficiency of solar cells has led to innovative approaches, in particular the introduction of nanopillar photovoltaics [1]. Previous work on nanopillar Si photovoltaic has shown broadband reduction in optical reflection and enhancement of absorption [2]. Radial or axial PN junctions [3, 4] have been of high interest for improved photovoltaic devices. However, with the PN junction incorporated as part of the pillar, the discreteness of individual pillar requires additional conductive layer that would electrically short the top of each pillar for efficient carrier extraction. The fragile structure of the surface pillars would also require a protection layer for possible mechanical scratch to prevent pillars from breaking. Any additional layer that is applied, either for electrical contact or for mechanical properties may introduce additional recombination sites and also reduce the actual light absorption by the photovoltaic material. In this paper, nanopore Si photovoltaics that not only provides the advantages but also addresses the challenges of nanopillers is demonstrated. PN junction substrate of 250 nm thick N-type polycrystalline Si on P-type Si wafer is prepared. The nanopore structure is formed by using anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) as an etching mask against deep reactive ionic etching (DRIE). The device consists of semi-ordered pores of ~70 nm diameter.

  18. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC) – Enabling America’s Solar Revolution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Metacarpa, David

    The U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (US-PVMC) is an industry-led consortium which was created with the mission to accelerate the research, development, manufacturing, field testing, commercialization, and deployment of next-generation solar photovoltaic technologies. Formed as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SunShot initiative, and headquartered in New York State, PVMC is managed by the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) at the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. PVMC is a hybrid of industry-led consortium and manufacturing development facility, with capabilities for collaborative and proprietary industry engagement. Through its technology development programs, advanced manufacturing development facilities,more » system demonstrations, and reliability and testing capabilities, PVMC has demonstrated itself to be a recognized proving ground for innovative solar technologies and system designs. PVMC comprises multiple locations, with the core manufacturing and deployment support activities conducted at the Solar Energy Development Center (SEDC), and the core Si wafering and metrology technologies being headed out of the University of Central Florida. The SEDC provides a pilot line for proof-of-concept prototyping, offering critical opportunities to demonstrate emerging concepts in PV manufacturing, such as evaluations of innovative materials, system components, and PV system designs. The facility, located in Halfmoon NY, encompasses 40,000 square feet of dedicated PV development space. The infrastructure and capabilities housed at PVMC includes PV system level testing at the Prototype Demonstration Facility (PDF), manufacturing scale cell & module fabrication at the Manufacturing Development Facility (MDF), cell and module testing, reliability equipment on its PV pilot line, all integrated with a PV performance database and analytical characterizations for PVMC and its partners test and commercial

  19. Overview of the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Witt, C. E.; Mitchell, R. L.; Mooney, G. D.

    1993-08-01

    The Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) project is a historic government/industry photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing R&D partnership composed of joint efforts between the federal government (through the US Department of Energy) and members of the US PV industry. The project's ultimate goal is to ensure that the US industry retains and extends its world leadership role in the manufacture and commercial development of PV components and systems. PVMaT is designed to do this by helping the US PV industry improve manufacturing processes, accelerate manufacturing cost reductions for PV modules, improve commercial product performance, and lay the groundwork for a substantial scale-up of US-based PV manufacturing capacities. Phase 1 of the project, the problem identification phase, was completed in early 1991. Phase 2, the problem solution phase, which addresses process-specific problems of specific manufacturers, is now underway with an expected duration of 5 years. Phase 3 addresses R&D problems that are relatively common to a number of PV companies or the PV industry as a whole. These 'generic' problem areas are being addressed through a teamed research approach.

  20. Life-cycle nitrogen trifluoride emissions from photovoltaics.

    PubMed

    Fthenakis, Vasilis; Clark, Daniel O; Moalem, Mehran; Chandler, Phil; Ridgeway, Robert G; Hulbert, Forrest E; Cooper, David B; Maroulis, Peter J

    2010-11-15

    Amorphous- and nanocrystalline-silicon thin-film photovoltaic modules are made in high-throughput manufacturing lines that necessitate quickly cleaning the reactor. Using NF₃, a potent greenhouse gas, as the cleaning agent triggered concerns as recent reports reveal that the atmospheric concentrations of this gas have increased significantly. We quantified the life-cycle emissions of NF₃ in photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, on the basis of actual measurements at the facilities of a major producer of NF₃ and of a manufacturer of PV end-use equipment. From these, we defined the best practices and technologies that are the most likely to keep worldwide atmospheric concentrations of NF₃ at very low radiative forcing levels. For the average U.S. insolation and electricity-grid conditions, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manufacturing and using NF₃ in current PV a-Si and tandem a-Si/nc-Si facilities add 2 and 7 g CO₂(eq)/kWh, which can be displaced within the first 1-4 months of the PV system life.

  1. Printing Processes Used to Manufacture Photovoltaic Solar Cells

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rardin, Tina E.; Xu, Renmei

    2011-01-01

    There is a growing need for renewable energy sources, and solar power is a good option in many instances. Photovoltaic solar panels are now being manufactured via various methods, and different printing processes are being incorporated into the manufacturing process. Screen printing has been used most prevalently in the printing process to make…

  2. Assessment of low-cost manufacturing process sequences. [photovoltaic solar arrays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chamberlain, R. G.

    1979-01-01

    An extensive research and development activity to reduce the cost of manufacturing photovoltaic solar arrays by a factor of approximately one hundred is discussed. Proposed and actual manufacturing process descriptions were compared to manufacturing costs. An overview of this methodology is presented.

  3. Paths to future growth in photovoltaics manufacturing

    DOE PAGES

    Basore, Paul A.

    2016-03-01

    The past decade has seen rapid growth in the photovoltaics industry, followed in the past few years by a period of much slower growth. A simple model that is consistent with this historical record can be used to predict the future evolution of the industry. Two key parameters are identified that determine the outcome. One is the annual global investment in manufacturing capacity normalized to the manufacturing capacity for the previous year (capacity-normalized capital investment rate, CapIR, units dollar/W). The other is how much capital investment is required for each watt of annual manufacturing capacity, normalized to the service lifemore » of the assets (capacity-normalized capital demand rate, CapDR, units dollar/W). If these two parameters remain unchanged from the values they have held for the past few years, global manufacturing capacity will peak in the next few years and then decline. However, it only takes a modest improvement in CapIR to ensure future growth in photovoltaics. Here, several approaches are presented that can enable the required improvement in CapIR. If, in addition, there is an accompanying improvement in CapDR, the rate of growth can be substantially accelerated.« less

  4. Thin film photovoltaic device and process of manufacture

    DOEpatents

    Albright, S.P.; Chamberlin, R.

    1997-10-07

    Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells. 13 figs.

  5. Thin film photovoltaic device and process of manufacture

    DOEpatents

    Albright, Scot P.; Chamberlin, Rhodes

    1999-02-09

    Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells.

  6. Thin film photovoltaic device and process of manufacture

    DOEpatents

    Albright, S.P.; Chamberlin, R.

    1999-02-09

    Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells. 13 figs.

  7. Thin film photovoltaic device and process of manufacture

    DOEpatents

    Albright, Scot P.; Chamberlin, Rhodes

    1997-10-07

    Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells.

  8. Economics of Future Growth in Photovoltaics Manufacturing; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Basore, Paul; Chung, Donald; Buonassisi, Tonio

    2015-06-14

    The past decade’s record of growth in the photovoltaic manufacturing industry indicates that global investment in manufacturing capacity for photovoltaic modules tends to increase in proportion to the size of the industry. The slope of this proportionality determines how fast the industry will grow in the future. Two key parameters determine this slope. One is the annual global investment in manufacturing capacity normalized to the manufacturing capacity for the previous year (capacity-normalized capital investment rate, CapIR, units $/W). The other is how much capital investment is required for each watt of annual manufacturing capacity, normalized to the service life ofmore » the assets (capacity-normalized capital demand rate, CapDR, units $/W). If these two parameters remain unchanged from the values they have held for the past few years, global manufacturing capacity will peak in the next few years and then decline. However, it only takes a small improvement in CapIR to ensure future growth in photovoltaics. Any accompanying improvement in CapDR will accelerate that growth.« less

  9. Enhanced photovoltaic performances of graphene/Si solar cells by insertion of a MoS₂ thin film.

    PubMed

    Tsuboi, Yuka; Wang, Feijiu; Kozawa, Daichi; Funahashi, Kazuma; Mouri, Shinichiro; Miyauchi, Yuhei; Takenobu, Taishi; Matsuda, Kazunari

    2015-09-14

    Transition-metal dichalcogenides exhibit great potential as active materials in optoelectronic devices because of their characteristic band structure. Here, we demonstrated that the photovoltaic performances of graphene/Si Schottky junction solar cells were significantly improved by inserting a chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown, large MoS2 thin-film layer. This layer functions as an effective electron-blocking/hole-transporting layer. We also demonstrated that the photovoltaic properties are enhanced with the increasing number of graphene layers and the decreasing thickness of the MoS2 layer. A high photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 11.1% was achieved with the optimized trilayer-graphene/MoS2/n-Si solar cell.

  10. Multijunction photovoltaic device and method of manufacture

    DOEpatents

    Arya, Rejeewa R.; Catalano, Anthony W.; Bennett, Murray

    1995-04-04

    A multijunction photovoltaic device includes first, second, and third amorphous silicon p-i-n photovoltaic cells in a stacked arrangement. The intrinsic layers of the second and third cells are formed of a-SiGe alloys with differing ratios of Ge such that the bandgap of the intrinsic layers respectively decrease from the first uppermost cell to the third lowermost cell. An interface layer, composed of a doped silicon compound, is disposed between the two cells and has a lower bandgap than the respective n- and p-type adjacent layers of the first and second cells. The interface layer forms an ohmic contact with the one of the adjacent cell layers of the same conductivity type, and a tunnel junction with the other of the adjacent cell layers.

  11. Amorphous silicon photovoltaic manufacturing technology, phase 2A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duran, G.; Mackamul, K.; Metcalf, D.

    1995-01-01

    Utility Power Group (UPG), and its lower-tier subcontractor, Advanced Photovoltaic Systems, Inc. (APS) have conducted efforts in developing their manufacturing lines. UPG has focused on the automation of encapsulation and termination processes developed in Phase 1. APS has focused on completion of the encapsulation and module design tasks, while continuing the process and quality control and automation projects. The goal is to produce 55 watt (stabilized) EP50 modules in a new facility. In the APS Trenton EUREKA manufacturing facility, APS has: (1) Developed high throughput lamination procedures; (2) Optimized existing module designs; (3) Developed new module designs for architectural applications; (4) Developed enhanced deposition parameter control; (5) Designed equipment required to manufacture new EUREKA modules developed during Phase II; (6) Improved uniformity of thin-film materials deposition; and (7) Improved the stabilized power output of the APS EP50 EUREKA module to 55 watts. In the APS Fairfield EUREKA manufacturing facility, APS has: (1) Introduced the new products developed under Phase 1 into the APS Fairfield EUREKA module production line; (2) Increased the extent of automation in the production line; (3) Introduced Statistical Process Control to the module production line; and (4) Transferred-progress made in the APS Trenton facility into the APS Fairfield facility.

  12. A photovoltaic self-powered gas sensor based on a single-walled carbon nanotube/Si heterojunction.

    PubMed

    Liu, L; Li, G H; Wang, Y; Wang, Y Y; Li, T; Zhang, T; Qin, S J

    2017-12-07

    We present a novel photovoltaic self-powered gas sensor based on a p-type single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) and n-type silicon (n-Si) heterojunction. The energy from visible light suffices to drive the device owing to a built-in electric field (BEF) induced by the differences between the Fermi levels of SWNTs and n-Si.

  13. Manufacturing injection-moleded Fresnel lens parquets for point-focus concentrating photovoltaic systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peters, E.M.; Masso, J.D.

    This project involved the manufacturing of curved-faceted, injection-molded, four-element Fresnel lens parquets for concentrating photovoltaic arrays. Previous efforts showed that high-efficiency (greater than 82%) Fresnel concentrators could be injection molded. This report encompasses the mold design, molding, and physical testing of a four-lens parquet for a solar photovoltaic concentrator system.

  14. Integral bypass diodes in an amorphous silicon alloy photovoltaic module

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hanak, J. J.; Flaisher, H.

    1991-01-01

    Thin-film, tandem-junction, amorphous silicon (a-Si) photovoltaic modules were constructed in which a part of the a-Si alloy cell material is used to form bypass protection diodes. This integral design circumvents the need for incorporating external, conventional diodes, thus simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing module weight.

  15. Flat plate vs. concentrator solar photovoltaic cells - A manufacturing cost analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Granon, L. A.; Coleman, M. G.

    1980-01-01

    The choice of which photovoltaic system (flat plate or concentrator) to use for utilizing solar cells to generate electricity depends mainly on the cost. A detailed, comparative manufacturing cost analysis of the two types of systems is presented. Several common assumptions, i.e., cell thickness, interest rate, power rate, factory production life, polysilicon cost, and direct labor rate are utilized in this analysis. Process sequences, cost variables, and sensitivity analyses have been studied, and results of the latter show that the most important parameters which determine manufacturing costs are concentration ratio, manufacturing volume, and cell efficiency. The total cost per watt of the flat plate solar cell is $1.45, and that of the concentrator solar cell is $1.85, the higher cost being due to the increased process complexity and material costs.

  16. Recovering valuable metals from recycled photovoltaic modules.

    PubMed

    Yi, Youn Kyu; Kim, Hyun Soo; Tran, Tam; Hong, Sung Kil; Kim, Myong Jun

    2014-07-01

    Recovering valuable metals such as Si, Ag, Cu, and Al has become a pressing issue as end-of-life photovoltaic modules need to be recycled in the near future to meet legislative requirements in most countries. Of major interest is the recovery and recycling of high-purity silicon (> 99.9%) for the production of wafers and semiconductors. The value of Si in crystalline-type photovoltaic modules is estimated to be -$95/kW at the 2012 metal price. At the current installed capacity of 30 GW/yr, the metal value in the PV modules represents valuable resources that should be recovered in the future. The recycling of end-of-life photovoltaic modules would supply > 88,000 and 207,000 tpa Si by 2040 and 2050, respectively. This represents more than 50% of the required Si for module fabrication. Experimental testwork on crystalline Si modules could recover a > 99.98%-grade Si product by HNO3/NaOH leaching to remove Al, Ag, and Ti and other metal ions from the doped Si. A further pyrometallurgical smelting at 1520 degrees C using CaO-CaF2-SiO2 slag mixture to scavenge the residual metals after acid leaching could finally produce > 99.998%-grade Si. A process based on HNO3/NaOH leaching and subsequent smelting is proposed for recycling Si from rejected or recycled photovoltaic modules. Implications: The photovoltaic industry is considering options of recycling PV modules to recover metals such as Si, Ag, Cu, Al, and others used in the manufacturing of the PV cells. This is to retain its "green" image and to comply with current legislations in several countries. An evaluation of potential resources made available from PV wastes and the technologies used for processing these materials is therefore of significant importance to the industry. Of interest are the costs of processing and the potential revenues gained from recycling, which should determine the viability of economic recycling of PV modules in the future.

  17. SiC Protective Coating for Photovoltaic Retinal Prostheses

    PubMed Central

    Lei, Xin; Kane, Sheryl; Cogan, Stuart; Lorach, Henri; Galambos, Ludwig; Huie, Philip; Mathieson, Keith; Kamins, Theodore; Harris, James; Palanker, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Objective To evaluate PECVD SiC as a protective coating for retinal prostheses and other implantable devices, and to study their failure mechanisms in vivo. Approach Retinal prostheses were implanted in rats subretinally for up to 1 year. Degradation of implants was characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Dissolution rates of SiC, SiNx and thermal SiO2 were measured in accelerated soaking tests in saline at 87°C. Defects in SiC films were revealed and analyzed by selectively removing the materials underneath those defects. Main results At 87°C SiNx dissolved at 18.3±0.3nm/day, while SiO2 grown at high temperature (1000°C) dissolved at 1.04±0.08A/day. SiC films demonstrated the best stability, with no quantifiable change after 112 days. Defects in thin SiC films appeared primarily over complicated topography and rough surfaces. Significance SiC coatings demonstrating no erosion in accelerated aging test for 112 days at 87°C, equivalent to about 10 years in vivo, can offer effective protection of the implants. Photovoltaic retinal prostheses with PECVD SiC coatings exhibited effective protection from erosion during the 4-month follow-up in vivo. The optimal thickness of SiC layers is about 560nm, as defined by anti-reflective properties and by sufficient coverage to eliminate defects. PMID:27323882

  18. Silicon nanowires for photovoltaic solar energy conversion.

    PubMed

    Peng, Kui-Qing; Lee, Shuit-Tong

    2011-01-11

    Semiconductor nanowires are attracting intense interest as a promising material for solar energy conversion for the new-generation photovoltaic (PV) technology. In particular, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are under active investigation for PV applications because they offer novel approaches for solar-to-electric energy conversion leading to high-efficiency devices via simple manufacturing. This article reviews the recent developments in the utilization of SiNWs for PV applications, the relationship between SiNW-based PV device structure and performance, and the challenges to obtaining high-performance cost-effective solar cells.

  19. Energy Conversion Properties of ZnSiP2, a Lattice-Matched Material for Silicon-Based Tandem Photovoltaics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martinez, Aaron D.; Warren, Emily L.; Gorai, Prashun

    ZnSiP2 demonstrates promising potential as an optically active material on silicon. There has been a longstanding need for wide band gap materials that can be integrated with Si for tandem photovoltaics and other optoelectronic applications. ZnSiP2 is an inexpensive, earth abundant, wide band gap material that is stable and lattice matched with silicon. This conference proceeding summarizes our PV-relevant work on bulk single crystal ZnSiP2, highlighting the key findings and laying the ground work for integration into Si-based tandem devices.

  20. Challenges to Scaling CIGS Photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stanbery, B. J.

    2011-03-01

    The challenges of scaling any photovoltaic technology to terawatts of global capacity are arguably more economic than technological or resource constraints. All commercial thin-film PV technologies are based on direct bandgap semiconductors whose absorption coefficient and bandgap alignment with the solar spectrum enable micron-thick coatings in lieu to hundreds of microns required using indirect-bandgap c-Si. Although thin-film PV reduces semiconductor materials cost, its manufacture is more capital intensive than c-Si production, and proportional to deposition rate. Only when combined with sufficient efficiency and cost of capital does this tradeoff yield lower manufacturing cost. CIGS has the potential to become the first thin film technology to achieve the terawatt benchmark because of its superior conversion efficiency, making it the only commercial thin film technology which demonstrably delivers performance comparable to the dominant incumbent, c-Si. Since module performance leverages total systems cost, this competitive advantage bears directly on CIGS' potential to displace c-Si and attract the requisite capital to finance the tens of gigawatts of annual production capacity needed to manufacture terawatts of PV modules apace with global demand growth.

  1. Magnetic field-driven lateral photovoltaic effect in the Fe/SiO2/p-Si hybrid structure with the Schottky barrier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Volkov, N. V.; Rautskii, M. V.; Tarasov, A. S.; Yakovlev, I. A.; Bondarev, I. A.; Lukyanenko, A. V.; Varnakov, S. N.; Ovchinnikov, S. G.

    2018-07-01

    We demonstrate that the lateral photovoltaic effect in the Fe/SiO2/p-Si structure not only strongly depends on the optical radiation wavelength and temperature, but is also sensitive to external magnetic fields. The magnetic field lowers the absolute value of photovoltage regardless of the wavelength and temperature; however, the relative photovoltage variation significantly depends on these parameters. The lateral photovoltage is observed both on the Fe film and Si substrate sides and results from separation of photoinduced electrons and holes in a built-in electric field of the Schottky barrier with their subsequent diffusion to the structure in the lateral direction from the illuminated area. The observed features in the behavior of the lateral photovoltaic effect originate from the variation in the light absorption coefficient of the semiconductor and the related quantum efficiency upon light wavelength variation. In addition, an important role is played by the change in the characteristics of the Schottky barrier at the redistribution of optically generated carriers and temperature variation. The effect of the magnetic field is attributed to the Lorentz force, which bends trajectories of carriers drifting under the action of the Schottky barrier field and, consequently, suppresses the lateral photovoltaic effect.

  2. A hybrid life-cycle inventory for multi-crystalline silicon PV module manufacturing in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Yuan; Chang, Yuan; Masanet, Eric

    2014-11-01

    China is the world’s largest manufacturer of multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic (mc-Si PV) modules, which is a key enabling technology in the global transition to renewable electric power systems. This study presents a hybrid life-cycle inventory (LCI) of Chinese mc-Si PV modules, which fills a critical knowledge gap on the environmental implications of mc-Si PV module manufacturing in China. The hybrid LCI approach combines process-based LCI data for module and poly-silicon manufacturing plants with a 2007 China IO-LCI model for production of raw material and fuel inputs to estimate ‘cradle to gate’ primary energy use, water consumption, and major air pollutant emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen oxides). Results suggest that mc-Si PV modules from China may come with higher environmental burdens that one might estimate if one were using LCI results for mc-Si PV modules manufactured elsewhere. These higher burdens can be reasonably explained by the efficiency differences in China’s poly-silicon manufacturing processes, the country’s dependence on highly polluting coal-fired electricity, and the expanded system boundaries associated with the hybrid LCI modeling framework. The results should be useful for establishing more conservative ranges on the potential ‘cradle to gate’ impacts of mc-Si PV module manufacturing for more robust LCAs of PV deployment scenarios.

  3. Additives to silane for thin film silicon photovoltaic devices

    DOEpatents

    Hurley, Patrick Timothy; Ridgeway, Robert Gordon; Hutchison, Katherine Anne; Langan, John Giles

    2013-09-17

    Chemical additives are used to increase the rate of deposition for the amorphous silicon film (.alpha.Si:H) and/or the microcrystalline silicon film (.mu.CSi:H). The electrical current is improved to generate solar grade films as photoconductive films used in the manufacturing of Thin Film based Photovoltaic (TFPV) devices.

  4. Durable crystalline Si photovoltaic modules based on silicone-sheet encapsulants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hara, Kohjiro; Ohwada, Hiroto; Furihata, Tomoyoshi; Masuda, Atsushi

    2018-02-01

    Crystalline Si photovoltaic (PV) modules were fabricated with sheets of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (silicone) as an encapsulant. The long-term durability of the silicone-encapsulated PV modules was experimentally investigated. The silicone-based modules enhanced the long-term durability against potential-induced degradation (PID) and a damp-heat (DH) condition at 85 °C with 85% relative humidity (RH). In addition, we designed and fabricated substrate-type Si PV modules based on the silicone encapsulant and an Al-alloy plate as the substratum, which demonstrated high impact resistance and high incombustible performance. The high chemical stability, high volume resistivity, rubber-like elasticity, and incombustibility of the silicone encapsulant resulted in the high durability of the modules. Our results indicate that silicone is an attractive encapsulation material, as it improves the long-term durability of crystalline Si PV modules.

  5. Wafer-scale high-throughput ordered arrays of Si and coaxial Si/Si(1-x)Ge(x) wires: fabrication, characterization, and photovoltaic application.

    PubMed

    Pan, Caofeng; Luo, Zhixiang; Xu, Chen; Luo, Jun; Liang, Renrong; Zhu, Guang; Wu, Wenzhuo; Guo, Wenxi; Yan, Xingxu; Xu, Jun; Wang, Zhong Lin; Zhu, Jing

    2011-08-23

    We have developed a method combining lithography and catalytic etching to fabricate large-area (uniform coverage over an entire 5-in. wafer) arrays of vertically aligned single-crystal Si nanowires with high throughput. Coaxial n-Si/p-SiGe wire arrays are also fabricated by further coating single-crystal epitaxial SiGe layers on the Si wires using ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHVCVD). This method allows precise control over the diameter, length, density, spacing, orientation, shape, pattern and location of the Si and Si/SiGe nanowire arrays, making it possible to fabricate an array of devices based on rationally designed nanowire arrays. A proposed fabrication mechanism of the etching process is presented. Inspired by the excellent antireflection properties of the Si/SiGe wire arrays, we built solar cells based on the arrays of these wires containing radial junctions, an example of which exhibits an open circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 650 mV, a short-circuit current density (J(sc)) of 8.38 mA/cm(2), a fill factor of 0.60, and an energy conversion efficiency (η) of 3.26%. Such a p-n radial structure will have a great potential application for cost-efficient photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  6. Guiding principle for crystalline Si photovoltaic modules with high tolerance to acetic acid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masuda, Atsushi; Hara, Yukiko

    2018-04-01

    A guiding principle for highly reliable crystalline Si photovoltaic modules, especially those with high tolerance to acetic acid generated by hydrolysis reaction between water vapor and an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant, is proposed. Degradation behavior evaluated by the damp heat test strongly depends on Ag finger electrodes and also EVA encapsulants. The acetic acid concentration in EVA on the glass side directly determines the degradation behavior. The most important factor for high tolerance is the type of Ag finger electrode materials when using an EVA encapsulant. Photovoltaic modules using newly developed crystalline Si cells with improved Ag finger electrode materials keep their maximum power of 80% of the initial value even after the damp heat test at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity for 10000 h. The pattern of dark regions in electroluminescence images is also discussed on the basis of the dynamics of acetic acid in the modules.

  7. Additive Manufacturing of SiC Based Ceramics and Ceramic Matrix Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halbig, Michael Charles; Singh, Mrityunjay

    2015-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics and SiC fiber reinforcedSiC ceramic matrix composites (SiCSiC CMCs) offer high payoff as replacements for metals in turbine engine applications due to their lighter weight, higher temperature capability, and lower cooling requirements. Additive manufacturing approaches can offer game changing technologies for the quick and low cost fabrication of parts with much greater design freedom and geometric complexity. Four approaches for developing these materials are presented. The first two utilize low cost 3D printers. The first uses pre-ceramic pastes developed as feed materials which are converted to SiC after firing. The second uses wood containing filament to print a carbonaceous preform which is infiltrated with a pre-ceramic polymer and converted to SiC. The other two approaches pursue the AM of CMCs. The first is binder jet SiC powder processing in collaboration with rp+m (Rapid Prototyping+Manufacturing). Processing optimization was pursued through SiC powder blending, infiltration with and without SiC nano powder loading, and integration of nanofibers into the powder bed. The second approach was laminated object manufacturing (LOM) in which fiber prepregs and laminates are cut to shape by a laser and stacked to form the desired part. Scanning electron microscopy was conducted on materials from all approaches with select approaches also characterized with XRD, TGA, and bend testing.

  8. A Manufacturing Cost and Supply Chain Analysis of SiC Power Electronics Applicable to Medium-Voltage Motor Drives

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Horowitz, Kelsey; Remo, Timothy; Reese, Samantha

    Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices are increasingly being considered for use in certain power electronics applications, where they can improve efficiency, performance, footprint, and, potentially, total system cost compared to systems using traditional silicon (Si) devices. Silicon carbide (SiC) devices in particular -- which are currently more mature than other WBG devices -- are poised for growth in the coming years. Today, the manufacturing of SiC wafers is concentrated in the United States, and chip production is split roughly equally between the United States, Japan, and Europe. Established contract manufacturers located throughout Asia typically carry out manufacturing of WBG powermore » modules. We seek to understand how global manufacturing of SiC components may evolve over time by illustrating the regional cost drivers along the supply chain and providing an overview of other factors that influence where manufacturing is sited. We conduct this analysis for a particular case study where SiC devices are used in a medium-voltage motor drive.« less

  9. Effect of indium on photovoltaic property of n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction device prepared using solution-synthesized ZnO nanowire film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kathalingam, Adaikalam; Kim, Hyun-Seok; Park, Hyung-Moo; Valanarasu, Santiyagu; Mahalingam, Thaiyan

    2015-01-01

    Preparation of n-ZnO/p-Si heterostructures using solution-synthesized ZnO nanowire films and their photovoltaic characterization is reported. The solution-grown ZnO nanowire film is characterized using scanning electron microscope, electron dispersive x-ray, and optical absorption studies. Electrical and photovoltaic properties of the fabricated heterostructures are studied using e-beam-evaporated aluminum as metal contacts. In order to use transparent contact and to simultaneously collect the photogenerated carriers, sandwich-type solar cells were fabricated using ZnO nanorod films grown on p-silicon and indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass as ITO/n-ZnO NR/p-Si. The electrical properties of these structures are analyzed from current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. ZnO nanowire film thickness-dependent photovoltaic properties are also studied. Indium metal was also deposited over the ZnO nanowires and its effects on the photovoltaic response of the devices were studied. The results demonstrated that all the samples exhibit a strong rectifying behavior indicating the diode nature of the devices. The sandwich-type ITO/n-ZnO NR/p-Si solar cells exhibit improved photovoltaic performance over the Al-metal-coated n-ZnO/p-Si structures. The indium deposition is found to show enhancement in photovoltaic behavior with a maximum open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.3 V and short-circuit current (Isc) of 70×10-6 A under ultraviolet light excitation.

  10. Toward a III-V Multijunction Space Cell Technology on Si

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ringel, S. A.; Lueck, M. R.; Andre, C. L.; Fitzgerald, E. A.; Wilt, D. M.; Scheiman, D.

    2007-01-01

    High efficiency compound semiconductor solar cells grown on Si substrates are of growing interest in the photovoltaics community for both terrestrial and space applications. As a potential substrate for III-V compound photovoltaics, Si has many advantages over traditional Ge and GaAs substrates that include higher thermal conductivity, lower weight, lower material costs, and the potential to leverage the extensive manufacturing base of the Si industry. Such a technology that would retain high solar conversion efficiency at reduced weight and cost would result in space solar cells that simultaneously possess high specific power (W/kg) and high power density (W/m2). For terrestrial solar cells this would result in high efficiency III-V concentrators with improved thermal conductivity, reduced cost, and via the use of SiGe graded interlayers as active component layers the possibility of integrating low bandgap sub-cells that could provide for extremely high conversion efficiency.1 In addition to photovoltaics, there has been an historical interest in III-V/Si integration to provide optical interconnects in Si electronics, which has become of even greater relevance recently due to impending bottlenecks in CMOS based circuitry. As a result, numerous strategies to integrate GaAs with Si have been explored with the primary issue being the approx.4% lattice mismatch between GaAs and Si. Among these efforts, relaxed, compositionally-graded SiGe buffer layers where the substrate lattice constant is effectively tuned from Si to that of Ge so that a close lattice match to subsequent GaAs overlayers have shown great promise. With this approach, threading dislocation densities (TDDs) of approx.1 x 10(exp 6)/sq cm have been uniformly achieved in relaxed Ge layers on Si,5 leading to GaAs on Si with minority carrier lifetimes greater than 10 ns,6 GaAs single junction solar cells on Si with efficiencies greater than 18%,7 InGaAs CW laser diodes on Si,8 and room temperature GaInP red

  11. Development and manufacture of reactive-transfer-printed CIGS photovoltaic modules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eldada, Louay; Sang, Baosheng; Lu, Dingyuan; Stanbery, Billy J.

    2010-09-01

    In recent years, thin-film photovoltaic (PV) companies started realizing their low manufacturing cost potential, and grabbing an increasingly larger market share from multicrystalline silicon companies. Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) is the most promising thin-film PV material, having demonstrated the highest energy conversion efficiency in both cells and modules. However, most CIGS manufacturers still face the challenge of delivering a reliable and rapid manufacturing process that can scale effectively and deliver on the promise of this material system. HelioVolt has developed a reactive transfer process for CIGS absorber formation that has the benefits of good compositional control, high-quality CIGS grains, and a fast reaction. The reactive transfer process is a two stage CIGS fabrication method. Precursor films are deposited onto substrates and reusable print plates in the first stage, while in the second stage, the CIGS layer is formed by rapid heating with Se confinement. High quality CIGS films with large grains were produced on a full-scale manufacturing line, and resulted in high-efficiency large-form-factor modules. With 14% cell efficiency and 12% module efficiency, HelioVolt started to commercialize the process on its first production line with 20 MW nameplate capacity.

  12. Solid state laser applications in photovoltaics manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dunsky, Corey; Colville, Finlay

    2008-02-01

    Photovoltaic energy conversion devices are on a rapidly accelerating growth path driven by increasing government and societal pressure to use renewable energy as part of an overall strategy to address global warming attributed to greenhouse gas emissions. Initially supported in several countries by generous tax subsidies, solar cell manufacturers are relentlessly pushing the performance/cost ratio of these devices in a quest to reach true cost parity with grid electricity. Clearly this eventual goal will result in further acceleration in the overall market growth. Silicon wafer based solar cells are currently the mainstay of solar end-user installations with a cost up to three times grid electricity. But next-generation technology in the form of thin-film devices promises streamlined, high-volume manufacturing and greatly reduced silicon consumption, resulting in dramatically lower per unit fabrication costs. Notwithstanding the modest conversion efficiency of thin-film devices compared to wafered silicon products (around 6-10% versus 15-20%), this cost reduction is driving existing and start-up solar manufacturers to switch to thin-film production. A key aspect of these devices is patterning large panels to create a monolithic array of series-interconnected cells to form a low current, high voltage module. This patterning is accomplished in three critical scribing processes called P1, P2, and P3. Lasers are the technology of choice for these processes, delivering the desired combination of high throughput and narrow, clean scribes. This paper examines these processes and discusses the optimization of industrial lasers to meet their specific needs.

  13. National Center for Photovoltaics | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    drive industry growth in U.S. photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing. The NCPV includes multiple capabilities in PV research, development, deployment, and outreach. To help the U.S. photovoltaic industry

  14. A photovoltaic industry overview - The results of a survey on photovoltaic technology industrialization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferber, R. R.; Costogue, E. N.; Thornhill, J. W.; Shimada, K.

    1981-01-01

    The National Photovoltaics Program of the United States Department of Energy has the objective of bringing photovoltaic power systems to a point where they can supply a significant portion of the United States energy requirements by the year 2000. This is planned to be accomplished through substantial research and technology development activities aimed at achieving major cost reductions and market penetration. This paper presents information derived from a limited survey performed to obtain photovoltaic industry attitudes concerning industrialization, and to determine current industry plans to meet the DOE program goals. Silicon material production, a key photovoltaic manufacturing industry, is highlighted with regards to implementation of technology improvement and silicon material supply outlook.

  15. 40 CFR 60.4238 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines â¤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer... Standards of Performance for Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements... SI internal combustion engines ≤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines...

  16. 40 CFR 60.4238 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines â¤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer... Standards of Performance for Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements... SI internal combustion engines ≤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines...

  17. 40 CFR 60.4238 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines â¤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer... Standards of Performance for Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements... SI internal combustion engines ≤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines...

  18. 40 CFR 60.4238 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines â¤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer... Standards of Performance for Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements... SI internal combustion engines ≤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines...

  19. 40 CFR 60.4238 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines â¤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer... Standards of Performance for Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements... SI internal combustion engines ≤19 KW (25 HP) or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines...

  20. 40 CFR 60.4239 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that use gasoline or... NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion... manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that use gasoline or a manufacturer of...

  1. 40 CFR 60.4242 - What other requirements must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing stationary SI internal combustion engines or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines? 60.4242... Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements for Manufacturers § 60.4242 What other...

  2. 40 CFR 60.4242 - What other requirements must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing stationary SI internal combustion engines or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines? 60.4242... Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements for Manufacturers § 60.4242 What other...

  3. 40 CFR 60.4242 - What other requirements must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing stationary SI internal combustion engines or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines? 60.4242... Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements for Manufacturers § 60.4242 What other...

  4. 40 CFR 60.4242 - What other requirements must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing stationary SI internal combustion engines or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines? 60.4242... Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements for Manufacturers § 60.4242 What other...

  5. 40 CFR 60.4242 - What other requirements must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing stationary SI internal combustion engines or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines? 60.4242... Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Compliance Requirements for Manufacturers § 60.4242 What other...

  6. A novel strategy to increase separated electron-hole dipoles in commercial Si based solar panel to assist photovoltaic effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Yefeng; He, Cheng-En; Xu, Zhichao; Hu, Jianbing; Peng, Cheng

    2018-01-01

    Interface induced polarization has been found to have a significant impact on dielectric properties of 2-2 type polymer composites bearing Si based semi-conducting ceramic sheets. Inherent overall polarity of polymer layers in 2-2 composites has been verified to be closely connected with interface effect and achieved permittivity in composites. In present work, conducting performances of monocrystalline Si sheets coated by varied high polarity material layers were deeply researched. The positive results inspired us to propose a novel strategy to improve separated electron-hole dipoles in commercial Si based solar cell panel for assisting photovoltaic effect, based on strong interface induced polarization. Conducting features of solar panels coated by two different high polarity polymer layers were detected to be greatly elevated compared with solar panel standalone, thanks to interface induced polarization between panel and polymer. Polymer coating with higher polarity would lead to more separated electron-hole dipole pairs in solar panel contributing to higher conductivity of panel. Valid synergy of interface effect and photovoltaic effect was based on their unidirectional traits of electron transfer. Dielectric properties of solar panels in composites further confirmed that strategy. This work might provide a facile route to prepare promising Si based solar panels with higher photoelectric conversion efficiency by enhancing interface induced polarization between panel and polymer coating.

  7. 40 CFR 60.4231 - What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing such... Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4231 What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or...

  8. 40 CFR 60.4231 - What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing such... Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4231 What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or...

  9. 40 CFR 60.4231 - What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing such... Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4231 What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or...

  10. 40 CFR 60.4231 - What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing such... Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4231 What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or...

  11. 40 CFR 60.4231 - What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or equipment containing such... Stationary Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4231 What emission standards must I meet if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or...

  12. Silicon wafer-based tandem cells: The ultimate photovoltaic solution?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Green, Martin A.

    2014-03-01

    Recent large price reductions with wafer-based cells have increased the difficulty of dislodging silicon solar cell technology from its dominant market position. With market leaders expected to be manufacturing modules above 16% efficiency at 0.36/Watt by 2017, even the cost per unit area (60-70/m2) will be difficult for any thin-film photovoltaic technology to significantly undercut. This may make dislodgement likely only by appreciably higher energy conversion efficiency approaches. A silicon wafer-based cell able to capitalize on on-going cost reductions within the mainstream industry, but with an appreciably higher than present efficiency, might therefore provide the ultimate PV solution. With average selling prices of 156 mm quasi-square monocrystalline Si photovoltaic wafers recently approaching 1 (per wafer), wafers now provide clean, low cost templates for overgrowth of thin, wider bandgap high performance cells, nearly doubling silicon's ultimate efficiency potential. The range of possible Si-based tandem approaches is reviewed together with recent results and ultimate prospects.

  13. High-throughput manufacturing of thin-film CdS/CdTe photovoltaic modules. Annual subcontract report, 16 November 1994--15 November 1995

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sandwisch, D.W.

    1997-02-01

    The objectives of this subcontract are to advance Solar Cells, Inc.`s (SCI`s) photovoltaic manufacturing technologies, reduce module production costs, increase module performance, and provide the groundwork for SCI to expand its commercial production capacities. Activities during the second year of the program concentrated on process development, equipment design and testing, quality assurance, and ES and H programs. These efforts broadly addressed the issues of the manufacturing process for producing thin-film monolithic CdS/CdTe photovoltaic modules.

  14. Large lateral photovoltaic effect with ultrafast relaxation time in SnSe/Si junction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Xianjie; Zhao, Xiaofeng; Hu, Chang

    In this paper, we report a large lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) with ultrafast relaxation time in SnSe/p-Si junctions. The LPE shows a linear dependence on the position of the laser spot, and the position sensitivity is as high as 250 mV mm{sup −1}. The optical response time and the relaxation time of the LPE are about 100 ns and 2 μs, respectively. The current-voltage curve on the surface of the SnSe film indicates the formation of an inversion layer at the SnSe/p-Si interface. Our results clearly suggest that most of the excited-electrons diffuse laterally in the inversion layer at the SnSe/p-Si interface, whichmore » results in a large LPE with ultrafast relaxation time. The high positional sensitivity and ultrafast relaxation time of the LPE make the SnSe/p-Si junction a promising candidate for a wide range of optoelectronic applications.« less

  15. A preliminary 'test case' manufacturing sequence for 50 cents/watt solar photovoltaic modules in 1986

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bickler, D. B.

    1979-01-01

    The paper describes a 'test case' manufacturing process sequence for solar photovoltaic modules which will cost 50 cents/watt in 1986. The process, which starts with the purification of silicon grown into 75-mm-wide thin ribbons, is discussed, and the plant layout is depicted; each department is sized to produce 250 MW of modules/per year. The cost of this process sequence is compared to present technology at various companies showing considerable spread for each process; data are tabulated in a composite state-of-the-art cell processing cost summary for these processes.

  16. Toxicology of tetramethyltin and other organometals used in photovoltaic cell manufacture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamilton, L. D.; Medeiros, W. H.; Moskowitz, P. D.; Rybicka, K.

    1988-07-01

    In photovoltaic cell fabrication, organometals (alkyl metals) may be used in such processes as metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, transparent contact oxide deposition, doping, and ion implantation. Although these compounds offer potential performance advantages over earth metals and possibly greater safety in handling than metal hydrides, they are not without risk to health and property. Most organometals can ignite spontaneously in air. Some also react violently with water. Oxidation by-products from these reactions are hazardous to health. Of the organometals used in photovoltaic cell fabrication, only the toxicology of organotins (triethyl-, trimethyl- and tetramethyltin) was studied extensively. In mammalian systems, tetramethyltin is rapidly dealkylated to trimethyltin. Although tin was classified by some investigators as an essential trace element, the effects of organotin compounds on humans are poorly known. Animal studies show that the most prominent effects of trimethyltin are on the central nervous system. Several observations of poisoning were reported; effects ranged from reversible neurologic disorders to death. Limited available data suggest that humans respond to single acute doses and more alarmingly to repeated sub-toxic doses, suggesting a cumulative effect. Toxicologic properties of diethyltelluride also were evaluated in animal experiments. The compound had toxic effects on the blood, liver, kidney, heart, and skin. Based on these studies and others of related compounds (e.g., methylmercury, tributyltin) extreme caution should be exercised in using organometal compounds in photovoltaic cell manufacturing.

  17. 40 CFR 60.4232 - How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? 60.4232 Section 60... Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4232 How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? Engines...

  18. 40 CFR 60.4232 - How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? 60.4232 Section 60... Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4232 How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? Engines...

  19. 40 CFR 60.4232 - How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? 60.4232 Section 60... Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4232 How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? Engines...

  20. 40 CFR 60.4232 - How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? 60.4232 Section 60... Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4232 How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? Engines...

  1. 40 CFR 60.4232 - How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? 60.4232 Section 60... Internal Combustion Engines Emission Standards for Manufacturers § 60.4232 How long must my engines meet the emission standards if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines? Engines...

  2. Improved Method of Manufacturing SiC Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Okojie, Robert S.

    2005-01-01

    The phrase, "common-layered architecture for semiconductor silicon carbide" ("CLASSiC") denotes a method of batch fabrication of microelectromechanical and semiconductor devices from bulk silicon carbide. CLASSiC is the latest in a series of related methods developed in recent years in continuing efforts to standardize SiC-fabrication processes. CLASSiC encompasses both institutional and technological innovations that can be exploited separately or in combination to make the manufacture of SiC devices more economical. Examples of such devices are piezoresistive pressure sensors, strain gauges, vibration sensors, and turbulence-intensity sensors for use in harsh environments (e.g., high-temperature, high-pressure, corrosive atmospheres). The institutional innovation is to manufacture devices for different customers (individuals, companies, and/or other entities) simultaneously in the same batch. This innovation is based on utilization of the capability for fabrication, on the same substrate, of multiple SiC devices having different functionalities (see figure). Multiple customers can purchase shares of the area on the same substrate, each customer s share being apportioned according to the customer s production-volume requirement. This makes it possible for multiple customers to share costs in a common foundry, so that the capital equipment cost per customer in the inherently low-volume SiC-product market can be reduced significantly. One of the technological innovations is a five-mask process that is based on an established set of process design rules. The rules provide for standardization of the fabrication process, yet are flexible enough to enable multiple customers to lay out masks for their portions of the SiC substrate to provide for simultaneous batch fabrication of their various devices. In a related prior method, denoted multi-user fabrication in silicon carbide (MUSiC), the fabrication process is based largely on surface micromachining of poly Si

  3. Manufacturing Analysis | Energy Analysis | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    , state, and community levels. Solar photovoltaic manufacturing cost analysis Examining the regional competitiveness of solar photovoltaic manufacturing points to access to capital as a critical component for scale of rare material-based photovoltaic PV technology deployment may influence the United States

  4. Vertically aligned p-type single-crystalline GaN nanorod arrays on n-type Si for heterojunction photovoltaic cells.

    PubMed

    Tang, Y B; Chen, Z H; Song, H S; Lee, C S; Cong, H T; Cheng, H M; Zhang, W J; Bello, I; Lee, S T

    2008-12-01

    Vertically aligned Mg-doped GaN nanorods have been epitaxially grown on n-type Si substrate to form a heterostructure for fabricating p-n heterojunction photovoltaic cells. The p-type GaN nanorod/n-Si heterojunction cell shows a well-defined rectifying behavior with a rectification ratio larger than 10(4) in dark. The cell has a high short-circuit photocurrent density of 7.6 mAlcm2 and energy conversion efficiency of 2.73% under AM 1.5G illumination at 100 mW/cm2. Moreover, the nanorod array may be used as an antireflection coating for solar cell applications to effectively reduce light loss due to reflection. This study provides an experimental demonstration for integrating one-dimensional nanostructure arrays with the substrate to directly fabricate heterojunction photovoltaic cells.

  5. 40 CFR 60.4240 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn...

  6. 40 CFR 60.4240 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn...

  7. 40 CFR 60.4240 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn...

  8. 40 CFR 60.4240 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn...

  9. 40 CFR 60.4240 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn... I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines >19 KW (25 HP) that are rich burn...

  10. A users evaluation of SAMIS. [Solar Array Manufacturing Industry Simulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grenon, L. A.; Coleman, M. G.

    1981-01-01

    SAMIS, the Solar Array Manufacturing Industry Simulation computer program was developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) to provide a method whereby manufacturers or potential manufacturers of photovoltaics could simulate a solar industry using their own particular approach. This paper analyzes the usefulness of SAMIS to a growing photovoltaic industry and clearly illustrates its limitations as viewed by an industrial user.

  11. Basic research challenges in crystalline silicon photovoltaics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Werner, J.H.

    1995-08-01

    Silicon is abundant, non-toxic and has an ideal band gap for photovoltaic energy conversion. Experimental world record cells of 24 % conversion efficiency with around 300 {mu}m thickness are only 4 % (absolute) efficiency points below the theoretical Auger recombination-limit of around 28 %. Compared with other photovoltaic materials, crystalline silicon has only very few disadvantages. The handicap of weak light absorbance may be mastered by clever optical designs. Single crystalline cells of only 48 {mu}m thickness showed 17.3 % efficiency even without backside reflectors. A technology of solar cells from polycrystalline Si films on foreign substrates arises at themore » horizon. However, the disadvantageous, strong activity of grain boundaries in Si could be an insurmountable hurdle for a cost-effective, terrestrial photovoltaics based on polycrystalline Si on foreign substrates. This talk discusses some basic research challenges related to a Si based photovoltaics.« less

  12. Impedance spectroscopy of heterojunction solar cell a-SiC/c-Si with ITO antireflection film investigated at different temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Šály, V.; Perný, M.; Janíček, F.; Huran, J.; Mikolášek, M.; Packa, J.

    2017-04-01

    Progressive smart photovoltaic technologies including heterostructures a-SiC/c-Si with ITO antireflection film are one of the prospective replacements of conventional photovoltaic silicon technology. Our paper is focused on the investigation of heterostructures a-SiC/c-Si provided with a layer of ITO (indium oxide/tin oxide 90/10 wt.%) which acts as a passivating and antireflection coating. Prepared photovoltaic cell structure was investigated at various temperatures and the influence of temperature on its operation was searched. The investigation of the dynamic properties of heterojunction PV cells was carried out using impedance spectroscopy. The equivalent AC circuit which approximates the measured impedance data was proposed. Assessment of the influence of the temperature on the operation of prepared heterostructure was carried out by analysis of the temperature dependence of AC equivalent circuit elements.

  13. Behavioral data of thin-film single junction amorphous silicon (a-Si) photovoltaic modules under outdoor long term exposure

    PubMed Central

    Kichou, Sofiane; Silvestre, Santiago; Nofuentes, Gustavo; Torres-Ramírez, Miguel; Chouder, Aissa; Guasch, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Four years׳ behavioral data of thin-film single junction amorphous silicon (a-Si) photovoltaic (PV) modules installed in a relatively dry and sunny inland site with a Continental-Mediterranean climate (in the city of Jaén, Spain) are presented in this article. The shared data contributes to clarify how the Light Induced Degradation (LID) impacts the output power generated by the PV array, especially in the first days of exposure under outdoor conditions. Furthermore, a valuable methodology is provided in this data article permitting the assessment of the degradation rate and the stabilization period of the PV modules. Further discussions and interpretations concerning the data shared in this article can be found in the research paper “Characterization of degradation and evaluation of model parameters of amorphous silicon photovoltaic modules under outdoor long term exposure” (Kichou et al., 2016) [1]. PMID:26977439

  14. An Analysis of the Cost and Performance of Photovoltaic Systems as a Function of Module Area

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Horowitz, Kelsey A.W.; Fu, Ran; Silverman, Tim

    We investigate the potential effects of module area on the cost and performance of photovoltaic systems. Applying a bottom-up methodology, we analyzed the costs associated with mc-Si and thin-film modules and systems as a function of module area. We calculate a potential for savings of up to $0.04/W, $0.10/W, and $0.13/W in module manufacturing costs for mc-Si, CdTe, and CIGS respectively, with large area modules. We also find that an additional $0.05/W savings in balance-of-systems costs may be achieved. However, these savings are dependent on the ability to maintain efficiency and manufacturing yield as area scales. Lifetime energy yield mustmore » also be maintained to realize reductions in the levelized cost of energy. We explore the possible effects of module size on efficiency and energy production, and find that more research is required to understand these issues for each technology. Sensitivity of the $/W cost savings to module efficiency and manufacturing yield is presented. We also discuss non-cost barriers to adoption of large area modules.« less

  15. Photovoltaic Ge/Si quantum dot detectors operating in the mid-wave atmospheric window (3 to 5 μm)

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Ge/Si quantum dots fabricated by molecular-beam epitaxy at 500°C are overgrown with Si at different temperatures Tcap, and effect of boron delta doping of Si barriers on the mid-infrared photoresponse was investigated. The photocurrent maximum shifts from 2.3 to 3.9 μm with increasing Tcapfrom 300°C to 750°C. Within the sample set, we examined devices with different positions of the δ-doping layer with respect to the dot plane, different distances between the δ-doping layer and the dot plane d, and different doping densities pB. All detectors show pronounced photovoltaic behavior implying the presence of an internal inversion asymmetry due to the placing dopants in the barriers. The best performance was achieved for the device with Tcap = 600°C, pB = 12 × 1011cm−2, and d = 5 nm in a photovoltaic regime. At a sample temperature of 90 K and no applied bias, a responsivity of 0.83 mA/W and detectivity of 8 × 1010 cm Hz1/2/W at λ = 3.4 μm were measured under normal incidence infrared radiation. PMID:22938028

  16. Organic photovoltaic cells: from performance improvement to manufacturing processes.

    PubMed

    Youn, Hongseok; Park, Hui Joon; Guo, L Jay

    2015-05-20

    Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have been pursued as a next generation power source due to their light weight, thin, flexible, and simple fabrication advantages. Improvements in OPV efficiency have attracted great attention in the past decade. Because the functional layers in OPVs can be dissolved in common solvents, they can be manufactured by eco-friendly and scalable printing or coating technologies. In this review article, the focus is on recent efforts to control nanomorphologies of photoactive layer and discussion of various solution-processed charge transport and extraction materials, to maximize the performance of OPV cells. Next, recent works on printing and coating technologies for OPVs to realize solution processing are reviewed. The review concludes with a discussion of recent advances in the development of non-traditional lamination and transfer method towards highly efficient and fully solution-processed OPV. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. High Throughput Manufacturing of Thin-Film CdTe Photovoltaic Materials; Final Subcontract Report, 16 November 1993-31 December 1998

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sandwisch, D. W.

    1999-09-02

    This report describes work performed by Solar Cells, Inc. (SCI), during this Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) subcontract. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is recognized as one of the leading materials for low-cost photovoltaic modules. SCI has developed this technology and is preparing to scale its pilot production capabilities to a multi-megawatt level. This four-phase PVMaT subcontract supports these efforts. The work was related to product definition, process definition, equipment engineering, and support programs development. In the area of product definition and demonstration, two products were specified and demonstrated-a grid-connected, frameless, high-voltage product that incorporates a pigtail potting design and a remote low-voltagemore » product that may be framed and may incorporate a junction box. SCI produced a 60.3-W thin-film CdTe module with total-area efficiency of 8.4%; SCI also improved module pass rate on the interim qualification test protocol from less than 20% to 100% as a result of work related to the subcontract. In the manufacturing process definition area, the multi-megawatt manufacturing process was defined, several of the key processes were demonstrated, and the process was refined and proven on a 100-kW pilot line that now operates as a 250-kW line. In the area of multi-megawatt manufacturing-line conceptual design review, SCI completed a conceptual layout of the multi-megawatt lines. The layout models the manufacturing line and predicts manufacturing costs. SCI projected an optimized capacity, two-shift/day operation of greater than 25 MW at a manufacturing cost of below $1.00/W.« less

  18. The influence of passivation and photovoltaic properties of α-Si:H coverage on silicon nanowire array solar cells

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays for radial p-n junction solar cells offer potential advantages of light trapping effects and quick charge collection. Nevertheless, lower open circuit voltages (Voc) lead to lower energy conversion efficiencies. In such cases, the performance of the solar cells depends critically on the quality of the SiNW interfaces. In this study, SiNW core-shell solar cells have been fabricated by growing crystalline silicon (c-Si) nanowires via the metal-assisted chemical etching method and by depositing hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) via the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The influence of deposition parameters on the coverage and, consequently, the passivation and photovoltaic properties of α-Si:H layers on SiNW solar cells have been analyzed. PMID:24059343

  19. Novel Solution Process for Fabricating Ultra-Thin-Film Absorber Layers in Fe 2SiS 4 and Fe 2GeS 4 Photovoltaics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Orefuwa, Samuel A.; Lai, Cheng-Yu; Dobson, Kevin D.

    2014-05-12

    Fe 2SiS 4 and Fe 2GeS 4 crystalline materials posses direct bandgaps of ~1.55 and ~1.4 eV respectively and an absorption coefficient larger than 10^5 cm–1; their theoretical potential as solar photovoltaic absorbers has been demonstrated. However, no solar devices that employ either Fe 2SiS 4 or Fe 2GeS 4 have been reported to date. In the presented work, nanoprecursors to Fe 2SiS 4 and Fe 2GeS 4 have been fabricated and employed to build ultra-thin-film layers via spray coating and rod coating methods. Temperature-dependent X-Ray diffraction analyses of nanoprecursors coatings show an unprecedented low temperature for forming crystalline Femore » 2SiS 4 and Fe 2GeS 4. Fabricating of ultra-thin-film photovoltaic devices utilizing Fe 2SiS 4 and Fe 2GeS 4 as solar absorber material is presented.« less

  20. Method of Manufacturing a Light Emitting, Photovoltaic or Other Electronic Apparatus and System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blanchard, Richard A. (Inventor); Lewandowski, Mark Allan (Inventor); Frazier, Donald Odell (Inventor); Ray, William Johnstone (Inventor); Fuller, Kirk A. (Inventor); Lowenthal, Mark David (Inventor); Shotton, Neil O. (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus, such as a lighting device having light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a power generating device having photovoltaic diodes. The exemplary method includes depositing a first conductive medium within a plurality of channels of a base to form a plurality of first conductors; depositing within the plurality of channels a plurality of semiconductor substrate particles suspended in a carrier medium; forming an ohmic contact between each semiconductor substrate particle and a first conductor; converting the semiconductor substrate particles into a plurality of semiconductor diodes; depositing a second conductive medium to form a plurality of second conductors coupled to the plurality of semiconductor diodes; and depositing or attaching a plurality of lenses suspended in a first polymer over the plurality of diodes. In various embodiments, the depositing, forming, coupling and converting steps are performed by or through a printing process.

  1. Method of manufacturing a light emitting, photovoltaic or other electronic apparatus and system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fuller, Kirk A. (Inventor); Frazier, Donald Odell (Inventor); Blanchard, Richard A. (Inventor); Lowenthal, Mark D. (Inventor); Lewandowski, Mark Allan (Inventor); Ray, William Johnstone (Inventor); Shotton, Neil O. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus, such as a lighting device having light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a power generating device having photovoltaic diodes. The exemplary method includes depositing a first conductive medium within a plurality of channels of a base to form a plurality of first conductors; depositing within the plurality of channels a plurality of semiconductor substrate particles suspended in a carrier medium; forming an ohmic contact between each semiconductor substrate particle and a first conductor; converting the semiconductor substrate particles into a plurality of semiconductor diodes; depositing a second conductive medium to form a plurality of second conductors coupled to the plurality of semiconductor diodes; and depositing or attaching a plurality of lenses suspended in a first polymer over the plurality of diodes. In various embodiments, the depositing, forming, coupling and converting steps are performed by or through a printing process.

  2. Method of Manufacturing a Light Emitting, Photovoltaic or Other Electronic Apparatus and System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lowenthal, Mark D. (Inventor); Shotton, Neil O. (Inventor); Lewandowski, Mark Allan (Inventor); Frazier, Donald Odell (Inventor); Ray, William Johnstone (Inventor); Blanchard, Richard A. (Inventor); Fuller, Kirk A. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus, such as a lighting device having light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a power generating device having photovoltaic diodes. The exemplary method includes forming at least one first conductor coupled to a base; coupling a plurality of substrate particles to the at least one first conductor; converting the plurality of substrate particles into a plurality of diodes; forming at least one second conductor coupled to the plurality of spherical diodes; and depositing or attaching a plurality of substantially spherical lenses suspended in a first polymer, with the lenses and the suspending polymer having different indices of refraction. In some embodiments, the lenses and diodes have a ratio of mean diameters or lengths between about 10:1 and 2:1. In various embodiments, the forming, coupling and converting steps are performed by or through a printing process.

  3. Method of Manufacturing a Light Emitting, Photovoltaic or Other Electronic Apparatus and System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blanchard, Richard A. (Inventor); Fuller, Kirk A. (Inventor); Ray, William Johnstone (Inventor); Shotton, Neil O. (Inventor); Frazier, Donald Odell (Inventor); Lowenthal, Mark D. (Inventor); Lewandowski, Mark Allan (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus, such as a lighting device having light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a power generating device having photovoltaic diodes. The exemplary method includes forming at least one first conductor coupled to a base; coupling a plurality of substantially spherical substrate particles to the at least one first conductor; converting the substrate particles into a plurality of substantially spherical diodes; forming at least one second conductor coupled to the substantially spherical diodes; and depositing or attaching a plurality of substantially spherical lenses suspended in a first polymer. The lenses and the suspending polymer have different indices of refraction. In some embodiments, the lenses and diodes have a ratio of mean diameters or lengths between about 10:1 and 2:1. In various embodiments, the forming, coupling and converting steps are performed by or through a printing process.

  4. High Quality GaAs Growth by MBE on Si Using GeSi Buffers and Prospects for Space Photovoltaics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carlin, J. A.; Ringel, S. A.; Fitzgerald, E. A.; Bulsara, M.

    2005-01-01

    III-V solar cells on Si substrates are of interest for space photovoltaics since this would combine high performance space cells with a strong, lightweight and inexpensive substrate. However, the primary obstacles blocking III-V/Si cells from achieving high performance to date have been fundamental materials incompatabilities, namely the 4% lattice mismatch between GaAs and Si, and the large mismatch in thermal expansion coefficient. In this paper, we report on the molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth and properties of GaAs layers and single junction GaAs cells on Si wafers which utilize compositionally graded GeSi Intermediate buffers grown by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHVCVD) to mitigate the large lattice mismatch between GaAs and Si. Ga As cell structures were found to incorporate a threading dislocation density of 0.9-1.5 x 10 (exp 6) per square centimeter, identical to the underlying relaxed Ge cap of the graded buffer, via a combination of transmission electron microscopy, electron beam induced current, and etch pit density measurements. AlGaAs/GaAs double heterostructures wre grown on the GeSi/Si substrates for time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, which revealed a bulk GaAs minority carrier lifetime in excess of 10 ns, the highest lifetime ever reported for GaAs on Si. A series of growth were performed to ass3ss the impact of a GaAs buffer to a thickness of only 0.1 micrometer. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy studies revealed that there is negligible cross diffusion of Ga, As and Ge at he III-V/Ge interface, identical to our earlier findings for GaAs grown on Ge wafers using MBE. This indicates that there is no need for a buffer to "bury" regions of high autodopjing,a nd that either pn or np configuration cells are easily accomodated by these substrates. Preliminary diodes and single junction Al Ga As heteroface cells were grown and fabricated on the Ge/GeSi/Si substrates for the first time. Diodes fabricated on GaAs, Ge and Ge/GeSi/Si

  5. SiGe BiCMOS manufacturing platform for mmWave applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kar-Roy, Arjun; Howard, David; Preisler, Edward; Racanelli, Marco; Chaudhry, Samir; Blaschke, Volker

    2010-10-01

    TowerJazz offers high volume manufacturable commercial SiGe BiCMOS technology platforms to address the mmWave market. In this paper, first, the SiGe BiCMOS process technology platforms such as SBC18 and SBC13 are described. These manufacturing platforms integrate 200 GHz fT/fMAX SiGe NPN with deep trench isolation into 0.18μm and 0.13μm node CMOS processes along with high density 5.6fF/μm2 stacked MIM capacitors, high value polysilicon resistors, high-Q metal resistors, lateral PNP transistors, and triple well isolation using deep n-well for mixed-signal integration, and, multiple varactors and compact high-Q inductors for RF needs. Second, design enablement tools that maximize performance and lowers costs and time to market such as scalable PSP and HICUM models, statistical and Xsigma models, reliability modeling tools, process control model tools, inductor toolbox and transmission line models are described. Finally, demonstrations in silicon for mmWave applications in the areas of optical networking, mobile broadband, phased array radar, collision avoidance radar and W-band imaging are listed.

  6. DOE Forms National Center for Photovoltaics

    Science.gov Websites

    , Georgia, Florida and New Mexico. The alliance also will include the Utility Photovoltaic Group, a testing in partnership with the U.S. photovoltaic industry. For industry that means one-stop shopping for amorphous silicon and cadmium telluride photovoltaic modules, and manufacturing of silicon sheet and

  7. A state-of-the-art compact SiC photovoltaic inverter with maximum power point tracking function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ando, Yuji; Oku, Takeo; Yasuda, Masashi; Ushijima, Kazufumi; Matsuo, Hiroshi; Murozono, Mikio

    2018-01-01

    We have developed a 150-W SiC-based photovoltaic (PV)-inverter with the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) function. The newly developed inverter achieved a state-of-the-art combination of the weight (0.79 kg) and the volume (790 mm3) as a 150-250 W class PV-inverter. As compared to the original version that we have previously reported, the weight and volume were decreased by 37% and 38%, respectively. This compactness originated from the optimized circuit structure and the increased density of a wiring circuit. Conversion efficiencies of the MPPT charge controller and the direct current (DC)-alternating current (AC) converter reached 96.4% and 87.6%, respectively. These efficiency values are comparable to those for the original version. We have developed a PV power generation system consisting of this inverter, a spherical Si solar cell module, and a 15-V Li-ion laminated battery. The total weight of the system was below 6 kg. The developed system exhibited stable output power characteristics, even when the weather conditions were fluctuated. These compactness, high efficiencies, and excellent stability clearly indicated the feasibility of SiC power devices even for sub-kW class PV power generation systems.

  8. Impacts of Post-metallisation Processes on the Electrical and Photovoltaic Properties of Si Quantum Dot Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Di, Dawei; Perez-Wurfl, Ivan; Gentle, Angus; Kim, Dong-Ho; Hao, Xiaojing; Shi, Lei; Conibeer, Gavin; Green, Martin A

    2010-08-01

    As an important step towards the realisation of silicon-based tandem solar cells using silicon quantum dots embedded in a silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) matrix, single-junction silicon quantum dot (Si QD) solar cells on quartz substrates have been fabricated. The total thickness of the solar cell material is 420 nm. The cells contain 4 nm diameter Si quantum dots. The impacts of post-metallisation treatments such as phosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)) etching, nitrogen (N(2)) gas anneal and forming gas (Ar: H(2)) anneal on the cells' electrical and photovoltaic properties are investigated. The Si QD solar cells studied in this work have achieved an open circuit voltage of 410 mV after various processes. Parameters extracted from dark I-V, light I-V and circular transfer length measurement (CTLM) suggest limiting mechanism in the Si QD solar cell operation and possible approaches for further improvement.

  9. Final Report: Vapor Transport Deposition for Thin Film III-V Photovoltaics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boettcher, Shannon; Greenaway, Ann; Boucher, Jason

    2016-02-10

    Silicon, the dominant photovoltaic (PV) technology, is reaching its fundamental performance limits as a single absorber/junction technology. Higher efficiency devices are needed to reduce cost further because the balance of systems account for about two-thirds of the overall cost of the solar electricity. III-V semiconductors such as GaAs are used to make the highest-efficiency photovoltaic devices, but the costs of manufacture are much too high for non-concentrated terrestrial applications. The cost of III-V’s is driven by two factors: (1) metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), the dominant growth technology, employs expensive, toxic and pyrophoric gas-phase precursors, and (2) the growth substratesmore » conventionally required for high-performance devices are monocrystalline III-V wafers. The primary goal of this project was to show that close-spaced vapor transport (CSVT), using water vapor as a transport agent, is a scalable deposition technology for growing low-cost epitaxial III-V photovoltaic devices. The secondary goal was to integrate those devices on Si substrates for high-efficiency tandem applications using interface nanopatterning to address the lattice mismatch. In the first task, we developed a CSVT process that used only safe solid-source powder precursors to grow epitaxial GaAs with controlled n and p doping and mobilities/lifetimes similar to that obtainable via MOCVD. Using photoelectrochemical characterization, we showed that the best material had near unity internal quantum efficiency for carrier collection and minority carrier diffusions lengths in of ~ 8 μm, suitable for PV devices with >25% efficiency. In the second task we developed the first pn junction photovoltaics using CSVT and showed unpassivated structures with open circuit photovoltages > 915 mV and internal quantum efficiencies >0.9. We also characterized morphological and electrical defects and identified routes to reduce those defects. In task three we grew

  10. Photovoltaic Materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Duty, C.; Angelini, J.; Armstrong, B.

    The goal of the current project was to help make the US solar industry a world leader in the manufacture of thin film photovoltaics. The overall approach was to leverage ORNL’s unique characterization and processing technologies to gain a better understanding of the fundamental challenges for solar cell processing and apply that knowledge to targeted projects with industry members. ORNL has the capabilities in place and the expertise required to understand how basic material properties including defects, impurities, and grain boundaries affect the solar cell performance. ORNL also has unique processing capabilities to optimize the manufacturing process for fabrication ofmore » high efficiency and low cost solar cells. ORNL recently established the Center for Advanced Thin-film Systems (CATS), which contains a suite of optical and electrical characterization equipment specifically focused on solar cell research. Under this project, ORNL made these facilities available to industrial partners who were interested in pursuing collaborative research toward the improvement of their product or manufacturing process. Four specific projects were pursued with industrial partners: Global Solar Energy is a solar industry leader in full scale production manufacturing highly-efficient Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) thin film solar material, cells and products. ORNL worked with GSE to develop a scalable, non-vacuum, solution technique to deposit amorphous or nanocrystalline conducting barrier layers on untextured stainless steel substrates for fabricating high efficiency flexible CIGS PV. Ferro Corporation’s Electronic, Color and Glass Materials (“ECGM”) business unit is currently the world’s largest supplier of metallic contact materials in the crystalline solar cell marketplace. Ferro’s ECGM business unit has been the world's leading supplier of thick film metal pastes to the crystalline silicon PV industry for more than 30 years, and has had operational

  11. Economic competitiveness of III-V on silicon tandem one-sun photovoltaic solar modules in favorable future scenarios

    DOE PAGES

    Bobela, David C.; Gedvilas, Lynn; Woodhouse, Michael; ...

    2016-09-05

    Here, tandem modules combining a III-V top cell with a Si bottom cell offer the potential to increase the solar energy conversion efficiency of one-sun photovoltaic modules beyond 25%, while fully utilizing the global investment that has been made in Si photovoltaics manufacturing. At present, the cost of III-V cells is far too high for this approach to be competitive for one-sun terrestrial power applications. We investigated the system-level economic benefits of both GaAs/Si and InGaP/Si tandem modules in favorable future scenarios where the cost of III-V cells is substantially reduced, perhaps to less than the cost of Si cells.more » We found, somewhat unexpectedly, that these tandems can reduce installed system cost only when the area-related balance-of-system cost is high, such as for area-constrained residential rooftop systems in the USA. When area-related balance-of-system cost is lower, such as for utility-scale systems, the tandem module offers no benefit. This is because a system using tandem modules is more expensive than one using single-junction Si modules when III-V cells are expensive, and a system using tandem modules is more expensive than one using single-junction III-V modules when III-V cells are inexpensive.« less

  12. Economic competitiveness of III-V on silicon tandem one-sun photovoltaic solar modules in favorable future scenarios

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bobela, David C.; Gedvilas, Lynn; Woodhouse, Michael

    Here, tandem modules combining a III-V top cell with a Si bottom cell offer the potential to increase the solar energy conversion efficiency of one-sun photovoltaic modules beyond 25%, while fully utilizing the global investment that has been made in Si photovoltaics manufacturing. At present, the cost of III-V cells is far too high for this approach to be competitive for one-sun terrestrial power applications. We investigated the system-level economic benefits of both GaAs/Si and InGaP/Si tandem modules in favorable future scenarios where the cost of III-V cells is substantially reduced, perhaps to less than the cost of Si cells.more » We found, somewhat unexpectedly, that these tandems can reduce installed system cost only when the area-related balance-of-system cost is high, such as for area-constrained residential rooftop systems in the USA. When area-related balance-of-system cost is lower, such as for utility-scale systems, the tandem module offers no benefit. This is because a system using tandem modules is more expensive than one using single-junction Si modules when III-V cells are expensive, and a system using tandem modules is more expensive than one using single-junction III-V modules when III-V cells are inexpensive.« less

  13. Manufacturing technology: Fabrication innovations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mason, Nigel

    2008-05-01

    Advances at every stage of the manufacturing process are helping to reduce costs in the photovoltaics industry, but there is still a long way to go before photovoltaic cells reach their true potential.

  14. Aluminium alloyed iron-silicide/silicon solar cells: A simple approach for low cost environmental-friendly photovoltaic technology.

    PubMed

    Kumar Dalapati, Goutam; Masudy-Panah, Saeid; Kumar, Avishek; Cheh Tan, Cheng; Ru Tan, Hui; Chi, Dongzhi

    2015-12-03

    This work demonstrates the fabrication of silicide/silicon based solar cell towards the development of low cost and environmental friendly photovoltaic technology. A heterostructure solar cells using metallic alpha phase (α-phase) aluminum alloyed iron silicide (FeSi(Al)) on n-type silicon is fabricated with an efficiency of 0.8%. The fabricated device has an open circuit voltage and fill-factor of 240 mV and 60%, respectively. Performance of the device was improved by about 7 fold to 5.1% through the interface engineering. The α-phase FeSi(Al)/silicon solar cell devices have promising photovoltaic characteristic with an open circuit voltage, short-circuit current and a fill factor (FF) of 425 mV, 18.5 mA/cm(2), and 64%, respectively. The significant improvement of α-phase FeSi(Al)/n-Si solar cells is due to the formation p(+-)n homojunction through the formation of re-grown crystalline silicon layer (~5-10 nm) at the silicide/silicon interface. Thickness of the regrown silicon layer is crucial for the silicide/silicon based photovoltaic devices. Performance of the α-FeSi(Al)/n-Si solar cells significantly depends on the thickness of α-FeSi(Al) layer and process temperature during the device fabrication. This study will open up new opportunities for the Si based photovoltaic technology using a simple, sustainable, and los cost method.

  15. Solar Photovoltaics Technology: The Revolution Begins . . .

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kazmerski, Lawrence

    2009-11-01

    The prospects of current and coming solar-photovoltaic (PV) technologies are envisioned, arguing this solar-electricity source is at a tipping point in the complex worldwide energy outlook. The emphasis of this presentation is on R&D advances (cell, materials, and module options), with indications of the limitations and strengths of crystalline (Si and GaAs) and thin-film (a-Si:H, Si, Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2, CdTe). The contributions and technological pathways for now and near-term technologies (silicon, III-Vs, and thin films) and status and forecasts for next- generation PV (organics, nanotechnologies, non-conventional junction approaches) are evaluated. Recent advances in concentrators with efficiencies headed toward 50%, new directions for thin films (20% and beyond), and materials/device technology issues are discussed in terms of technology progress. Insights into technical and other investments needed to tip photovoltaics to its next level of contribution as a significant clean-energy partner in the world energy portfolio. The need for R&D accelerating the now and imminent (evolutionary) technologies balanced with work in mid-term (disruptive) approaches is highlighted. Moreover, technology progress and ownership for next generation solar PV mandates a balanced investment in research on longer-term (the revolution needs revolutionary approaches to sustain itself) technologies (quantum dots, multi-multijunctions, intermediate-band concepts, nanotubes, bio-inspired, thermophotonics, solar hydrogen. . . ) having high-risk, but extremely high performance and cost returns for our next generations of energy consumers. Issues relating to manufacturing are explored-especially with the requirements for the next-generation technologies. This presentation provides insights into how this technology has developed-and where the R&D investments should be made and we can expect to be by this mid-21st century.

  16. Origin of the Ultrafast Response of the Lateral Photovoltaic Effect in Amorphous MoS2/Si Junctions.

    PubMed

    Hu, Chang; Wang, Xianjie; Miao, Peng; Zhang, Lingli; Song, Bingqian; Liu, Weilong; Lv, Zhe; Zhang, Yu; Sui, Yu; Tang, Jinke; Yang, Yanqiang; Song, Bo; Xu, Ping

    2017-05-31

    The lateral photovoltaic (LPV) effect has attracted much attention for a long time because of its application in position-sensitive detectors (PSD). Here, we report the ultrafast response of the LPV in amorphous MoS 2 /Si (a-MoS 2 /Si) junctions prepared by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Different orientations of the built-in field and the breakover voltages are observed for a-MoS 2 films deposited on p- and n-type Si wafers, resulting in the induction of positive and negative voltages in the a-MoS 2 /n-Si and a-MoS 2 /p-Si junctions upon laser illumination, respectively. The dependence of the LPV on the position of the illumination shows very high sensitivity (183 mV mm -1 ) and good linearity. The optical relaxation time of LPV with a positive voltage was about 5.8 μs in a-MoS 2 /n-Si junction, whereas the optical relaxation time of LPV with a negative voltage was about 2.1 μs in a-MoS 2 /p-Si junction. Our results clearly suggested that the inversion layer at the a-MoS 2 /Si interface made a good contribution to the ultrafast response of the LPV in a-MoS 2 /Si junctions. The large positional sensitivity and ultrafast relaxation of LPV may promise the a-MoS 2 /Si junction's applications in fast position-sensitive detectors.

  17. National Center for Photovoltaics at NREL

    ScienceCinema

    VanSant, Kaitlyn; Wilson, Greg; Berry, Joseph; Al-Jassim, Mowafak; Kurtz, Sarah

    2018-06-08

    The National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) focuses on technology innovations that drive industry growth in U.S. photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing. The NCPV is a central resource for our nation's capabilities in PV research, development, deployment, and outreach.

  18. 40 CFR 60.4241 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... meets the definition of pipeline-quality natural gas. The fuel used for certifying stationary SI natural... a gas chromatograph as allowed under 40 CFR 1065.267 and may measure ethane, as well as methane, for... stationary SI engines as certified or non-certified engines. (d) Manufacturers of natural gas fired...

  19. 40 CFR 60.4241 - What are my compliance requirements if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... meets the definition of pipeline-quality natural gas. The fuel used for certifying stationary SI natural... a gas chromatograph as allowed under 40 CFR 1065.267 and may measure ethane, as well as methane, for... stationary SI engines as certified or non-certified engines. (d) Manufacturers of natural gas fired...

  20. A low thermal impact annealing process for SiO2-embedded Si nanocrystals with optimized interface quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hiller, Daniel; Gutsch, Sebastian; Hartel, Andreas M.; Löper, Philipp; Gebel, Thoralf; Zacharias, Margit

    2014-04-01

    Silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) for 3rd generation photovoltaics or optoelectronic applications can be produced by several industrially compatible physical or chemical vapor deposition technologies. A major obstacle for the integration into a fabrication process is the typical annealing to form and crystallize these Si quantum dots (QDs) which involves temperatures ≥1100 °C for 1 h. This standard annealing procedure allows for interface qualities that correspond to more than 95% dangling bond defect free Si NCs. We study the possibilities to use rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and flash lamp annealing to crystallize the Si QDs within seconds or milliseconds at high temperatures. The Si NC interface of such samples exhibits huge dangling bond defect densities which makes them inapplicable for photovoltaics or optoelectronics. However, if the RTA high temperature annealing is combined with a medium temperature inert gas post-annealing and a H2 passivation, luminescent Si NC fractions of up to 90% can be achieved with a significantly reduced thermal load. A new figure or merit, the relative dopant diffusion length, is introduced as a measure for the impact of a Si NC annealing procedure on doping profiles of device structures.

  1. Aluminium alloyed iron-silicide/silicon solar cells: A simple approach for low cost environmental-friendly photovoltaic technology

    PubMed Central

    Kumar Dalapati, Goutam; Masudy-Panah, Saeid; Kumar, Avishek; Cheh Tan, Cheng; Ru Tan, Hui; Chi, Dongzhi

    2015-01-01

    This work demonstrates the fabrication of silicide/silicon based solar cell towards the development of low cost and environmental friendly photovoltaic technology. A heterostructure solar cells using metallic alpha phase (α-phase) aluminum alloyed iron silicide (FeSi(Al)) on n-type silicon is fabricated with an efficiency of 0.8%. The fabricated device has an open circuit voltage and fill-factor of 240 mV and 60%, respectively. Performance of the device was improved by about 7 fold to 5.1% through the interface engineering. The α-phase FeSi(Al)/silicon solar cell devices have promising photovoltaic characteristic with an open circuit voltage, short-circuit current and a fill factor (FF) of 425 mV, 18.5 mA/cm2, and 64%, respectively. The significant improvement of α-phase FeSi(Al)/n-Si solar cells is due to the formation p+−n homojunction through the formation of re-grown crystalline silicon layer (~5–10 nm) at the silicide/silicon interface. Thickness of the regrown silicon layer is crucial for the silicide/silicon based photovoltaic devices. Performance of the α-FeSi(Al)/n-Si solar cells significantly depends on the thickness of α-FeSi(Al) layer and process temperature during the device fabrication. This study will open up new opportunities for the Si based photovoltaic technology using a simple, sustainable, and los cost method. PMID:26632759

  2. Photovoltaic devices based on high density boron-doped single-walled carbon nanotube/n-Si heterojunctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Saini, Viney; Li, Zhongrui; Bourdo, Shawn

    2011-01-13

    A simple and easily processible photovoltaic device has been developed based on borondoped single-walled carbon nanotubes (B-SWNTs) and n-type silicon (n-Si) heterojunctions. The single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were substitutionally doped with boron atoms by thermal annealing, in the presence of B 2O 3. The samples used for these studies were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The fully functional solar cell devices were fabricated by airbrush deposition that generated uniform B-SWNT films on top of the n-Si substrates. The carbon nanotube films acted as exciton-generation sites, charge collection andmore » transportation, while the heterojunctions formed between B-SWNTs and n-Si acted as charge dissociation centers. The current-voltage characteristics in the absence of light and under illumination, as well as optical transmittance spectrum are reported here. It should be noted that the device fabrication process can be made amenable to scalability by depositing direct and uniform films using airbrushing, inkjet printing, or spin-coating techniques.« less

  3. Nanowire decorated, ultra-thin, single crystalline silicon for photovoltaic devices.

    PubMed

    Aurang, Pantea; Turan, Rasit; Unalan, Husnu Emrah

    2017-10-06

    Reducing silicon (Si) wafer thickness in the photovoltaic industry has always been demanded for lowering the overall cost. Further benefits such as short collection lengths and improved open circuit voltages can also be achieved by Si thickness reduction. However, the problem with thin films is poor light absorption. One way to decrease optical losses in photovoltaic devices is to minimize the front side reflection. This approach can be applied to front contacted ultra-thin crystalline Si solar cells to increase the light absorption. In this work, homojunction solar cells were fabricated using ultra-thin and flexible single crystal Si wafers. A metal assisted chemical etching method was used for the nanowire (NW) texturization of ultra-thin Si wafers to compensate weak light absorption. A relative improvement of 56% in the reflectivity was observed for ultra-thin Si wafers with the thickness of 20 ± 0.2 μm upon NW texturization. NW length and top contact optimization resulted in a relative enhancement of 23% ± 5% in photovoltaic conversion efficiency.

  4. Si Wire-Array Solar Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boettcher, Shannon

    2010-03-01

    Micron-scale Si wire arrays are three-dimensional photovoltaic absorbers that enable orthogonalization of light absorption and carrier collection and hence allow for the utilization of relatively impure Si in efficient solar cell designs. The wire arrays are grown by a vapor-liquid-solid-catalyzed process on a crystalline (111) Si wafer lithographically patterned with an array of metal catalyst particles. Following growth, such arrays can be embedded in polymethyldisiloxane (PDMS) and then peeled from the template growth substrate. The result is an unusual photovoltaic material: a flexible, bendable, wafer-thickness crystalline Si absorber. In this paper I will describe: 1. the growth of high-quality Si wires with controllable doping and the evaluation of their photovoltaic energy-conversion performance using a test electrolyte that forms a rectifying conformal semiconductor-liquid contact 2. the observation of enhanced absorption in wire arrays exceeding the conventional light trapping limits for planar Si cells of equivalent material thickness and 3. single-wire and large-area solid-state Si wire-array solar cell results obtained to date with directions for future cell designs based on optical and device physics. In collaboration with Michael Kelzenberg, Morgan Putnam, Joshua Spurgeon, Daniel Turner-Evans, Emily Warren, Nathan Lewis, and Harry Atwater, California Institute of Technology.

  5. Photovoltaic Power Systems: A Tour Through the Alternatives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Henry

    1978-01-01

    Photovoltaic systems are examined as potentially major energy sources, along with the economic factors that will affect their future use. Cell design, power efficiency, and manufacturing problems are also considered. (MA)

  6. Progress of the Photovoltaic Technology Incubator Project Towards an Enhanced U.S. Manufacturing Base: Preprint

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ullal, H.; Mitchell, R.; Keyes, B.

    In this paper, we report on the major accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP) Photovoltaic (PV) Technology Incubator project. The Incubator project facilitates a company's transition from developing a solar cell or PV module prototype to pilot- and large-scale U.S. manufacturing. The project targets small businesses that have demonstrated proof-of-concept devices or processes in the laboratory. Their success supports U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu's SunShot Initiative, which seeks to achieve PV technologies that are cost-competitive without subsidies at large scale with fossil-based energy sources by the end of this decade. The Incubatormore » Project has enhanced U.S. PV manufacturing capacity and created more than 1200 clean energy jobs, resulting in an increase in American economic competitiveness. The investment raised to date by these PV Incubator companies as a result of DOE's $ 59 million investment totals nearly $ 1.3 billion.« less

  7. High-Efficiency Crystalline Photovoltaics | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    . We are key players in developing low-cost, manufacturable techniques for further increasing the also a driving force in two industry-relevant areas: low-cost III-V photovoltaic cells for 1-sun and are developing a >23%-efficiency, low-cost industrial-size cell on n-Cz wafer by 2018. Silicon

  8. Enhancing photovoltaic output power by 3-band spectrum-splitting and concentration using a diffractive micro-optic

    DOE PAGES

    Mohammad, Nabil; Wang, Peng; Friedman, Daniel J.; ...

    2014-09-17

    We report the enhancement of photovoltaic output power by separating the incident spectrum into 3 bands, and concentrating these bands onto 3 different photovoltaic cells. The spectrum-splitting and concentration is achieved via a thin, planar micro-optical element that demonstrates high optical efficiency over the entire spectrum of interest. The optic (which we call a polychromat) was designed using a modified version of the direct-binary-search algorithm. The polychromat was fabricated using grayscale lithography. Rigorous optical characterization demonstrates excellent agreement with simulation results. Electrical characterization of the solar cells made from GaInP, GaAs and Si indicate increase in the peak output powermore » density of 43.63%, 30.84% and 30.86%, respectively when compared to normal operation without the polychromat. This represents an overall increase of 35.52% in output power density. As a result, the potential for cost-effective large-area manufacturing and for high system efficiencies makes our approach a strong candidate for low cost solar power.« less

  9. Development of a High Volume Capable Process to Manufacture High Performance Photovoltaic Cells: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-08-322

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Geisz, J. F.

    2012-11-01

    The intent of the work is for RFMD and NREL to cooperate in the development of a commercially viable and high volume capable process to manufacture high performance photovoltaic cells, based on inverted metamorphic (IMM) GaAs technology. The successful execution of the agreement will result in the production of a PV cell using technology that is capable of conversion efficiency at par with the market at the time of release (reference 2009: 37-38%), using RFMD's production facilities. The CRADA work has been divided into three phases: (1) a foundation phase where the teams will demonstrate the manufacturing of a basicmore » PV cell at RFMD's production facilities; (2) a technology demonstration phase where the teams will demonstrate the manufacturing of prototype PV cells using IMM technology at RFMD's production facilities, and; (3) a production readiness phase where the teams will demonstrate the capability to manufacture PV cells using IMM technology with high yields, high reliability, high reproducibility and low cost.« less

  10. SiC Design Guide: Manufacture of Silicon Carbide Products (Briefing charts)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-06-08

    DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Presented at Mirror Technology Days, Boulder...coatings. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Mirrors , structures, silicon carbide, design, inserts, coatings, pockets, ribs, bonding, threads 16. SECURITY...Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239.18 purify protect transport SiC Design Guide Manufacture of Silicon Carbide Products Mirror Technology Days June 7 to 9, 2010

  11. Additive Manufacturing of Al-12Si Alloy Via Pulsed Selective Laser Melting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chou, R.; Milligan, J.; Paliwal, M.; Brochu, M.

    2015-03-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) of metallic materials is experiencing a research and commercialization craze in almost all industrial sectors. However, to date, AM has been limited to a small numbers of alloys. With respect to aluminum, two alloys received some attention: Al-12Si and Al-10Si-1Mg. In both cases, fully dense components have been achieved using a continuous-wave selective laser melting system. In this article, a new approach of selective laser melting using a pulsed-laser source as opposed to a continuous-wave laser is proposed. Pulse selective laser melting (P-SLM) would allow for greater control over the heat input and thus further optimization possibilities of the microstructure. P-SLM was demonstrated using the Al-12Si system. Si refinement below 200 nm was achieved throughout the component. Density up to 95% and high hardness of above 135 HV were obtained. The solidification mechanism is also explained.

  12. Thin film photovoltaic panel and method

    DOEpatents

    Ackerman, Bruce; Albright, Scot P.; Jordan, John F.

    1991-06-11

    A thin film photovoltaic panel includes a backcap for protecting the active components of the photovoltaic cells from adverse environmental elements. A spacing between the backcap and a top electrode layer is preferably filled with a desiccant to further reduce water vapor contamination of the environment surrounding the photovoltaic cells. The contamination of the spacing between the backcap and the cells may be further reduced by passing a selected gas through the spacing subsequent to sealing the backcap to the base of the photovoltaic panels, and once purged this spacing may be filled with an inert gas. The techniques of the present invention are preferably applied to thin film photovoltaic panels each formed from a plurality of photovoltaic cells arranged on a vitreous substrate. The stability of photovoltaic conversion efficiency remains relatively high during the life of the photovoltaic panel, and the cost of manufacturing highly efficient panels with such improved stability is significantly reduced.

  13. Time-resolved, nonequilibrium carrier dynamics in Si-on-glass thin films for photovoltaic cells

    DOE PAGES

    Serafini, John; Akbas, Yunus; Crandall, Lucas; ...

    2016-03-02

    Here, a femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy method was used to characterize the growth process and transport properties of amorphous silicon-on-glass, thin films, intended as absorbers for photovoltaic cells. We collected normalized transmissivity change (ΔT/T) waveforms and interpreted them using a comprehensive three-rate equation electron trapping and recombination model. Optically excited ~300–500 nm thick Si films exhibited a bi-exponential carrier relaxation with the characteristic times varying from picoseconds to nanoseconds depending on the film growth process. From our comprehensive trapping model, we could determine that for doped and intrinsic films with very low hydrogen dilution the dominant relaxation mode was carrier trapping;more » while for intrinsic films with large hydrogen content and some texture, it was the standard electron–phonon cooling. In both cases, the initial nonequilibrium relaxation was followed by Shockley–Read–Hall recombination. An excellent fit between the model and the ΔT/T experimental transients was obtained and a correlation between the Si film growth process, its hydrogen content, and the associated trap concentration was demonstrated.« less

  14. Photovoltaic device with increased light absorption and method for its manufacture

    DOEpatents

    Glatfelter, Troy; Vogeli, Craig; Call, Jon; Hammond, Ginger

    1993-07-20

    A photovoltaic cell having a light-directing optical element integrally formed in an encapsulant layer thereof. The optical element redirects light to increase the internal absorption of light incident on the photovoltaic device.

  15. Simulated potential for enhanced performance of mechanically stacked hybrid III-V/Si tandem photovoltaic modules using DC-DC converters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacAlpine, Sara; Bobela, David C.; Kurtz, Sarah; Lumb, Matthew P.; Schmieder, Kenneth J.; Moore, James E.; Walters, Robert J.; Alberi, Kirstin

    2017-10-01

    This work examines a tandem module design with GaInP2 mechanically stacked on top of crystalline Si, using a detailed photovoltaic (PV) system model to simulate four-terminal (4T) unconstrained and two-terminal voltage-matched (2T VM) parallel architectures. Module-level power electronics is proposed for the 2T VM module design to enhance its performance over the breadth of temperatures experienced by a typical PV installation. Annual, hourly simulations of various scenarios indicate that this design can reduce annual energy losses to ˜0.5% relative to the 4T module configuration. Consideration is given to both performance and practical design for building or ground mount installations, emphasizing compatibility with existing standard Si modules.

  16. Photovoltaic Cell And Manufacturing Process

    DOEpatents

    Albright, Scot P.; Chamberlin, Rhodes R.

    1996-11-26

    Provided is a method for controlling electrical properties and morphology of a p-type material of a photovoltaic device. The p-type material, such as p-type cadmium telluride, is first subjected to heat treatment in an oxidizing environment, followed by recrystallization in an environment substantially free of oxidants. In one embodiment, the heat treatment step comprises first subjecting the p-type material to an oxidizing atmosphere at a first temperature to getter impurities, followed by second subjecting the p-type material to an oxidizing atmosphere at a second temperature, higher than the first temperature, to develop a desired oxidation gradient through the p-type material.

  17. US photovoltaic patents: 1991-1993

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pohle, L.

    1995-03-01

    This document contains US patents on terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) power applications, including systems, components, and materials as well as manufacturing and support functions. The patent entries in this document were issued from 1991 to 1993. The entries were located by searching USPA, the database of the US Patent Office. The final search retrieved all patents under the class 'Batteries, Thermoelectric and Photoelectric' and the subclasses 'Photoelectric,' 'Testing,' and 'Applications.' The search also located patents that contained the words 'photovoltaic(s)' or 'solar cell(s)' and their derivatives. After the initial list was compiled, most of the patents on the following subjects were excluded: space photovoltaic technology, use of the photovoltaic effect for detectors, and subjects only peripherally concerned with photovoltaic. Some patents on these three subjects were included when ft appeared that those inventions might be of use in terrestrial PV power technologies.

  18. Improved ATIR concentrator photovoltaic module

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adriani, Paul M.; Mao, Erwang

    2013-09-01

    Novel aggregated total internal reflection (ATIR) concentrator photovoltaic module design comprises 2-D shaped primary and secondary optics that effectively combine optical efficiency, low profile, convenient range of acceptance angles, reliability, and manufacturability. This novel optical design builds upon previous investigations by improving the shapes of primary and secondary optics to enable improved long-term reliability and manufacturability. This low profile, low concentration (5x to 10x) design fits well with one-axis trackers that are often used for flat plate crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules in large scale ground mount installations. Standard mounting points, materials, and procedures apply without changes from flat plate modules.

  19. Photovoltaic failure and degradation modes

    DOE PAGES

    Jordan, Dirk C.; Silverman, Timothy J.; Wohlgemuth, John H.; ...

    2017-01-30

    The extensive photovoltaic field reliability literature was analyzed and reviewed. Future work is prioritized based upon information assembled from recent installations, and inconsistencies in degradation mode identification are discussed to help guide future publication on this subject. Reported failure rates of photovoltaic modules fall mostly in the range of other consumer products; however, the long expected useful life of modules may not allow for direct comparison. In general, degradation percentages are reported to decrease appreciably in newer installations that are deployed after the year 2000. However, these trends may be convoluted with varying manufacturing and installation quality world-wide. Modules inmore » hot and humid climates show considerably higher degradation modes than those in desert and moderate climates, which warrants further investigation. Delamination and diode/j-box issues are also more frequent in hot and humid climates than in other climates. The highest concerns of systems installed in the last 10 years appear to be hot spots followed by internal circuitry discoloration. Encapsulant discoloration was the most common degradation mode, particularly in older systems. In newer systems, encapsulant discoloration appears in hotter climates, but to a lesser degree. Lastly, thin-film degradation modes are dominated by glass breakage and absorber corrosion, although the breadth of information for thin-film modules is much smaller than for x-Si.« less

  20. Photovoltaic failure and degradation modes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jordan, Dirk C.; Silverman, Timothy J.; Wohlgemuth, John H.

    The extensive photovoltaic field reliability literature was analyzed and reviewed. Future work is prioritized based upon information assembled from recent installations, and inconsistencies in degradation mode identification are discussed to help guide future publication on this subject. Reported failure rates of photovoltaic modules fall mostly in the range of other consumer products; however, the long expected useful life of modules may not allow for direct comparison. In general, degradation percentages are reported to decrease appreciably in newer installations that are deployed after the year 2000. However, these trends may be convoluted with varying manufacturing and installation quality world-wide. Modules inmore » hot and humid climates show considerably higher degradation modes than those in desert and moderate climates, which warrants further investigation. Delamination and diode/j-box issues are also more frequent in hot and humid climates than in other climates. The highest concerns of systems installed in the last 10 years appear to be hot spots followed by internal circuitry discoloration. Encapsulant discoloration was the most common degradation mode, particularly in older systems. In newer systems, encapsulant discoloration appears in hotter climates, but to a lesser degree. Lastly, thin-film degradation modes are dominated by glass breakage and absorber corrosion, although the breadth of information for thin-film modules is much smaller than for x-Si.« less

  1. Semiconductors: In Situ Processing of Photovoltaic Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Curreri, Peter A.

    1998-01-01

    The possible processing of semiconductor photovoltaic devices is discussed. The requirements for lunar PV cells is reviewed, and the key challenges involved in their manufacturing are investigated. A schematic diagram of a passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) is presented. The possible fabrication of large photovoltaic arrays in space from lunar materials is also discussed.

  2. US photovoltaic patents: 1991--1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pohle, L

    1995-03-01

    This document contains US patents on terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) power applications, including systems, components, and materials as well as manufacturing and support functions. The patent entries in this document were issued from 1991 to 1993. The entries were located by searching USPA, the database of the US Patent Office. The final search retrieved all patents under the class ``Batteries, Thermoelectric and Photoelectric`` and the subclasses ``Photoelectric,`` ``Testing,`` and ``Applications.`` The search also located patents that contained the words ``photovoltaic(s)`` or ``solar cell(s)`` and their derivatives. After the initial list was compiled, most of the patents on the following subjects weremore » excluded: space photovoltaic technology, use of the photovoltaic effect for detectors, and subjects only peripherally concerned with photovoltaic. Some patents on these three subjects were included when ft appeared that those inventions might be of use in terrestrial PV power technologies.« less

  3. 40 CFR 60.4247 - What parts of the mobile source provisions apply to me if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What parts of the mobile source provisions apply to me if I am a manufacturer of stationary SI internal combustion engines or a manufacturer of equipment containing such engines? 60.4247 Section 60.4247 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL...

  4. Simulated potential for enhanced performance of mechanically stacked hybrid III–V/Si tandem photovoltaic modules using DC–DC converters

    DOE PAGES

    MacAlpine, Sara; Bobela, David C.; Kurtz, Sarah; ...

    2017-10-01

    This work examines a tandem module design with GaInP2 mechanically stacked on top of crystalline Si, using a detailed photovoltaic (PV) system model to simulate four-terminal (4T) unconstrained and two-terminal voltage-matched (2T VM) parallel architectures. Module-level power electronics is proposed for the 2T VM module design to enhance its performance over the breadth of temperatures experienced by a typical PV installation. Annual, hourly simulations of various scenarios indicate that this design can reduce annual energy losses to ~0.5% relative to the 4T module configuration. Consideration is given to both performance and practical design for building or ground mount installations, emphasizingmore » compatibility with existing standard Si modules.« less

  5. Simulated potential for enhanced performance of mechanically stacked hybrid III–V/Si tandem photovoltaic modules using DC–DC converters

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    MacAlpine, Sara; Bobela, David C.; Kurtz, Sarah

    This work examines a tandem module design with GaInP2 mechanically stacked on top of crystalline Si, using a detailed photovoltaic (PV) system model to simulate four-terminal (4T) unconstrained and two-terminal voltage-matched (2T VM) parallel architectures. Module-level power electronics is proposed for the 2T VM module design to enhance its performance over the breadth of temperatures experienced by a typical PV installation. Annual, hourly simulations of various scenarios indicate that this design can reduce annual energy losses to ~0.5% relative to the 4T module configuration. Consideration is given to both performance and practical design for building or ground mount installations, emphasizingmore » compatibility with existing standard Si modules.« less

  6. Structural, electrical and photovoltaic properties of CoS/Si heterojunction prepared by spray pyrolysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El Radaf, I. M.; Nasr, Mahmoud; Mansour, A. M.

    2018-01-01

    Au/p-CoS/n-Si/Al heterojunction device was fabricated by spray pyrolysis technique. The structural and morphological features were examined by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The capacitance-voltage characteristics of the prepared heterojunction were analyzed at room temperature in the dark. The current-voltage characteristics were examined under dark and different incident light intensities 20-100 mW cm-2. The rectification ratio, series resistance, shunt resistance, diode ideality factor and the effective barrier height were determined at dark and illumination conditions. The photovoltaic parameters such as short circuit current density, open circuit voltage, fill factor and power conversion efficiency were calculated at different incident light intensities.

  7. Photovoltaic system criteria documents. Volume 2: Quality assurance criteria for photovoltaic applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koenig, John C.; Billitti, Joseph W.; Tallon, John M.

    1979-01-01

    Quality assurance criteria are described for manufacturers and installers of solar photovoltaic tests and applications. Quality oriented activities are outlined to be pursued by the contractor/subcontractor to assure the physical and operational quality of equipment produced is included. In the broad sense, guidelines are provided for establishing a QA organization if none exists. Mainly, criteria is provided to be considered in any PV quality assurance plan selected as appropriate by the responsible Field Center. A framework is established for a systematic approach to ensure that photovoltaic tests and applications are constructed in a timely and cost effective manner.

  8. US photovoltaic patents, 1951--1987

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1988-09-01

    This document contains 2195 U.S. patents on terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) power applications, including systems, components, and materials as well as manufacturing and support functions. The patent entries in this document were issued from 1951 through 1987; no patents were found in 1950. The entries were located by searching USPA, the data base of the U.S. Patent Office. The final search retrieved all patents under the class Batteries, Thermoelectric and Photoelectric, and the subclasses Photoelectric, Testing, and Applications. The search also located patents that contained the words photovoltaic(s) or solar cell(s) and their derivatives. A manual search of the patents in the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) patent file augmented the data base search. After the initial list was compiled, most of the patents on the following subjects were excluded: space photovoltaic technology, use of the photovoltaic effect for detectors, and subjects only peripherally concerned with photovoltaics. Some patents on these three subjects were included when it appeared that those inventions might be of use in terrwstrial PV power technologies.

  9. Assessing Reliability of Cold Spray Sputter Targets in Photovoltaic Manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hardikar, Kedar; Vlcek, Johannes; Bheemreddy, Venkata; Juliano, Daniel

    2017-10-01

    Cold spray has been used to manufacture more than 800 Cu-In-Ga (CIG) sputter targets for deposition of high-efficiency photovoltaic thin films. It is a preferred technique since it enables high deposit purity and transfer of non-equilibrium alloy states to the target material. In this work, an integrated approach to reliability assessment of such targets with deposit weight in excess of 50 lb. is undertaken, involving thermal-mechanical characterization of the material in as-deposited condition, characterization of the interface adhesion on cylindrical substrate in as-deposited condition, and developing means to assess target integrity under thermal-mechanical loads during the physical vapor deposition (PVD) sputtering process. Mechanical characterization of cold spray deposited CIG alloy is accomplished through the use of indentation testing and adaptation of Brazilian disk test. A custom lever test was developed to characterize adhesion along the cylindrical interface between the CIG deposit and cylindrical substrate, overcoming limitations of current standards. A cohesive zone model for crack initiation and propagation at the deposit interface is developed and validated using the lever test and later used to simulate the potential catastrophic target failure in the PVD process. It is shown that this approach enables reliability assessment of sputter targets and improves robustness.

  10. PHOTOVOLTAICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT 1998. REPORT ON THE WORKSHOP PHOTOVOLTAICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT 1999

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    FTHENAKIS,V.; ZWEIBEL,K.; MOSKOWITZ,P.

    1999-02-01

    The objective of the workshop ``Photovoltaics and the Environment'' was to bring together PV manufacturers and industry analysts to define EH and S issues related to the large-scale commercialization of PV technologies.

  11. Photovoltaic Subcontract Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Surek, Thomas; Catalano, Anthony

    1993-03-01

    This report summarizes the fiscal year (FY) 1992 progress of the subcontracted photovoltaic (PV) research and development (R D) performed under the Photovoltaic Advanced Research and Development Project at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-formerly the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI). The mission of the national PV program is to develop PV technology for large-scale generation of economically competitive electric power in the United States. The technical sections of the report cover the main areas of the subcontract program: the Crystalline Materials and Advanced Concepts project, the Polycrystalline Thin Films project, Amorphous Silicon Research project, the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT)more » project, PV Module and System Performance and Engineering project, and the PV Analysis and Applications Development project. Technical summaries of each of the subcontracted programs provide a discussion of approaches, major accomplishments in FY 1992, and future research directions.« less

  12. Quarterly Report: Microchannel-Assisted Nanomaterial Deposition Technology for Photovoltaic Material Production

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Palo, Daniel R.

    2011-04-26

    Quarterly report to ITP for Nanomanufacturing program. Report covers FY11 Q2. The primary objective of this project is to develop a nanomanufacturing process which will reduce the manufacturing energy, environmental discharge, and production cost associated with current nano-scale thin-film photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing approaches. The secondary objective is to use a derivative of this nanomanufacturing process to enable greener, more efficient manufacturing of higher efficiency quantum dot-based photovoltaic cells now under development. The work is to develop and demonstrate a scalable (pilot) microreactor-assisted nanomaterial processing platform for the production, purification, functionalization, and solution deposition of nanomaterials for photovoltaic applications. The highmore » level task duration is shown. Phase I consists of a pilot platform for Gen II PV films along with parallel efforts aimed at Gen III PV quantum dot materials. Status of each task is described.« less

  13. Accomplishments in Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D | Photovoltaic Research |

    Science.gov Websites

    made that significantly reduced the cost of solar modules while increasing their reliability and -area efficiency. Manufacturing Processes Half the cost of producing a solar module is incurred in wafer project partners marked significant progress in module cost reduction. A few notable examples follow

  14. A Silicon Nanocrystal Schottky Junction Solar Cell produced from Colloidal Silicon Nanocrystals

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Solution-processed semiconductors are seen as a promising route to reducing the cost of the photovoltaic device manufacture. We are reporting a single-layer Schottky photovoltaic device that was fabricated by spin-coating intrinsic silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) from colloidal suspension. The thin-film formation process was based on Si NCs without any ligand attachment, exchange, or removal reactions. The Schottky junction device showed a photovoltaic response with a power conversion efficiency of 0.02%, a fill factor of 0.26, short circuit-current density of 0.148 mA/cm2, and open-circuit voltage of 0.51 V. PMID:20676200

  15. Recycling Of Cis Photovoltaic Waste

    DOEpatents

    Drinkard, Jr., William F.; Long, Mark O.; Goozner; Robert E.

    1998-07-14

    A method for extracting and reclaiming metals from scrap CIS photovoltaic cells and associated photovoltaic manufacturing waste by leaching the waste with dilute nitric acid, skimming any plastic material from the top of the leaching solution, separating glass substrate from the leachate, electrolyzing the leachate to plate a copper and selenium metal mixture onto a first cathode, replacing the cathode with a second cathode, re-electrolyzing the leachate to plate cadmium onto the second cathode, separating the copper from selenium, and evaporating the depleted leachate to yield a zinc and indium containing solid.

  16. Chalcogen Polymers for Completely Solution-Processed Inorganic Photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Trevor R.

    Chalcopyrite materials such as CuInSxSe2-x (CISSe), the gallium alloy variant CuInxGa1-xSySe2-y (CIGSSe), and the earth-abundant kesterite material Cu2ZnSnS xSe4-x (CZTSSe) possess a range of properties that are ideally suited for thin-film photovoltaics (PV) applications. Although these materials are beginning to see some commercial success, they are manufactured using complicated and expensive techniques such as high temperature processing, vacuum deposition methods, and vapor-phase reactions. These production methods require an exorbitantly large capital investment to create new manufacturing facilities, which severely hampers the widespread and rapid deployment of these emerging solar energy technologies. This work has focused on developing novel chalcogen polymers to synthesize nanoparticles and produce thin-films for printed photovoltaics applications. This new method provides a pathway towards using chalcogen copolymers to produce these materials via a completely solution-processed, low-temperature fabrication procedure. This technique constitutes one of the first viable means to produce low-bandgap chalcogenides without additional vapor-phase or high-temperature reactions. Therefore, this process can potentially be implemented to rapidly and cheaply manufacture printed chalcopyrite and kesterite photovoltaics.

  17. Photovoltaic Properties and Ultrafast Plasmon Relaxation Dynamics of Diamond-Like Carbon Nanocomposite Films with Embedded Ag Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Meškinis, Šarūnas; Peckus, Domantas; Vasiliauskas, Andrius; Čiegis, Arvydas; Gudaitis, Rimantas; Tamulevičius, Tomas; Yaremchuk, Iryna; Tamulevičius, Sigitas

    2017-12-01

    Ultrafast relaxation dynamics of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films with embedded Ag nanoparticles (DLC:Ag) and photovoltaic properties of heterojunctions consisting of DLC:Ag and crystalline silicon (DLC:Ag/Si) were investigated by means of transient absorption (TAS) spectroscopy and photovoltaic measurements. The heterojunctions using both p type and n type silicon were studied. It was found that TAS spectra of DLC:Ag films were dependent on the used excitation wavelength. At wavelengths where Ag nanoparticles absorbed light most intensively, only DLC signal was registered. This result is in good accordance with an increase of the DLC:Ag/Si heterojunction short circuit current and open circuit voltage with the excitation wavelength in the photovoltaic measurements. The dependence of the TAS spectra of DLC:Ag films and photovoltaic properties of DLC:Ag/Si heterostructures on the excitation wavelength was explained as a result of trapping of the photoexcited hot charge carriers in DLC matrix. The negative photovoltaic effect was observed for DLC:Ag/p-Si heterostructures and positive ("conventional") for DLC:Ag/n-Si ones. It was explained by the excitation of hot plasmonic holes in the Ag nanoparticles embedded into DLC matrix. Some decrease of DLC:Ag/Si heterostructures photovoltage as well as photocurrent with DLC:Ag film thickness was observed, indicating role of the interface in the charge transfer process of photocarriers excited in Ag nanoparticles.

  18. Photovoltaic Properties and Ultrafast Plasmon Relaxation Dynamics of Diamond-Like Carbon Nanocomposite Films with Embedded Ag Nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meškinis, Šarūnas; Peckus, Domantas; Vasiliauskas, Andrius; Čiegis, Arvydas; Gudaitis, Rimantas; Tamulevičius, Tomas; Yaremchuk, Iryna; Tamulevičius, Sigitas

    2017-04-01

    Ultrafast relaxation dynamics of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films with embedded Ag nanoparticles (DLC:Ag) and photovoltaic properties of heterojunctions consisting of DLC:Ag and crystalline silicon (DLC:Ag/Si) were investigated by means of transient absorption (TAS) spectroscopy and photovoltaic measurements. The heterojunctions using both p type and n type silicon were studied. It was found that TAS spectra of DLC:Ag films were dependent on the used excitation wavelength. At wavelengths where Ag nanoparticles absorbed light most intensively, only DLC signal was registered. This result is in good accordance with an increase of the DLC:Ag/Si heterojunction short circuit current and open circuit voltage with the excitation wavelength in the photovoltaic measurements. The dependence of the TAS spectra of DLC:Ag films and photovoltaic properties of DLC:Ag/Si heterostructures on the excitation wavelength was explained as a result of trapping of the photoexcited hot charge carriers in DLC matrix. The negative photovoltaic effect was observed for DLC:Ag/p-Si heterostructures and positive ("conventional") for DLC:Ag/n-Si ones. It was explained by the excitation of hot plasmonic holes in the Ag nanoparticles embedded into DLC matrix. Some decrease of DLC:Ag/Si heterostructures photovoltage as well as photocurrent with DLC:Ag film thickness was observed, indicating role of the interface in the charge transfer process of photocarriers excited in Ag nanoparticles.

  19. Emerging photovoltaic module technologies at PVUSA: A five-year assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Townsend, Tim

    1995-04-01

    The Photovoltaics for Utility Scale Applications (PVUSA) project tests two types of photovoltaic systems: new modules fielded as 20-kW emerging module technology (EMT) arrays, and more mature technologies fielded as 20- to 500-kW turnkey utility scale (US) systems. This report summarizes experiences of the PVUSA project in operating the first six 20-kW EMT photovoltaic systems. Five systems are installed at Davis, California, and one at Kihei, Hawaii. Products selected for testing and demonstration were judged to have potential for significant technical advancement or reduction in manufacturing cost. Features leading to selection of each system and findings over the average 5 years of operation are compared in the report. Factory product qualification test experiences along with field acceptance test results are documented. Evaluation includes a broad range of performance parameters, including long-term efficiency, seasonal generation patterns, and maintenance. While some of the arrays have operated as well as any commercial system, others have fared poorly. Throughout the procurement and operation of these precommercial PV modules, PVUSA has provided feedback to vendors, critical for product improvement. The data and evaluations in this report will be of further benefit to manufacturers and provide general comparative information on a variety of technologies to researchers in utilities, government, and industry alike.

  20. Energy data report: Solar collector manufacturing activity, July - December 1980

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1981-03-01

    Statistics on solar collector manufacturing activity for both solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic modules through 1980 are presented. Summary data are given for the number of manufacturers and collector area produced each year from 1974 through 1980; data for collector type are included, i.e., low temperature or medium temperature and special collectors. Producer shipments are tabulated according to location of company headquarters, producer size, and collector types. headquarters The number of companies engaged in activities related to solar collector manufacturing for 1978 through 1980 are listed; and the number of manufacturers and market sector are tabulated for photovoltaic modules manufacturing activities.

  1. Photovoltaic energy program overview, fiscal year 1991

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1992-02-01

    The Photovoltaics Program Plan, FY 1991 to FY 1995 builds on the accomplishments of the past 5 years and broadens the scope of program activities for the future. The previous plan emphasized materials and PV cell research. Under the balanced new plan, the PV Program continues its commitment to strategic research and development (R&D) into PV materials and processes, while also beginning work on PV systems and helping the PV industry encourage new markets for photovoltaics. A major challenge for the program is to assist the US PV industry in laying the foundation for at least 1000 MW of installed PV capacity in the United States and 500 MW internationally by 2000. As part of the new plan, the program expanded the scope of its activities in 1991. The PV Program is now addressing many new aspects of developing and commercializing photovoltaics. It is expanding activities with the US PV industry through the PV Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) project, designed to address US manufacturers' immediate problems; providing technical assistance to potential end users such as electric utilities; and the program is turning its attention to encouraging new markets for PV. In 1991, for example, the PV Program initiated a new project with the PV industry to encourage a domestic market for PV applications in buildings and began cooperative ventures to support other countries such as Mexico to use PV in their rural electrification programs. This report reviews some of the development, fabrication and manufacturing advances in photovoltaics this year.

  2. Trapping time of excitons in Si nanocrystals embedded in a SiO2 matrix

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Jong, E. M. L. D.; de Boer, W. D. A. M.; Yassievich, I. N.; Gregorkiewicz, T.

    2017-05-01

    Silicon (Si) nanocrystals (NCs) are of great interest for many applications, ranging from photovoltaics to optoelectonics. The photoluminescence quantum yield of Si NCs dispersed in SiO2 is limited, suggesting the existence of very efficient processes of nonradiative recombination, among which the formation of a self-trapped exciton state on the surface of the NC. In order to improve the external quantum efficiency of these systems, the carrier relaxation and recombination need to be understood more thoroughly. For that purpose, we perform transient-induced absorption spectroscopy on Si NCs embedded in a SiO2 matrix over a broad probe range for NCs of average sizes from 2.5 to 5.5 nm. The self-trapping of free excitons on surface-related states is experimentally and theoretically discussed and found to be dependent on the NC size. These results offer more insight into the self-trapped exciton state and are important to increase the optical performance of Si NCs.

  3. n-MoS2/p-Si Solar Cells with Al2O3 Passivation for Enhanced Photogeneration.

    PubMed

    Rehman, Atteq Ur; Khan, Muhammad Farooq; Shehzad, Muhammad Arslan; Hussain, Sajjad; Bhopal, Muhammad Fahad; Lee, Sang Hee; Eom, Jonghwa; Seo, Yongho; Jung, Jongwan; Lee, Soo Hong

    2016-11-02

    Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) has recently emerged as a promising candidate for fabricating ultrathin-film photovoltaic devices. These devices exhibit excellent photovoltaic performance, superior flexibility, and low production cost. Layered MoS 2 deposited on p-Si establishes a built-in electric field at MoS 2 /Si interface that helps in photogenerated carrier separation for photovoltaic operation. We propose an Al 2 O 3 -based passivation at the MoS 2 surface to improve the photovoltaic performance of bulklike MoS 2 /Si solar cells. Interestingly, it was observed that Al 2 O 3 passivation enhances the built-in field by reduction of interface trap density at surface. Our device exhibits an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.6%, which to our knowledge is the highest efficiency among all bulklike MoS 2 -based photovoltaic cells. The demonstrated results hold the promise for integration of bulklike MoS 2 films with Si-based electronics to develop highly efficient photovoltaic cells.

  4. Fatigue Behavior of a SiC/SiC Composite at 1000 deg C in Air and in Steam

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-12-01

    SiC dual-layer interphase. The composite was manufactured by a Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP... Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP) process. A seal coat of SiC and elemental boron was applied to the test specimens after machining. The tensile...manufactured by a Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP) process. A seal coat of SiC and elemental boron was applied to the test specimens

  5. Roadmap to Guide U.S. Photovoltaics Industry in 21st Century

    Science.gov Websites

    industry wants them to have it. Solar-cell manufacturers and suppliers see photovoltaics (PV) producing at Roadmap to Guide U.S. Photovoltaics Industry in 21st Century Solar energy will provide emergency Douglas Golden, Colo., Jan. 20, 2000 - Americans want clean solar electricity. The U.S. photovoltaics

  6. Assessment of laser ablation techniques in a-si technologies for position-sensor development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molpeceres, C.; Lauzurica, S.; Ocana, J. L.; Gandia, J. J.; Urbina, L.; Carabe, J.

    2005-07-01

    Laser micromachining of semiconductor and Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCO) materials is very important for the practical applications in photovoltaic industry. In particular, a problem of controlled ablation of those materials with minimum of debris and small heat affected zone is one of the most vital for the successful implementation of laser micromachining. In particular, selective ablation of thin films for the development of new photovoltaic panels and sensoring devices based on amorphous silicon (a-Si) is an emerging field, in which laser micromachining systems appear as appropriate tools for process development and device fabrication. In particular, a promising application is the development of purely photovoltaic position sensors. Standard p-i-n or Schottky configurations using Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCO), a-Si and metals are especially well suited for these applications, appearing selective laser ablation as an ideal process for controlled material patterning and isolation. In this work a detailed study of laser ablation of a widely used TCO, Indium-tin-oxide (ITO), and a-Si thin films of different thicknesses is presented, with special emphasis on the morphological analysis of the generated grooves. The profiles of ablated grooves have been studied in order to determine the best processing conditions, i.e. laser pulse energy and wavelength, and to asses this technology as potentially competitive to standard photolithographic processes. The encouraging results obtained, with well defined ablation grooves having thicknesses in the order of 10 μm both in ITO and a-Si, open up the possibility of developing a high-performance double Schottky photovoltaic matrix position sensor.

  7. Optoelectronic properties of candidate photovoltaic Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4 semiconductors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nhalil, Hariharan; Han, Dan; Du, Mao-Hua

    High temperature synthesis and optical band gaps are reported for three candidate photovoltaic earth-abundant Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4 semiconductors. The reported synthesis method is found to be more advantageous for KAg 2SbS 4 compared to the literature reported synthesis utilizing supercritical ammonia as a reaction medium, which produces a mixture of chalcogenide products. Based on optical diffuse reflectance data, Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4 have band gaps in the 1.6–1.8 eV range, and are shown to be stable in ambient air for a period of 6 weeks, making themmore » attractive candidates for solar cell applications. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate indirect band gaps for Cu 2PbSiS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4, and a nearly direct band gap for Ag 2PbGeS 4 with the calculated difference between indirect and direct gaps of only 30 meV. The p-type semiconducting behavior of Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 is also verified by the transport measurments. The 3D connectivity of the polyanionic networks in these compounds results in dispersive valence and conduction bands, which is especially noticeable for KAg 2SbS 4. This fact is in part attributed to the presence of formally pentavalent SbV in this compound leading to empty Sb 5s orbitals in the conduction band. Finally, we discuss the potential of Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4 for photovoltaic applications based on synthesis, stability, band gap and electronic structure considerations.« less

  8. Optoelectronic properties of candidate photovoltaic Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4 semiconductors

    DOE PAGES

    Nhalil, Hariharan; Han, Dan; Du, Mao-Hua; ...

    2018-03-01

    High temperature synthesis and optical band gaps are reported for three candidate photovoltaic earth-abundant Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4 semiconductors. The reported synthesis method is found to be more advantageous for KAg 2SbS 4 compared to the literature reported synthesis utilizing supercritical ammonia as a reaction medium, which produces a mixture of chalcogenide products. Based on optical diffuse reflectance data, Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4 have band gaps in the 1.6–1.8 eV range, and are shown to be stable in ambient air for a period of 6 weeks, making themmore » attractive candidates for solar cell applications. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate indirect band gaps for Cu 2PbSiS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4, and a nearly direct band gap for Ag 2PbGeS 4 with the calculated difference between indirect and direct gaps of only 30 meV. The p-type semiconducting behavior of Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 is also verified by the transport measurments. The 3D connectivity of the polyanionic networks in these compounds results in dispersive valence and conduction bands, which is especially noticeable for KAg 2SbS 4. This fact is in part attributed to the presence of formally pentavalent SbV in this compound leading to empty Sb 5s orbitals in the conduction band. Finally, we discuss the potential of Cu 2PbSiS 4, Ag 2PbGeS 4 and KAg 2SbS 4 for photovoltaic applications based on synthesis, stability, band gap and electronic structure considerations.« less

  9. Potential thermoelectric material open framework Si24 from a first-principles study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouyang, Tao; Zhang, Pei; Xiao, Huaping; Tang, Chao; Li, Jin; He, Chaoyu; Zhong, Jianxin

    2017-10-01

    Open framework Si24 is a new synthesis cage-like silicon allotrope with a quasi-direct bandgap and predicted to exhibit outstanding adsorption efficiency, foreshowing the potential applications in the photovoltaic community. In this paper, the thermoelectric property of such new Si structures is investigated by combining first-principles calculation and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory. The calculations show that the Si24 possesses a superb Seebeck coefficient, and obviously anisotropic electronic conductivity. Owing to more energy extremums existing in the conduction band region, the power factor of Si24 in the n-type doping is always better than that in p-type samples. Anisotropic phonon transport property is observed as well in Si24 with average lattice thermal conductivity of 45.35 W m-1 K-1 at room temperature. Based on the electron relaxation time estimated from the experiment, the thermoelectric figure of merit of Si24 is found to be as high as 0.69 (n-type doping at 700 K) and 0.51 (p-type doping at 700 K) along the xx crystal direction, which is about two orders of magnitude larger than that of diamond Si (d-Si). The findings presented in this work shed light on the thermoelectric performance of Si24 and qualify that such new Si allotrope is a promising platform for achieving the recombination of photovoltaic and thermoelectric technologies together.

  10. Effect of Molecule–Surface Reaction Mechanism on the Electronic Characteristics and Photovoltaic Performance of Molecularly Modified Si

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    We report on the passivation properties of molecularly modified, oxide-free Si(111) surfaces. The reaction of 1-alcohol with the H-passivated Si(111) surface can follow two possible paths, nucleophilic substitution (SN) and radical chain reaction (RCR), depending on adsorption conditions. Moderate heating leads to the SN reaction, whereas with UV irradiation RCR dominates, with SN as a secondary path. We show that the site-sensitive SN reaction leads to better electrical passivation, as indicated by smaller surface band bending and a longer lifetime of minority carriers. However, the surface-insensitive RCR reaction leads to more dense monolayers and, therefore, to much better chemical stability, with lasting protection of the Si surface against oxidation. Thus, our study reveals an inherent dissonance between electrical and chemical passivation. Alkoxy monolayers, formed under UV irradiation, benefit, though, from both chemical and electronic passivation because under these conditions both SN and RCR occur. This is reflected in longer minority carrier lifetimes, lower reverse currents in the dark, and improved photovoltaic performance, over what is obtained if only one of the mechanisms operates. These results show how chemical kinetics and reaction paths impact electronic properties at the device level. It further suggests an approach for effective passivation of other semiconductors. PMID:24205409

  11. Fabrication of Si heterojunction solar cells using P-doped Si nanocrystals embedded in SiNx films as emitters

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Si heterojunction solar cells were fabricated on p-type single-crystal Si (sc-Si) substrates using phosphorus-doped Si nanocrystals (Si-NCs) embedded in SiNx (Si-NCs/SiNx) films as emitters. The Si-NCs were formed by post-annealing of silicon-rich silicon nitride films deposited by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition. We investigate the influence of the N/Si ratio in the Si-NCs/SiNx films on their electrical and optical properties, as well as the photovoltaic properties of the fabricated heterojunction devices. Increasing the nitrogen content enhances the optical gap E04 while deteriorating the electrical conductivity of the Si-NCs/SiNx film, leading to an increased short-circuit current density and a decreased fill factor of the heterojunction device. These trends could be interpreted by a bi-phase model which describes the Si-NCs/SiNx film as a mixture of a high-transparency SiNx phase and a low-resistivity Si-NC phase. A preliminary efficiency of 8.6% is achieved for the Si-NCs/sc-Si heterojunction solar cell. PMID:24188725

  12. Thermal stability of photovoltaic a-Si:H determined by neutron reflectometry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Qviller, A. J., E-mail: atlejq@ife.no; Haug, H.; You, C. C.

    2014-12-08

    Neutron and X-ray reflectometry were used to determine the layer structure and hydrogen content of thin films of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposited onto crystalline silicon (Si) wafers for surface passivation in solar cells. The combination of these two reflectometry techniques is well suited for non-destructive probing of the structure of a-Si:H due to being able to probe buried interfaces and having sub-nanometer resolution. Neutron reflectometry is also unique in its ability to allow determination of density gradients of light elements such as hydrogen (H). The neutron scattering contrast between Si and H is strong, making it possible to determine themore » H concentration in the deposited a-Si:H. In order to correlate the surface passivation properties supplied by the a-Si:H thin films, as quantified by obtainable effective minority carrier lifetime, photoconductance measurements were also performed. It is shown that the minority carrier lifetime falls sharply when H has been desorbed from a-Si:H by annealing.« less

  13. Size-dependent magnetic tuning of lateral photovoltaic effect in nonmagnetic Si-based Schottky junctions

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Peiqi; Gan, Zhikai; Huang, Xu; Mei, Chunlian; Xia, Yuxing; Wang, Hui

    2017-01-01

    In this article, we report a magnetic tuning lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) in a nonmagnetic Si-based Schottky junctions. In the magnetic field intensity range of 0 to 1.6 T, the variation amplitude of LPE sensitivity is as high as 94.8%, the change of LPV is and the change rate of lateral photo-voltage even reaches 520 mV/T at 1.5 T, which is apparently higher than the results of previous reported researches in magnetic materials. This effect is attributed to the combined result of the influence of magnetic field on diffusion current and the rectification property of our anisotropic structure. This work may expand the application of LPE in magnetism field such as magnetic sensor and magnetoresistance, and it suggests a new way to investigate the carrier transport in Schottky junctions under magnetic field. PMID:28397819

  14. Enhancement of Light Absorption in Silicon Nanowire Photovoltaic Devices with Dielectric and Metallic Grating Structures.

    PubMed

    Park, Jin-Sung; Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Hwang, Min-Soo; Zhang, Xing; Lee, Jung Min; Kim, Jungkil; Song, Kyung-Deok; No, You-Shin; Jeong, Kwang-Yong; Cahoon, James F; Kim, Sun-Kyung; Park, Hong-Gyu

    2017-12-13

    We report the enhancement of light absorption in Si nanowire photovoltaic devices with one-dimensional dielectric or metallic gratings that are fabricated by a damage-free, precisely aligning, polymer-assisted transfer method. Incorporation of a Si 3 N 4 grating with a Si nanowire effectively enhances the photocurrents for transverse-electric polarized light. The wavelength at which a maximum photocurrent is generated is readily tuned by adjusting the grating pitch. Moreover, the electrical properties of the nanowire devices are preserved before and after transferring the Si 3 N 4 gratings onto Si nanowires, ensuring that the quality of pristine nanowires is not degraded during the transfer. Furthermore, we demonstrate Si nanowire photovoltaic devices with Ag gratings using the same transfer method. Measurements on the fabricated devices reveal approximately 27.1% enhancement in light absorption compared to that of the same devices without the Ag gratings without any degradation of electrical properties. We believe that our polymer-assisted transfer method is not limited to the fabrication of grating-incorporated nanowire photovoltaic devices but can also be generically applied for the implementation of complex nanoscale structures toward the development of multifunctional optoelectronic devices.

  15. Comparison Study on Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Powder Metallurgy (PM) AlSi10Mg Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, B.; Moon, S. K.; Yao, X.; Bi, G.; Shen, J.; Umeda, J.; Kondoh, K.

    2018-02-01

    The microstructural and mechanical properties of AlSi10Mg alloys fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM) and powder metallurgy (PM) routes were investigated and compared. The microstructures were examined by scanning electron microscopy assisted with electron-dispersive spectroscopy. The crystalline features were studied by x-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction. Room-temperature tensile tests and Vickers hardness measurements were performed to characterize the mechanical properties. It was found that the AM alloy had coarser Al grains but much finer Si precipitates compared with the PM alloy. Consequently, the AM alloy showed more than 100% increment in strength and hardness compared with the PM alloy due to the presence of ultrafine forms of Si, while exhibiting moderate ductility.

  16. Silicon Materials and Devices R&D | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    " and "Si-based Tandem Solar Cells"), Next Generation Photovoltaics (NextGen PV III), and devices, especially for photovoltaic (PV) cell applications. PV Research Other Materials & Devices pages: High-Efficiency Crystalline PV Polycrystalline Thin-Film PV Perovskite and Organic PV Advanced PV

  17. Encapsulation Processing and Manufacturing Yield Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Willis, P. B.

    1984-01-01

    The development of encapsulation processing and a manufacturing productivity analysis for photovoltaic cells are discussed. The goals were: (1) to understand the relationships between both formulation variables and process variables; (2) to define conditions required for optimum performance; (3) to predict manufacturing yield; and (4) to provide documentation to industry.

  18. Encapsulation processing and manufacturing yield analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Willis, P. B.

    1984-10-01

    The development of encapsulation processing and a manufacturing productivity analysis for photovoltaic cells are discussed. The goals were: (1) to understand the relationships between both formulation variables and process variables; (2) to define conditions required for optimum performance; (3) to predict manufacturing yield; and (4) to provide documentation to industry.

  19. Copper oxide/N-silicon heterojunction photovoltaic device

    DOEpatents

    Feng, Tom; Ghosh, Amal K.

    1982-01-01

    A photovoltaic device having characteristics of a high efficiency solar cell comprising a Cu.sub.x O/n-Si heterojunction. The Cu.sub.x O layer is formed by heating a deposited copper layer in an oxygen containing ambient.

  20. Electric measurements of PV heterojunction structures a-SiC/c-Si

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perný, Milan; Šály, Vladimír; Janíček, František; Mikolášek, Miroslav; Váry, Michal; Huran, Jozef

    2018-01-01

    Due to the particular advantages of amorphous silicon or its alloys with carbon in comparison to conventional crystalline materials makes such a material still interesting for study. The amorphous silicon carbide may be used in a number of micro-mechanical and micro-electronics applications and also for photovoltaic energy conversion devices. Boron doped thin layers of amorphous silicon carbide, presented in this paper, were prepared due to the optimization process for preparation of heterojunction solar cell structure. DC and AC measurement and subsequent evaluation were carried out in order to comprehensively assess the electrical transport processes in the prepared a-SiC/c-Si structures. We have investigated the influence of methane content in deposition gas mixture and different electrode configuration.

  1. Construction and characterization of spherical Si solar cells combined with SiC electric power inverter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oku, Takeo; Matsumoto, Taisuke; Hiramatsu, Kouichi; Yasuda, Masashi; Shimono, Akio; Takeda, Yoshikazu; Murozono, Mikio

    2015-02-01

    Spherical silicon (Si) photovoltaic solar cell systems combined with an electric power inverter using silicon carbide (SiC) field-effect transistor (FET) were constructed and characterized, which were compared with an ordinary Si-based converter. The SiC-FET devices were introduced in the direct current-alternating current (DC-AC) converter, which was connected with the solar panels. The spherical Si solar cells were used as the power sources, and the spherical Si panels are lighter and more flexible compared with the ordinary flat Si solar panels. Conversion efficiencies of the spherical Si solar cells were improved by using the SiC-FET.

  2. Microprocessing of ITO and a-Si thin films using ns laser sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molpeceres, C.; Lauzurica, S.; Ocaña, J. L.; Gandía, J. J.; Urbina, L.; Cárabe, J.

    2005-06-01

    Selective ablation of thin films for the development of new photovoltaic panels and sensoring devices based on amorphous silicon (a-Si) is an emerging field, in which laser micromachining systems appear as appropriate tools for process development and device fabrication. In particular, a promising application is the development of purely photovoltaic position sensors. Standard p-i-n or Schottky configurations using transparent conductive oxides (TCO), a-Si and metals are especially well suited for these applications, appearing selective laser ablation as an ideal process for controlled material patterning and isolation. In this work a detailed study of laser ablation of a widely used TCO, indium-tin-oxide (ITO), and a-Si thin films of different thicknesses is presented, with special emphasis on the morphological analysis of the generated grooves. Excimer (KrF, λ = 248 nm) and DPSS lasers (λ = 355 and λ = 1064 nm) with nanosecond pulse duration have been used for material patterning. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques have been applied for the characterization of the ablated grooves. Additionally, process parametric windows have been determined in order to assess this technology as potentially competitive to standard photolithographic processes. The encouraging results obtained, with well-defined ablation grooves having thicknesses in the order of 10 µm both in ITO and in a-Si, open up the possibility of developing a high-performance double Schottky photovoltaic matrix position sensor.

  3. Enhancing the photovoltaic performance of CdTe/CdS solar cell via luminescent downshifting using K{sub 2}SiF{sub 6}:Mn{sup 4+} phosphors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Talewar, R. A., E-mail: talewarrupesh@gmail.com; Joshi, C. P.; Moharil, S. V.

    2016-05-23

    The efficiency of CdTe/CdS solar cell can be significantly improved by using luminescent down-shifting material on their front surface. Taking this into account a red emitting phosphor K{sub 2}Si{sub 1-x}F{sub 6}:xMn{sup 4+} (x=10 to 25 mol %) has been synthesized through wet chemical method. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. The photoluminescence studies of K{sub 2}SiF{sub 6}:Mn{sup 4+} revealed enhancement in the emission intensity, when Mn{sup 4+} concentration was increased from 10 mol % to 25 mol %. This red emitting phosphor efficiently absorbs the photons typically in the region 300-500 nmmore » and re-emits in the region where the photovoltaic device exhibits significantly better response. The results show the possibility of enhancing the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of CdTe thin film solar cell by modifying the absorption spectra and utilising the energy in the UV-blue part of the solar spectrum.« less

  4. Transparent SiON/Ag/SiON multilayer passivation grown on a flexible polyethersulfone substrate using a continuous roll-to-roll sputtering system

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    We have investigated the characteristics of a silicon oxynitride/silver/silicon oxynitride [SiON/Ag/SiON] multilayer passivation grown using a specially designed roll-to-roll [R2R] sputtering system on a flexible polyethersulfone substrate. Optical, structural, and surface properties of the R2R grown SiON/Ag/SiON multilayer were investigated as a function of the SiON thickness at a constant Ag thickness of 12 nm. The flexible SiON/Ag/SiON multilayer has a high optical transmittance of 87.7% at optimized conditions due to the antireflection and surface plasmon effects in the oxide-metal-oxide structure. The water vapor transmission rate of the SiON/Ag/SiON multilayer is 0.031 g/m2 day at an optimized SiON thickness of 110 nm. This indicates that R2R grown SiON/Ag/SiON is a promising thin-film passivation for flexible organic light-emitting diodes and flexible organic photovoltaics due to its simple and low-temperature process. PMID:22221400

  5. Photovoltaic cell and production thereof

    DOEpatents

    Narayanan, Srinivasamohan [Gaithersburg, MD; Kumar, Bikash [Bangalore, IN

    2008-07-22

    An efficient photovoltaic cell, and its process of manufacture, is disclosed wherein the back surface p-n junction is removed from a doped substrate having an oppositely doped emitter layer. A front surface and edges and optionally the back surface periphery are masked and a back surface etch is performed. The mask is not removed and acts as an anti-reflective coating, a passivating agent, or both. The photovoltaic cell retains an untextured back surface whether or not the front is textured and the dopant layer on the back surface is removed to enhance the cell efficiency. Optionally, a back surface field is formed.

  6. Modeling of four-terminal solar photovoltaic systems for field application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vahanka, Harikrushna; Purohit, Zeel; Tripathi, Brijesh

    2018-05-01

    In this article a theoretical framework for mechanically stacked four-terminal solar photovoltaic (FTSPV) system has been proposed. In a mechanical stack arrangement, a semitransparent CdTe panel has been used as a top sub-module, whereas a μc-Si solar panel has been used as bottom sub-module. Theoretical modeling has been done to analyze the physical processes in the system and to estimate reliable prediction of the performance. To incorporate the effect of material, the band gap and the absorption coefficient data for CdTe and μc-Si panels have been considered. The electrical performance of the top and bottom panels operated in a mechanical stack has been obtained experimentally for various inter-panel separations in the range of 0-3 cm. Maximum output power density has been obtained for a separation of 0.75 cm. The mean value of output power density from CdTe (top panel) has been calculated as 32.3 Wm-2 and the mean value of output power density from μc-Si, the bottom panel of four-terminal photovoltaic system has been calculated as ˜3.5 Wm-2. Results reported in this study reveal the potential of mechanically stacked four-terminal tandem solar photovoltaic system towards an energy-efficient configuration.

  7. Laser processing of organic photovoltaic cells with a roll-to-roll manufacturing process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petsch, Tino; Haenel, Jens; Clair, Maurice; Keiper, Bernd; Scholz, Christian

    2011-03-01

    Flexible large area organic photovoltaic (OPV) is currently one of the fastest developing areas of organic electronics. New light absorbing polymer blends combined with new transparent conductive materials provide higher power conversion efficiencies while new and improved production methods are developed to achieve higher throughput at reduced cost. A typical OPV is formed by TCO layers as the transparent front contact and polymers as active layer as well as interface layer between active layer and front contact. The several materials have to be patterned in order to allow for a row connection of the solar cell. 3D-Micromac used ultra-short pulsed lasers to evaluate the applicability of various wavelengths for the selective ablation of the indium tin oxide (ITO) layer and the selective ablation of the bulk hetero junction (BHJ) consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) on top of a Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) without damaging the ITO. These lasers in combination with high performance galvanometer scanning systems achieve superior scribing quality without damaging the substrate. With scribing speeds of 10 m/s and up it is possible to integrate this technology into a roll-to-roll manufacturing tool. The functionality of an OPV usually also requires an annealing step, especially when using a BHJ for the active layer consisting of P3HT:PCBM, to optimize the layers structure and therewith the efficiency of the solar cell (typically by thermal treatment, e.g. oven). The process of laser annealing was investigated using a short-pulsed laser with a wavelength close to the absorption maximum of the BHJ.

  8. Designing a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system in adjunct with a silicon photovoltaic panel for a solar competition car

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arias-Rosales, Andrés.; Barrera-Velásquez, Jorge; Osorio-Gómez, Gilberto; Mejía-Gutiérrez, Ricardo

    2014-06-01

    Solar competition cars are a very interesting research laboratory for the development of new technologies heading to their further implementation in either commercial passenger vehicles or related applications. Besides, worldwide competitions allow the spreading of such ideas where the best and experienced teams bet on innovation and leading edge technologies, in order to develop more efficient vehicles. In these vehicles, some aspects generally make the difference such as aerodynamics, shape, weight, wheels and the main solar panels. Therefore, seeking to innovate in a competitive advantage, the first Colombian solar vehicle "Primavera", competitor at the World Solar Challenge (WSC)-2013, has implemented the usage of a Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) system as a complementary solar energy module to the common silicon photovoltaic panel. By harvesting sunlight with concentrating optical devices, CPVs are capable of maximizing the allowable photovoltaic area. However, the entire CPV system weight must be less harmful than the benefit of the extra electric energy generated, which in adjunct with added manufacture and design complexity, has intervened in the fact that CPVs had never been implemented in a solar car in such a scale as the one described in this work. Design considerations, the system development process and implementation are presented in this document considering both the restrictions of the context and the interaction of the CPV system with the solar car setup. The measured data evidences the advantage of using this complementary system during the competition and the potential this technology has for further developments.

  9. Photovoltaic Reliability Group activities in USA and Brazil (Presentation Recording)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhere, Neelkanth G.; Cruz, Leila R. O.

    2015-09-01

    Recently prices of photovoltaic (PV) systems have been reduced considerably and may continue to be reduced making them attractive. If these systems provide electricity over the stipulated warranty period, it would be possible attain socket parity within the next few years. Current photovoltaic module qualifications tests help in minimizing infant mortality but do not guarantee useful lifetime over the warranty period. The PV Module Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT) is trying to formulate accelerated tests that will be useful towards achieving the ultimate goal of assuring useful lifetime over the warranty period as well as to assure manufacturing quality. Unfortunately, assuring the manufacturing quality may require 24/7 presence. Alternatively, collecting data on the performance of fielded systems would assist in assuring manufacturing quality. Here PV systems installed by home-owners and small businesses can constitute as an important untapped source of data. The volunteer group, PV - Reliable, Safe and Sustainable Quality! (PVRessQ!) is providing valuable service to small PV system owners. Photovoltaic Reliability Group (PVRG) is initiating activities in USA and Brazil to assist home owners and small businesses in monitoring photovoltaic (PV) module performance and enforcing warranty. It will work in collaboration with small PV system owners, consumer protection agencies. Brazil is endowed with excellent solar irradiance making it attractive for installation of PV systems. Participating owners of small PV systems would instruct inverter manufacturers to copy the daily e-mails to PVRG and as necessary, will authorize the PVRG to carry out review of PV systems. The presentation will consist of overall activities of PVRG in USA and Brazil.

  10. Localized surface plasmon resonances dominated giant lateral photovoltaic effect observed in ZnO/Ag/Si nanostructure

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Ke; Wang, Hui; Gan, Zhikai; Zhou, Peiqi; Mei, Chunlian; Huang, Xu; Xia, Yuxing

    2016-01-01

    We report substantially enlarged lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) in the ZnO/Ag/Si nanostructures. The maximum LPE sensitivity (55.05 mv/mm) obtained in this structure is about seven times larger than that observed in the control sample (7.88 mv/mm) of ZnO/Si. We attribute this phenomenon to the strong localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) induced by nano Ag semicontinuous films. Quite different from the traditional LPE in PN junction type structures, in which light-generated carriers contributed to LPE merely depends on direct excitation of light in semiconductor, this work firstly demonstrates that, by introducing a super thin metal Ag in the interface between two different kinds of semiconductors, the nanoscale Ag embedded in the interface will produce strong resonance of localized field, causing extra intraband excitation, interband excitation and an enhanced direct excitation. As a consequence, these LSPRs dominated contributions harvest much more carriers, giving rise to a greatly enhanced LPE. In particular, this LSPRs-driven mechanism constitutes a sharp contrast to the traditional LPE operation mechanism. This work suggests a brand new LSPRs approach for tailoring LPE-based devices and also opens avenues of research within current photoelectric sensors area. PMID:26965713

  11. Editorial: Photovoltaic Materials and Devices 2014

    DOE PAGES

    Sopori, Bhushan; Rupnowski, Peter; Shet, Sudhakar; ...

    2014-12-22

    An ever increasing demand on energy has fostered many new generation technologies, which include photovoltaics. In recent years, photovoltaic industry has grown very rapidly. The installed capacity of PV for 2013 was about 37 GW and 2014 sales are expected to be around 45 GW. However, there has been excess production for last several years, which is responsible in part for the low prices (about 60 c/W). To lower the PV energy costs further, a major strategy appears to be going to high efficiency solar cells. This approach is favored (over lower cost/lower efficiency) because cell efficiency has a verymore » large influence on the acceptable manufacturing cost of a PV module. Hence, the PV industry is moving toward developing processes and equipment to manufacture solar cells that can yield efficiencies >20%. Therefore, further research is needed within existing technologies to accomplish these objectives. Likewise, research will continue to seek new materials and devices.« less

  12. Effective Passivation and Tunneling Hybrid a-SiOx(In) Layer in ITO/n-Si Heterojunction Photovoltaic Device.

    PubMed

    Gao, Ming; Wan, Yazhou; Li, Yong; Han, Baichao; Song, Wenlei; Xu, Fei; Zhao, Lei; Ma, Zhongquan

    2017-05-24

    In this article, using controllable magnetron sputtering of indium tin oxide (ITO) materials on single crystal silicon at 100 °C, the optoelectronic heterojunction frame of ITO/a-SiO x (In)/n-Si is simply fabricated for the purpose of realizing passivation contact and hole tunneling. It is found that the gradation profile of indium (In) element together with silicon oxide (SiO x /In) within the ultrathin boundary zone between ITO and n-Si occurs and is characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with the ion milling technique. The atomistic morphology and physical phase of the interfacial layer has been observed with a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. X-ray diffraction, Hall effect measurement, and optical transmittance with Tauc plot have been applied to the microstructure and property analyses of ITO thin films, respectively. The polycrystalline and amorphous phases have been verified for ITO films and SiO x (In) hybrid layer, respectively. For the quantum transport, both direct and defect-assisted tunneling of photogenerated holes through the a-SiO x (In) layer is confirmed. Besides, there is a gap state correlative to the indium composition and located at E v + 4.60 eV in the ternary hybrid a-SiO x (In) layer that is predicted by density functional theory of first-principles calculation, which acts as an "extended delocalized state" for direct tunneling of the photogenerated holes. The reasonable built-in potential (V bi = 0.66 V) and optimally controlled ternary hybrid a-SiO x (In) layer (about 1.4 nm) result in that the device exhibits excellent PV performance, with an open-circuit voltage of 0.540 V, a short-circuit current density of 30.5 mA/cm 2 , a high fill factor of 74.2%, and a conversion efficiency of 12.2%, under the AM 1.5 illumination. The work function difference between ITO (5.06 eV) and n-Si (4.31 eV) is determined by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and ascribed to the essence of the built-in-field of the PV device

  13. Issues and opportunities in space photovoltaics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Francis, Robert W.; Somerville, W. A.; Flood, Dennis J.

    1988-01-01

    Space power sources are becoming a central focus for determining man's potential and schedule for exploring and utilizing the benefits of space. The ability to search, probe, survey, and communicate throughout the universe will depend on providing adequate power to the instruments to do these jobs. Power requirements for space platforms are increasing and will continue to increase into the 21st century. Photovoltaics have been a dependable power source for space for the last 30 years and have served as the primary source of power on virtually all DOD and NASA satellites. The performance of silicon (Si) solar cells has increased from 10 percent air mass zero (AM0) solar energy conversion efficiency in the early 60's to almost 15 percent on today's spacecraft. Some technologists even think that the potential for solar photovoltaics has reached a plateau. However, present and near-future Air Force and NASA requirements show needs that, if the problems are looked upon as opportunities, can elevate the photovoltaic power source scientist and array structure engineer into the next technological photovoltaic growth curve.

  14. 78 FR 58559 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-U.S. Photovoltaic...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-24

    ... Production Act of 1993--U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, Inc. Notice is hereby given that, on..., 15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq. (``the Act''), U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, Inc. (``USPVMC...; Spire Solar, Bedford, MA; Process Research, Trenton, NJ; and Sinton Instruments, Boulder, CO, have been...

  15. Laminated photovoltaic modules using back-contact solar cells

    DOEpatents

    Gee, James M.; Garrett, Stephen E.; Morgan, William P.; Worobey, Walter

    1999-09-14

    Photovoltaic modules which comprise back-contact solar cells, such as back-contact crystalline silicon solar cells, positioned atop electrically conductive circuit elements affixed to a planar support so that a circuit capable of generating electric power is created. The modules are encapsulated using encapsulant materials such as EVA which are commonly used in photovoltaic module manufacture. The module designs allow multiple cells to be electrically connected in a single encapsulation step rather than by sequential soldering which characterizes the currently used commercial practices.

  16. Low-temperature magnetotransport in Si/SiGe heterostructures on 300 mm Si wafers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scappucci, Giordano; Yeoh, L.; Sabbagh, D.; Sammak, A.; Boter, J.; Droulers, G.; Kalhor, N.; Brousse, D.; Veldhorst, M.; Vandersypen, L. M. K.; Thomas, N.; Roberts, J.; Pillarisetty, R.; Amin, P.; George, H. C.; Singh, K. J.; Clarke, J. S.

    Undoped Si/SiGe heterostructures are a promising material stack for the development of spin qubits in silicon. To deploy a qubit into high volume manufacturing in a quantum computer requires stringent control over substrate uniformity and quality. Electron mobility and valley splitting are two key electrical metrics of substrate quality relevant for qubits. Here we present low-temperature magnetotransport measurements of strained Si quantum wells with mobilities in excess of 100000 cm2/Vs fabricated on 300 mm wafers within the framework of advanced semiconductor manufacturing. These results are benchmarked against the results obtained in Si quantum wells deposited on 100 mm Si wafers in an academic research environment. To ensure rapid progress in quantum wells quality we have implemented fast feedback loops from materials growth, to heterostructure FET fabrication, and low temperature characterisation. On this topic we will present recent progress in developing a cryogenic platform for high-throughput magnetotransport measurements.

  17. Low-Cost III-V Photovoltaic Materials by Chloride Vapor Transport Deposition Using Safe Solid Precursors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boettcher, Shannon; Aloni, Shaul; Weiss, Robert

    Si-based photovoltaic devices dominate the market. As photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing costs have plummeted, technologies which increase efficiency have become critical. Si cell efficiencies are nearing theoretical limits and Si-based PV modules are unlikely to reach the 25-30% efficiency range. The use of III-V semiconductors is an obvious technical solution to improve efficiency, especially if they can be integrated directly with existing Si technology as tandems. High coefficients of light absorption along with tunable bandgaps and lattice constants have resulted in record conversion efficiencies for both one-sun and concentrator PV applications. GaAs, for example, has been used to manufacture single-junction photovoltaicsmore » with world-record efficiencies of 28.8% at one sun.2 However, costs for III-Vs must be dramatically reduced to produce cost-effective, high-efficiency PV solutions. III-V costs are controlled by two factors: semiconductor growth and the substrate. III-V growth is dominated today by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) with a lesser role played by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). MOVPE costs are high due to the expense and low utilization (~30%) of precursors, modest growth rates (~100 nm min-1), equipment complexity, and safety infrastructure needed to handle toxic, pyrophoric gases.3 MBE costs are high due to slow growth rates and limitations of scalability. Details comparing plausible low-cost III-V growth methods are available in a review article published as a result of this project. The primary goal of this project was to demonstrate that close-spaced vapor transport (CSVT) using chloride (from HCl) as a transport agent can be used for the rapid growth of device-ready III-V layers from safe, solid-source precursors. In pursuit of this goal, we designed, built, and installed a new Cl-CSVT reactor based on insights from our previous H2O-CSVT growth system and in collaboration with equipment professionals at Malachite Technologies

  18. Monthly Solar Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report

    EIA Publications

    2017-01-01

    This report contains newly collected monthly summary data beginning in January 2017, for the photovoltaic industry in the United States. The subset of respondents who now must report monthly represents approximately 90% of photovoltaic (PV) activity in the United States, based on prior year’s data. Data include manufacturing, imports, and exports of modules in the United States and its territories. Summary data include volumes in peak kilowatts and average prices. Where possible, imports and exports are listed by country, and shipments to the United States are listed by state.

  19. Photovoltaics program plan, FY 1991 - 1995

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1991-10-01

    This program plan describes the goals and philosophy of DOE National Photovoltaics Program and its major research and development activities for fiscal years (FY) 1991 through 1995. The plan represents a consensus among researchers and manufacturers, as well as current and potential users of photovoltaics (PV). It defines the activities that we believe are necessary to continue the rapid progress toward acceptance of photovoltaics as a serious candidate for cost-competitive electric power generation by the utility, transportation, buildings, and industrial sectors. A successful National Photovoltaics Program will help achieve many of our national priorities. The mission of the National Photovoltaics Program is to help US industry to develop photovoltaic technology for large-scale generation of economically competitive electric power in the United States, making PV a significant part of our national energy mix. To fully achieve this, we must continue to work toward the long-term goals established in our previous program plan: reducing the price of delivered electricity to 5 to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), increasing lifetimes to 30 years, and increasing module efficiencies to 15 percent for flat-plate and 25 percent for concentrator technologies. If progress continues at its current pace, we expect that the PV industry will have installed at least 1000 megawatts (MW) of capacity in the United States and 500 MW internationally by the year 2000.

  20. Transformation of sludge Si to nano-Si/SiOx structure by oxygen inward diffusion as precursor for high performance anodes in lithium ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hua, Qiqi; Dai, Dongyang; Zhang, Chengzhi; Han, Fei; Lv, Tiezheng; Li, Xiaoshan; Wang, Shijie; Zhu, Rui; Liao, Haojie; Zhang, Shiguo

    2018-05-01

    Although several Si/C composite structures have been proposed for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), they have still suffered from expensive and complex processes of nano-Si production. Herein, a simple, controllable oxygen inward diffusion was utilized to transform Si sludge obtained from the photovoltaic (PV) industry into the nano-Si/SiOx structure as a result of the high diffusion efficiency of O inside Si and high surface area of the sludge. After further process, a yolk/shell Si/C structure was obtained as an anode material for LIBs. This composite demonstrated an excellent cycling stability, with a high reversible capacity (˜ 1250 mAh/g for 500 cycles), by void space originally left by the SiOx accommodate inner Si expansion. We believe this is a rather simple way to convert the waste Si into a valuable nano-Si for LIB applications.

  1. The performance of a combined solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric generator (TEG) system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bjørk, R.; Nielsen, K. K.

    2015-10-01

    The performance of a combined solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric generator (TEG) system is examined using an analytical model for four different types of commercial PVs and a commercial bismuth telluride TEG. The TEG is applied directly on the back of the PV, so that the two devices have the same temperature. The PVs considered are crystalline Si (c-Si), amorphous Si (a-Si), copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) cells. The degradation of PV performance with temperature is shown to dominate the increase in power produced by the TEG, due to the low efficiency of the TEG. For c-Si, CIGS and CdTe PV cells the combined system produces a lower power and has a lower efficiency than the PV alone, whereas for an a-Si cell the total system performance may be slightly increased by the TEG.

  2. Design and optimization of photovoltaics recycling infrastructure.

    PubMed

    Choi, Jun-Ki; Fthenakis, Vasilis

    2010-11-15

    With the growing production and installation of photovoltaics (PV) around the world constrained by the limited availability of resources, end-of-life management of PV is becoming very important. A few major PV manufacturers currently are operating several PV recycling technologies at the process level. The management of the total recycling infrastructure, including reverse-logistics planning, is being started in Europe. In this paper, we overview the current status of photovoltaics recycling planning and discuss our mathematic modeling of the economic feasibility and the environmental viability of several PV recycling infrastructure scenarios in Germany; our findings suggest the optimum locations of the anticipated PV take-back centers. Short-term 5-10 year planning for PV manufacturing scraps is the focus of this article. Although we discuss the German situation, we expect the generic model will be applicable to any region, such as the whole of Europe and the United States.

  3. Improvements in Cz silicon PV module manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, Richard R.; Mitchell, Kim W.; Jester, Theresa L.

    1997-02-01

    Work focused on reducing the cost per watt of Cz Si photovoltaic modules under Phase I of Siemens Solar Industries' DOE/NREL PVMaT 4A subcontract is described. Module cost components are analyzed and solutions to high-cost items are discussed in terms of specific module designs. The approaches of using larger cells and modules to reduce per-part processing cost, and of minimizing yield loss are particularly leveraging. Yield components for various parts of the fabrication process and various types of defects are shown, and measurements of the force required to break wafers throughout the cell fabrication sequence are given. The most significant type of yield loss is mechanical breakage. The implementation of statistical process control on key manufacturing processes at Siemens Solar Industries is described. Module configurations prototyped during Phase I of this project and scheduled to begin production in Phase II have a projected cost per watt reduction of 19%.

  4. Enhanced photovoltaic performance of ultrathin Si solar cells via semiconductor nanocrystal sensitization: Energy transfer vs. optical coupling effects

    DOE PAGES

    Hoang, Son; Ashraf, Ahsan; Eisaman, Matthew D.; ...

    2015-12-07

    Excitonic energy transfer (ET) offers exciting opportunities for advances in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. While recent experimental attempts have demonstrated its potential in both organic and inorganic photovoltaics (PVs), what remains to be addressed is quantitative understanding of how different ET modes contribute to PV performance and how ET contribution is differentiated from the classical optical coupling (OC) effects. In this study, we implement an ET scheme using a PV device platform, comprising CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal energy donor and 500 nm-thick ultrathin Si acceptor layers, and present the quantitative mechanistic description of how different ET modes, distinguished from themore » OC effects, increase the light absorption and PV efficiency. We find that nanocrystal sensitization enhances the short circuit current of ultrathin Si solar cells by up to 35%, of which the efficient ET, primarily driven by a long-range radiative mode, contributes to 38% of the total current enhancement. Lastly, these results not only confirm the positive impact of ET but also provide a guideline for rationally combining the ET and OC effects for improved light harvesting in PV and other optoelectronic devices.« less

  5. Enhanced photovoltaic performance of ultrathin Si solar cells via semiconductor nanocrystal sensitization: energy transfer vs. optical coupling effects.

    PubMed

    Hoang, Son; Ashraf, Ahsan; Eisaman, Matthew D; Nykypanchuk, Dmytro; Nam, Chang-Yong

    2016-03-21

    Excitonic energy transfer (ET) offers exciting opportunities for advances in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. While recent experimental attempts have demonstrated its potential in both organic and inorganic photovoltaics (PVs), what remains to be addressed is quantitative understanding of how different ET modes contribute to PV performance and how ET contribution is differentiated from the classical optical coupling (OC) effects. In this study, we implement an ET scheme using a PV device platform, comprising CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal energy donor and 500 nm-thick ultrathin Si acceptor layers, and present the quantitative mechanistic description of how different ET modes, distinguished from the OC effects, increase the light absorption and PV efficiency. We find that nanocrystal sensitization enhances the short circuit current of ultrathin Si solar cells by up to 35%, of which the efficient ET, primarily driven by a long-range radiative mode, contributes to 38% of the total current enhancement. These results not only confirm the positive impact of ET but also provide a guideline for rationally combining the ET and OC effects for improved light harvesting in PV and other optoelectronic devices.

  6. Enhanced photovoltaic property by forming p-i-n structures containing Si quantum dots/SiC multilayers

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Si quantum dots (Si QDs)/SiC multilayers were fabricated by annealing hydrogenated amorphous Si/SiC multilayers prepared in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. The thickness of amorphous Si layer was designed to be 4 nm, and the thickness of amorphous SiC layer was kept at 2 nm. Transmission electron microscopy observation revealed the formation of Si QDs after 900°C annealing. The optical properties of the Si QDs/SiC multilayers were studied, and the optical band gap deduced from the optical absorption coefficient result is 1.48 eV. Moreover, the p-i-n structure with n-a-Si/i-(Si QDs/SiC multilayers)/p-Si was fabricated, and the carrier transportation mechanism was investigated. The p-i-n structure was used in a solar cell device. The cell had the open circuit voltage of 532 mV and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.28%. PACS 81.07.Ta; 78.67.Pt; 88.40.jj PMID:25489285

  7. The optical characterization of organometallic complex thin films by spectroscopic ellipsometry and photovoltaic diode application

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Özaydın, C.; Güllü, Ö., E-mail: omergullu@gmail.com; Pakma, O.

    2016-05-15

    Highlights: • Optical properties and thickness of the A novel organometallic complex (OMC) film were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). • Au/OMC/n-Si metal/interlayer/semiconductor (MIS) diode has been fabricated • This paper presents the I–V analysis of Au/OMC/n-Si MIS diode. • Current–voltage and photovoltaic properties of the diode were investigated. - Abstract: In this work, organometallic complex (OMC) films have been deposited onto glass or silicon substrates by spin coating technique and their photovoltaic application potential has been investigated. Optical properties and thickness of the film have been investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Also, transmittance spectrum has been taken by UV/vismore » spectrophotometer. The optical method has been used to determine the band gap value of the films. Also, Au/OMC/n-Si metal/interlayer/semiconductor (MIS) diode has been fabricated. Current–voltage and photovoltaic properties of the structure were investigated. The ideality factor (n) and barrier height (Φ{sub b}) values of the diode were found to be 2.89 and 0.79 eV, respectively. The device shows photovoltaic behavior with a maximum open-circuit voltage of 396 mV and a short circuit current of 33.8 μA under 300 W light.« less

  8. Influnce of exposure with Xe radiation on heterojunction solar cell a-SiC/c-Si studied by impedance spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perný, M.; Šály, V.; Packa, J.; Mikolášek, M.; Váry, M.; Huran, J.; Hrubčín, L.; Skuratov, V. A.; Arbet, J.

    2017-04-01

    The photovoltaic efficiency of heterostructures a-SiC/c-Si may be the same or even better in comparison with conventional silicon structures when suitable adjustment of technological parameters is realized. The main advantage of heterojunction formed amorphous SiC thin film and crystalline silicon compared to standard crystalline solar cell lies in high build-in voltage and thus a high open-circuit voltage. Solar cells can be exposed to various influences of hard environment. A deterioration of properties of heterostructures (a-SiC/c-Si) due to irradiation is examined in our paper using impedance spectroscopy method. Xe ions induced damage is reflected in changes of proposed AC equivalent circuit elements. AC equivalent circuit was proposed and verified using numerical simulations. Impedance spectra were also measured at different DC bias voltages due to a more detailed understanding correlation between Xe ions induced damage and transport phenomenon in the heterostructure.

  9. Optimization of heat treatment parameters for additive manufacturing and gravity casting AlSi10Mg alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Girelli, L.; Tocci, M.; Montesano, L.; Gelfi, M.; Pola, A.

    2017-11-01

    Additive manufacturing of metals is a production process developed in the last few years to realize net shape components with complex geometry and high performance. AlSi10Mg is one of the most widely used aluminium alloys, both in this field and in conventional foundry processes, for its significant mechanical properties combined with good corrosion resistance. In this paper the effect of heat treatment on AlSi10Mg alloy was investigated. Solution and ageing treatments were carried out with different temperatures and times on samples obtained by direct metal laser sintering and gravity casting in order to compare their performance. Microstructural analyses and hardness tests were performed to investigate the effectiveness of the heat treatment. The results were correlated to the sample microstructure and porosity, analysed by means of optical microscopy and density measurements. It was found that, in the additive manufactured samples, the heat treatment can reduce significantly the performance of the alloy also because of the increase of porosity due to entrapped gas during the deposition technique and that the higher the solution temperature the higher the increase of such defects. A so remarkable effect was not found in the conventional cast alloy.

  10. Elaboration and characterization of metallurgical silicon for photovoltaic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barbouche, M.; Hajji, M.; Krout, F.; Ezzaouia, H.

    2015-04-01

    There is a small quantity of participants in the global market of silicon, mainly from the developed countries. It should be noticed also that production of metallurgical silicon Mg-Si is among the most important steps to produce solar grade silicon and photovoltaic panels. Therefore, in this paper we focused on the growth of Mg-Si by carbothermal reduction of silica. An investigation was made using FT-IR characterization to study the effect of process conditions (temperature, atmosphere, duration) in Mg-Si production. Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the produced Mg-Si. Based on these results, we established a pilot line production of metallurgical silicon at the "CRTEn" in Tunisia.

  11. The electrodeposition of multilayers on a polymeric substrate in flexible organic photovoltaic solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guedes, Andre F. S.; Guedes, Vilmar P.; Souza, Monica L.; Tartari, Simone; Cunha, Idaulo J.

    2015-09-01

    Flexible organic photovoltaic solar cells have drawn intense attention due to their advantages over competing solar cell technologies. The method utilized to deposit as well as to integrate solutions and processed materials, manufacturing organic solar cells by the Electrodeposition System, has been presented in this research. In addition, we have demonstrated a successful integration of a process for manufacturing the flexible organic solar cell prototype and we have discussed on the factors that make this process possible. The maximum process temperature was 120°C, which corresponds to the baking of the active polymeric layer. Moreover, the new process of the Electrodeposition of complementary active layer is based on the application of voltage versus time in order to obtain a homogeneous layer with thin film. This thin film was not only obtained by the electrodeposition of PANI-X1 on P3HT/PCBM Blend, but also prepared in perchloric acid solution. Furthermore, these flexible organic photovoltaic solar cells presented power conversion efficiency of 12% and the inclusion of the PANI-X1 layer reduced the effects of degradation on these organic photovoltaic panels induced by solar irradiation. Thus, in the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), these studies have revealed that the surface of PANI-X1 layers is strongly conditioned by the dielectric surface morphology.

  12. Large-area triple-junction a-Si alloy production scaleup. Annual subcontract report, 17 March 1993--18 March 1994

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Oswald, R.; Morris, J.

    1994-11-01

    The objective of this subcontract over its three-year duration is to advance Solarex`s photovoltaic manufacturing technologies, reduce its a-Si:H module production costs, increase module performance and expand the Solarex commercial production capacity. Solarex shall meet these objectives by improving the deposition and quality of the transparent front contact, by optimizing the laser patterning process, scaling-up the semiconductor deposition process, improving the back contact deposition, scaling-up and improving the encapsulation and testing of its a-Si:H modules. In the Phase 2 portion of this subcontract, Solarex focused on improving deposition of the front contact, investigating alternate feed stocks for the front contact,more » maximizing throughput and area utilization for all laser scribes, optimizing a-Si:H deposition equipment to achieve uniform deposition over large-areas, optimizing the triple-junction module fabrication process, evaluating the materials to deposit the rear contact, and optimizing the combination of isolation scribe and encapsulant to pass the wet high potential test. Progress is reported on the following: Front contact development; Laser scribe process development; Amorphous silicon based semiconductor deposition; Rear contact deposition process; Frit/bus/wire/frame; Materials handling; and Environmental test, yield and performance analysis.« less

  13. Thermal photovoltaic cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharps, P. R.; Timmons, M. L.; Venkatasubramanian, R.; Hills, J. S.; O'Quinn, B.; Hutchby, J. A.; Iles, P. A.; Chu, C. L.

    1995-01-01

    Most current emphasis is on GaInAs alloys or GaSb for thermal photovoltaic converters operating in a band gap range between about 0.50 to 0.75 eV. In this paper the growth and fabrication of GaInAs devices with nominal band gaps of 0.6 eV are described. Yield statistics are presented for the growth of a large number of devices, and I-V data are presented. Alternative cell structures are also described, and manufacturing issues are discussed.

  14. Innovation in Photovoltaic Science, Engineering, and Policy: A Potential Trillion-Dollar Global Industry for Sustainable Energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Cheng

    The solar photovoltaic (PV) technology was an expensive niche energy source only for satellite applications, hallmarked by the Bell Lab's launch of the Telstar satellite with PV cells in 1962. Over the past decades, the accumulation of vast amount of effort across various disciplines in science, engineering, and policy has enabled the phenomenal growth of the solar PV industry into a global enterprise with about 140 gigawatt (GW) of cumulative installations by the end of 2013. Further cost reduction through innovation holds the promise in deploying terawatt (TW)-scale solar PV systems globally in both developed and developing countries, meeting growing energy demand and mitigating climate change. Chapter 1 presents a big picture view of the unsustainable path, heavily relying on fossil fuels, in the current global energy landscape. The main body of the dissertation examines the solar PV technology from a holistic and interdisciplinary perspective: from the basic research, to innovations in manufacturing and installing PV modules, to the driving energy policies. Chapter 2 offers a fundamental understanding of the PV technology and a review on recent scientific advances in improving PV efficiency (W/m 2). Chapter 3 reviews the state-of-the-art process flow in manufacturing commercial PV modules. In the context of pursuing further reduction in manufacturing cost (/m2), the thin Si film concept and its recent research effort are reviewed. Aiming to explore novel ways to produce high-quality seed crystals for thin Si film deposition, the key findings of the laser crystallization experiment is presented in Chapter 4. The fundamental thermophysics of nucleation and crystal growth is first reviewed, which highlights the importance of temperature evolution and heat transport in modelling the ultrafast laser crystallization process. Laser crystallization of a range of Si nanostructures are then carried out to study the nucleation and crystal growth behavior under some novel

  15. Method for producing textured substrates for thin-film photovoltaic cells

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, R.J.

    1996-04-02

    The invention pertains to the production of ceramic substrates used in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic cells used for directly converting solar energy to electrical energy. Elongated ribbon-like sheets of substrate precursor containing a mixture of ceramic particulates, a binder, and a plasticizer are formed and then while green provided with a mechanically textured surface region used for supporting the thin film semiconductor of the photovoltaic cell when the sheets of the substrate precursor are subsequently cut into substrate-sized shapes and then sintered. The textured surface pattern on the substrate provides enhanced light trapping and collection for substantially increasing the, solar energy conversion efficiency of thin-film photovoltaic cells. 4 figs.

  16. Method for producing textured substrates for thin-film photovoltaic cells

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, R.J.

    1994-04-26

    The invention pertains to the production of ceramic substrates used in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic cells used for directly converting solar energy to electrical energy. Elongated ribbon-like sheets of substrate precursor containing a mixture of ceramic particulates, a binder, and a plasticizer are formed and then while green provided with a mechanically textured surface region used for supporting the thin film semiconductor of the photovoltaic cell when the sheets of the substrate precursor are subsequently cut into substrate-sized shapes and then sintered. The textured surface pattern on the substrate provides enhanced light trapping and collection for substantially increasing the solar energy conversion efficiency of thin-film photovoltaic cells. 4 figures.

  17. Method for producing textured substrates for thin-film photovoltaic cells

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, Robert J.

    1994-01-01

    The invention pertains to the production of ceramic substrates used in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic cells used for directly converting solar energy to electrical energy. Elongated ribbon-like sheets of substrate precursor containing a mixture of ceramic particulates, a binder, and a plasticizer are formed and then while green provided with a mechanically textured surface region used for supporting the thin film semiconductor of the photovoltaic cell when the sheets of the substrate precursor are subsequently cut into substrate-sized shapes and then sintered. The textured surface pattern on the substrate provides enhanced light trapping and collection for substantially increasing the solar energy conversion efficiency of thin-film photovoltaic cells.

  18. Method for producing textured substrates for thin-film photovoltaic cells

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, Robert J.

    1996-01-01

    The invention pertains to the production of ceramic substrates used in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic cells used for directly converting solar energy to electrical energy. Elongated ribbon-like sheets of substrate precursor containing a mixture of ceramic particulates, a binder, and a plasticizer are formed and then while green provided with a mechanically textured surface region used for supporting the thin film semiconductor of the photovoltaic cell when the sheets of the substrate precursor are subsequently cut into substrate-sized shapes and then sintered. The textured surface pattern on the substrate provides enhanced light trapping and collection for substantially increasing the, solar energy conversion efficiency of thin-film photovoltaic cells.

  19. Photovoltaic materials and devices 2016

    DOE PAGES

    Sopori, Bhushan; Basnyat, Prakash; Mehta, Vishal

    2016-01-01

    Photovoltaic energy continues to grow with about 59 GW of solar PV installed in 2015. While most of the PV production (about 93%) was Si wafer based, both CdTe and CI(G)S are growing in their shares. There is also continued progress at the laboratory scale in OPV and dye sensitized solar cells. As the market grows, emphasis on reducing the cost of modules and systems continues to grow. This is the fourth special issue of this journal that is dedicated to gathering selected papers on recent advances in materials, devices, and modules/PV systems. This issue contains sixteen papers on variousmore » aspects of photovoltaics. As a result, these fall in four broad categories of novel materials, device design and fabrication, modules, and systems.« less

  20. Manufacturing technologies for photovoltaics and possible means of their development in Russia (Review). Part 1: General approach to the development of photoelectric converters and basic silicon technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarasenko, A. B.; Popel', O. S.

    2015-11-01

    The state and key tendencies of the development of basic technologies for manufacture of photoelectric converters (PECs) in the world are considered, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The first part of the review gives short information on the development of photovoltaics in the world and planes of the development of solar power plants in Russia. Total power of photoelectric plants operating in various countries in 2015 exceeded 150 GW and increased in the last ten years with a rate of approximately 50% per year. Russia made important state decisions on the support of the development of renewable power engineering and developed mechanisms, which were attractive for business, on the stimulation of building of the network of solar power plants with a total power to 1.5 GW in the country to 2020. At the same time, the rigid demands are made with respect to the localization of the production of components of these plants that opens new abilities for the development of the domestic production of photovoltaics manufacture. Data on the efficiency of PECs of various types that are attained in the leading laboratories of the world are given. Particular emphasis has been placed on the consideration of basic silicon technologies of PEC manufacture, which had the widest commercial application. The basic methods for production of polycrystalline silicon and making single-crystal and multicrystal silicon are described. Fundamentals of making techniques for plates, PECs, and photoelectric modules based on single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon are considered. The second part will be devoted to modifications of manufacturing techniques for photoelectric converters, enhancement methods for contact structures, and recommendations of authors with respect to the choice of prospective technologies for the expansion of PEC production in Russia. It will involve formulations and substantiations of the most promising lines of the development of photoelectric

  1. Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center. 2015 Research Highlights -- Carbon Fiber

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, Sujit

    2016-03-01

    CEMAC has conducted four major studies on the manufacturing of clean energy technologies. Three of these focused on the end product: solar photovoltaic modules, wind turbines, and automotive lithium-ion batteries. The fourth area focused on a key material for manufacturing clean energy technologies, carbon fiber.

  2. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Analysis of a Pentacene/Graphene/SiC(0001) system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yost, Andrew; Suzer, Ozgun; Smerdon, Joseph; Chien, Teyu; Guest, Jeffrey

    2014-03-01

    A complete understanding of the structure of molecular assemblies, as well as an understanding of donor-acceptor interactions is crucial in the development of emergent molecular electronics technologies such as organic photovoltaics. The pentacene (C22H14) is a good electron donor in Pentacene-C60 system, which is a model system of an organic photovoltaic cell.. Here we present scanning tunneling microscopy studies of the pentacene(Pn) molecule on Graphene(G) that is epitaxially grown on SiC(0001). In addition to the morphologies reported in literature, several new structures of Pn on on G/SiC(0001) were observed with different periodicity and registry both in monolayer and bilayer coverages of molecules on the surface. Preliminary scanning tunneling spectroscopy of the molecular system is also discussed; well-isolated states and a large HOMO-LUMO gap indicate the Pn is weakly coupled to the grapheme and underlying substrate.

  3. Parameter variation of the one-diode model of a-Si and a- Si/μc-Si solar cells for modeling light-induced degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weicht, J. A.; Hamelmann, F. U.; Behrens, G.

    2014-11-01

    For analyzing the long-term behavior of thin film a-Si/μc-Si photovoltaic modules, it is important to observe the light-induced degradation (LID) in dependence of the temperature for the parameters of the one-diode model for solar cells. According to the IEC 61646 standard, the impact of LID on module parameters of these thin film cells is determined at a constant temperature of 50°C with an irradiation of 1000 W/m2 at open circuit conditions. Previous papers examined the LID of thin film a-Si cells with different temperatures and some others are about a-Si/μc-Si. In these previous papers not all parameters of the one-diode model are examined. We observed the serial resistance (Rs), parallel resistance (Rp), short circuit current (Isc), open circuit voltage (Uoc), the maximum power point (MPP: Umpp, Impp and Pmpp) and the diode factor (n). Since the main reason for the LID of silicon-based thin films is the Staebler Wronski effect in the a-Si part of the cell, the temperature dependence of the healing of defects for all parameters of the one-diode model is also taken into account. We are also measuring modules with different kind of transparent conductive oxides: In a-Si thin film solar cells fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) is used and for thin film solar cells of a-Si/μc-Si boron- doped zinc oxide is used. In our work we describe an approach for transferring the parameters of a one-diode model for tandem thin film solar cells into the one-diode model for each part of the solar cell. The measurement of degradation and regeneration at higher temperatures is the necessary base for optimization of the different silicon-based thin films in warm hot climate.

  4. Graphene as transparent electrode in Si solar cells: A dry transfer method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zang, Yuan; Li, Lian-bi; Chu, Qing; Pu, Hongbin; Hu, Jichao; Jin, Haili; Zhang, Yan

    2018-06-01

    This paper present an experimental study on a new dry transfer method of graphene applied as transparent conducting electrode in textured silicon solar cells. Raman spectra of dry exfoliated graphene indicated a monolayer graphene was transferred onto textured Si cells and the dry exfoliated graphene with better crystalline quality is attained. Photovoltaic result shows the short circuit current of the dry transferred graphene on texture Si solar cell has an increase of 28% compared to the wet transferred graphene. It proves the possibility of dry transferred graphene as transparent conducting electrode in textured Si solar cell applications.

  5. 76 FR 59542 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Changes to Provisions for Electronics Manufacturing To...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-27

    ... Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Changes to Provisions for Electronics Manufacturing To Provide... regulation to amend the calculation and monitoring provisions in the Electronics Manufacturing portion of the... Electronics Manufacturing 334111 Microcomputer manufacturing facilities. 334413 Semiconductor, photovoltaic...

  6. Photovoltaic Subcontract Program. Annual report, FY 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-03-01

    This report summarizes the fiscal year (FY) 1992 progress of the subcontracted photovoltaic (PV) research and development (R&D) performed under the Photovoltaic Advanced Research and Development Project at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-formerly the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI). The mission of the national PV program is to develop PV technology for large-scale generation of economically competitive electric power in the United States. The technical sections of the report cover the main areas of the subcontract program: the Crystalline Materials and Advanced Concepts project, the Polycrystalline Thin Films project, Amorphous Silicon Research project, the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) project,more » PV Module and System Performance and Engineering project, and the PV Analysis and Applications Development project. Technical summaries of each of the subcontracted programs provide a discussion of approaches, major accomplishments in FY 1992, and future research directions.« less

  7. Solar Photovoltaic Cell/Module Shipments Report

    EIA Publications

    2017-01-01

    Summary data for the photovoltaic industry in the United States. Data includes manufacturing, imports, and exports of modules in the United States and its territories. Summary data include volumes in peak kilowatts and average prices. Where possible, imports and exports are listed by country, and shipments to the United States are listed by state.

  8. Manufacturing of Composite Coatings by Atmospheric Plasma Spraying Using Different Feed-Stock Materials as YSZ and MoSi2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koch, D.; Mauer, G.; Vaßen, R.

    2017-04-01

    Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is the state-of-the-art material for the top coat of thermal barrier coatings. To increase the efficiency and lifetime of gas turbines, the integration of MoSi2 as a healing material was proposed. A new method of manufacture was explored in order to enable the spraying of a homogeneous mixed layer of YSZ and MoSi2. As the chemical and physical properties of these powders are very different, they require contrasting process conditions. Due to the evaporation of Si from MoSi2 at spraying conditions suitable for YSZ, more moderate conditions and a shorter time of flight are required for depositing MoSi2. At the same time, the spraying conditions still need to be sufficient for melting the YSZ particles in order to produce a coating. To obtain a homogeneous mixture, both conditions can be matched using an injection system that allows powder injection at two different locations of the plasma jet. Two-color pyrometry during flight (DPV-2000, Tecnar) was used to monitor the actual particle temperature. By optimizing the injection point for the MoSi2, a mixed coating was obtained without decomposition of the MoSi2, which has been analyzed by means of XRD and SEM.

  9. Method and apparatus for increasing the durability and yield of thin film photovoltaic devices

    DOEpatents

    Phillips, James E.; Lasswell, Patrick G.

    1987-01-01

    Thin film photovoltaic cells having a pair of semiconductor layers between an opaque and a transparent electrical contact are manufactured in a method which includes the step of scanning one of the semiconductor layers to determine the location of any possible shorting defect. Upon the detection of such defect, the defect is eliminated to increase the durability and yield of the photovoltaic device.

  10. Measures of International Manufacturing and Trade of Clean Energy Technologies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Engel-Cox, Jill; Sandor, Debbie; Keyser, David

    The technologies that produce clean energy, such as solar photovoltaic panels and lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles, are globally manufactured and traded. As demand and deployment of these technologies grows exponentially, the innovation to reach significant economies of scale and drive down energy production costs becomes less in the technology and more in the manufacturing of the technology. Manufacturing innovations and other manufacturing decisions can reduce costs of labor, materials, equipment, operating costs, and transportation, across all the links in the supply chain. To better understand the manufacturing aspect of the clean energy economy, we have developed key metricsmore » for systematically measuring and benchmarking international manufacturing of clean energy technologies. The metrics are: trade, market size, manufacturing value-added, and manufacturing capacity and production. These metrics were applied to twelve global economies and four representative technologies: wind turbine components, crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic modules, vehicle lithium ion battery cells, and light emitting diode packages for efficient lighting and other consumer products. The results indicated that clean energy technologies are being developed via complex, dynamic, and global supply chains, with individual economies benefiting from different technologies and links in the supply chain, through both domestic manufacturing and global trade.« less

  11. Photovoltaic Enhancement with Ferroelectric HfO2Embedded in the Structure of Solar Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eskandari, Rahmatollah; Malkinski, Leszek

    Enhancing total efficiency of the solar cells is focused on the improving one or all of the three main stages of the photovoltaic effect: absorption of the light, generation of the carriers and finally separation of the carriers. Ferroelectric photovoltaic designs target the last stage with large electric forces from polarized ferroelectric films that can be larger than band gap of the material and the built-in electric fields in semiconductor bipolar junctions. In this project we have fabricated very thin ferroelectric HfO2 films ( 10nm) doped with silicon using RF sputtering method. Doped HfO2 films were capped between two TiN layers ( 20nm) and annealed at temperatures of 800ºC and 1000ºC and Si content was varied between 6-10 mol. % using different size of mounted Si chip on hafnium target. Piezoforce microscopy (PFM) method proved clear ferroelectric properties in samples with 6 mol. % of Si that were annealed at 800ºC. Ferroelectric samples were poled in opposite directions and embedded in the structure of a cell and an enhancement in photovoltaic properties were observed on the poled samples vs unpoled ones with KPFM and I-V measurements. The current work is funded by the NSF EPSCoR LA-SiGMA project under award #EPS-1003897.

  12. Photovoltaic Performance and Reliability Workshop summary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kroposki, Benjamin

    1997-02-01

    The objective of the Photovoltaic Performance and Reliability Workshop was to provide a forum where the entire photovoltaic (PV) community (manufacturers, researchers, system designers, and customers) could get together and discuss technical issues relating to PV. The workshop included presentations from twenty-five speakers and had more than one hundred attendees. This workshop also included several open sessions in which the audience and speakers could discuss technical subjects in depth. Several major topics were discussed including: PV characterization and measurements, service lifetimes for PV devices, degradation and failure mechanisms for PV devices, standardization of testing procedures, AC module performance and reliability testing, inverter performance and reliability testing, standardization of utility interconnect requirements, experience from field deployed systems, and system certification.

  13. Recent progress in Si thin film technology for solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuwano, Yukinori; Nakano, Shoichi; Tsuda, Shinya

    1991-11-01

    Progress in Si thin film technology 'specifically amorphous Si (a-Si) and polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) thin film' for solar cells is summarized here from fabrication method, material, and structural viewpoints. In addition to a-Si, primary results on poly-Si thin film research are discussed. Various applications for a-Si solar cells are mentioned, and consumer applications and a-Si solar cell photovoltaic systems are introduced. New product developments include see-through solar cells, solar cell roofing tiles, and ultra-light flexible solar cells. As for new systems, air conditioning equipment powered by solar cells is described. Looking to the future, the proposed GENESIS project is discussed.

  14. Method and apparatus for increasing the durability and yield of thin film photovoltaic devices

    DOEpatents

    Phillips, J.E.; Lasswell, P.G.

    1987-02-03

    Thin film photovoltaic cells having a pair of semiconductor layers between an opaque and a transparent electrical contact are manufactured in a method which includes the step of scanning one of the semiconductor layers to determine the location of any possible shorting defect. Upon the detection of such defect, the defect is eliminated to increase the durability and yield of the photovoltaic device. 10 figs.

  15. Effects of Heat Treatment on the Microstructures and High Temperature Mechanical Properties of Hypereutectic Al-14Si-Cu-Mg Alloy Manufactured by Liquid Phase Sintering Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heo, Joon-Young; Gwon, Jin-Han; Park, Jong-Kwan; Lee, Kee-Ahn

    2018-05-01

    Hypereutectic Al-Si alloy is an aluminum alloy containing at least 12.6 wt.% Si. It is necessary to evenly control the primary Si particle size and distribution in hypereutectic Al-Si alloy. In order to achieve this, there have been attempts to manufacture hypereutectic Al-Si alloy through a liquid phase sintering. This study investigated the microstructures and high temperature mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-14Si-Cu-Mg alloy manufactured by liquid phase sintering process and changes in them after T6 heat treatment. Microstructural observation identified large amounts of small primary Si particles evenly distributed in the matrix, and small amounts of various precipitation phases were found in grain interiors and grain boundaries. After T6 heat treatment, the primary Si particle size and shape did not change significantly, but the size and distribution of CuAl2 ( θ) and AlCuMgSi ( Q) changed. Hardness tests measured 97.36 HV after sintering and 142.5 HV after heat treatment. Compression tests were performed from room temperature to 300 °C. The results represented that yield strength was greater after heat treatment (RT 300 °C: 351 93 MPa) than after sintering (RT 300 °C: 210 89 MPa). Fracture surface analysis identified cracks developing mostly along the interface between the primary Si particles and the matrix with some differences among temperature conditions. In addition, brittle fracture mode was found after T6 heat treatment.

  16. Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste

    DOEpatents

    Goozner, Robert E.; Long, Mark O.; Drinkard, Jr., William F.

    1999-01-01

    A method for extracting and reclaiming metals from scrap CdTe photovoltaic cells and manufacturing waste by leaching the waste with a leaching solution comprising nitric acid and water, skimming any plastic material from the top of the leaching solution, separating the glass substrate from the liquid leachate and electrolyzing the leachate to separate Cd from Te, wherein the Te is deposits onto a cathode while the Cd remains in solution.

  17. Dislocation reduction in heteroepitaxial Ge on Si using SiO{sub 2} lined etch pits and epitaxial lateral overgrowth

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Leonhardt, Darin; Han, Sang M.

    2011-09-12

    We report a technique that significantly reduces threading dislocations in Ge on Si heteroepitaxy. Germanium is first grown on Si and etched to produce pits in the surface where threading dislocations terminate. Further processing leaves a layer of SiO{sub 2} only within etch pits. Subsequent selective epitaxial Ge growth results in coalescence above the SiO{sub 2}. The SiO{sub 2} blocks the threading dislocations from propagating into the upper Ge epilayer. With annealed Ge films grown on Si, the said method reduces the defect density from 2.6 x 10{sup 8} to 1.7 x 10{sup 6} cm{sup -2}, potentially making the layermore » suitable for electronic and photovoltaic devices.« less

  18. Photovoltaic power generation system with photovoltaic cells as bypass diodes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lentine, Anthony L.; Nielson, Gregory N.; Tauke-Pedretti, Anna

    A photovoltaic power generation system that includes a solar panel is described herein. The solar panel includes a photovoltaic sub-module, which includes a group of microsystem enabled photovoltaic cells. The group includes a first string of photovoltaic cells, a second string of photovoltaic cells, and a differing photovoltaic cell. Photovoltaic cells in the first string are electrically connected in series, and photovoltaic cells in the second string are electrically connected in series. Further, the first string of photovoltaic cells, the second string of photovoltaic cells, and the differing photovoltaic cell are electrically connected in parallel. Moreover, the differing photovoltaic cellmore » is used as a bypass diode for the first string of photovoltaic cells and the second string of photovoltaic cells.« less

  19. Impact of porous SiC-doped PVA based LDS layer on electrical parameters of Si solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaci, S.; Rahmoune, R.; Kezzoula, F.; Boudiaf, Y.; Keffous, A.; Manseri, A.; Menari, H.; Cheraga, H.; Guerbous, L.; Belkacem, Y.; Chalal, R.; Bozetine, I.; Boukezzata, A.; Talbi, L.; Benfadel, K.; Ouadfel, M.-A.; Ouadah, Y.

    2018-06-01

    Nowadays, the advanced photon management is regarded as an area of intensive research investment. Ever since the most widely used commercial photovoltaic cells are fabricated with single gap semiconductors like silicon, photon management has offered opportunities to make better use of the photons, both inside and outside the single junction window. In this study, the impact of new down shifting layer on the photoelectrical parameters of silicon based solar cell was studied. An effort to enhance the photovoltaic performance of textured silicon solar cells through the application of porous SiC particles-doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layers using the spin-coating technique, is reported. Current-voltage curves under artificial illumination were used to confirm the contribution of LDS (SiC-PVA) thin layers. Experiment results revealed that LDS based on SiC particles which were etched in HF/K2S2O8 solution at T = 80 °C under UV light of 254 nm exhibited the best solar cell photoelectrical parameters due to its strong photoluminescence.

  20. Using adhesives as a means to reduce costs and increase performance in the production of photovoltaic electricity.

    PubMed

    Thorey, Claire

    2013-01-01

    Although adhesives have been used for many years to manufacture cars in more efficient ways, their potential has not yet been fully exploited by the renewable energy industry. We argue in this article that photovoltaic module manufacturers can save costs and differentiate from competition by careful selection and use of their bonding systems. Clever adhesives can enable new, more effective product designs and can play a major role in the longevity of the complete product.

  1. Computational assessment of organic photovoltaic candidate compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borunda, Mario; Dai, Shuo; Olivares-Amaya, Roberto; Amador-Bedolla, Carlos; Aspuru-Guzik, Alan

    2015-03-01

    Organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells are emerging as a possible renewable alternative to petroleum based resources and are needed to meet our growing demand for energy. Although not as efficient as silicon based cells, OPV cells have as an advantage that their manufacturing cost is potentially lower. The Harvard Clean Energy Project, using a cheminformatic approach of pattern recognition and machine learning strategies, has ranked a molecular library of more than 2.6 million candidate compounds based on their performance as possible OPV materials. Here, we present a ranking of the top 1000 molecules for use as photovoltaic materials based on their optical absorption properties obtained via time-dependent density functional theory. This computational search has revealed the molecular motifs shared by the set of most promising molecules.

  2. Molecular Photovoltaics in Nanoscale Dimension

    PubMed Central

    Burtman, Vladimir; Zelichonok, Alexander; Pakoulev, Andrei V.

    2011-01-01

    This review focuses on the intrinsic charge transport in organic photovoltaic (PVC) devices and field-effect transistors (SAM-OFETs) fabricated by vapor phase molecular self-assembly (VP-SAM) method. The dynamics of charge transport are determined and used to clarify a transport mechanism. The 1,4,5,8-naphthalene-tetracarboxylic diphenylimide (NTCDI) SAM devices provide a useful tool to study the fundamentals of polaronic transport at organic surfaces and to discuss the performance of organic photovoltaic devices in nanoscale. Time-resolved photovoltaic studies allow us to separate the charge annihilation kinetics in the conductive NTCDI channel from the overall charge kinetic in a SAM-OFET device. It has been demonstrated that tuning of the type of conductivity in NTCDI SAM-OFET devices is possible by changing Si substrate doping. Our study of the polaron charge transfer in organic materials proposes that a cation-radical exchange (redox) mechanism is the major transport mechanism in the studied SAM-PVC devices. The role and contribution of the transport through delocalized states of redox active surface molecular aggregates of NTCDI are exposed and investigated. This example of technological development is used to highlight the significance of future technological development of nanotechnologies and to appreciate a structure-property paradigm in organic nanostructures. PMID:21339983

  3. Photovoltaic power conditioning subsystem: State of the art and development opportunities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krauthamer, S.; Bahrami, K.; Das, R.; Macie, T.; Rippel, W.

    1984-01-01

    Photovoltaic systems, the state of the art of power conditioning subsystem components, and the design and operational interaction between photovoltaic systems and host utilities are detailed in this document. Major technical issues relating to the design and development of power conditioning systems for photovoltaic application are considered; these include: (1) standards, guidelines, and specifications; (2) cost effective hardware design; (3) impact of advanced components on power conditioning development; (4) protection and safety; (5) quality of power; (6) system efficiency; and (7) system integration with the host utility. Theories of harmonic distortion and reactive power flow are discussed, and information about power conditioner hardware and manufacturers is provided.

  4. Photovoltaic Reliability Workshop Lodging Information | Photovoltaic

    Science.gov Websites

    Research | NRELA> Photovoltaic Reliability Workshop Lodging Information Photovoltaic Reliability Workshop Lodging Information The 2018 Photovoltaic Reliability Workshop (PVRW) will be held Tuesday

  5. Potential-induced degradation in photovoltaic modules: a critical review

    DOE PAGES

    Luo, Wei; Khoo, Yong Sheng; Hacke, Peter; ...

    2016-11-21

    Potential-induced degradation (PID) has received considerable attention in recent years due to its detrimental impact on photovoltaic (PV) module performance under field conditions. Both crystalline silicon (c-Si) and thin-film PV modules are susceptible to PID. While extensive studies have already been conducted in this area, the understanding of the PID phenomena is still incomplete and it remains a major problem in the PV industry. Herein, a critical review of the available literature is given to serve as a one-stop source for understanding the current status of PID research. This article also aims to provide an overview of future research pathsmore » to address PID-related issues. This paper consists of three parts. In the first part, the modelling of leakage current paths in the module package is discussed. The PID mechanisms in both c-Si and thin-film PV modules are also comprehensively reviewed. The second part summarizes various test methods to evaluate PV modules for PID. The last part focuses on studies related to PID in the omnipresent p-type c-Si PV modules. The dependence of temperature, humidity and voltage on the progression of PID is examined. Preventive measures against PID at the cell, module and system levels are illustrated. Moreover, PID recovery in standard p-type c-Si PV modules is also studied. Most of the findings from p-type c-Si PV modules are also applicable to other PV module technologies.« less

  6. Numerical modeling of uncertainty and variability in the technology, manufacturing, and economics of crystalline silicon photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ristow, Alan H.

    2008-10-01

    Electricity generated from photovoltaics (PV) promises to satisfy the world's ever-growing thirst for energy without significant pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. At present, however, PV is several times too expensive to compete economically with conventional sources of electricity delivered via the power grid. To ensure long-term success, must achieve cost parity with electricity generated by conventional sources of electricity. This requires detailed understanding of the relationship between technology and economics as it pertains to PV devices and systems. The research tasks of this thesis focus on developing and using four types of models in concert to develop a complete picture of how solar cell technology and design choices affect the quantity and cost of energy produced by PV systems. It is shown in this thesis that high-efficiency solar cells can leverage balance-of-systems (BOS) costs to gain an economic advantage over solar cells with low efficiencies. This advantage is quantified and dubbed the "efficiency premium." Solar cell device models are linked to models of manufacturing cost and PV system performance to estimate both PV system cost and performance. These, in turn, are linked to a model of levelized electricity cost to estimate the per-kilowatt-hour cost of electricity produced by the PV system. A numerical PV module manufacturing cost model is developed to facilitate this analysis. The models and methods developed in this thesis are used to propose a roadmap to high-efficiency multicrystalline-silicon PV modules that achieve cost parity with electricity from the grid. The impact of PV system failures on the cost of electricity is also investigated; from this, a methodology is proposed for improving the reliability of PV inverters.

  7. Modeling and designing multilayer 2D perovskite / silicon bifacial tandem photovoltaics for high efficiencies and long-term stability.

    PubMed

    Chung, Haejun; Sun, Xingshu; Mohite, Aditya D; Singh, Rahul; Kumar, Lokendra; Alam, Muhammad A; Bermel, Peter

    2017-04-17

    A key challenge in photovoltaics today is to develop cell technologies with both higher efficiencies and lower fabrication costs than incumbent crystalline silicon (c-Si) single-junction cells. While tandem cells have higher efficiencies than c-Si alone, it is generally challenging to find a low-cost, high-performance material to pair with c-Si. However, the recent emergence of 22% efficient perovskite photovoltaics has created a tremendous opportunity for high-performance, low-cost perovskite / crystalline silicon tandem photovoltaic cells. Nonetheless, two key challenges remain. First, integrating perovskites into tandem structures has not yet been demonstrated to yield performance exceeding commercially available crystalline silicon modules. Second, the stability of perovskites is inconsistent with the needs of most end-users, who install photovoltaic modules to produce power for 25 years or more. Making these cells viable thus requires innovation in materials processing, device design, fabrication, and yield. We will address these two gaps in the photovoltaic literature by investigating new types of 2D perovskite materials with n-butylammonium spacer layers, and integrating these materials into bifacial tandem solar cells providing at least 30% normalized power production. We find that an optimized 2D perovskite ((BA)2(MA)3(Sn0.6Pb0.4)4I13)/silicon bifacial tandem cell, given a globally average albedo of 30%, yields a normalized power production of 30.31%, which should be stable for extended time periods without further change in materials or encapsulation.

  8. 15.3%-Efficient GaAsP Solar Cells on GaP/Si Templates

    DOE PAGES

    Vaisman, Michelle; Fan, Shizhao; Nay Yaung, Kevin; ...

    2017-07-26

    As single-junction Si solar cells approach their practical efficiency limits, a new pathway is necessary to increase efficiency in order to realize more cost-effective photovoltaics. Integrating III-V cells onto Si in a multijunction architecture is a promising approach that can achieve high efficiency while leveraging the infrastructure already in place for Si and III-V technology. In this Letter, we demonstrate a record 15.3%-efficient 1.7 eV GaAsP top cell on GaP/Si, enabled by recent advances in material quality in conjunction with an improved device design and a high-performance antireflection coating. Furthermore, we present a separate Si bottom cell with a 1.7more » eV GaAsP optical filter to absorb most of the visible light with an efficiency of 6.3%, showing the feasibility of monolithic III-V/Si tandems with >20% efficiency. Through spectral efficiency analysis, we also compare our results to previously published GaAsP and Si devices, projecting tandem GaAsP/Si efficiencies of up to 25.6% based on current state-of-the-art individual subcells. With the aid of modeling, we further illustrate a realistic path toward 30% GaAsP/Si tandems for high-efficiency, monolithically integrated photovoltaics.« less

  9. High-Performance Flexible Waveguiding Photovoltaics

    PubMed Central

    Chou, Chun-Hsien; Chuang, Jui-Kang; Chen, Fang-Chung

    2013-01-01

    The use of flat-plane solar concentrators is an effective approach toward collecting sunlight economically and without sun trackers. The optical concentrators are, however, usually made of rigid glass or plastics having limited flexibility, potentially restricting their applicability. In this communication, we describe flexible waveguiding photovoltaics (FWPVs) that exhibit high optical efficiencies and great mechanical flexibility. We constructed these FWPVs by integrating poly-Si solar cells, a soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) waveguide, and a TiO2-doped backside reflector. Optical microstructures that increase the light harvesting ability of the FWPVs can be fabricated readily, through soft lithography, on the top surface of the PDMS waveguide. Our optimized structure displayed an optical efficiency of greater than 42% and a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.57%, with a projected PCE as high as approximately 18%. This approach might open new avenues for the harvesting of solar energy at low cost with efficient, mechanically flexible photovoltaics. PMID:23873225

  10. Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC) 2015 Research Highlights

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Woodhouse, Michael; Mone, Christopher; Chung, Donald

    2016-03-01

    CEMAC has conducted four major studies on the manufacturing of clean energy technologies. Three of these focused on the end product: solar photovoltaic modules, wind turbines, and automotive lithium-ion batteries. The fourth area focused on a key material for manufacturing clean energy technologies, carbon fiber. This booklet summarizes key findings of CEMAC work to date, describes CEMAC's research methodology, and describes work to come.

  11. Interface properties of the amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Halliop, Basia

    Amorphous-crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) heterojunctions have the potential of being a very high efficiency silicon photovoltaic platform technology with accompanying cost and energy budget reductions. In this research a heterojunction cell structure based on a-Si:H deposited using a DC saddle field plasma enhanced vapour deposition (DCSF PECVD) technique is studied, and the a-Si:H/c-Si and indium tin oxide/a-Si:H interfaces are examined using several characterization methods. Photocarrier radiometry (PCR) is used for the first time to probe the a-Si:H/c-Si junction. PCR is demonstrated as a carrier lifetime measurement technique -- specifically, confirming carrier lifetimes above 1 ms for 1-5 Ocm phosphorous-doped c-Si wafers passivated on both sides with 30 nm of i-a-Si:H. PCR is also used to determine surface recombination velocity and mobility, and to probe recombination at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface, distinguishing interface recombination from recombination within the a-Si:H layer or at the a-Si:H surface. A complementary technique, lateral conductivity is applied over a temperature range of 140 K to 430 K to construct energy band diagrams of a-Si:H/c-Si junctions. Boron doped a-Si:H films on glass are shown to have activation energies of 0.3 to 0.35 eV, tuneable by adjusting the diborane to silane gas ratio during deposition. Heterojunction samples show evidence of a strong hole inversion layer and a valence band offset of approximately 0.4 eV; carrier concentration in the inversion layer is reduced in p-a-Si:H/i-a-Si:H/ c-Si structures as intrinsic layer thickness increases, while carrier lifetime is increased. The indium tin oxide/amorphous silicon interface is also examined. Optimal ITO films were prepared with a sheet resistance of 17.3 O/[special character omitted] and AM1.5 averaged transmittance of 92.1%., for a film thickness of approximately 85 nm, using temperatures below 200°C. Two different heat treatments are found to cause crystallization of

  12. The worldwide market for photovoltaics in the rural sector

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brainard, W. A.

    1982-01-01

    The worldwide market for stand-alone photovoltaic power systems in three specific segments of the rural sector were determined. The worldwide market for photovoltaic power systems for village power, cottage industry, and agricultural applications were addressed. The objectives of these studies were to: The market potential for small stand-alone photovoltaic power system in specific application areas was assessed. Technical, social and institutional barriers to PV utilization were identified. Funding sources available to potential users was also identified and marketing strategies appropriate for each sector were recommended to PV product manufacturers. The studies were prepared on the basis of data gathered from domestic sources and from field trips to representative countries. Both country-specific and sector-specific results are discussed, and broadly applicable barriers pertinent to international marketing of PV products are presented.

  13. High-performance polymer photovoltaic cells and photodetectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Gang; Srdanov, Gordana; Wang, Hailiang; Cao, Yong; Heeger, Alan J.

    2001-02-01

    Polymer photovoltaic cells and photodetectors have passed their infancy and become mature technologies. The energy conversion efficiency of polymer photovoltaic cells have been improved to over 4.1% (500 nm, 10 mW/cm2). Such high efficiency polymer photovoltaic cells are promising for many applications including e-papers, e-books and smart- windows. The development of polymer photodetectors is even faster. The performance parameters have been improved to the level meeting all specifications for practical applications. The polymer photodetectors are of high photosensitivity (approximately 0.2 - 0.3 A/Watt in visible and UV), low dark current (0.1 - 1 nA/cm2), large dynamic range (> 8 orders of magnitude), linear intensity dependence, low noise level and fast response time (to nanosecond time domain). These devices show long shelf and operation lives. The advantages of low manufacturing cost, large detection area, and easy hybridization and integration with other electronic or optical components make the polymer photodetectors promising for a variety of applications including chemical/biomedical analysis, full-color digital image sensing and high energy radiation detection.

  14. Photovoltaic cells and photodetectors made with semiconductor polymers: recent progress

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Gang; Srdanov, Gordana; Wang, Hailiang; Cao, Yong; Heeger, Alan J.

    2000-05-01

    In this presentation, we discuss recent progress on polymer photovoltaic cells and polymer photodetectors. By improving the fill-factor of polymer photovoltaic cells, the energy conversion efficiency was improved significantly to over 4 percent. Such high efficiency polymer photovoltaic cells are promising for many applications including e-papers, e-books and smart-windows. Polymer photodetectors with similar device configuration show high photosensitivity, low dark current, large dynamic range, linear intensity dependence, low noise level and fast response time. These parameters are comparable to or even better than their inorganic counterparts. The advantages of low manufacturing cost, large detection area, and easy hybridization and integration with other electronic or optical components make them promising for a variety of applications including chemical/biomedical analysis, full-color digital image sensing and high energy radiation detection.

  15. Photovoltaic evaluation study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, G.; Heikkilae, M.; Melasuo, T.; Spanner, S.

    Realizing the value and potential of PV-power as well as the growing need for increased cooperation and sharing of knowledge in the field of photovoltaics, FINNIDA and UNICEF decided to undertake a study of selected PV-projects. There were two main objectives for the study: To gather, compile, evaluate and share information on the photovoltaic technology appropriate to developing countries, and to promote the interest and competence of Finnish research institutes, consultants and manufacturers in photovoltaic development. For this purpose a joint evaluation of significant, primarily UN-supported projects providing for the basic needs of rural communities was undertaken. The Gambia and Kenya offered a variety of such projects, and were chosen as target countries for the study. The projects were chosen to be both comparable and complimentary. In the Gambia, the main subject was a partially integrated health and telecommunications project, but a long-operating drinking water pumping system was also studied. In Kenya, a health project in the Turkana area was examined, and also a large scale water pumping installation for fish farming. Field visits were made in order to verify and supplement the data gathered through document research and earlier investigations. Individual data gathering sheets for the project form the core of this study and are intended to give the necessary information in an organized and accessible format. The findings could practically be condensed into one sentence: PV-systems work very well, if properly designed and installed, but the resources and requirements of the recipients must be considered to a higher degree.

  16. Ultrafast Thermal Plasma Preparation of Solid Si Films with Potential Application in Photovoltaic Cells: A Parametric Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mostajeran Goortani, Behnam; Gitzhofer, François; Bouyer, Etienne; Mousavi, Mehdi

    2009-03-01

    An innovative method, namely ultrafast plasma surface melting, is developed to fabricate solid films of silicon with very high rates (150 cm2/min). The method is composed of preparing a suspension of solid particles in a volatile solvent and spreading it on a refractory substrate such as Mo. After solvent evaporation, the resulting porous layer is exposed to the flame tale of inductively coupled RF plasma to sinter and melt the surface particles and to prepare a solid film of silicon. It is shown that by controlling the flow dynamics and heat transfer around the substrate, and managing the kinetic parameters (i.e., exposure time, substrate transport speed, and reaction kinetics) in the reactor, we can produce solid crystalline Si films with the potential applications in photovoltaic cells industry. The results indicate that the optimum formation conditions with a film thickness of 250-700 μm is when the exposure time in the plasma is in the range of 5-12.5 s for a 100 × 50 mm large layer. By combining the Fourier’s law of conduction with the experimental measurements, we obtained an effective heat diffusivity and developed a model to obtain heat diffusion in the porous layer exposed to the plasma. The model further predicts the minimum and maximum exposure time for the substrate in the plasma flame as a function of material properties, the porous layer thickness and of the imposed heat flux.

  17. Materials interface engineering for solution-processed photovoltaics.

    PubMed

    Graetzel, Michael; Janssen, René A J; Mitzi, David B; Sargent, Edward H

    2012-08-16

    Advances in solar photovoltaics are urgently needed to increase the performance and reduce the cost of harvesting solar power. Solution-processed photovoltaics are cost-effective to manufacture and offer the potential for physical flexibility. Rapid progress in their development has increased their solar-power conversion efficiencies. The nanometre (electron) and micrometre (photon) scale interfaces between the crystalline domains that make up solution-processed solar cells are crucial for efficient charge transport. These interfaces include large surface area junctions between photoelectron donors and acceptors, the intralayer grain boundaries within the absorber, and the interfaces between photoactive layers and the top and bottom contacts. Controlling the collection and minimizing the trapping of charge carriers at these boundaries is crucial to efficiency.

  18. Photovoltaic module and interlocked stack of photovoltaic modules

    DOEpatents

    Wares, Brian S.

    2014-09-02

    One embodiment relates to an arrangement of photovoltaic modules configured for transportation. The arrangement includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module including a frame. A plurality of individual male alignment features and a plurality of individual female alignment features are included on each frame. Adjacent photovoltaic modules are interlocked by multiple individual male alignment features on a first module of the adjacent photovoltaic modules fitting into and being surrounded by corresponding individual female alignment features on a second module of the adjacent photovoltaic modules. Other embodiments, features and aspects are also disclosed.

  19. Pronounced Photovoltaic Response from Multilayered Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides PN-Junctions.

    PubMed

    Memaran, Shahriar; Pradhan, Nihar R; Lu, Zhengguang; Rhodes, Daniel; Ludwig, Jonathan; Zhou, Qiong; Ogunsolu, Omotola; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Smirnov, Dmitry; Fernández-Domínguez, Antonio I; García-Vidal, Francisco J; Balicas, Luis

    2015-11-11

    Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are layered semiconductors with indirect band gaps comparable to Si. These compounds can be grown in large area, while their gap(s) can be tuned by changing their chemical composition or by applying a gate voltage. The experimental evidence collected so far points toward a strong interaction with light, which contrasts with the small photovoltaic efficiencies η ≤ 1% extracted from bulk crystals or exfoliated monolayers. Here, we evaluate the potential of these compounds by studying the photovoltaic response of electrostatically generated PN-junctions composed of approximately 10 atomic layers of MoSe2 stacked onto the dielectric h-BN. In addition to ideal diode-like response, we find that these junctions can yield, under AM-1.5 illumination, photovoltaic efficiencies η exceeding 14%, with fill factors of ~70%. Given the available strategies for increasing η such as gap tuning, improving the quality of the electrical contacts, or the fabrication of tandem cells, our study suggests a remarkable potential for photovoltaic applications based on TMDs.

  20. A novel application for concentrator photovoltaic in the field of agriculture photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Luqing; Guan, Chenggang; Zhang, Fangxin; Li, Ming; Lv, Hui; Liu, Yang; Yao, Peijun; Ingenhoff, Jan; Liu, Wen

    2017-09-01

    Agriculture photovoltaics is a trend setting area which has already led to a new industrial revolution. Shortage of land in some countries and desertification of land where regular solar panels are deployed are some of the major problems in the photovoltaic industry. Concentrator photovoltaics experienced a decline in applicability after the cost erosion of regular solar panels at the end of the last decade. We demonstrate a novel and unique application for concentrator photovoltaics tackling at a same time the issue of conventional photovoltaics preventing the land being used for agricultural purpose where ever solar panels are installed. We leverage the principle of diffractive and interference technology to split the sun light into transmitted wavelengths necessary for plant growth and reflected wavelengths useful for solar energy generation. The technology has been successfully implemented in field trials and sophisticated scientific studies have been undertaken to evaluate the suitability of this technology for competitive solar power generation and simultaneous high-quality plant growth. The average efficiency of the agriculture photovoltaic system has reached more than 8% and the average efficiency of the CPV system is 6.80%.

  1. Photovoltaic Prospection in South Tamaulipas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saleme Vila, S.; Rivas, D.; Ortega Izaguirre, R.

    2015-12-01

    Commercial monocrystalline silicon (c-Si), polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) and amorphous silicon (a-Si) photovoltaic (PV) panels are tested on real conditions in order to identify which of the aforementioned PV panels present the best performance in the city of Altamira, Tamaulipas (northeastern Mexico) and to evaluate the impact of the city's climatic conditions over the electrical characteristics and power generation of the aforementioned PV panels. In situ direct solar irradiance and current-voltage characteristics (I-V) of each PV panel were taken from Monday to Friday at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 hours (GMT-6) with 3 repeats from 08/04/2014 to 07/31/2015. Also, daylong in situ direct solar irradiance, panel temperature, and I-V characteristics were taken from 8:00 to 20:30 hours with a 30-minute interval in synchrony with National Polytechnic Institute-owned CICATA-I meteorological station in order to cross-reference the experimental data with the station's air temperature, specific humidity and global solar irradiance data. Up to June 2015, c-Si panel presented the best performance on real conditions with mean max power loss of 49% compared to the reference max power value followed by the p-Si with 54% mean max power loss and the a-Si panel with a 73% mean max power loss. The number of cloudy days, electrical resistance due to panel materials nature and meteorological impact are further discussed.

  2. Cadmium Telluride Solar Cells | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Cadmium Telluride Solar Cells Cadmium Telluride Solar Cells Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells based on leadership. The United States is the leader in CdTe PV manufacturing, and NREL has been at the forefront of research and development (R&D) in this area. PV Research Other Materials & Devices pages: High

  3. The chemical deposition of semiconductor thin-films for photovoltaic devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Breen, Marc Louis

    Initially, possible precursors to metal sulfide films formed by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), the standard commercial technique for manufacturing photovoltaic semiconductors, were synthesized. Triple-junction GaInP 2/GaAs/Ge solar cells, prepared by this method, were studied to understand how chemical properties and material defects can effect the performance of photovoltaic devices. Finally, novel methods for the low-temperature, solution growth of CdS, CdSe, and CuInSe2 photovoltaic materials were targeted which will reduce manufacturing costs and increase the economic feasibility of solar energy conversion. A series of dialkyldithiocarbamate copper, gallium and indium compounds were studied as possible metal sulfide MOCVD precursors. Metal powders were oxidized by dialkylthiurams in 3- or 4-methylpyridine using standard techniques for handling air and moisture-sensitive compounds. Metal chlorides reacted directly with the sodium dialkyldithiocarbamate salts. In these complexes, the metal was found in a roughly octahedral orientation, surrounded by dithiocarbamate ligands and/or solvent molecules. Triple-junction GaInP2/GaAs/Ge cells were composed of thin-films of GaInP2 and GaAs grown monolithically on top of a germanium substrate. Each layer of semiconductor material had a different bandgap and absorbed a different portion of the solar spectrum, thus improving the overall efficiency of the cell. Work focused on dark current-voltage behavior which is known to limit solar cell open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and conversion efficiency. Cells were studied using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques to correlate the effect of physical defects in the materials with poor performance of the devices as evaluated through current vs. voltage measurements. Films of US and CdSe were readily prepared in solution through an "ion-by-ion" deposition of Cd2+ and S2- (or Se 2-) generated from the slow hydrolysis of thiourea (or dimethylthiourea). The bath

  4. Photovoltaic system costs using local labor and materials in developing countries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacobson, E.; Fletcher, G.; Hein, G.

    1980-01-01

    The use of photovoltaic (PV) technology in countries that do not presently have high technology industrial capacity was investigated. The relative cost of integrating indigenous labor (and manufacturing where available) into the balance of the system industry of seven countries (Egypt, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, and the Phillipines) was determined. The results were then generalized to other countries, at most levels of development. The results of the study imply several conclusions: (1) the cost of installing and maintaining comparable photovoltaic systems in developing countries is less than in the United States; (2) skills and some materials are available in the seven subject countries that may be applied to constructing and maintaining PV systems; (3) there is an interest in foreign countries in photovoltaics; and (4) conversations with foreign nationals suggest that photovoltaics must be introduced in foreign markets as an appropriate technology with high technology components rather than as a high technology system.

  5. Photovoltaic system costs using local labor and materials in developing countries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jacobson, E.; Fletcher, G.; Hein, G.

    1980-05-01

    The use of photovoltaic (PV) technology in countries that do not presently have high technology industrial capacity was investigated. The relative cost of integrating indigenous labor (and manufacturing where available) into the balance of the system industry of seven countries (Egypt, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, and the Phillipines) was determined. The results were then generalized to other countries, at most levels of development. The results of the study imply several conclusions: (1) the cost of installing and maintaining comparable photovoltaic systems in developing countries is less than in the United States; (2) skills and some materials are available in the seven subject countries that may be applied to constructing and maintaining PV systems; (3) there is an interest in foreign countries in photovoltaics; and (4) conversations with foreign nationals suggest that photovoltaics must be introduced in foreign markets as an appropriate technology with high technology components rather than as a high technology system.

  6. Advances in Single and Multijunction III-V Photovoltaics on Silicon for Space Power

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilt, David M.; Fitzgerald, Eugene A.; Ringel, Steven A.

    2005-01-01

    A collaborative research effort at MIT, Ohio State University and NASA has resulted in the demonstration of record quality gallium arsenide (GaAs) based single junction photovoltaic devices on silicon (Si) substrates. The ability to integrate highly efficient, radiation hard III-V based devices on silicon offers the potential for dramatic reductions in cell mass (approx.2x) and increases in cell area. Both of these improvements offer the potential for dramatic reductions in the cost of on-orbit electrical power. Recently, lattice matched InGaP/GaAs and metamorphic InGaP/InGaAs dual junction solar cells were demonstrated by MBE and OMVPE, respectively. Single junction GaAs on Si devices have been integrated into a space flight experiment (MISSES), scheduled to be launched to the International Space Station in March of 2005. I-V performance data from the GaAs/Si will be collected on-orbit and telemetered to ground stations daily. Microcracks in the GaAs epitaxial material, generated because of differences in the thermal expansion coefficient between GaAs and Si, are of concern in the widely varying thermal environment encountered in low Earth orbit. Ground based thermal life cycling (-80 C to + 80 C) equivalent to 1 year in LEO has been conducted on GaAs/Si devices with no discernable degradation in device performance, suggesting that microcracks may not limit the ability to field GaAs/Si in harsh thermal environments. Recent advances in the development and testing of III-V photovoltaic devices on Si will be presented.

  7. AlGaAs/Si dual-junction tandem solar cells by epitaxial lift-off and print-transfer-assisted direct bonding

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xiong, Kanglin; Mi, Hongyi; Chang, Tzu-Hsuan

    A novel method is developed to realize a III-V/Si dual-junction photovoltaic cell by combining epitaxial lift-off (ELO) and print-transfer-assisted bonding methods. The adoption of ELO enables III-V wafers to be recycled and reused, which can further lower the cost of III-V/Si photovoltaic panels. For demonstration, high crystal quality, micrometer-thick, GaAs/AlGaAs/GaAs films are lifted off, transferred, and directly bonded onto Si wafer without the use of any adhesive or bonding agents. The bonding interface is optically transparent and conductive both thermally and electrically. Prototype AlGaAs/Si dual-junction tandem solar cells have been fabricated and exhibit decent performance.

  8. AlGaAs/Si dual-junction tandem solar cells by epitaxial lift-off and print-transfer-assisted direct bonding

    DOE PAGES

    Xiong, Kanglin; Mi, Hongyi; Chang, Tzu-Hsuan; ...

    2018-01-04

    A novel method is developed to realize a III-V/Si dual-junction photovoltaic cell by combining epitaxial lift-off (ELO) and print-transfer-assisted bonding methods. The adoption of ELO enables III-V wafers to be recycled and reused, which can further lower the cost of III-V/Si photovoltaic panels. For demonstration, high crystal quality, micrometer-thick, GaAs/AlGaAs/GaAs films are lifted off, transferred, and directly bonded onto Si wafer without the use of any adhesive or bonding agents. The bonding interface is optically transparent and conductive both thermally and electrically. Prototype AlGaAs/Si dual-junction tandem solar cells have been fabricated and exhibit decent performance.

  9. Do photovoltaics have a future

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, B. F.

    1979-01-01

    There is major concern as to the economic practicality of widespread terrestrial use because of the high cost of the photovoltaic arrays themselves. Based on their high efficiency, photovoltaic collectors should be one of the cheapest forms of energy generators known. Present photovoltaic panels are violating the trend of lower costs with increasing efficiency due to their reliance on expensive materials. A medium technology solution should provide electricity competitive with the existing medium to high technology energy generators such as oil, coal, gas, and nuclear fission thermal plants. Programs to reduce the cost of silicon and develop reliable thin film materials have a realistic chance of producing cost effective photovoltaic panels.

  10. Energy conversion approaches and materials for high-efficiency photovoltaics.

    PubMed

    Green, Martin A; Bremner, Stephen P

    2016-12-20

    The past five years have seen significant cost reductions in photovoltaics and a correspondingly strong increase in uptake, with photovoltaics now positioned to provide one of the lowest-cost options for future electricity generation. What is becoming clear as the industry develops is that area-related costs, such as costs of encapsulation and field-installation, are increasingly important components of the total costs of photovoltaic electricity generation, with this trend expected to continue. Improved energy-conversion efficiency directly reduces such costs, with increased manufacturing volume likely to drive down the additional costs associated with implementing higher efficiencies. This suggests the industry will evolve beyond the standard single-junction solar cells that currently dominate commercial production, where energy-conversion efficiencies are fundamentally constrained by Shockley-Queisser limits to practical values below 30%. This Review assesses the overall prospects for a range of approaches that can potentially exceed these limits, based on ultimate efficiency prospects, material requirements and developmental outlook.

  11. Solution-deposited F:SnO₂/TiO₂ as a base-stable protective layer and antireflective coating for microtextured buried-junction H₂-evolving Si photocathodes.

    PubMed

    Kast, Matthew G; Enman, Lisa J; Gurnon, Nicholas J; Nadarajah, Athavan; Boettcher, Shannon W

    2014-12-24

    Protecting Si photocathodes from corrosion is important for developing tandem water-splitting devices operating in basic media. We show that textured commercial Si-pn(+) photovoltaics protected by solution-processed semiconducting/conducting oxides (plausibly suitable for scalable manufacturing) and coupled to thin layers of Ir yield high-performance H2-evolving photocathodes in base. They also serve as excellent test structures to understand corrosion mechanisms and optimize interfacial electrical contacts between various functional layers. Solution-deposited TiO2 protects Si-pn(+) junctions from corrosion for ∼24 h in base, whereas junctions protected by F:SnO2 fail after only 1 h of electrochemical cycling. Interface layers consisting of Ti metal and/or the highly doped F:SnO2 between the Si and TiO2 reduce Si-emitter/oxide/catalyst contact resistance and thus increase fill factor and efficiency. Controlling the oxide thickness led to record photocurrents near 35 mA cm(-2) at 0 V vs RHE and photocathode efficiencies up to 10.9% in the best cells. Degradation, however, was not completely suppressed. We demonstrate that performance degrades by two mechanisms, (1) deposition of impurities onto the thin catalyst layers, even from high-purity base, and (2) catastrophic failure via pinholes in the oxide layers after several days of operation. These results provide insight into the design of hydrogen-evolving photoelectrodes in basic conditions, and highlight challenges.

  12. Photo-voltaic power generating means and methods

    DOEpatents

    Kroger, Ferdinand A.; Rod, Robert L.; Panicker, M. P. Ramachandra

    1983-08-23

    A photo-voltaic power cell based on a photoelectric semiconductor compound and the method of using and making the same. The semiconductor compound in the photo-voltaic power cell of the present invention can be electrolytically formed at a cathode in an electrolytic solution by causing discharge or decomposition of ions or molecules of a non-metallic component with deposition of the non-metallic component on the cathode and simultaneously providing ions of a metal component which discharge and combine with the non-metallic component at the cathode thereby forming the semiconductor compound film material thereon. By stoichiometrically adjusting the amounts of the components, or otherwise by introducing dopants into the desired amounts, an N-type layer can be formed and thereafter a P-type layer can be formed with a junction therebetween. The invention is effective in producing homojunction semiconductor materials and heterojunction semiconductor materials. The present invention also provides a method of using three electrodes in order to form the semiconductor compound material on one of these electrodes. Various examples are given for manufacturing different photo-voltaic cells in accordance with the present invention.

  13. Photo-voltaic power generating means and methods

    DOEpatents

    Kroger, Ferdinand A.; Rod, Robert L.; Panicker, Ramachandra M. P.; Knaster, Mark B.

    1984-01-10

    A photo-voltaic power cell based on a photoelectric semiconductor compound and the method of using and making the same. The semiconductor compound in the photo-voltaic power cell of the present invention can be electrolytically formed at a cathode in an electrolytic solution by causing discharge or decomposition of ions or molecules of a non-metallic component with deposition of the non-metallic component on the cathode and simultaneously providing ions of a metal component which discharge and combine with the non-metallic component at the cathode thereby forming the semiconductor compound film material thereon. By stoichiometrically adjusting the amounts of the components, or otherwise by introducing dopants into the desired amounts, an N-type layer can be formed and thereafter a P-type layer can be formed with a junction therebetween. The invention is effective in producing homojunction semiconductor materials and heterojunction semiconductor materials. The present invention also provides a method of using three electrodes in order to form the semiconductor compound material on one of these electrodes. Various examples are given for manufacturing different photo-voltaic cells in accordance with the present invention.

  14. Expanding the Clean Energy Economy for Manufacturing | Working with Us |

    Science.gov Websites

    EasyMile to develop wireless charging and advanced energy storage. Learn more. Photo of a modular apartment Solectria SPI Solar and Trimark Toyota Verizon Wireless Also see a list of our photovoltaic manufacturing R

  15. Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste

    DOEpatents

    Goozner, Robert E.; Long, Mark O.; Drinkard, Jr., William F.

    1999-04-27

    A method for extracting and reclaiming metals from scrap CdTe photovoltaic cells and manufacturing waste by leaching the metals in dilute nitric acid, leaching the waste with a leaching solution comprising nitric acid and water, skimming any plastic material from the top of the leaching solution, separating the glass substrate from the liquid leachate, adding a calcium containing base to the leachate to precipitate Cd and Te, separating the precipitated Cd and Te from the leachate, and recovering the calcium-containing base.

  16. Solar collector manufacturing activity, 1988

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1989-11-01

    This report was prepared by the Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy in cooperation with the Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy. The report presents data on producer shipments and end uses obtained from manufacturers and importers of solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic modules. It provides annual data necessary for the Department of Energy to execute its responsibility to: (1) monitor activities and trends in the solar collector manufacturing industry, (2) prepare the national energy strategy, and (3) provide information on the size and status of the industry to interested groups such as the U.S. Congress, government agencies, the Solar Energy Research institute, solar energy specialists, manufacturers, and the general public.

  17. Reliability Evaluation of Concentrator Photovoltaic Modules per IEC Qualification Specifications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tamizhmani, Govindasamy

    2012-12-05

    This project is related to the qualification testing of new generation CPV (concentrator photovoltaics) modules at lower testing costs and lower turnaround time. In this project, the first testing program was completed for two CPV manufacturers, the second testing program was completed for two manufacturers at 65% of the actual testing cost and at less than 3 months of testing turnaround time and the third testing program was completed for two manufacturers at 65% of the actual testing cost and at less than 3 months of testing turnaround time. Due to their financial situation and restructuring, Amonix (one of themore » CPV manufacturers) intermittently terminated the test programs.« less

  18. A Techno-Economic Look at SiC WBG from Wafer to Motor Drive

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bench Reese, Samantha R; Horowitz, Kelsey A; Remo, Timothy W

    Techno-economic analysis helps benchmark and deliver supply chain and manufacturing insights that can be leveraged by decision-makers to inform investment strategies, policy, and other decisions to promote economic growth and competitiveness. Silicon Carbide (SiC) wide-band gap (WBG) technologies is poised to be an integral contributor to the clean energy economy. We use bottoms-up regional manufacturing cost models to show SiC power electronics, manufactured in volume, could result in final product cost parity with those manufactured with silicon. The models are further leveraged to show innovation pathways to lower cost and potentially expanded technology adoption.

  19. Outdoor Performance of a Thin-Film Gallium-Arsenide Photovoltaic Module

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Silverman, T. J.; Deceglie, M. G.; Marion, B.

    2013-06-01

    We deployed a 855 cm2 thin-film, single-junction gallium arsenide (GaAs) photovoltaic (PV) module outdoors. Due to its fundamentally different cell technology compared to silicon (Si), the module responds differently to outdoor conditions. On average during the test, the GaAs module produced more power when its temperature was higher. We show that its maximum-power temperature coefficient, while actually negative, is several times smaller in magnitude than that of a Si module used for comparison. The positive correlation of power with temperature in GaAs is due to temperature-correlated changes in the incident spectrum. We show that a simple correction based on precipitablemore » water vapor (PWV) brings the photocurrent temperature coefficient into agreement with that measured by other methods and predicted by theory. The low operating temperature and small temperature coefficient of GaAs give it an energy production advantage in warm weather.« less

  20. Organic Photovoltaic Solar Cells | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Organic Photovoltaic Solar Cells Organic Photovoltaic Solar Cells The National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV) at NREL has strong complementary research capabilities in organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells pages: High-Efficiency Crystalline PV Polycrystalline Thin-Film PV Perovskite and Organic PV Advanced PV

  1. Nanoplasmonics: a frontier of photovoltaic solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Min; Ouyang, Zi; Jia, Baohua; Stokes, Nicholas; Chen, Xi; Fahim, Narges; Li, Xiangping; Ventura, Michael James; Shi, Zhengrong

    2012-12-01

    Nanoplasmonics recently has emerged as a new frontier of photovoltaic research. Noble metal nanostructures that can concentrate and guide light have demonstrated great capability for dramatically improving the energy conversion efficiency of both laboratory and industrial solar cells, providing an innovative pathway potentially transforming the solar industry. However, to make the nanoplasmonic technology fully appreciated by the solar industry, key challenges need to be addressed; including the detrimental absorption of metals, broadband light trapping mechanisms, cost of plasmonic nanomaterials, simple and inexpensive fabrication and integration methods of the plasmonic nanostructures, which are scalable for full size manufacture. This article reviews the recent progress of plasmonic solar cells including the fundamental mechanisms, material fabrication, theoretical modelling and emerging directions with a distinct emphasis on solutions tackling the above-mentioned challenges for industrial relevant applications.

  2. Photovoltaic solar concentrator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nielson, Gregory N.; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Okandan, Murat

    A process including forming a photovoltaic solar cell on a substrate, the photovoltaic solar cell comprising an anchor positioned between the photovoltaic solar cell and the substrate to suspend the photovoltaic solar cell from the substrate. A surface of the photovoltaic solar cell opposite the substrate is attached to a receiving substrate. The receiving substrate may be bonded to the photovoltaic solar cell using an adhesive force or a metal connecting member. The photovoltaic solar cell is then detached from the substrate by lifting the receiving substrate having the photovoltaic solar cell attached thereto and severing the anchor connecting themore » photovoltaic solar cell to the substrate. Depending upon the type of receiving substrate used, the photovoltaic solar cell may be removed from the receiving substrate or remain on the receiving substrate for use in the final product.« less

  3. Electrical analysis of c-Si/CGSe monolithic tandem solar cells by using a cell-selective light absorption scheme.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Ah Reum; Choi, Sung Bin; Kim, Won Mok; Park, Jong-Keuk; Choi, Jihye; Kim, Inho; Jeong, Jeung-Hyun

    2017-11-16

    A monolithic tandem solar cell consisting of crystalline Si (c-Si)/indium tin oxide (ITO)/CuGaSe 2 (CGSe) was demonstrated by stacking a CGSe solar cell on a c-Si/ITO solar cell to obtain a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of about 10%. Electrical analyses based on cell-selective light absorption were applied to individually characterize the photovoltaic performances of the top and bottom subcells. Illumination at a frequency that could be absorbed only by a targeted top or bottom subcell permitted measurement of the open-circuit voltage of the target subcell and the shunt resistance of the non-target subcell. The cell parameters measured from each subcell were very similar to those of the corresponding single cell, confirming the validity of the suggested method. In addition, separating the light absorption intensities at the top and bottom subcells made us measure the bias-dependent photocurrent for each subcell. The series resistance of a c-Si/ITO/CGSe cell subjected to bottom-cell limiting conditions was slightly large, implying that the tunnel junction was a little resistive or slightly beyond ohmic. This analysis demonstrated that aside from producing a slightly resistive tunnel junction, our fabrication processes were successful in monolithically integrating a CGSe cell onto a c-Si/ITO cell without degrading the performances of both cells.

  4. Three-dimensional models of conventional and vertical junction laser-photovoltaic energy converters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heinbockel, John H.; Walker, Gilbert H.

    1988-01-01

    Three-dimensional models of both conventional planar junction and vertical junction photovoltaic energy converters have been constructed. The models are a set of linear partial differential equations and take into account many photoconverter design parameters. The model is applied to Si photoconverters; however, the model may be used with other semiconductors. When used with a Nd laser, the conversion efficiency of the Si vertical junction photoconverter is 47 percent, whereas the efficiency for the conventional planar Si photoconverter is only 17 percent. A parametric study of the Si vertical junction photoconverter is then done in order to describe the optimum converter for use with the 1.06-micron Nd laser. The efficiency of this optimized vertical junction converter is 44 percent at 1 kW/sq cm.

  5. Reflective photovoltaics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lentine, Anthony L.; Nielson, Gregory N.; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis

    A photovoltaic module includes colorized reflective photovoltaic cells that act as pixels. The colorized reflective photovoltaic cells are arranged so that reflections from the photovoltaic cells or pixels visually combine into an image on the photovoltaic module. The colorized photovoltaic cell or pixel is composed of a set of 100 to 256 base color sub-pixel reflective segments or sub-pixels. The color of each pixel is determined by the combination of base color sub-pixels forming the pixel. As a result, each pixel can have a wide variety of colors using a set of base colors, which are created, from sub-pixel reflectivemore » segments having standard film thicknesses.« less

  6. Recycling of CdTe photovoltaic waste

    DOEpatents

    Goozner, R.E.; Long, M.O.; Drinkard, W.F. Jr.

    1999-04-27

    A method for extracting and reclaiming metals from scrap CdTe photovoltaic cells and manufacturing waste by leaching the metals in dilute nitric acid, leaching the waste with a leaching solution comprising nitric acid and water, skimming any plastic material from the top of the leaching solution, separating the glass substrate from the liquid leachate, adding a calcium containing base to the leachate to precipitate Cd and Te, separating the precipitated Cd and Te from the leachate, and recovering the calcium-containing base. 3 figs.

  7. Morphology of the D/A interface in vapor deposited bilayer organic photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erwin, Patrick; Dimitriou, Michael; Thompson, Mark E.

    2017-08-01

    A series of bilayer films were prepared by vacuum deposition onto Silicon substrates. These films consisted of either Si/SiO2/donor/C60 or Si/SiO2/C60/donor, where the organic films were in the 20-40 nm thick range and the donors were 7,7-difluoro-14-phenyl-7H-6l4,7l4-[1,3,2]diazaborinino[4,3-a:6,1-a']diisoindole (bDIP), copper phthalocyanine (CuPC), 3,6,11,14-tetraphenyldiindeno[1,2,3-cd:1',2',3'-lm]perylene (DBP) and 2-(4-(diphenylamino)-2,6- dihydroxyphenyl)-4-(4-(diphenyliminio)-2,6-dihydroxycyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene)-3-oxocyclobut-1-en-1-olate (DPSQ). The donors chosen here have been reported to give good power efficiencies when incorporated into bilayer photovoltaic cells with a C60 acceptor. These bilayer films were examined by neutron reflectometry to characterize the interface between the donor and C60. In the SiO2/donor/C60 films, DPSQ, CuPC, and DBP show a discrete interface with C60 while bDIP shows substantial spontaneous mixing at the interface, consistent with a donor/(donor + C60)/C60 structure, where the mixed layer is 14 nm.. In the SiO2/C60/donor films, all four donors show negligible mixing at the D/A interface consistent with a discrete D/A junction.

  8. Photovoltaics - Where are we going?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Callaghan, W. T.

    1984-01-01

    The directions that will be followed for solar cell development, production and marketing are projected on the basis of experiences gained during the JPL's Flat-Plate Solar Array project. It is thought that a billion dollar market for Si ribbons can be established by 1990. Thin film technology will yield a product at $2 U.S./W at the end of the 1980s. R&D is growing more focused on central station photovoltaic generators, although the residential market may be the more suitable goal. The intermediate markets, e.g., schools, hospitals and shopping centers may be developed before the central stations.

  9. A review on solar cells from Si-single crystals to porous materials and quantum dots

    PubMed Central

    Badawy, Waheed A.

    2013-01-01

    Solar energy conversion to electricity through photovoltaics or to useful fuel through photoelectrochemical cells was still a main task for research groups and developments sectors. In this article we are reviewing the development of the different generations of solar cells. The fabrication of solar cells has passed through a large number of improvement steps considering the technological and economic aspects. The first generation solar cells were based on Si wafers, mainly single crystals. Permanent researches on cost reduction and improved solar cell efficiency have led to the marketing of solar modules having 12–16% solar conversion efficiency. Application of polycrystalline Si and other forms of Si have reduced the cost but on the expense of the solar conversion efficiency. The second generation solar cells were based on thin film technology. Thin films of amorphous Si, CIS (copper–indium–selenide) and t-Si were employed. Solar conversion efficiencies of about 12% have been achieved with a remarkable cost reduction. The third generation solar cells are based on nano-crystals and nano-porous materials. An advanced photovoltaic cell, originally developed for satellites with solar conversion efficiency of 37.3%, based on concentration of the solar spectrum up to 400 suns was developed. It is based on extremely thin concentration cells. New sensitizer or semiconductor systems are necessary to broaden the photo-response in solar spectrum. Hybrids of solar and conventional devices may provide an interim benefit in seeking economically valuable devices. New quantum dot solar cells based on CdSe–TiO2 architecture have been developed. PMID:25750746

  10. A review on solar cells from Si-single crystals to porous materials and quantum dots.

    PubMed

    Badawy, Waheed A

    2015-03-01

    Solar energy conversion to electricity through photovoltaics or to useful fuel through photoelectrochemical cells was still a main task for research groups and developments sectors. In this article we are reviewing the development of the different generations of solar cells. The fabrication of solar cells has passed through a large number of improvement steps considering the technological and economic aspects. The first generation solar cells were based on Si wafers, mainly single crystals. Permanent researches on cost reduction and improved solar cell efficiency have led to the marketing of solar modules having 12-16% solar conversion efficiency. Application of polycrystalline Si and other forms of Si have reduced the cost but on the expense of the solar conversion efficiency. The second generation solar cells were based on thin film technology. Thin films of amorphous Si, CIS (copper-indium-selenide) and t-Si were employed. Solar conversion efficiencies of about 12% have been achieved with a remarkable cost reduction. The third generation solar cells are based on nano-crystals and nano-porous materials. An advanced photovoltaic cell, originally developed for satellites with solar conversion efficiency of 37.3%, based on concentration of the solar spectrum up to 400 suns was developed. It is based on extremely thin concentration cells. New sensitizer or semiconductor systems are necessary to broaden the photo-response in solar spectrum. Hybrids of solar and conventional devices may provide an interim benefit in seeking economically valuable devices. New quantum dot solar cells based on CdSe-TiO2 architecture have been developed.

  11. The status of lightweight photovoltaic space array technology based on amorphous silicon solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hanak, Joseph J.; Kaschmitter, Jim

    1991-01-01

    Ultralight, flexible photovoltaic (PV) array of amorphous silicon (a-Si) was identified as a potential low cost power source for small satellites. A survey was conducted of the status of the a-Si PV array technology with respect to present and future performance, availability, cost, and risks. For existing, experimental array blankets made of commercial cell material, utilizing metal foil substrates, the Beginning of Life (BOL) performance at Air Mass Zero (AM0) and 35 C includes total power up to 200 W, power per area of 64 W/sq m and power per weight of 258 W/kg. Doubling of power per weight occurs when polyimide substrates are used. Estimated End of Life (EOL) power output after 10 years in a nominal low earth orbit would be 80 pct. of BOL, the degradation being due to largely light induced effects (-10 to -15 pct.) and in part (-5 pct.) to space radiation. Predictions for the year 1995 for flexible PV arrays, made on the basis of published results for rigid a-Si modules, indicate EOL power output per area and per weight of 105 W/sq m and 400 W/kg, respectively, while predictions for the late 1990s based on existing U.S. national PV program goals indicate EOL values of 157 W/sq m and 600 W/kg. Cost estimates by vendors for 200 W ultralight arrays in volume of over 1000 units range from $100/watt to $125/watt. Identified risks include the lack of flexible, space compatible encapsulant, the lack of space qualification effort, recent partial or full acquisitions of US manufacturers of a-Si cells by foreign firms, and the absence of a national commitment for a long range development program toward developing of this important power source for space.

  12. Enhancement of photovoltaic response in multilayer MoS2 induced by plasma doping.

    PubMed

    Wi, Sungjin; Kim, Hyunsoo; Chen, Mikai; Nam, Hongsuk; Guo, L Jay; Meyhofer, Edgar; Liang, Xiaogan

    2014-05-27

    Layered transition-metal dichalcogenides hold promise for making ultrathin-film photovoltaic devices with a combination of excellent photovoltaic performance, superior flexibility, long lifetime, and low manufacturing cost. Engineering the proper band structures of such layered materials is essential to realize such potential. Here, we present a plasma-assisted doping approach for significantly improving the photovoltaic response in multilayer MoS2. In this work, we fabricated and characterized photovoltaic devices with a vertically stacked indium tin oxide electrode/multilayer MoS2/metal electrode structure. Utilizing a plasma-induced p-doping approach, we are able to form p-n junctions in MoS2 layers that facilitate the collection of photogenerated carriers, enhance the photovoltages, and decrease reverse dark currents. Using plasma-assisted doping processes, we have demonstrated MoS2-based photovoltaic devices exhibiting very high short-circuit photocurrent density values up to 20.9 mA/cm(2) and reasonably good power-conversion efficiencies up to 2.8% under AM1.5G illumination, as well as high external quantum efficiencies. We believe that this work provides important scientific insights for leveraging the optoelectronic properties of emerging atomically layered two-dimensional materials for photovoltaic and other optoelectronic applications.

  13. Improving photovoltaic performance of silicon solar cells using a combination of plasmonic and luminescent downshifting effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ho, Wen-Jeng; Feng, Sheng-Kai; Liu, Jheng-Jie; Yang, Yun-Chie; Ho, Chun-Hung

    2018-05-01

    This paper reports on efforts to improve the photovoltaic performance of crystalline silicon solar cells by combining the plasmonic scattering of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with the luminescent downshifting (LDS) effects of Eu-doped phosphors. The surface morphology was examined using a scanning electron microscope in conjunction with ImageJ software. Raman scattering and absorbance measurements were used to examine the surface plasmon resonance of Ag NPs of various dimensions in various dielectric environments. The fluorescence emission of the Eu-doped phosphors was characterized via photoluminescence measurements at room temperature. We examined the combination of plasmonic and LDS effects by measuring the optical reflectance and external quantum efficiency. Improvements in the photovoltaic performance of the solar cells were determined by photovoltaic current density-voltage under AM 1.5G illumination. A combination of plasmonic and LDS effects led to an impressive 26.17% improvement in efficiency, whereas plasmonic effects resulted in a 22.63% improvement compared to the cell with a SiO2 ARC of 17.33%.

  14. Method of using a germanium layer transfer to Si for photovoltaic applications and heterostructure made thereby

    DOEpatents

    Atwater, Jr., Harry A.; Zahler, James M.

    2006-11-28

    Ge/Si and other nonsilicon film heterostructures are formed by hydrogen-induced exfoliation of the Ge film which is wafer bonded to a cheaper substrate, such as Si. A thin, single-crystal layer of Ge is transferred to Si substrate. The bond at the interface of the Ge/Si heterostructures is covalent to ensure good thermal contact, mechanical strength, and to enable the formation of an ohmic contact between the Si substrate and Ge layers. To accomplish this type of bond, hydrophobic wafer bonding is used, because as the invention demonstrates the hydrogen-surface-terminating species that facilitate van der Waals bonding evolves at temperatures above 600.degree. C. into covalent bonding in hydrophobically bound Ge/Si layer transferred systems.

  15. Considerably improved photovoltaic performance of carbon nanotube-based solar cells using metal oxide layers.

    PubMed

    Wang, Feijiu; Kozawa, Daichi; Miyauchi, Yuhei; Hiraoka, Kazushi; Mouri, Shinichiro; Ohno, Yutaka; Matsuda, Kazunari

    2015-02-18

    Carbon nanotube-based solar cells have been extensively studied from the perspective of potential application. Here we demonstrated a significant improvement of the carbon nanotube solar cells by the use of metal oxide layers for efficient carrier transport. The metal oxides also serve as an antireflection layer and an efficient carrier dopant, leading to a reduction in the loss of the incident solar light and an increase in the photocurrent, respectively. As a consequence, the photovoltaic performance of both p-single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/n-Si and n-SWNT/p-Si heterojunction solar cells using MoOx and ZnO layers is improved, resulting in very high photovoltaic conversion efficiencies of 17.0 and 4.0%, respectively. These findings regarding the use of metal oxides as multifunctional layers suggest that metal oxide layers could improve the performance of various electronic devices based on carbon nanotubes.

  16. Considerably improved photovoltaic performance of carbon nanotube-based solar cells using metal oxide layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Feijiu; Kozawa, Daichi; Miyauchi, Yuhei; Hiraoka, Kazushi; Mouri, Shinichiro; Ohno, Yutaka; Matsuda, Kazunari

    2015-02-01

    Carbon nanotube-based solar cells have been extensively studied from the perspective of potential application. Here we demonstrated a significant improvement of the carbon nanotube solar cells by the use of metal oxide layers for efficient carrier transport. The metal oxides also serve as an antireflection layer and an efficient carrier dopant, leading to a reduction in the loss of the incident solar light and an increase in the photocurrent, respectively. As a consequence, the photovoltaic performance of both p-single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/n-Si and n-SWNT/p-Si heterojunction solar cells using MoOx and ZnO layers is improved, resulting in very high photovoltaic conversion efficiencies of 17.0 and 4.0%, respectively. These findings regarding the use of metal oxides as multifunctional layers suggest that metal oxide layers could improve the performance of various electronic devices based on carbon nanotubes.

  17. Experimental optimization of the FireFly 600 photovoltaic off-grid system.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boyson, William Earl; Orozco, Ron; Ralph, Mark E.

    2003-10-01

    A comprehensive evaluation and experimental optimization of the FireFly{trademark} 600 off-grid photovoltaic system manufactured by Energia Total, Ltd. was conducted at Sandia National Laboratories in May and June of 2001. This evaluation was conducted at the request of the manufacturer and addressed performance of individual system components, overall system functionality and performance, safety concerns, and compliance with applicable codes and standards. A primary goal of the effort was to identify areas for improvement in performance, reliability, and safety. New system test procedures were developed during the effort.

  18. Surface plasmon effect in electrodeposited diamond-like carbon films for photovoltaic application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, B.; Ray, Sekhar C.; Espinoza-González, Rodrigo; Villarroel, Roberto; Hevia, Samuel A.; Alvarez-Vega, Pedro

    2018-04-01

    Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films and nanocrystalline silver particles containing diamond-like carbon (DLC:Ag) films were electrodeposited on n-type silicon substrate (n-Si) to prepare n-Si/DLC and n-Si/DLC:Ag heterostructures for photovoltaic (PV) applications. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect in this cell structure and its overall performance have been studied in terms of morphology, optical absorption, current-voltage characteristics, capacitance-voltage characteristics, band diagram and external quantum efficiency measurements. Localized surface plasmon resonance effect of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in n-Si/DLC:Ag PV structure exhibited an enhancement of ∼28% in short circuit current density (JSC), which improved the overall efficiency of the heterostructures.

  19. 2015 NREL Photovoltaic Reliability Workshops | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    5 NREL Photovoltaic Reliability Workshops 2015 NREL Photovoltaic Reliability Workshops The 2015 NREL Photovoltaic Reliability Workshop was held February 24-27, 2015, in Golden, Colorado. This event be available for download as soon as possible. The Photovoltaic Module Reliability Workshop is

  20. A system approach for reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing and sustainability improvement of nano-scale manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Yingchun

    This dissertation develops an effective and economical system approach to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing. The system approach is developed by using a process-based holistic method for upstream analysis and source reduction of the environmental impact of manufacturing. The system approach developed consists of three components of a manufacturing system: technology, energy and material, and is useful for sustainable manufacturing as it establishes a clear link between manufacturing system components and its overall sustainability performance, and provides a framework for environmental impact reductions. In this dissertation, the system approach developed is applied for environmental impact reduction of a semiconductor nano-scale manufacturing system, with three case scenarios analyzed in depth on manufacturing process improvement, clean energy supply, and toxic chemical material selection. The analysis on manufacturing process improvement is conducted on Atomic Layer Deposition of Al2O3 dielectric gate on semiconductor microelectronics devices. Sustainability performance and scale-up impact of the ALD technology in terms of environmental emissions, energy consumption, nano-waste generation and manufacturing productivity are systematically investigated and the ways to improve the sustainability of the ALD technology are successfully developed. The clean energy supply is studied using solar photovoltaic, wind, and fuel cells systems for electricity generation. Environmental savings from each clean energy supply over grid power are quantitatively analyzed, and costs for greenhouse gas reductions on each clean energy supply are comparatively studied. For toxic chemical material selection, an innovative schematic method is developed as a visual decision tool for characterizing and benchmarking the human health impact of toxic chemicals, with a case study conducted on six chemicals commonly used as solvents in semiconductor manufacturing. Reliability of

  1. Photovoltaic array space power plus diagnostics experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Guidice, Donald A.

    1990-01-01

    The objective of the Photovoltaic Array Space Power Plus Diagnostics (PASP Plus) experiment is to measure the effects of the interaction of the low- to mid-altitude space environment on the performance of a diverse set of small solar-cell arrays (planar and concentrator, representative of present and future military technologies) under differing conditions of velocity-vector orientation and simulated (by biasing) high-voltage operation. Solar arrays to be tested include Si and GaAs planar arrays and several types of GaAs concentrator arrays. Diagnostics (a Langmuir probe and a pressure gauge) and a transient pulse monitor (to measure radiated and conducted EMI during arcing) will be used to determine the impact of the environment on array operation to help verify various interactions models. Results from a successful PASP Plus flight will furnish answers to important interactions questions and provide inputs for design and test standards for photovoltaic space-power subsystems.

  2. Free-form Fresnel RXI Köhler design with spectrum-splitting for photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buljan, M.; Benítez, P.; Mohedano, R.; Miñano, J. C.; Sun, Y.; Falicoff, W.; Vilaplana, J.; Chaves, J.; Biot, G.; López, J.

    2011-10-01

    Here we present a novel optical design of the high concentration photovoltaics (HPCV) nonimaging concentrator (>500x) with built-in spectrum splitting concept. The primary optical element (POE) is a flat Fresnel lens and the secondary optical element (SOE) is a free-form RXI-type concentrator with a band-pass filter embedded in it, both POE and SOE performing Köhler integration to produce light homogenization on the target. It uses the combination of a commercial concentration GaInP/GaInAs/Ge 3J cell and a concentration Back-Point-Contact (BPC) silicon cell for efficient spectral utilization, and external confinement techniques for recovering the 3J cell's reflection. Design targets equivalent cell efficiency ~46% using commercial 39% 3J and 26% Si cells, and CPV module efficiency greater than 38%, achieved at a concentration level larger than 500X and wide acceptance angle (+/-1°). A first proof-of concept receiver prototype has been manufactured using a simpler optical architecture (with a lower concentration, ~100x and lower simulated added efficiency), and experimental measurements have shown up to 39.8% 4J receiver efficiency using a 3J with peak efficiency of 36.9%.

  3. Photovoltaics Fact Sheet

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2016-02-01

    This fact sheet is an overview of the Photovoltaics (PV) subprogram at the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Solar Energy Technologies Office works with industry, academia, national laboratories, and other government agencies to advance solar PV, which is the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity by a semiconductor, in support of the goals of the SunShot Initiative. SunShot supports research and development to aggressively advance PV technology by improving efficiency and reliability and lowering manufacturing costs. SunShot’s PV portfolio spans work from early-stage solar cell research through technology commercialization, including work on materials,more » processes, and device structure and characterization techniques.« less

  4. Economically Sustainable Scaling of Photovoltaics to Meet Climate Targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Needleman, David Berney; Poindexter, Jeremy R.; Kurchin, Rachel C.

    To meet climate goals, photovoltaics (PV) deployment will have to grow rapidly over the next fifteen years. We identify two barriers to this growth: scale-up of manufacturing capacity and the cost of PV module production. We explore several technoeconomic approaches to overcoming these barriers and identify deep reductions in the capital intensity (capex) of PV module manufacturing and large increases in module efficiency as the most promising routes to rapid deployment. Given the lag inherent in rolling out new technology, we explore an approach where growth is fueled by debt or subsidies in the short-term and technological advances in themore » medium term. Finally, we analyze the current capex structure of crystalline silicon PV module manufacturing to identify potential savings.« less

  5. MANUFACTURE OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELL USING PLANT CHLOROPHYLL

    EPA Science Inventory

    To date, we have successfully manufactured working chlorophyll sensitized solar cells using chlorophyll (and b mixture) from spinach leaves. We have evaluated the electronic characteristics (voltage, current, and power outputs using different loading resistors) of this solar c...

  6. The status of lightweight photovoltaic space array technology based on amorphous silicon solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanak, J. J.; Kaschmitter, J. L.

    1991-05-01

    An ultralight, flexible photovoltaic (PV) array of amorphous silicon (a-Si) has been identified as a potential low-cost power source for small satellites. We have conducted a survey of the status of the a-Si PV array technology with respect to present and future performance, availability, cost and risks. For existing, experimental array 'blankets' made of commercial cell material, utilizing metal foil substrates, the BOL performance at AM0 and 35 C includes total power up to 200 W, power per area of 64 W/sq m and power per weight of 258 W/kg. Doubling of power per weight occurs when polyimide substrates are used. Estimated EOL power output after 10 years in a nominal low-earth orbit would be 80 percent of BOL, the degradation being due to largely light-induced effects (minus 10 to minus 15 percent) and in part (minus 5 percent) to space radiation. Predictions for the year 1995 for flexible PV arrays, made on the basis of published results for rigid a-Si modules, indicate EOL power output per area and per weight of 105 W/sq m and 400 W/kg, respectively, while predictions for the late 1990s based on existing US national PV program goals indicate EOL values of 157 W/sq m and 600 W/kg. cost estimates by vendors for 200 W ultralight arrays in volume of over 1000 units range from $100/watt to $125/watt. Identified risks include the lack of flexible, space compatible encapsulant, the lack of space qualification effort, recent partial or full acquisitions of US manufacturers of a-Si cells by foreign firms, and the absence of a national commitment for a long-range development program toward developing of this important power source for space. One new US developer has emerged as a future potential supplier of a-Si PV devices on thin, polyimide substrates.

  7. Microstructure and photovoltaic performance of polycrystalline silicon thin films on temperature-stable ZnO:Al layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Becker, C.; Ruske, F.; Sontheimer, T.; Gorka, B.; Bloeck, U.; Gall, S.; Rech, B.

    2009-10-01

    Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin films have been prepared by electron-beam evaporation and thermal annealing for the development of thin-film solar cells on glass coated with ZnO:Al as a transparent, conductive layer. The poly-Si microstructure and photovoltaic performance were investigated as functions of the deposition temperature by Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopies including defect analysis, x-ray diffraction, external quantum efficiency, and open circuit measurements. It is found that two temperature regimes can be distinguished: Poly-Si films fabricated by deposition at low temperatures (Tdep<400 °C) and a subsequent thermal solid phase crystallization step exhibit 1-3 μm large, randomly oriented grains, but a quite poor photovoltaic performance. However, silicon films deposited at higher temperatures (Tdep>400 °C) directly in crystalline phase reveal columnar, up to 300 nm big crystals with a strong ⟨110⟩ orientation and much better solar cell parameters. It can be concluded from the results that the electrical quality of the material, reflected by the open circuit voltage of the solar cell, only marginally depends on crystal size and shape but rather on the intragrain properties of the material. The carrier collection, described by the short circuit current of the cell, seems to be positively influenced by preferential ⟨110⟩ orientation of the grains. The correlation between experimental, microstructural, and photovoltaic parameters will be discussed in detail.

  8. The National Si-Soft Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Chun-Yen; Trappey, Charles V.

    2003-06-01

    Taiwan's electronics industry emerged in the 1960s with the creation of a small but well planned integrated circuit (IC) packaging industry. This industry investment led to bolder investments in research, laboratories, and the island's first semiconductor foundries in the 1980s. Following the success of the emerging IC manufacturers and design houses, hundreds of service firms and related industries (software, legal services, substrate, chemical, and test firms among others) opened for business and completed Taiwan's IC manufacturing supply chain. The challenge for Taiwan's electronics industry is to take the lead in the design, manufacture, and marketing of name brand electronic products. This paper introduces the Si-Soft (silicon software) Project, a national initiative that builds on Taiwan's achievements in manufacturing (referred to as Si-Hard or silicon hardware) to launch a new wave of companies. These firms will contribute to the core underlying technology (intellectual property) used in the creation of electronic products.

  9. Photovoltaic conversion of laser power to electrical power

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, G. H.; Heinbockel, J. H.

    1986-01-01

    Photovoltaic laser to electric converters are attractive for use with a space-based laser power station. This paper presents the results of modeling studies for a silicon vertical junction converter used with a Nd laser. A computer code was developed for the model and this code was used to conduct a parametric study for a Si vertical junction converter consisting of one p-n junction irradiated with a Nd laser. These calculations predict an efficiency over 50 percent for an optimized converter.

  10. A hybrid life cycle inventory of nano-scale semiconductor manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Krishnan, Nikhil; Boyd, Sarah; Somani, Ajay; Raoux, Sebastien; Clark, Daniel; Dornfeld, David

    2008-04-15

    The manufacturing of modern semiconductor devices involves a complex set of nanoscale fabrication processes that are energy and resource intensive, and generate significant waste. It is important to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of semiconductor manufacturing because these devices are ubiquitous components in electronics. Furthermore, the fabrication processes used in the semiconductor industry are finding increasing application in other products, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), flat panel displays, and photovoltaics. In this work we develop a library of typical gate-to-gate materials and energy requirements, as well as emissions associated with a complete set of fabrication process models used in manufacturing a modern microprocessor. In addition, we evaluate upstream energy requirements associated with chemicals and materials using both existing process life cycle assessment (LCA) databases and an economic input-output (EIO) model. The result is a comprehensive data set and methodology that may be used to estimate and improve the environmental performance of a broad range of electronics and other emerging applications that involve nano and micro fabrication.

  11. Low cost back contact heterojunction solar cells on thin c-Si wafers. integrating laser and thin film processing for improved manufacturability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hegedus, Steven S.

    2015-09-08

    An interdigitated back contact (IBC) Si wafer solar cell with deposited a-Si heterojunction (HJ) emitter and contacts is considered the ultimate single junction Si solar cell design. This was confirmed in 2014 by both Panasonic and Sharp Solar producing IBC-HJ cells breaking the previous record Si solar cell efficiency of 25%. But manufacturability at low cost is a concern for the complex IBC-HJ device structure. In this research program, our goals were to addressed the broad industry need for a high-efficiency c-Si cell that overcomes the dominant module cost barriers by 1) developing thin Si wafers synthesized by innovative, kerflessmore » techniques; 2) integrating laser-based processing into most aspects of solar cell fabrication, ensuring high speed and low thermal budgets ; 3) developing an all back contact cell structure compatible with thin wafers using a simplified, low-temperature fabrication process; and 4) designing the contact patterning to enable simplified module assembly. There were a number of significant achievements from this 3 year program. Regarding the front surface, we developed and applied new method to characterize critical interface recombination parameters including interface defect density Dit and hole and electron capture cross-section for use as input for 2D simulation of the IBC cell to guide design and loss analysis. We optimized the antireflection and passivation properties of the front surface texture and a-Si/a-SiN/a-SiC stack depositions to obtain a very low (< 6 mA/cm2) front surface optical losses (reflection and absorption) while maintaining excellent surface passivation (SRV<5 cm/s). We worked with kerfless wafer manufacturers to apply defect-engineering techniques to improve bulk minority-carrier lifetime of thin kerfless wafers by both reducing initial impurities during growth and developing post-growth gettering techniques. This led insights about the kinetics of nickel, chromium, and dislocations in PV-grade silicon and

  12. Development of Advanced Deposition Technology for Microcrystalline Si Based Solar Cells and Modules: Final Technical Report, 1 May 2002-31 July 2004

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Y. M.

    2004-12-01

    The key objective of this subcontract was to take the first steps to extend the radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) manufacturing technology of Energy Photovoltaics, Inc. (EPV), to the promising field of a-Si/nc-Si solar cell fabrication by demonstrating ''proof-of-concept'' devices of good efficiencies that previously were believed to be unobtainable in single-chamber reactors owing to contamination problems. A complementary goal was to find a new high-rate deposition method that can conceivably be deployed in large PECVD-type reactors. We emphasize that our goal was not to produce 'champion' devices of near-record efficiencies, but rather, to achieve modestly high efficiencies usingmore » a far simpler (cheaper) system, via practical processing methods and materials. To directly attack issues in solar-cell fabrication at EPV, the nc-Si thin films were studied almost exclusively in the p-i-n device configuration (as absorbers or i-layers), not as stand-alone films. Highly efficient, p-i-n type, nc-Si-based solar cells are generally grown on expensive, laboratory superstrates, such as custom ZnO/glass of high texture (granular surface) and low absorption. Also standard was the use of a highly effective back-reflector ZnO/Ag, where the ZnO can be surface-textured for efficient diffuse reflection. The high-efficiency ''champion'' devices made by the PECVD methods were invariably prepared in sophisticated (i.e., expensive), multi-chamber, or at least load-locked deposition systems. The electrode utilization efficiency, defined as the surface-area ratio of the powered electrode to that of the substrates, was typically low at about one (1:1). To evaluate the true potential of nc-Si absorbers for cost-competitive, commercially viable manufacturing of large-area PV modules, we took a more down-to-earth approach, based on our proven production of a-Si PV modules by a massively parallel batch process in single-chamber RF-PECVD systems, to

  13. Estimates of occupational safety and health impacts resulting from large-scale production of major photovoltaic technologies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Owens, T.; Ungers, L.; Briggs, T.

    1980-08-01

    The purpose of this study is to estimate both quantitatively and qualitatively, the worker and societal risks attributable to four photovoltaic cell (solar cell) production processes. Quantitative risk values were determined by use of statistics from the California semiconductor industry. The qualitative risk assessment was performed using a variety of both governmental and private sources of data. The occupational health statistics derived from the semiconductor industry were used to predict injury and fatality levels associated with photovoltaic cell manufacturing. The use of these statistics to characterize the two silicon processes described herein is defensible from the standpoint that many ofmore » the same process steps and materials are used in both the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. These health statistics are less applicable to the gallium arsenide and cadmium sulfide manufacturing processes, primarily because of differences in the materials utilized. Although such differences tend to discourage any absolute comparisons among the four photovoltaic cell production processes, certain relative comparisons are warranted. To facilitate a risk comparison of the four processes, the number and severity of process-related chemical hazards were assessed. This qualitative hazard assessment addresses both the relative toxicity and the exposure potential of substances in the workplace. In addition to the worker-related hazards, estimates of process-related emissions and wastes are also provided.« less

  14. The Photovolatic Manufacturing Technology project (PVMaT) after three years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Witt, C. Edwin; Mitchell, Richard L.; Thomas, Holly; Herwig, Lloyd O.

    1994-08-01

    The Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology project (PVMaT) is a government/industry research and development (R&D) partnership involving joint efforts between the federal government (through the US Department of Energy (DOE)) and members of the US photovoltaic (PV) industry. The project's goal is to assist US industry in retaining and extending its world leadership role in the manufacture and commercial development of PV components and systems. PVMaT is being carried out in three separate phases, each designed to address separate R&D requirements for achieving PVMaT goals. Phase 1 was a problem identification phase of about 3 months duration. In Phase 1, the status and needs of the US PV manufacturing industry were identified, and the development of a Phase 2 procurement responsive to the industry's needs was begun. Phase 1 was completed in 1991. Problem solution began in 1992, under Phase 2A, when DOE awarded multiyear subcontracts. Technical accomplishments for PVMaT 2A are presented in this paper. Subcontracts were recently awarded for a second, overlapping, and similar process-specific solicitation (PVMaT 2B). The activities of these new subcontracts are also described. Two subcontracts presently comprise the Phase 3 effort. Phase 3 addresses R&D problems that are relatively common to a number of PV companies or the PV industry as a whole. A teamed research approach is being used to improve automated module manufacturing lines and encapsulation materials used in module manufacturing. The first year's work on these subcontracts is also described in this paper.

  15. Mounting support for a photovoltaic module

    DOEpatents

    Brandt, Gregory Michael; Barsun, Stephan K.; Coleman, Nathaniel T.; Zhou, Yin

    2013-03-26

    A mounting support for a photovoltaic module is described. The mounting support includes a foundation having an integrated wire-way ledge portion. A photovoltaic module support mechanism is coupled with the foundation.

  16. Large-area copper indium diselenide (CIS) process, control and manufacturing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gillespie, T.J.; Lanning, B.R.; Marshall, C.H.

    1997-12-31

    Lockheed Martin Astronautics (LMA) has developed a large-area (30x30cm) sequential CIS manufacturing approach amenable to low-cost photovoltaics (PV) production. A prototype CIS manufacturing system has been designed and built with compositional uniformity (Cu/In ratio) verified within {+-}4 atomic percent over the 30x30cm area. CIS device efficiencies have been measured by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at 7% on a flexible non-sodium-containing substrate and 10% on a soda-lime-silica (SLS) glass substrate. Critical elements of the manufacturing capability include the CIS sequential process selection, uniform large-area material deposition, and in-situ process control. Details of the process and large-area manufacturing approach aremore » discussed and results presented.« less

  17. Photovoltaic module and interlocked stack of photovoltaic modules

    DOEpatents

    Wares, Brian S.

    2012-09-04

    One embodiment relates to an arrangement of photovoltaic modules configured for transportation. The arrangement includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module including a frame having at least a top member and a bottom member. A plurality of alignment features are included on the top member of each frame, and a plurality of alignment features are included on the bottom member of each frame. Adjacent photovoltaic modules are interlocked by the alignment features on the top member of a lower module fitting together with the alignment features on the bottom member of an upper module. Other embodiments, features and aspects are also disclosed.

  18. Traceable calibration of photovoltaic reference cells using natural sunlight

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Müllejans, H.; Zaaiman, W.; Pavanello, D.; Dunlop, E. D.

    2018-02-01

    At the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) photovoltaic (PV) reference cells are calibrated traceably to SI units via the World Radiometric Reference (WRR) using natural sunlight. The Direct Sunlight Method (DSM) is described in detail and the latest measurement results and an updated uncertainty budget are reported. These PV reference cells then provide a practical means for measuring the irradiance of natural or simulated sunlight during the calibration of other PV devices.

  19. Report of an exploratory study: Safety and liability considerations for photovoltaic modules/panels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weinstein, A. S.; Meeker, D. G.

    1981-01-01

    An overview of legal issues as they apply to design, manufacture and use of photovoltaic module/array devices is provided and a methodology is suggested for use of the design stage of these products to minimize or eliminate perceived hazards. Questions are posed to stimulate consideration of this area.

  20. International market assessment of stand-alone photovoltaic power systems for cottage industry applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Philippi, T. M.

    1981-11-01

    The final result of an international assessment of the market for stand-alone photovoltaic systems in cottage industry applications is reported. Nonindustrialized countries without centrally planned economies were considered. Cottage industries were defined as small rural manufacturers, employing less than 50 people, producing consumer and simple products. The data to support this analysis were obtained from secondary and expert sources in the U.S. and in-country field investigations of the Philippines and Mexico. The near-term market for photovoltaics for rural cottage industry applications appears to be limited to demonstration projects and pilot programs, based on an in-depth study of the nature of cottage industry, its role in the rural economy, the electric energy requirements of cottage industry, and a financial analysis of stand-alone photovoltaic systems as compared to their most viable competitor, diesel driven generators. Photovoltaics are shown to be a better long-term option only for very low power requirements. Some of these uses would include clay mixers, grinders, centrifuges, lathes, power saws and lighting of a workshop.

  1. International market assessment of stand-alone photovoltaic power systems for cottage industry applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Philippi, T. M.

    1981-01-01

    The final result of an international assessment of the market for stand-alone photovoltaic systems in cottage industry applications is reported. Nonindustrialized countries without centrally planned economies were considered. Cottage industries were defined as small rural manufacturers, employing less than 50 people, producing consumer and simple products. The data to support this analysis were obtained from secondary and expert sources in the U.S. and in-country field investigations of the Philippines and Mexico. The near-term market for photovoltaics for rural cottage industry applications appears to be limited to demonstration projects and pilot programs, based on an in-depth study of the nature of cottage industry, its role in the rural economy, the electric energy requirements of cottage industry, and a financial analysis of stand-alone photovoltaic systems as compared to their most viable competitor, diesel driven generators. Photovoltaics are shown to be a better long-term option only for very low power requirements. Some of these uses would include clay mixers, grinders, centrifuges, lathes, power saws and lighting of a workshop.

  2. High efficiency thin-film crystalline Si/Ge tandem solar cell.

    PubMed

    Sun, G; Chang, F; Soref, R A

    2010-02-15

    We propose and simulate a photovoltaic solar cell comprised of Si and Ge pn junctions in tandem. With an anti-reflection film at the front surface, we have shown that optimal solar cells favor a thin Si layer and a thick Ge layer with a thin tunnel hetero-diode placed in between. We predict efficiency ranging from 19% to 28% for AM1.5G solar irradiance concentrated from 1 approximately 1000 Suns for a cell with a total thickness approximately 100 microm.

  3. A molecular spin-photovoltaic device.

    PubMed

    Sun, Xiangnan; Vélez, Saül; Atxabal, Ainhoa; Bedoya-Pinto, Amilcar; Parui, Subir; Zhu, Xiangwei; Llopis, Roger; Casanova, Fèlix; Hueso, Luis E

    2017-08-18

    We fabricated a C 60 fullerene-based molecular spin-photovoltaic device that integrates a photovoltaic response with the spin transport across the molecular layer. The photovoltaic response can be modified under the application of a small magnetic field, with a magnetophotovoltage of up to 5% at room temperature. Device functionalities include a magnetic current inverter and the presence of diverging magnetocurrent at certain illumination levels that could be useful for sensing. Completely spin-polarized currents can be created by balancing the external partially spin-polarized injection with the photogenerated carriers. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  4. Photovoltaic module and laminate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bunea, Gabriela E.; Kim, Sung Dug; Kavulak, David F.J.

    A photovoltaic module is disclosed. The photovoltaic module has a first side directed toward the sun during normal operation and a second, lower side. The photovoltaic module comprises a perimeter frame and a photovoltaic laminate at least partially enclosed by and supported by the perimeter frame. The photovoltaic laminate comprises a transparent cover layer positioned toward the first side of the photovoltaic module, an upper encapsulant layer beneath and adhering to the cover layer, a plurality of photovoltaic solar cells beneath the upper encapsulant layer, the photovoltaic solar cells electrically interconnected, a lower encapsulant layer beneath the plurality of photovoltaicmore » solar cells, the upper and lower encapsulant layers enclosing the plurality of photovoltaic solar cells, and a homogenous rear environmental protection layer, the rear environmental protection layer adhering to the lower encapsulant layer, the rear environmental protection layer exposed to the ambient environment on the second side of the photovoltaic module.« less

  5. Enhancement of broadband optical absorption in photovoltaic devices by band-edge effect of photonic crystals.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, Yoshinori; Kawamoto, Yosuke; Fujita, Masayuki; Noda, Susumu

    2013-08-26

    We numerically investigate broadband optical absorption enhancement in thin, 400-nm thick microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si) photovoltaic devices by photonic crystals (PCs). We realize absorption enhancement by coupling the light from the free space to the large area resonant modes at the photonic band-edge induced by the photonic crystals. We show that multiple photonic band-edge modes can be produced by higher order modes in the vertical direction of the Si photovoltaic layer, which can enhance the absorption on multiple wavelengths. Moreover, we reveal that the photonic superlattice structure can produce more photonic band-edge modes that lead to further optical absorption. The absorption average in wavelengths of 500-1000 nm weighted to the solar spectrum (AM 1.5) increases almost twice: from 33% without photonic crystal to 58% with a 4 × 4 period superlattice photonic crystal; our result outperforms the Lambertian textured structure.

  6. Perovskite and Organic Photovoltaics | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Perovskite and Organic Photovoltaics Perovskite and Organic Photovoltaics Scientist holds several solar cells; 2) electronic energy level alignment at the carbon nanotube/organic metal halide perovskite Hest in the PDIL in the S and TF at NREL. Organic Photovoltaics (OPV) We develop and apply new absorber

  7. A convenient method of manufacturing liquid-gated MoS2 field effect transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Kabin; Yuan, Zhishan; Yu, Yu; Li, Kun; Li, Zhongwu; Sha, Jingjie; Li, Tie; Chen, Yunfei

    2017-10-01

    In this paper, we present a simple and convenient method of manufacturing liquid-gated MoS2 field effect transistors (FETs). A Si3N4 chip is firstly fabricated by the semiconductor manufacturing process, then the mechanical exfoliation MoS2 is transferred onto the Si3N4 chip and is connected with the gold electrodes by depositing platinum to construct the MoS2 FETs. The liquid-gated is formed by injecting 0.1 M NaCl solution into reservoir to contact the back side of the Si3N4. Our measured results show that the contact properties between MoS2 and electrodes are in well condition and the liquid-gated MoS2 FETs have a high mobility that can reach up to 109 cm2 V-1 s-1.

  8. Demonstration of a 4H SiC betavoltaic cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandrashekhar, M. V. S.; Thomas, Christopher I.; Li, Hui; Spencer, M. G.; Lal, Amit

    2006-01-01

    A betavoltaic cell in 4H SiC is demonstrated. A p-n diode structure was used to collect the charge from a 1mCi Ni-63 source. An open circuit voltage of 0.72V and a short circuit current density of 16.8nA /cm2 were measured in a single p-n junction. A 6% lower bound on the power conversion efficiency was obtained. A simple photovoltaic-type model was used to explain the results. Fill factor and backscattering effects were included in the efficiency calculation. The performance of the device was limited by edge recombination.

  9. Metal Oxide/Semiconductor Heterojunctions as Carrier-Selective Contacts for Photovoltaic Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Man, Gabriel Jen Shi

    Solar radiation is a vast, distributed, and renewable energy source which Humanity can utilize via the photovoltaic effect. The goal of photovoltaic technology is to minimize the true costs, while maximizing the power conversion efficiency and lifetime of the cell/module. Interface-related approaches to achieving this goal are explored here, for two technologically-important classes of light absorbers: crystalline-silicon (c-Si) and metal halide perovskite (MHP). The simplest solar cell consists of a light absorber, sandwiched between two metals with dissimilar work functions. Carrier-selective contacts (CSC's), which are ubiquitous in modern solar cells, are added to improve the electrical performance. Solar cells require asymmetric carrier transport within the cell, which can be effected via electrostatic and/or effective fields, and CSC's augment the asymmetry by selectively transporting holes to one contact, and electrons to the other contact. The proper design and implementation of a CSC is crucial, as the performance, lifetime, and/or cost reduction of a solar cell can be hampered by a single interface or layer. A framework, consisting of eight core requirements, was developed from first-principles to evaluate the effectiveness of a given CSC. The framework includes some requirements which are well-recognized, such as the need for appropriate band offsets, and some requirements which are not well-recognized at the moment, such as the need for effective valence/conduction band density of states matching between the absorber and CSC. The application of the framework to multiple silicon-based and MHP-based CSC's revealed the difficulties of effectively designing and implementing a CSC. A poly(3-hexylthiophene)/c-Si heterojunction was found to be a near ideal hole-selective contact (HSC). Three metal oxide/c-Si heterojunctions initially expected to yield comparable electron-selective contacts (ESC's), titanium dioxide/c-Si (TiO2/c-Si), zinc oxide/c-Si (ZnO/c-Si

  10. MATLAB Simulation of Photovoltaic and Photovoltaic/Thermal Systems Performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nasir, Farah H. M.; Husaini, Yusnira

    2018-03-01

    The efficiency of the photovoltaic reduces when the photovoltaic cell temperature increased due to solar irradiance. One solution is come up with the cooling system photovoltaic system. This combination is forming the photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) system. Not only will it generate electricity also heat at the same time. The aim of this research is to focus on the modeling and simulation of photovoltaic (PV) and photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) electrical performance by using single-diode equivalent circuit model. Both PV and PV/T models are developed in Matlab/Simulink. By providing the cooling system in PV/T, the efficiency of the system can be increased by decreasing the PV cell temperature. The maximum thermal, electrical and total efficiency values of PV/T in the present research are 35.18%, 15.56% and 50.74% at solar irradiance of 400 W/m2, mass flow rate of 0.05kgs-1 and inlet temperature of 25 °C respectively has been obtained. The photovoltaic-thermal shows that the higher efficiency performance compared to the photovoltaic system.

  11. Photovoltaic device

    DOEpatents

    Reese, Jason A.; Keenihan, James R.; Gaston, Ryan S.; Kauffmann, Keith L.; Langmaid, Joseph A.; Lopez, Leonardo C.; Maak, Kevin D.; Mills, Michael E.; Ramesh, Narayan; Teli, Samar R.

    2015-06-02

    The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device ("PV device"), more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device with a multilayered photovoltaic cell assembly and a body portion joined at an interface region and including an intermediate layer, at least one interconnecting structural member, relieving feature, unique component geometry, or any combination thereof.

  12. Photovoltaic device

    DOEpatents

    Reese, Jason A; Keenihan, James R; Gaston, Ryan S; Kauffmann, Keith L; Langmaid, Joseph A; Lopez, Leonardo; Maak, Kevin D; Mills, Michael E; Ramesh, Narayan; Teli, Samar R

    2017-03-21

    The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device ("PV device"), more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device with a multilayered photovoltaic cell assembly and a body portion joined at an interface region and including an intermediate layer, at least one interconnecting structural member, relieving feature, unique component geometry, or any combination thereof.

  13. Quantifying Solar Cell Cracks in Photovoltaic Modules by Electroluminescence Imaging

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Spataru, Sergiu; Hacke, Peter; Sera, Dezso

    2015-06-14

    This article proposes a method for quantifying the percentage of partially and totally disconnected solar cell cracks by analyzing electroluminescence images of the photovoltaic module taken under high- and low-current forward bias. The method is based on the analysis of the module's electroluminescence intensity distribution, applied at module and cell level. These concepts are demonstrated on a crystalline silicon photovoltaic module that was subjected to several rounds of mechanical loading and humidity-freeze cycling, causing increasing levels of solar cell cracks. The proposed method can be used as a diagnostic tool to rate cell damage or quality of modules after transportation.more » Moreover, the method can be automated and used in quality control for module manufacturers, installers, or as a diagnostic tool by plant operators and diagnostic service providers.« less

  14. Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Colombia

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steigelmann, W.; Neyeloff, S.

    1981-01-01

    The market potential for photovoltaic systems in the agricultural sector of Colombia is assessed. Consideration was given to over twenty specific livestock production, crop production, and rural services applications requiring less than 15 kW of power without backup power. Analysis revealed that near-term potential exists for photovoltaic technology in applications in coffee depulging, cattle watering, rural domestic users, rural water supply and small irrigation, rural telephones, rural health posts, and vaccine refrigeration. Market size would be in the 1200 to 2500 kWp range in the 1981 to 86 timeframe. Positive factors influencing the market size include a lack of electrical services, potential for developing the Llanos Orientales Territory, high fuel costs in remote areas, balance of system availability, the presence of wealthy land owners, and a large government-sponsored contract for photovoltaic (PV)-powered rural telephone systems. The anticipated eligibility of photovoltaic equipment for loans would be a further positive factor in market potential. Important negative factors include relatively inexpensive energy in developed locations, reliance on hydropower, lack of familiarity with PV equipment, a lack of financing, and established foreign competition in PV technology. Recommendations to American PV manufacturers attempting to develop the Colombian market are given.

  15. Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Colombia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steigelmann, W.; Neyeloff, S.

    1981-11-01

    The market potential for photovoltaic systems in the agricultural sector of Colombia is assessed. Consideration was given to over twenty specific livestock production, crop production, and rural services applications requiring less than 15 kW of power without backup power. Analysis revealed that near-term potential exists for photovoltaic technology in applications in coffee depulging, cattle watering, rural domestic users, rural water supply and small irrigation, rural telephones, rural health posts, and vaccine refrigeration. Market size would be in the 1200 to 2500 kWp range in the 1981 to 86 timeframe. Positive factors influencing the market size include a lack of electrical services, potential for developing the Llanos Orientales Territory, high fuel costs in remote areas, balance of system availability, the presence of wealthy land owners, and a large government-sponsored contract for photovoltaic (PV)-powered rural telephone systems. The anticipated eligibility of photovoltaic equipment for loans would be a further positive factor in market potential. Important negative factors include relatively inexpensive energy in developed locations, reliance on hydropower, lack of familiarity with PV equipment, a lack of financing, and established foreign competition in PV technology. Recommendations to American PV manufacturers attempting to develop the Colombian market are given.

  16. Optoelectrical modeling of solar cells based on c-Si/a-Si:H nanowire array: focus on the electrical transport in between the nanowires.

    PubMed

    Levtchenko, Alexandra; Le Gall, Sylvain; Lachaume, Raphaël; Michallon, Jérôme; Collin, Stéphane; Alvarez, José; Djebbour, Zakaria; Kleider, Jean-Paul

    2018-06-22

    By coupling optical and electrical modeling, we have investigated the photovoltaic performances of p-i-n radial nanowires array based on crystalline p-type silicon (c-Si) core/hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) shell. By varying either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or back contact work function we can separate and highlight the contribution to the cell's performance of the nanowires themselves (the radial cell) from the interspace between the nanowires (the planar cell). We show that the build-in potential (V bi ) in the radial and planar cells strongly depends on the doping of c-Si core and the work function of the back contact respectively. Consequently, the solar cell's performance is degraded if either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or/and the work function of the back contact is too low. By inserting a thin (p) a-Si:H layer between both core/absorber and back contact/absorber, the performance of the solar cell can be improved by partly fixing the V bi at both interfaces due to strong electrostatic screening effect. Depositing such a buffer layer playing the role of an electrostatic screen for charge carriers is a suggested way of enhancing the performance of solar cells based on radial p-i-n or n-i-p nanowire array.

  17. Optoelectrical modeling of solar cells based on c-Si/a-Si:H nanowire array: focus on the electrical transport in between the nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levtchenko, Alexandra; Le Gall, Sylvain; Lachaume, Raphaël; Michallon, Jérôme; Collin, Stéphane; Alvarez, José; Djebbour, Zakaria; Kleider, Jean-Paul

    2018-06-01

    By coupling optical and electrical modeling, we have investigated the photovoltaic performances of p-i-n radial nanowires array based on crystalline p-type silicon (c-Si) core/hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) shell. By varying either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or back contact work function we can separate and highlight the contribution to the cell’s performance of the nanowires themselves (the radial cell) from the interspace between the nanowires (the planar cell). We show that the build-in potential (V bi) in the radial and planar cells strongly depends on the doping of c-Si core and the work function of the back contact respectively. Consequently, the solar cell’s performance is degraded if either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or/and the work function of the back contact is too low. By inserting a thin (p) a-Si:H layer between both core/absorber and back contact/absorber, the performance of the solar cell can be improved by partly fixing the V bi at both interfaces due to strong electrostatic screening effect. Depositing such a buffer layer playing the role of an electrostatic screen for charge carriers is a suggested way of enhancing the performance of solar cells based on radial p-i-n or n-i-p nanowire array.

  18. Tuning back contact property via artificial interface dipoles in Si/organic hybrid solar cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Dan; Department of Physics and Institute of Solid-state electronics physical, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211; Sheng, Jiang, E-mail: shengjiang@nimte.ac.cn

    2016-07-25

    Back contact property plays a key role in the charge collection efficiency of c-Si/poly(3,4-ethylthiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) hybrid solar cells (Si-HSCs), as an alternative for the high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic devices. In this letter, we utilize the water soluble poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) to modify the Al/Si interface to be an Ohmic contact via interface dipole tuning, decreasing the work function of the Al film. This Ohmic contact improves the electron collection efficiency of the rear electrode, increasing the short circuit current density (J{sub sc}). Furthermore, the interface dipoles make the band bending downward to increase the total barrier height of built-in electricmore » field of the solar cell, enhancing the open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}). The PEO solar cell exhibits an excellent performance, 12.29% power conversion efficiency, a 25.28% increase from the reference solar cell without a PEO interlayer. The simple and water soluble method as a promising alternative is used to develop the interfacial contact quality of the rear electrode for the high photovoltaic performance of Si-HSCs.« less

  19. A review of the promises and challenges of micro-concentrator photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Domínguez, César; Jost, Norman; Askins, Steve; Victoria, Marta; Antón, Ignacio

    2017-09-01

    Micro concentrator photovoltaics (micro-CPV) is an unconventional approach for developing high-efficiency low-cost PV systems. The micrifying of cells and optics brings about an increase of efficiency with respect to classical CPV, at the expense of some fundamental challenges at mass production. The large costs linked to miniaturization under conventional serial-assembly processes raise the need for the development of parallel manufacturing technologies. In return, the tiny sizes involved allows exploring unconventional optical architectures or revisiting conventional concepts that were typically discarded because of large material consumption or high bulk absorption at classical CPV sizes.

  20. Photovoltaic device

    DOEpatents

    Reese, Jason A.; Keenihan, James R.; Gaston, Ryan S.; Kauffmann, Keith L.; Langmaid, Joseph A.; Lopez, Leonardo C.; Maak, Kevin D.; Mills, Michael E.; Ramesh, Narayan; Teli, Samar R.

    2015-09-01

    The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device ("PV device"), more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device (10) with a multilayered photovoltaic cell assembly (100) and a body portion (200) joined at an interface region (410) and including an intermediate layer (500), at least one interconnecting structural member (1500), relieving feature (2500), unique component geometry, or any combination thereof.

  1. A concise way to estimate the average density of interface states in an ITO-SiOx/n-Si heterojunction solar cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Y.; Han, B. C.; Gao, M.; Wan, Y. Z.; Yang, J.; Du, H. W.; Ma, Z. Q.

    2017-09-01

    On the basis of a photon-assisted high frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) method (1 MHz C-V), an effective approach is developed to evaluate the average interface state density (Dit) of an ITO-SiOx/n-Si heterojunction structure. Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films with different thicknesses were directly deposited on (100) n-type crystalline silicon by magnetron sputtering to fabricate semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) hetero-interface regions where an ultra-thin SiOx passivation layer was naturally created. The morphology of the SiOx layer was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling and transmission electron microscope analysis. The thinness of this SiOx layer was the main reason for the SIS interface state density being more difficult to detect than that of a typical metal-oxide-semiconductor structure. A light was used for photon injection while measuring the C-V of the device, thus enabling the photon-assisted C-V measurement of the Dit. By quantifying decreases of the light-induced-voltage as a variation of the capacitance caused by parasitic charge at interface states the passivation quality within the interface of ITO-SiOx/n-Si could be reasonably evaluated. The average interface state density of these SIS devices was measured as 1.2-1.7 × 1011 eV-1 cm-2 and declined as the passivation layer was made thicker. The lifetime of the minority carriers, dark leakage current, and the other photovoltaic parameters of the devices were also used to determine the passivation.

  2. Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Roofs for Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-04-01

    ACRONYMS A/C Air Conditioning a-Si Amorphous Silicon AC Alternating Current AFB Air Force Base AHU Air Handing Unit APS Arizona Public...Service ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials AZ Arizona BIPV Building Integrated Photovoltaic BTU British Thermal Units C Celsius CA...AFB) in Arizona (AZ). This site was chosen based on the ESTCP review board’s recommendation, the large size of the BIPV roof, and the age. Site I

  3. Metastability of a-SiOx:H thin films for c-Si surface passivation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Serenelli, L.; Martini, L.; Imbimbo, L.; Asquini, R.; Menchini, F.; Izzi, M.; Tucci, M.

    2017-01-01

    The adoption of a-SiOx:H films obtained by PECVD in heterojunction solar cells is a key to further increase their efficiency, because of its transparency in the UV with respect to the commonly used a-Si:H. At the same time this layer must guarantee high surface passivation of the c-Si to be suitable in high efficiency solar cell manufacturing. On the other hand the application of amorphous materials like a-Si:H and SiNx on the cell frontside expose them to the mostly energetic part of the sun spectrum, leading to a metastability of their passivation properties. Moreover as for amorphous silicon, thermal annealing procedures are considered as valuable steps to enhance and stabilize thin film properties, when performed at opportune temperature. In this work we explored the reliability of a-SiOx:H thin film layers surface passivation on c-Si substrates under UV exposition, in combination with thermal annealing steps. Both p- and n-type doped c-Si substrates were considered. To understand the effect of UV light soaking we monitored the minority carriers lifetime and Sisbnd H and Sisbnd O bonding, by FTIR spectra, after different exposure times to light coming from a deuterium lamp, filtered to UV-A region, and focused on the sample to obtain a power density of 50 μW/cm2. We found a certain lifetime decrease after UV light soaking in both p- and n-type c-Si passivated wafers according to a a-SiOx:H/c-Si/a-SiOx:H structure. The role of a thermal annealing, which usually enhances the as-deposited SiOx passivation properties, was furthermore considered. In particular we monitored the UV light soaking effect on c-Si wafers after a-SiOx:H coating by PECVD and after a thermal annealing treatment at 300 °C for 30 min, having selected these conditions on the basis of the study of the effect due to different temperatures and durations. We correlated the lifetime evolution and the metastability effect of thermal annealing to the a-SiOx:H/c-Si interface considering the evolution

  4. The photovoltaic effect and charge carrier mobility in layered compositions of bithiophene or related rotaxane copolymer with C70 fullerene derivative

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kostromin, S. V.; Malov, V. V.; Tameev, A. R.; Bronnikov, S. V.; Farcas, A.

    2017-02-01

    Organic photovoltaic cells with a bulk heterojunction have been manufactured in which the photoactive layer consists of a mixture of bithiophene copolymer or related rotaxane with a fullerene derivative (PC70BM). The mobility of charge carriers in photoactive layers has been determined, the current-voltage characteristics of photovoltaic cells have been measured, and the energy level diagram of cell components has been constructed. It is established that the polyrotaxane component (macrocycle) insulates a part of thiophene fragments of the macromolecule, thus hindering the transport of carriers and leading to large energy losses for exciton dissociation, which results in a decreasing photovoltaic effect.

  5. Plasmonic Photovoltaic Cells with Dual-Functional Gold, Silver, and Copper Half-Shell Arrays.

    PubMed

    Wu, Ling; Kim, Gyu Min; Nishi, Hiroyasu; Tatsuma, Tetsu

    2017-09-12

    Solid-state photovoltaic cells based on plasmon-induced charge separation (PICS) have attracted growing attention during the past decade. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the previously reported devices, which are generally loaded with dispersed metal nanoparticles as light absorbers, has not been sufficiently high. Here we report simpler plasmonic photovoltaic cells with interconnected Au, Ag, and Cu half-shell arrays deposited on SiO 2 @TiO 2 colloidal crystals, which serve both as a plasmonic light absorber and as a current collector. The well-controlled and easily prepared plasmonic structure allows precise comparison of the PICS efficiency between different plasmonic metal species. The cell with the Ag half-shell array has higher photovoltaic performance than the cells with Au and Cu half-shell arrays because of the high population of photogenerated energetic electrons, which gives a high electron injection efficiency and suppressed charge recombination probability, achieving the highest PCE among the solid-state PICS devices even without a hole transport layer.

  6. Low-Cost, Class D Testing of Spacecraft Photovoltaic Systems Can Reduce Risk

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Forgione, Joshua B.; Kojima, Gilbert K.; Hanel, Robert; Mallinson, Mark V.

    2014-01-01

    The end-to-end verification of a spacecraft photovoltaic power generation system requires light! Specifically, the standard practice for doing so is the Large Area Pulsed Solar Simulation (LAPSS). A LAPSS test can characterize a photovoltaic system's efficiency via its response to rapidly applied impulses of simulated sunlight. However, a Class D program on a constrained budget and schedule may not have the resources to ship an entire satellite for a LAPSS test alone. Such was the case with the Lunar Atmospheric and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) program, which was also averse to the risk of hardware damage during shipment. When the Electrical Power System (EPS) team was denied a spacecraft-level LAPSS test, the lack of an end-to-end power generation test elevated to a project-level technical risk. The team pulled together very limited resources to not only eliminate the risk, but build a process to monitor the health of the system through mission operations. We discuss a process for performing a low-cost, end-to-end test of the LADEE photovoltaic system. The approach combines system-level functional test, panel-level performance results, and periodic inspection (and repair) up until launch. Following launch, mission operations tools are utilized to assess system performance based on a scant amount of data. The process starts in manufacturing at the subcontractor. The panel manufacturer provides functional test and LAPSS data on each individual panel. We apply an initial assumption that the per-panel performance is sufficient to meet the power generation requirements. The manufacturer's data is also carried as the performance allocation for each panel during EPS system modeling and initial mission operations. During integration and test, a high-power, professional theater lamp system provides simulated sunlight to each panel on the spacecraft, thereby permitting a true end-to-end system test. A passing test results in a step response to nearly full-rated current

  7. Nanohole Structuring for Improved Performance of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaics.

    PubMed

    Johlin, Eric; Al-Obeidi, Ahmed; Nogay, Gizem; Stuckelberger, Michael; Buonassisi, Tonio; Grossman, Jeffrey C

    2016-06-22

    While low hole mobilities limit the current collection and efficiency of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photovoltaic devices, attempts to improve mobility of the material directly have stagnated. Herein, we explore a method of utilizing nanostructuring of a-Si:H devices to allow for improved hole collection in thick absorber layers. This is achieved by etching an array of 150 nm diameter holes into intrinsic a-Si:H and then coating the structured material with p-type a-Si:H and a conformal zinc oxide transparent conducting layer. The inclusion of these nanoholes yields relative power conversion efficiency (PCE) increases of ∼45%, from 7.2 to 10.4% PCE for small area devices. Comparisons of optical properties, time-of-flight mobility measurements, and internal quantum efficiency spectra indicate this efficiency is indeed likely occurring from an improved collection pathway provided by the nanostructuring of the devices. Finally, we estimate that through modest optimizations of the design and fabrication, PCEs of beyond 13% should be obtainable for similar devices.

  8. Transport properties of β-FeSi2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arushanov, Ernest; Lisunov, Konstantin G.

    2015-07-01

    The aim of this paper is to summarize considerable experimental efforts undertaken within the last decades in the investigations of transport properties of β-FeSi2. The β-FeSi2 compound is the most investigated among a family of semiconducting silicides. This material has received considerable attention as an attractive material for optoelectronic, photonics, photovoltaics and thermoelectric applications. Previous reviews of the transport properties of β-FeSi2 have been given by Lange and Ivanenko et al. about 15 years ago. The Hall effect, the conductivity, the mobility and the magnetoresistance data are presented. Main attention is paid to the discussion of the impurity (defect) band conductivity, the anomalous Hall effect, the scattering mechanisms of charge carriers, as well as to the hopping conduction and the magnetoresistance.

  9. Thin Film Photovoltaic Partnership Project | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Thin Film Photovoltaic Partnership Project Thin Film Photovoltaic Partnership Project NREL's Thin Film Photovoltaic (PV) Partnership Project led R&D on emerging thin-film solar technologies in the National Laboratory developed low-cost transparent encapsulation schemes for CIGS cells that reduced power

  10. Design and performance study of a DC-DC flyback converter based on wide bandgap power devices for photovoltaic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alharbi, Salah S.; Alharbi, Saleh S.; Al-bayati, Ali M. S.; Matin, Mohammad

    2017-08-01

    This paper presents a high-performance dc-dc flyback converter design based on wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices for photovoltaic (PV) applications. Two different power devices, a gallium nitride (GaN)-transistor and a silicon (Si)-MOSFET, are implemented individually in the flyback converter to examine their impact on converter performance. The total power loss of the converter with different power devices is analyzed for various switching frequencies. Converter efficiency is evaluated at different switching frequencies, input voltages, and output power levels. The results reveal that the converter with the GaN-transistor has lower total power loss and better efficiency compared to the converter with the conventional Si-MOSFET.

  11. Charging a Capacitor with a Photovoltaic Module

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aguilar, Horacio Munguía; Maldonado, Rigoberto Franco; Navarro, Luis Barba

    2017-01-01

    Charging a capacitor with a photovoltaic module is an experiment which reveals a lot about the modules characteristics. It is customary to represent these characteristics with an equivalent circuit whose elements represent its physical parameters. The behavior of a photovoltaic module is very similar to that of a single cell but the electric…

  12. Final Technical Report for Automated Manufacturing of Innovative CPV/PV Modules

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Okawa, David

    Cogenra’s Dense Cell Interconnect system was designed to use traditional front-contact cells and string them together into high efficiency and high reliability “supercells”. This novel stringer allows one to take advantage of the ~100 GW/year of existing cell production capacity and create a solar product for the customer that will produce more power and last longer than traditional PV products. The goal for this program was for Cogenra Solar to design and develop a first-of-kind automated solar manufacturing line that produces strings of overlapping cells or “supercells” based on Cogenra’s Dense Cell Interconnect (DCI) technology for their Low Concentration Photovoltaicmore » (LCPV) systems. This will enable the commercialization of DCI technology to improve the efficiency, reliability and economics for their Low Concentration Photovoltaic systems. In this program, Cogenra Solar very successfully designed, developed, built, installed, and started up the ground-breaking manufacturing tools required to assemble supercells. Cogenra then successfully demonstrated operation of the integrated line at high yield and throughput far exceeding expectations. The development of a supercell production line represents a critical step toward a high volume and low cost Low Concentration Photovoltaic Module with Dense Cell Interconnect technology and has enabled the evaluation of the technology for reliability and yield. Unfortunately, performance and cost headwinds on Low Concentration Photovoltaics systems including lack of diffuse capture (10-15% hit) and more expensive tracker requirements resulted in a move away from LCPV technology. Fortunately, the versatility of Dense Cell Interconnect technology allows for application to flat plate module technology as well and Cogenra has worked with the DOE to utilize the learning from this grant to commercialize DCI technology for the solar market through the on-going grant: Catalyzing PV Manufacturing in the US With

  13. New manufacturing method for Fe-Si magnetic powders using modified pack-cementation process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byun, Ji Young; Kim, Jang Won; Han, Jeong Whan; Jang, Pyungwoo

    2013-03-01

    This paper describes a new method for making Fe-Si magnetic powders using a pack-cementation process. It was found that Fe-Si alloy powders were formed by a reaction of the pack mixture of Fe, Si, NaF, and Al2O3 powders at 900 °C for 24 h under a hydrogen atmosphere. Separation of the Fe-Si alloy powders was dependent on the particle size of the Fe powders in the pack. For small Fe powders, magnetic separation in a medium of strong alkali solution was recommended. But, for relatively larger Fe powders, the Fe-Si alloy powders were easily separated from Al2O3 powders using a magnet in air atmosphere. The Si content in the Fe-Si magnetic powders were easily controlled by changing the weight ratio of Si to (Si+Fe) in the pack.

  14. Photothermal performance of an amorphous silicon photovoltaic panel integrated in a membrane structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Bing; Hu, Jianhui; Chen, Wujun; Qiu, Zhenyu; Zhou, Jinyu; Qu, Yegao; Ge, Binbin

    2016-10-01

    The amorphous silicon photovoltaic (a-Si PV) cells are widely used for electricity generation from solar energy. When the a-Si PV cells are integrated into building roofs, such as ETFE (ethylene-tetrafouoroethylene) cushions, the temperature characteristics are indispensible for evaluating the thermal performances of a-Si PV and its constructions. This temperature value is directly dependent on the solar irradiance, wind velocity, ambient temperature and installation form. This paper concerns the field experiments and numerical modeling on the temperature characteristics and temperature value of the a-Si PV integrated in a double-layer ETFE cushion structure. To this end, an experimental model composed of two a-Si PV cells and a double-layer ETFE cushion was developed, and the corresponding experiments were carried out under two typical weather conditions (summer sunny and summer cloudy). The theoretical thermal model was developed based on an energy balance equation taking the short wave radiation, long wave radiation, convection and generated power into account. The measured solar irradiance and air temperature were used as real weather conditions for the thermal model. The corresponding differential equation of the a-Si PV temperature varying with the solar irradiance and air temperature was solved by a newly developed program based on the numerical method. The measured results show that the influence of solar irradiance on the temperature is much more significant than the other parameters, and the maximum temperature variation under sunny conditions is greater than that under cloudy conditions. The comparative study between the experimental and numerical results shows the correct predictions of the a-Si PV temperature under the sunny and cloudy conditions. The maximum difference is 3.9 °C with the acceptable reasons of the solar irradiance fluctuation and the PV thermal response time. These findings will provide useful observations and explanations for

  15. Increased size selectivity of Si quantum dots on SiC at low substrate temperatures: An ion-assisted self-organization approach

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seo, D. H.; Das Arulsamy, A.; Rider, A. E.

    A simple, effective, and innovative approach based on ion-assisted self-organization is proposed to synthesize size-selected Si quantum dots (QDs) on SiC substrates at low substrate temperatures. Using hybrid numerical simulations, the formation of Si QDs through a self-organization approach is investigated by taking into account two distinct cases of Si QD formation using the ionization energy approximation theory, which considers ionized in-fluxes containing Si{sup 3+} and Si{sup 1+} ions in the presence of a microscopic nonuniform electric field induced by a variable surface bias. The results show that the highest percentage of the surface coverage by 1 and 2 nmmore » size-selected QDs was achieved using a bias of -20 V and ions in the lowest charge state, namely, Si{sup 1+} ions in a low substrate temperature range (227-327 deg. C). As low substrate temperatures ({<=}500 deg. C) are desirable from a technological point of view, because (i) low-temperature deposition techniques are compatible with current thin-film Si-based solar cell fabrication and (ii) high processing temperatures can frequently cause damage to other components in electronic devices and destroy the tandem structure of Si QD-based third-generation solar cells, our results are highly relevant to the development of the third-generation all-Si tandem photovoltaic solar cells.« less

  16. Increased size selectivity of Si quantum dots on SiC at low substrate temperatures: An ion-assisted self-organization approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seo, D. H.; Rider, A. E.; Das Arulsamy, A.; Levchenko, I.; Ostrikov, K.

    2010-01-01

    A simple, effective, and innovative approach based on ion-assisted self-organization is proposed to synthesize size-selected Si quantum dots (QDs) on SiC substrates at low substrate temperatures. Using hybrid numerical simulations, the formation of Si QDs through a self-organization approach is investigated by taking into account two distinct cases of Si QD formation using the ionization energy approximation theory, which considers ionized in-fluxes containing Si3+ and Si1+ ions in the presence of a microscopic nonuniform electric field induced by a variable surface bias. The results show that the highest percentage of the surface coverage by 1 and 2 nm size-selected QDs was achieved using a bias of -20 V and ions in the lowest charge state, namely, Si1+ ions in a low substrate temperature range (227-327 °C). As low substrate temperatures (≤500 °C) are desirable from a technological point of view, because (i) low-temperature deposition techniques are compatible with current thin-film Si-based solar cell fabrication and (ii) high processing temperatures can frequently cause damage to other components in electronic devices and destroy the tandem structure of Si QD-based third-generation solar cells, our results are highly relevant to the development of the third-generation all-Si tandem photovoltaic solar cells.

  17. Novel hybrid III:V concentrator photovoltaic-thermoelectric receiver designs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sweet, Tracy K. N.; Rolley, Matthew H.; Prest, Martin J.; Min, Gao

    2017-09-01

    This paper presents the design, manufacture and electrical characterization of novel hybrid III:V Concentrator Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric receivers. Addition of an encapsulating and spectral homogenizing single active surface secondary optic lens increased the solar cell electrical power output from 7.66mW (ALPHA no cooling) to 18.20mW (KAPPA with TE cooling). The effective optical concentration of the optics, based on short circuit current, was x2.4. A linear irradiance vs maximum power receiver output relationship was observed (R2=0.9978), confirming good optical alignment during manufacture and likewise internal current matching of the series-connected triple-junction cell. An in-depth COMSOL model for simulated evaluation of the synergistic thermally-dependent parameters inherent to hybrid devices was built and experimentally validated.

  18. Analysis of Electrical Characteristics of Thin Film Photovoltaic Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kasick, Michael P.

    2004-01-01

    Solar energy is the most abundant form of energy in many terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. Often in extraterrestrial environments sunlight is the only readily available form of energy. Thus the ability to efficiently harness solar energy is one of the ultimate goals in the design of space power systems. The essential component that converts solar energy into electrical energy in a solar energy based power system is the photovoltaic cell. Traditionally, photovoltaic cells are based on a single crystal silicon absorber. While silicon is a well understood technology and yields high efficiency, there are inherent disadvantages to using single crystal materials. The requirements of weight, large planar surfaces, and high manufacturing costs make large silicon cells prohibitively expensive for use in certain applications. Because of silicon s disadvantages, there is considerable ongoing research into alternative photovoltaic technologies. In particular, thin film photovoltaic technologies exhibit a promising future in space power systems. While they are less mature than silicon, the better radiation hardness, reduced weight, ease of manufacturing, low material cost, and the ability to use virtually any exposed surface as a substrate makes thin film technologies very attractive for space applications. The research group lead by Dr. Hepp has spent several years researching copper indium disulfide as an absorber material for use in thin film photovoltaic cells. While the group has succeeded in developing a single source precursor for CuInS2 as well as a unique method of aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition, the resulting cells have not achieved adequate efficiencies. While efficiencies of 11 % have been demonstrated with CuInS2 based cells, the cells produced by this group have shown efficiencies of approximately 1 %. Thus, current research efforts are turning towards the analysis of the individual layers of these cells, as well as the junctions between

  19. The SMS3D photovoltaic concentrator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cvetković, Aleksandra; Hernandez, Maikel; Benítez, Pablo; Miñano, Juan Carlos; Schwartz, Joel; Plesniak, Adam; Jones, Russ; Whelan, David

    2008-08-01

    A novel photovoltaic concentrator is presented. The goal is to achieve high concentration design with high efficiency and high acceptance angle that in the same time is compact and convenient for thermal and mechanical management [1]. This photovoltaic system is based on 1 cm2 multi-junction tandem solar cells and an XR concentrator. The XR concentrator in this system is an SMS 3D design formed by one reflective (X) and one refractive (R) free-form surfaces (i.e., without rotational or linear symmetry) and has been chosen for its excellent aspect ratio and for its ability to perform near the thermodynamic limit. It is a mirror-lens device that has no shadowing elements and has square entry aperture (the whole system aperture area is used for collecting light). This large acceptance angle relaxes the manufacturing tolerances of all the optical and mechanical components of the system included the concentrator itself and is one of the keys to get a cost competitive photovoltaic generator. For the geometrical concentration of 1000x the simulation results show the acceptance angle of +/-1.8 deg. The irradiance distribution on the cell is achieved with ultra-short homogenizing prism, whose size is optimised to keep the maximum values under the ones that the cell can accept. The application of the XR optics to high-concentration is being developed in a consortium leaded by The Boeing Company, which has been awarded a project by US DOE in the framework of the Solar America Initiative.

  20. Silicon material technology status. [assessment for electronic and photovoltaic applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lutwack, R.

    1983-01-01

    Silicon has been the basic element for the electronic and photovoltaic industries. The use of silicon as the primary element for terrestrial photovoltaic solar arrays is projected to continue. The reasons for this projection are related to the maturity of silicon technology, the ready availability of extremely pure silicon, the performance of silicon solar cells, and the considerable present investment in technology and manufacturing facilities. The technologies for producing semiconductor grade silicon and, to a lesser extent, refined metallurgical grade silicon are considered. It is pointed out that nearly all of the semiconductor grade silicon is produced by processes based on the Siemens deposition reactor, a technology developed 26 years ago. The state-of-the-art for producing silicon by this process is discussed. It is expected that efforts to reduce polysilicon process costs will continue.

  1. High sensitive position-dependent photodetection observed in Cu-covered Si nanopyramids.

    PubMed

    Mei, Chunlian; Zou, Jiaren; Huang, Xu; Zou, Bugao; Zhou, Peiqi; Gan, Zhikai; Hu, Jieqiong; Zhang, Qian; Wang, Hui

    2018-05-18

    Silicon nanopyramids with the excellent ability of light absorption have been mostly reported in solar cells. Here, we report an obviously enhanced lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) in copper-nanoparticle-covered random Si nanopyramids (Cu@Si-pyramid). Remarkable photoelectric responses are achieved in broadband from 405 to 780 nm. Furthermore, a prominent LPE is double-enhanced from 74.0 to 157.9 mV mm -1 when the linear region decreases from 3 to 1 mm. Finite-difference time-domain simulation is applied to investigate the origin of the exceptional results. This work declares a position-sensitive property of Si-nanopyramid systems and proposes promising applications to photodetections based on LPE.

  2. High sensitive position-dependent photodetection observed in Cu-covered Si nanopyramids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mei, Chunlian; Zou, Jiaren; Huang, Xu; Zou, Bugao; Zhou, Peiqi; Gan, Zhikai; Hu, Jieqiong; Zhang, Qian; Wang, Hui

    2018-05-01

    Silicon nanopyramids with the excellent ability of light absorption have been mostly reported in solar cells. Here, we report an obviously enhanced lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) in copper-nanoparticle-covered random Si nanopyramids (Cu@Si-pyramid). Remarkable photoelectric responses are achieved in broadband from 405 to 780 nm. Furthermore, a prominent LPE is double-enhanced from 74.0 to 157.9 mV mm‑1 when the linear region decreases from 3 to 1 mm. Finite-difference time-domain simulation is applied to investigate the origin of the exceptional results. This work declares a position-sensitive property of Si-nanopyramid systems and proposes promising applications to photodetections based on LPE.

  3. Optimizing non-radiative energy transfer in hybrid colloidal-nanocrystal/silicon structures by controlled nanopillar architectures for future photovoltaic cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seitz, O.; Caillard, L.; Nguyen, H. M.; Chiles, C.; Chabal, Y. J.; Malko, A. V.

    2012-01-01

    To optimize colloidal nanocrystals/Si hybrid structures, nanopillars are prepared and organized via microparticle patterning and Si etching. A monolayer of CdSe nanocrystals is then grafted on the passivated oxide-free nanopillar surfaces, functionalized with carboxy-alkyl chain linkers. This process results to a negligible number of non-radiative surface state defects with a tightly controlled separation between the nanocrystals and Si. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements confirm the close-packing nanocrystal arrangement and the dominance of non-radiative energy transfer from nanocrystals to Si. We suggest that radially doped p-n junction devices based on energy transfer offer a viable approach for thin film photovoltaic devices.

  4. Photoluminescence Imaging and LBIC Characterization of Defects in mc-Si Solar Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez, L. A.; Moretón, A.; Guada, M.; Rodríguez-Conde, S.; Martínez, O.; González, M. A.; Jiménez, J.

    2018-05-01

    Today's photovoltaic market is dominated by multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) based solar cells with around 70% of worldwide production. In order to improve the quality of the Si material, a proper characterization of the electrical activity in mc-Si solar cells is essential. A full-wafer characterization technique such as photoluminescence imaging (PLi) provides a fast inspection of the wafer defects, though at the expense of the spatial resolution. On the other hand, a study of the defects at a microscopic scale can be achieved through the light-beam induced current technique. The combination of these macroscopic and microscopic resolution techniques allows a detailed study of the electrical activity of defects in mc-Si solar cells. In this work, upgraded metallurgical-grade Si solar cells are studied using these two techniques.

  5. Thermo-Mechanical Properties of SiC/SiC Composites with Hybrid CVI-PIP Matrices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bhatt, R. T.; DiCarlo, J. A.

    2004-01-01

    For long term structural service, the upper temperature capability for slurry-cast melt infiltrated (MI) SiC/SiC composites is limited to approx. 1315 C because of silicon reaction with the SiC fibers. For applications requiring material temperatures in excess of 1315 C, alternate methods of manufacturing the SiC matrices without silicon are being investigated, such as a hybrid combination of CVI and PIP. In this study, stacked fabric plies of Sylramic i-BN SiC fibers were coated with a CVI BN interface layer followed by a partial CVI SiC matrix. The remaining porosity in the SiC/SiC preforms was then infiltrated with silicon carbide matrix by PIP. Thermo-mechanical property measurements indicate that these composites are stable to 1700 C in inert environments under no load conditions for 100 h and under load conditions to 1450 C in air for 300 h. The advantages, disadvantages, and potential of this composite system for high temperature applications will be discussed.

  6. Ultrashort-pulsed laser processing and solution based coating in roll-to-roll manufacturing of organic photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hördemann, C.; Hirschfelder, K.; Schaefer, M.; Gillner, A.

    2015-09-01

    The breakthrough of flexible organic electronics and especially organic photovoltaics is highly dependent on cost-efficient production technologies. Roll-2-Roll processes show potential for a promising solution in terms of high throughput and low-cost production of thin film organic components. Solution based material deposition and integrated laser patterning processes offer new possibilities for versatile production lines. The use of flexible polymeric substrates brings along challenges in laser patterning which have to be overcome. One main challenge when patterning transparent conductive layers on polymeric substrates are material bulges at the edges of the ablated area. Bulges can lead to short circuits in the layer system leading to device failure. Therefore following layers have to have a sufficient thickness to cover and smooth the ridge. In order to minimize the bulging height, a study has been carried out on transparent conductive ITO layers on flexible PET substrates. Ablation results using different beam shapes, such as Gaussian beam, Top-Hat beam and Donut-shaped beam, as well as multi-pass scribing and double-pulsed ablation are compared. Furthermore, lab scale methods for cleaning the patterned layer and eliminating bulges are contrasted to the use of additional water based sacrificial layers in order to obtain an alternative procedure suitable for large scale Roll-2-Roll manufacturing. Besides progress in research, ongoing transfer of laser processes into a Roll-2-Roll demonstrator is illustrated. By using fixed optical elements in combination with a galvanometric scanner, scribing, variable patterning and edge deletion can be performed individually.

  7. Understanding the cell-to-module efficiency gap in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 photovoltaics scale-up

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bermudez, Veronica; Perez-Rodriguez, Alejandro

    2018-06-01

    Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) solar cells show record efficiencies comparable to those of crystalline Si-based technologies. Their industrial module production costs are also comparable to those of Si photovoltaics in spite of their much lower production volume. However, the competitiveness of CIGS is compromised by the difference in performance between cell and module scales, known as the cell-to-module efficiency gap, which is significantly higher than in competing industrial photovoltaic technologies. In this Review, we quantify the main cell-to-module efficiency loss mechanisms and discuss the various strategies explored in academia and industry to reduce the efficiency gap: new transparent conductive oxides, hybrid modularization approaches and the use of wide-bandgap solar absorbers in the 1.4-1.5 eV range. To implement these strategies, research gaps relating to various device layers need to be filled.

  8. Enhanced Visible Photovoltaic Response of TiO₂ Thin Film with an All-Inorganic Donor-Acceptor Type Polyoxometalate.

    PubMed

    Li, Jian-Sheng; Sang, Xiao-Jing; Chen, Wei-Lin; Zhang, Lan-Cui; Zhu, Zai-Ming; Ma, Teng-Ying; Su, Zhong-Min; Wang, En-Bo

    2015-06-24

    In the field of material chemistry, it is of great significance to develop abundant and sustainable materials for solar energy harvesting and management. Herein, after evaluating the energy band characteristics of 13 kinds of polyoxometalates (POMs), the trisubstituted POM compound K6H4[α-SiW9O37Co3(H2O)3]·17H2O (SiW9Co3) was first studied due to its relatively smaller band gap (2.23 eV) and higher lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level (-0.63 V vs NHE). Additionally, the preliminary computational modeling indicated that SiW9Co3 exhibited the donor-acceptor (D-A) structure, in which the cobalt oxygen clusters and tungsten skeletons act as the electron donor and electron acceptor, respectively. By employing SiW9Co3 to modify the TiO2 film, the visible photovoltaic and photocurrent response were both enhanced, and the light-induced photocurrent at 420 nm was improved by 7.1 times. Moreover, the highly dispersive and small sized SiW9Co3 nanoclusters loading on TiO2 were successfully achieved by fabricating the nanocomposite film of {TiO2/SiW9Co3}3 with the layer-by-layer method, which can result in the photovoltaic performance enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), of which the overall power conversion efficiency was improved by 25.6% from 6.79% to 8.53% through the synergistic effect of POMs and Ru-complex.

  9. Method for manufacturing whisker preforms and composites

    DOEpatents

    Lessing, Paul A.

    1995-01-01

    A process for manufacturing Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 /SiAlON whiskers by mixing silicon carbide powder with aluminum nitride powder, adding impurities such as calcium oxide or potassium chloride to control whisker characteristics, forming the mixture in a boron nitrogen mold of desired shaped and hot isostatically pressing the formed mixture in a nitrogen environment to produce whiskers comprised substantially of SiAlON at the nucleating end of the whisker and Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 at the other end of the whisker. In one embodiment, reinforced composites are formed by impregnating the Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 /SiAlON whisker preform with a matrix material such as resin binders, liquid metals, intermetallics or ceramic materials.

  10. Method for manufacturing whisker preforms and composites

    DOEpatents

    Lessing, P.A.

    1995-11-07

    A process is disclosed for manufacturing Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}/SiAlON whiskers by mixing silicon carbide powder with aluminum nitride powder, adding impurities such as calcium oxide or potassium chloride to control whisker characteristics, forming the mixture in a boron nitrogen mold of desired shaped and hot isostatically pressing the formed mixture in a nitrogen environment to produce whiskers comprised substantially of SiAlON at the nucleating end of the whisker and Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} at the other end of the whisker. In one embodiment, reinforced composites are formed by impregnating the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}/SiAlON whisker preform with a matrix material such as resin binders, liquid metals, intermetallics or ceramic materials.

  11. Manufacture of sintered silicon nitrides

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Iwai, T.

    1985-01-01

    Sintered silicon nitrides are manufactured by sintering Si3N powder containing 2 to 15% in wt of a powder mixture composed of nitride powder of lanthanide or Y 100 parts and AIN powder less than 100 parts at 1500 to 1900 deg. temperature under a pressure of less than 200 Kg/sq. cm. The sintered Si3N has high mechanical strength in high temperature. Thus, Si3N4 93.0, Y 5.0 and AlN 2.0% in weight were wet mixed in acetone in N atom, molded and sintered at 1750 deg. and 1000 Kg/sq. cm. to give a sintered body having high hardness.

  12. Ultralight monolithic photovoltaic modules of amorphous silicon alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanak, J. J.

    A process has been developed for fabrication of roll-up, monolithic, photovoltaic (PV) modules made of amorphous silicon (a-Si) alloys. They consist of tandem-junction solar cells deposited by a continuous, roll-to-roll process onto thin, foil substrates of bare metal, high temperature resin, or metal coated with insulators. They have the following characteristics: size, up to 71 cm x 30.5 cm; total thickness, 8 to 50 microns, power-to-weight and power-to-volume ratios at AM1, 2.4 kW/kg and 6.5 MW/cu m, respectively. Cells of a-Si alloys are up to 100 times as tolerant to irradiation with 1 MeV protons than crystalline cells and the damage is easily annealable. The modules have high power density and stability, they are portable, stowable, deployable, retractable, tolerant to radiation and meteorite or projectile impact, and attractive for terrestrial and aerospace applications.

  13. Solar Photovoltaic Array With Mini-Dome Fresnel Lenses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Piszczor, Michael F., Jr.; O'Neill, Mark J.

    1994-01-01

    Mini-dome Fresnel lenses concentrate sunlight onto individual photovoltaic cells. Facets of Fresnel lens designed to refract incident light at angle of minimum deviation to minimize reflective losses. Prismatic cover on surface of each cell reduces losses by redirecting incident light away from metal contacts toward bulk of semiconductor, where it is usefully absorbed. Simple design of mini-dome concentrator array easily adaptable to automated manufacturing techniques currently used by semiconductor industry. Attractive option for variety of future space missions.

  14. Performance comparison investigation on solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric generation and solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric cooling hybrid systems under different conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Shuang-Ying; Zhang, Yi-Chen; Xiao, Lan; Shen, Zu-Guo

    2018-07-01

    The performance of solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric generation hybrid system (PV-TGS) and solar photovoltaic-thermoelectric cooling hybrid system (PV-TCS) under different conditions were theoretically analysed and compared. To test the practicality of these two hybrid systems, the performance of stand-alone PV system was also studied. The results show that PV-TGS and PV-TCS in most cases will result in the system with a better performance than stand-alone PV system. The advantage of PV-TGS is emphasised in total output power and conversion efficiency which is even poorer in PV-TCS than that in stand-alone PV system at the ambient wind speed uw being below 3 m/s. However, PV-TCS has obvious advantage on lowering the temperature of PV cell. There is an obvious increase in tendency on the performance of PV-TGS and PV-TCS when the cooling capacity of two hybrid systems varies from around 0.06 to 0.3 W/K. And it is also proved that not just a-Si in PV-TGS can produce a better performance than the stand-alone PV system alone at most cases.

  15. A Wearable All-Solid Photovoltaic Textile.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Nannan; Chen, Jun; Huang, Yi; Guo, Wanwan; Yang, Jin; Du, Jun; Fan, Xing; Tao, Changyuan

    2016-01-13

    A solution is developed to power portable electronics in a wearable manner by fabricating an all-solid photovoltaic textile. In a similar way to plants absorbing solar energy for photosynthesis, humans can wear the as-fabricated photovoltaic textile to harness solar energy for powering small electronic devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Engineered Emitters for Improved Silicon Photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamat, Ronak A.

    In 2014, installation of 5.3GW of new Photovoltaic (PV) systems occurred in the United States, raising the total installed capacity to 16.36GW. Strong growth is predicted for the domestic PV market with analysts reporting goals of 696GW by 2020. Conventional single crystalline silicon cells are the technology of choice, accounting for 90% of the installations in the global commercial market. Cells made of GaAs offer higher efficiencies, but at a substantially higher cost. Thin film technologies such as CIGS and CdTe compete favorably with multi-crystalline Si (u-Si), but at 20% efficiency, still lag the c-Si cell in performance. The c-Si cell can be fabricated to operate at approximately 25% efficiency, but commercially the efficiencies are in the 18-21% range, which is a direct result of cost trade-offs between process complexity and rapid throughput. With the current cost of c-Si cell modules at nearly 0.60/W. The technology is well below the historic metric of 1/W for economic viability. The result is that more complex processes, once cost-prohibitive, may now be viable. An example is Panasonic's HIT cell which operates in the 22-24% efficiency range. To facilitate research and development of novel PV materials and techniques, RIT has developed a basic solar cell fabrication process. Student projects prior to this work had produced cells with 12.8% efficiency using p type substrates. This thesis reports on recent work to improve cell efficiencies while simultaneously expanding the capability of the rapid prototyping process. In addition to the p-Si substrates, cells have been produced using n-Si substrates. The cell emitter, which is often done with a single diffusion or implant has been re-engineered using a dual implant of the same dose. This dual-implanted emitter has been shown to lower contact resistance, increase Voc, and increase the efficiency. A p-Si substrate cell has been fabricated with an efficiency of 14.6% and n-Si substrate cell with a 13

  17. Photovoltaic battery & charge controller market & applications survey. An evaluation of the photovoltaic system market for 1995

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hammond, R.L.; Turpin, J.F.; Corey, G.P.

    1996-12-01

    Under the sponsorship of the Department of Energy, Office of Utility Technologies, the Battery Analysis and Evaluation Department and the Photovoltaic System Assistance Center of Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) initiated a U.S. industry-wide PV Energy Storage System Survey. Arizona State University (ASU) was contracted by SNL in June 1995 to conduct the survey. The survey included three separate segments tailored to: (a) PV system integrators, (b) battery manufacturers, and (c) PV charge controller manufacturers. The overall purpose of the survey was to: (a) quantify the market for batteries shipped with (or for) PV systems in 1995, (b) quantify the PVmore » market segments by battery type and application for PV batteries, (c) characterize and quantify the charge controllers used in PV systems, (d) characterize the operating environment for energy storage components in PV systems, and (e) estimate the PV battery market for the year 2000. All three segments of the survey were mailed in January 1996. This report discusses the purpose, methodology, results, and conclusions of the survey.« less

  18. Byproduct mineral commodities used for the production of photovoltaic cells

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bleiwas, Donald I.

    2010-01-01

    Rising fossil fuel costs, environmental concerns relating to global climate change, and Government policy to signifcantly increase our Nation's energy independence have placed greater emphasis on the generation of electricity from renewable sources, such as the Sun (light and heat), water, and wind, which for all intents and purposes are inexhaustible resources. Although the total amount of electricity generated from the direct conversion of sunlight through photovoltaic cells is relatively small compared with that from other forms of renewable energy, the rate of growth in the sector is signifcant. The total value of energy of photovoltaic cells produced worldwide increased to nearly 7 gigawatts (GW) in 2008 from 45 megawatts (MW) in 1990, a compound annual growth rate of about 30 percent. In the United States, manufacturing of photovoltaic cells has grown exponentially to about 480 MW in 2008, accounting for 6 percent of world production, from less than 10 MW of photovoltaic capacity in 1990 (Benner, 2007; U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2010), a compound annual growth rate of approxi-mately 23 percent. A production capacity of 1 GW of electricity [or 8,760 gigawatthours1 (GWh)] is equivalent to the annual electricity requirements for roughly 800,000 average households in the United States (U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2010). This estimate does not include losses of electricity, such as during transmission through power lines.

  19. Assessment of the technology required to develop photovoltaic power system for large scale national energy applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lutwack, R.

    1974-01-01

    A technical assessment of a program to develop photovoltaic power system technology for large-scale national energy applications was made by analyzing and judging the alternative candidate photovoltaic systems and development tasks. A program plan was constructed based on achieving the 10 year objective of a program to establish the practicability of large-scale terrestrial power installations using photovoltaic conversion arrays costing less than $0.50/peak W. Guidelines for the tasks of a 5 year program were derived from a set of 5 year objectives deduced from the 10 year objective. This report indicates the need for an early emphasis on the development of the single-crystal Si photovoltaic system for commercial utilization; a production goal of 5 x 10 to the 8th power peak W/year of $0.50 cells was projected for the year 1985. The developments of other photovoltaic conversion systems were assigned to longer range development roles. The status of the technology developments and the applicability of solar arrays in particular power installations, ranging from houses to central power plants, was scheduled to be verified in a series of demonstration projects. The budget recommended for the first 5 year phase of the program is $268.5M.

  20. Customized color patterning of photovoltaic cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Nielson, Gregory N.; Okandan, Murat

    Photovoltaic cells and photovoltaic modules, as well as methods of making and using such photovoltaic cells and photovoltaic modules, are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the photovoltaic cells selectively reflect visible light to provide the photovoltaic cells with a colorized appearance. Photovoltaic modules combining colorized photovoltaic cells may be used to harvest solar energy while providing a customized appearance, e.g., an image or pattern.

  1. Flexo-photovoltaic effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Ming-Min; Kim, Dong Jik; Alexe, Marin

    2018-05-01

    It is highly desirable to discover photovoltaic mechanisms that enable enhanced efficiency of solar cells. Here we report that the bulk photovoltaic effect, which is free from the thermodynamic Shockley-Queisser limit but usually manifested only in noncentrosymmetric (piezoelectric or ferroelectric) materials, can be realized in any semiconductor, including silicon, by mediation of flexoelectric effect. We used either an atomic force microscope or a micrometer-scale indentation system to introduce strain gradients, thus creating very large photovoltaic currents from centrosymmetric single crystals of strontium titanate, titanium dioxide, and silicon. This strain gradient–induced bulk photovoltaic effect, which we call the flexo-photovoltaic effect, functions in the absence of a p-n junction. This finding may extend present solar cell technologies by boosting the solar energy conversion efficiency from a wide pool of established semiconductors.

  2. Effectively Transparent Front Contacts for Optoelectronic Devices

    DOE PAGES

    Saive, Rebecca; Borsuk, Aleca M.; Emmer, Hal S.; ...

    2016-06-10

    Effectively transparent front contacts for optoelectronic devices achieve a measured transparency of up to 99.9% and a measured sheet resistance of 4.8 Ω sq-1. These 3D microscale triangular cross-section grid fingers redirect incoming photons efficiently to the active semiconductor area and can replace standard grid fingers as well as transparent conductive oxide layers in optoelectronic devices. Optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes, photodiodes, and solar cells play an important and expanding role in modern technology. Photovoltaics is one of the largest optoelectronic industry sectors and an ever-increasing component of the world's rapidly growing renewable carbon-free electricity generation infrastructure. Inmore » recent years, the photovoltaics field has dramatically expanded owing to the large-scale manufacture of inexpensive crystalline Si and thin film cells and modules. The current record efficiency (η = 25.6%) Si solar cell utilizes a heterostructure intrinsic thin layer (HIT) design[1] to enable increased open circuit voltage, while more mass-manufacturable solar cell architectures feature front contacts.[2, 3] Thus improved solar cell front contact designs are important for future large-scale photovoltaics with even higher efficiency.« less

  3. Thermionic photovoltaic energy converter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chubb, D. L. (Inventor)

    1985-01-01

    A thermionic photovoltaic energy conversion device comprises a thermionic diode mounted within a hollow tubular photovoltaic converter. The thermionic diode maintains a cesium discharge for producing excited atoms that emit line radiation in the wavelength region of 850 nm to 890 nm. The photovoltaic converter is a silicon or gallium arsenide photovoltaic cell having bandgap energies in this same wavelength region for optimum cell efficiency.

  4. Fast Pulling of n-Type Si Ingots for Enhanced Si Solar Cell Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kwanghun; Park, Sanghyun; Park, Jaechang; Pang, Ilsun; Ryu, Sangwoo; Oh, Jihun

    2018-07-01

    Reducing the manufacturing costs of silicon substrates is an important issue in the silicon-based solar cell industry. In this study, we developed a high-throughput ingot growth method by accelerating the pulling speed in the Czochralski process. By controlling the heat flow of the ingot growth chamber and at the solid-liquid interfaces, the pulling speed of an ingot could be increased by 15% compared to the conventional method, while retaining high quality. The wafer obtained at a high pulling speed showed an enhanced minority carrier lifetime compared with conventional wafers, due to the vacancy passivation effect, and also demonstrated comparable bulk resistivity and impurities. The results in this work are expected to open a new way to enhance the productivity of Si wafers used for Si solar cells, and therefore, to reduce the overall manufacturing cost.

  5. Fast Pulling of n-Type Si Ingots for Enhanced Si Solar Cell Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kwanghun; Park, Sanghyun; Park, Jaechang; Pang, Ilsun; Ryu, Sangwoo; Oh, Jihun

    2018-03-01

    Reducing the manufacturing costs of silicon substrates is an important issue in the silicon-based solar cell industry. In this study, we developed a high-throughput ingot growth method by accelerating the pulling speed in the Czochralski process. By controlling the heat flow of the ingot growth chamber and at the solid-liquid interfaces, the pulling speed of an ingot could be increased by 15% compared to the conventional method, while retaining high quality. The wafer obtained at a high pulling speed showed an enhanced minority carrier lifetime compared with conventional wafers, due to the vacancy passivation effect, and also demonstrated comparable bulk resistivity and impurities. The results in this work are expected to open a new way to enhance the productivity of Si wafers used for Si solar cells, and therefore, to reduce the overall manufacturing cost.

  6. Additive Manufacturing of AlSi10Mg Alloy Using Direct Energy Deposition: Microstructure and Hardness Characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Javidani, M.; Arreguin-Zavala, J.; Danovitch, J.; Tian, Y.; Brochu, M.

    2017-04-01

    This paper aims to study the manufacturing of the AlSi10Mg alloy with direct energy deposition (DED) process. Following fabrication, the macro- and microstructural evolution of the as-processed specimens was initially investigated using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Columnar dendritic structure was the dominant solidification feature of the deposit; nevertheless, detailed microstructural analysis revealed cellular morphology near the substrate and equiaxed dendrites at the top end of the deposit. Moreover, the microstructural morphology in the melt pool boundary of the deposit differed from the one in the core of the layers. The remaining porosity of the deposit was evaluated by Archimedes' principle and by image analysis of the polished surface. Crystallographic texture in the deposit was also assessed using electron backscatter diffraction and x-ray diffraction analysis. The dendrites were unidirectionally oriented at an angle of 80° to the substrate. EPMA line scans were performed to evaluate the compositional variation and elemental segregation in different locations. Eventually, microhardness (HV) tests were conducted in order to study the hardness gradient in the as-DED-processed specimen along the deposition direction. The presented results, which exhibited a deposit with an almost defect free structure, indicate that the DED process can suitable for the deposition of Al-Si-based alloys with a highly consolidated structure.

  7. Effect of strain on the Curie temperature and band structure of low-dimensional SbSI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yiping; Hu, Yang; Chen, Zhizhong; Guo, Yuwei; Wang, Dong; Wertz, Esther A.; Shi, Jian

    2018-04-01

    Photoferroelectric materials show great promise for developing alternative photovoltaics and photovoltaic-type non-volatile memories. However, the localized nature of the d orbital and large bandgap of most natural photoferroelectric materials lead to low electron/hole mobility and limit the realization of technologically practical devices. Antimony sulpho-iodide (SbSI) is a photoferroelectric material which is expected to have high electron/hole mobility in the ferroelectric state due to its non-local band dispersion and narrow bandgap. However, SbSI exhibits the paraelectric state close to room temperature. In this report, as a proof of concept, we explore the possibility to stabilize the SbSI ferroelectric phase above room temperature via mechanical strain engineering. We synthesized thin low-dimensional crystals of SbSI by chemical vapor deposition, confirmed its crystal structure with electron diffraction, studied its optical properties via photoluminescence spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, and probed its phase transition using temperature-dependent steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy. We found that introducing external mechanical strain to these low-dimensional crystals may lead to an increase in their Curie temperature (by ˜60 K), derived by the strain-modified optical phase transition in SbSI and quantified by Kern formulation and Landau theory. The study suggests that strain engineering could be an effective way to stabilize the ferroelectric phase of SbSI at above room temperature, providing a solution enabling its application for technologically useful photoferroelectric devices.

  8. Fabrication of low reflective nanopore-type black Si layer using one-step Ni-assisted chemical etching for Si solar cell application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takaloo, AshkanVakilipour; Kolahdouz, Mohammadreza; Poursafar, Jafar; Es, Firat; Turan, Rasit; Ki-Joo, Seung

    2018-03-01

    Nanotextured Si fabricated through metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) technique exhibits a promising potential for producing antireflective layer for photovoltaic (PV) application. In this study, a novel single-step nickel (Ni) assisted etching technique was applied to produce an antireflective, nonporous Si (black Si) in an aqueous solution containing hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and NiSO4 at 40 °C. Field emission scanning electron microscope was used to characterize different morphologies of the textured Si. Optical reflection measurements of samples were carried out to compare the reflectivity of different morphologies. Results indicated that vertical as well as horizontal pores with nanosized diameters were bored in the Si wafer after 1 h treatment in the etching solution containing different molar ratios of H2O2 to HF. Increasing H2O2 concentration in electrochemical etching solution had a considerable influence on the morphology due to higher injection of positive charges from Ni atoms onto the Si surface. Optimized concentration of H2O2 led to formation of an antireflective layer with 2.1% reflectance of incident light.

  9. Characterization of solar-grade silicon produced by the SiF4-Na process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sanjurjo, A.; Sancier, K. M.; Emerson, R. M.; Leach, S. C.; Minahan, J.

    1986-01-01

    A process was developed for producing low cost solar grade silicon by the reaction between SiF4 gas and sodium metal. The results of the characterization of the silicon are presented. These results include impurity levels, electronic properties of the silicon after crystal growth, and the performance of solar photovoltaic cells fabricated from wafers of the single crystals. The efficiency of the solar cells fabricated from semiconductor silicon and SiF4-Na silicon was the same.

  10. Photovoltaic cell

    DOEpatents

    Gordon, Roy G.; Kurtz, Sarah

    1984-11-27

    In a photovoltaic cell structure containing a visibly transparent, electrically conductive first layer of metal oxide, and a light-absorbing semiconductive photovoltaic second layer, the improvement comprising a thin layer of transition metal nitride, carbide or boride interposed between said first and second layers.

  11. The free form XR photovoltaic concentrator: a high performance SMS3D design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cvetkovic, Aleksandra; Hernandez, Maikel; Benítez, Pablo; Miñano, Juan C.; Schwartz, Joel; Plesniak, Adam; Jones, Russ; Whelan, David

    2008-08-01

    A novel photovoltaic concentrator is presented. The goal is to achieve high concentration design with high efficiency and high acceptance angle that in the same time is compact and convenient for thermal and mechanical management. This photovoltaic system is based on 1 cm2 multi-junction tandem solar cells and an XR concentrator. The XR concentrator in this system is an SMS 3D design formed by one reflective (X) and one refractive (R) free-form surfaces (i.e., without rotational or linear symmetry) and has been chosen for its excellent aspect ratio and for its ability to perform near the thermodynamic limit. It is a mirror-lens device that has no shadowing elements and has square entry aperture (the whole system aperture area is used for collecting light). This large acceptance angle relaxes the manufacturing tolerances of all the optical and mechanical components of the system included the concentrator itself and is one of the keys to get a cost competitive photovoltaic generator. For the geometrical concentration of 1000x the simulation results show the acceptance angle of +/-1.8 deg. The irradiance distribution on the cell is achieved with ultra-short homogenizing prism, whose size is optimised to keep the maximum values under the ones that the cell can accept. The application of the XR optics to high-concentration is being developed in a consortium leaded by The Boeing Company, which has been awarded a project by US DOE in the framework of the Solar America Initiative.

  12. Indium-tin-oxide nanowhiskers crystalline silicon photovoltaics combining micro- and nano-scale surface textures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, C. H.; Hsu, M. H.; Chang, W. L.; Sun, W. C.; Yu, Peichen

    2011-02-01

    In this work, we present a solution that employs combined micro- and nano-scale surface textures to increase light harvesting in the near infrared for crystalline silicon photovoltaics, and discuss the associated antireflection and scattering mechanisms. The combined surface textures are achieved by uniformly depositing a layer of indium-tin-oxide nanowhiskers on passivated, micro-grooved silicon solar cells using electron-beam evaporation. The nanowhiskers facilitate optical transmission in the near-infrared, which is optically equivalent to a stack of two dielectric thin-films with step- and graded- refractive index profiles. The ITO nanowhiskers provide broadband anti-reflective properties (R<5%) in the wavelength range of 350-1100nm. In comparison with conventional Si solar cell, the combined surface texture solar cell shows higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the range of 700-1100nm. Moreover, the ITO nano-whisker coating Si solar cell shows a high total efficiency increase of 1.1% (from 16.08% to17.18%). Furthermore, the nano-whiskers also provide strong forward scattering for ultraviolet and visible light, favorable in thin-wafer silicon photovoltaics to increase the optical absorption path.

  13. Polycrystalline silicon availability for photovoltaic and semiconductor industries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferber, R. R.; Costogue, E. N.; Pellin, R.

    1982-01-01

    Markets, applications, and production techniques for Siemens process-produced polycrystalline silicon are surveyed. It is noted that as of 1982 a total of six Si materials suppliers were servicing a worldwide total of over 1000 manufacturers of Si-based devices. Besides solar cells, the Si wafers are employed for thyristors, rectifiers, bipolar power transistors, and discrete components for control systems. An estimated 3890 metric tons of semiconductor-grade polycrystalline Si will be used in 1982, and 6200 metric tons by 1985. Although the amount is expected to nearly triple between 1982-89, research is being carried out on the formation of thin films and ribbons for solar cells, thereby eliminating the waste produced in slicing Czolchralski-grown crystals. The free-world Si production in 1982 is estimated to be 3050 metric tons. Various new technologies for the formation of polycrystalline Si at lower costs and with less waste are considered. New entries into the industrial Si formation field are projected to produce a 2000 metric ton excess by 1988.

  14. A status review of photovoltaic power conversion equipment reliability, safety, and quality assurance protocols

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hacke, Peter; Lokanath, Sumanth; Williams, Paul

    Data indicate that the inverter is the element of the photovoltaic plant that has the highest number of service calls and the greatest operation and maintenance cost burden. This paper describes the projects and relevant background needed in developing design qualification standards that would serve to establish a minimum level of reliability, along with a review of photovoltaic inverter quality and safety standards, most of which are in their infancy. We compare stresses and levels for accelerated testing of inverters proposed in the standard drafts, and those proposed by manufacturers and purchasers of inverters. We also review bases for themore » methods, stress types, and stress levels for durability testing of key inverter components. Many of the test protocols appear to need more comprehensive inclusion of stress factors existing in the natural environment such as wind driven rain, dust, and grid disturbances. Further understanding of how temperature, humidity ingress, and voltage bias affect the inverters and their components is also required. We provide data indicating inconsistent quality of the inverters and the durability of components leading to greater cost for the photovoltaic plant operator. Accordingly, the recommendation for data collection within quality standards for obtaining cost of ownership metrics is made. Design validation testing using realistic operation, environmental, and connection conditions, including under end-use field conditions with feedback for continuous improvement is recommended for inclusion within a quality standard.« less

  15. A status review of photovoltaic power conversion equipment reliability, safety, and quality assurance protocols

    DOE PAGES

    Hacke, Peter; Lokanath, Sumanth; Williams, Paul; ...

    2017-10-10

    Data indicate that the inverter is the element of the photovoltaic plant that has the highest number of service calls and the greatest operation and maintenance cost burden. This paper describes the projects and relevant background needed in developing design qualification standards that would serve to establish a minimum level of reliability, along with a review of photovoltaic inverter quality and safety standards, most of which are in their infancy. We compare stresses and levels for accelerated testing of inverters proposed in the standard drafts, and those proposed by manufacturers and purchasers of inverters. We also review bases for themore » methods, stress types, and stress levels for durability testing of key inverter components. Many of the test protocols appear to need more comprehensive inclusion of stress factors existing in the natural environment such as wind driven rain, dust, and grid disturbances. Further understanding of how temperature, humidity ingress, and voltage bias affect the inverters and their components is also required. We provide data indicating inconsistent quality of the inverters and the durability of components leading to greater cost for the photovoltaic plant operator. Accordingly, the recommendation for data collection within quality standards for obtaining cost of ownership metrics is made. Design validation testing using realistic operation, environmental, and connection conditions, including under end-use field conditions with feedback for continuous improvement is recommended for inclusion within a quality standard.« less

  16. BURNER RIG TESTING OF A500 C/SiC

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2018-03-17

    test program characterized the durability behavior of A500® C/SiC ceramic matrix composite material at room and elevated temperature . Specimens were...7 Figure 6. Typical Room- Temperature Tensile Stress-Versus-Strain Trace for As-Manufactured A500...Operation ......................................... 18 Figure 17. Example of the Burner Rig Temperature Profiles Used

  17. Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing monocrystalline cast silicon and monocrystalline cast silicon bodies for photovoltaics

    DOEpatents

    Stoddard, Nathan G [Gettysburg, PA

    2011-11-01

    Methods and apparatuses are provided for casting silicon for photovoltaic cells and other applications. With such methods and apparatuses, a cast body of monocrystalline silicon may be formed that is free of, or substantially free of, radially-distributed impurities and defects and having at least two dimensions that are each at least about 35 cm is provided.

  18. NREL Photovoltaic Program. FY 1994 annual report, October 1, 1993--September 30, 1994

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1995-06-01

    This report summarizes the in-house and subcontracted research and development activities under the National renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Photovoltaics (PV) program for fiscal year 1994. Research is organized under the following areas; PV program management; crystalline silicon and advanced devices; thin-film PV technologies; PV manufacturing; PV module and system performance and engineering; and PV applications and markets.

  19. Transparent ultraviolet photovoltaic cells.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xun; Shan, Chong-Xin; Lu, Ying-Jie; Xie, Xiu-Hua; Li, Bing-Hui; Wang, Shuang-Peng; Jiang, Ming-Ming; Shen, De-Zhen

    2016-02-15

    Photovoltaic cells have been fabricated from p-GaN/MgO/n-ZnO structures. The photovoltaic cells are transparent to visible light and can transform ultraviolet irradiation into electrical signals. The efficiency of the photovoltaic cells is 0.025% under simulated AM 1.5 illumination conditions, while it can reach 0.46% under UV illumination. By connecting several such photovoltaic cells in a series, light-emitting devices can be lighting. The photovoltaic cells reported in this Letter may promise the applications in glass of buildings to prevent UV irradiation and produce power for household appliances in the future.

  20. A sensitivity analysis of central flat-plate photovoltaic systems and implications for national photovoltaics program planning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crosetti, M. R.

    1985-01-01

    The sensitivity of the National Photovoltaic Research Program goals to changes in individual photovoltaic system parameters is explored. Using the relationship between lifetime cost and system performance parameters, tests were made to see how overall photovoltaic system energy costs are affected by changes in the goals set for module cost and efficiency, system component costs and efficiencies, operation and maintenance costs, and indirect costs. The results are presented in tables and figures for easy reference.

  1. Selective Area Growth of GaAs on Si Patterned Using Nanoimprint Lithography

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Warren, Emily L.; Makoutz, Emily A.; Horowitz, Kelsey A. W.

    Heteroepitaxial selective area growth (SAG) of GaAs on patterned Si substrates is a potential low-cost approach to integrate III-V and Si materials for tandem or multijunction solar cells. The use of nanoscale openings in a dielectric material can minimize nucleation-related defects and allow thinner buffer layers to be used to accommodate lattice mismatch between Si and an epitaxial III-V layer. For photovoltaic applications, the cost of patterning and growth, as well as the impact on the performance of the Si bottom cell must be considered. We present preliminary results on the use of soft nanoimprint lithography (SNIL) to create patternedmore » nucleation templates for the heteroepitaxial SAG of GaAs on Si. We demonstrate that SNIL patterning of passivating layers on the Si substrate improves measured minority carrier properties relative to unprotected Si. Cost modeling of the SNIL process shows that adding a patterning step only adds a minor contribution to the overall cost of a tandem III-V/Si solar cell, and can enable significant savings if it enables thinner buffer layers.« less

  2. Solar technology assessment project. Volume 6: Photovoltaic technology assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Backus, C. E.

    1981-04-01

    Industrial production of photovoltaic systems and volume of sales are reviewed. Low cost silicon production techniques are reviewed, including the Czochralski process, heat exchange method, edge defined film fed growth, dentritic web growth, and silicon on ceramic process. Semicrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, and low cost poly-silicon are discussed as well as advanced materials and concentrator systems. Balance of system components beyond those needed to manufacture the solar panels are included. Nontechnical factors are assessed. The 1986 system cost goals are briefly reviewed.

  3. Flexo-photovoltaic effect.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ming-Min; Kim, Dong Jik; Alexe, Marin

    2018-05-25

    It is highly desirable to discover photovoltaic mechanisms that enable enhanced efficiency of solar cells. Here we report that the bulk photovoltaic effect, which is free from the thermodynamic Shockley-Queisser limit but usually manifested only in noncentrosymmetric (piezoelectric or ferroelectric) materials, can be realized in any semiconductor, including silicon, by mediation of flexoelectric effect. We used either an atomic force microscope or a micrometer-scale indentation system to introduce strain gradients, thus creating very large photovoltaic currents from centrosymmetric single crystals of strontium titanate, titanium dioxide, and silicon. This strain gradient-induced bulk photovoltaic effect, which we call the flexo-photovoltaic effect, functions in the absence of a p-n junction. This finding may extend present solar cell technologies by boosting the solar energy conversion efficiency from a wide pool of established semiconductors. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  4. Hybrid solar cell based on a-Si/polymer flat heterojunction on flexible substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olivares Vargas, A. J.; Mansurova, S.; Cosme, I.; Kosarev, A.; Ospina Ocampo, C. A.; Martinez Mateo, H. E.

    2017-08-01

    In this work, we present the results of investigation of thin film hybrid organic-inorganic photovoltaic structures based on flat heterojunction hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) and poly(3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) fabricated on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). Different thicknesses of transparent AL doped Zn:O (AZO) electrodes have been tested on PEN substrate and studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AZO films on PEN substrate were statistically processed to obtain surface morphological characteristics, such as root mean square roughness RQ, skewness SK and kurtosis KU. Performance characteristics of fabricated photovoltaic structures have been measured and analyzed for different thicknesses of the transparent electrodes under standard illumination (AM 1.5 I0= 100mW/cm2). Structures on flexible substrates show reproducible performance characteristic as their glass substrate counterpart with values of JSC= 6 mA/cm2, VOC= 0.535 V, FF= 43 % and PCE= 1.41%.

  5. Photovoltaic solar cell

    DOEpatents

    Nielson, Gregory N; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Okandan, Murat; Resnick, Paul J

    2014-05-20

    A photovoltaic solar cell for generating electricity from sunlight is disclosed. The photovoltaic solar cell comprises a plurality of spaced-apart point contact junctions formed in a semiconductor body to receive the sunlight and generate the electricity therefrom, the plurality of spaced-apart point contact junctions having a first plurality of regions having a first doping type and a second plurality of regions having a second doping type. In addition, the photovoltaic solar cell comprises a first electrical contact electrically connected to each of the first plurality of regions and a second electrical contact electrically connected to each of the second plurality of regions, as well as a passivation layer covering major surfaces and sidewalls of the photovoltaic solar cell.

  6. Photovoltaic solar cell

    DOEpatents

    Nielson, Gregory N; Okandan, Murat; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Resnick, Paul J

    2013-11-26

    A photovoltaic solar cell for generating electricity from sunlight is disclosed. The photovoltaic solar cell comprises a plurality of spaced-apart point contact junctions formed in a semiconductor body to receive the sunlight and generate the electicity therefrom, the plurality of spaced-apart point contact junctions having a first plurality of regions having a first doping type and a second plurality of regions having a second doping type. In addition, the photovoltaic solar cell comprises a first electrical contact electrically connected to each of the first plurality of regions and a second electrical contact electrically connected to each of the second plurality of regions, as well as a passivation layer covering major surfaces and sidewalls of the photovoltaic solar cell.

  7. Photovoltaic sheathing element with a flexible connector assembly

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Langmaid, Joseph A; Keenihan, James R; Mills, Michael E

    2016-07-12

    The present invention is premised upon an assembly including at least a photovoltaic sheathing element capable of being affixed on a building structure, the sheathing element including at least: a photovoltaic cell assembly, a body portion attached to one or more portions of the photovoltaic cell assembly; at least a first and a second connector assembly disposed on opposing sides of the sheathing element and capable of directly or indirectly electrically connecting the photovoltaic cell assembly to at least two adjoining devices that are affixed to the building structure and wherein at least one of the connector assemblies includes amore » flexible portion; one or more connector pockets disposed in the body portion the pockets capable of receiving at least a portion of the connector assembly.« less

  8. Photovoltaic power system for a lunar base

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karia, Kris

    An assessment is provided of the viability of using photovoltaic power technology for lunar base application during the initial phase of the mission. The initial user power demands were assumed to be 25 kW (daytime) and 12.5 kW (night time). The effect of lunar adverse environmental conditions were also considered in deriving the photovoltaic power system concept. The solar cell array was found to impose no more design constraints than those solar arrays currently being designed for spacecraft and the Space Station Freedom. The long lunar night and the need to store sufficient energy to sustain a lunar facility during this period was found to be a major design driver. A photovoltaic power system concept was derived using high efficiency thin GaAs solar cells on a deployable flexible Kapton blanket. The solar array design was sized to generate sufficient power for daytime use and for a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) energy storage system to provide power during the night. Solar array sun-tracking is also proposed to maximize the array power output capability. The system launch mass was estimated to be approximately 10 metric tons. For mission application of photovoltaic technology other issues have to be addressed including the constraints imposed by launch vehicle, safety, and cost. For the initial phase of the mission a photovoltaic power system offers a safe option.

  9. Enhanced UV photoresponse of KrF-laser-synthesized single-wall carbon nanotubes/n-silicon hybrid photovoltaic devices.

    PubMed

    Le Borgne, V; Gautier, L A; Castrucci, P; Del Gobbo, S; De Crescenzi, M; El Khakani, M A

    2012-06-01

    We report on the KrF-laser ablation synthesis, purification and photocurrent generation properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The thermally purified SWCNTs are integrated into hybrid photovoltaic (PV) devices by spin-coating them onto n-Si substrates. These novel SWCNTs/n-Si hybrid devices are shown to generate significant photocurrent (PC) over the entire 250-1050 nm light spectrum with external quantum efficiencies (EQE) reaching up to ~23%. Our SWCNTs/n-Si hybrid devices are not only photoactive in the traditional spectral range of Si solar cells, but generate also significant PC in the UV domain (below 400 nm). This wider spectral response is believed to be the result of PC generation from both the SWCNTs themselves and the tremendous number of local p-n junctions created at the nanotubes/Si interface. To assess the prevalence of these two contributions, the EQE spectra and J-V characteristics of these hybrid devices were investigated in both planar and top-down configurations, as a function of SWCNTs' film thickness. A sizable increase in EQE in the near UV with respect to the silicon is observed in both configurations, with a more pronounced UV photoresponse in the planar mode, confirming thereby the role of SWCNTs in the photogeneration process. The PC generation is found to reach its maximum for an optimal the SWCNT film thickness, which is shown to correspond to the best trade-off between lowest electrical resistance and highest optical transparency. Finally, by analyzing the J-V characteristics of our SWCNTs/n-Si devices with an equivalent circuit model, we were able to point out the contribution of the various electrical components involved in the photogeneration process. The SWCNTs-based devices demonstrated here open up the prospect for their use in highly effective photovoltaics and/or UV-light sensors.

  10. 40 CFR 91.1006 - Manufacturer-owned exemption and precertification exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Exclusion and Exemption of Marine SI Engines § 91.1006 Manufacturer-owned exemption and precertification exemption. (a... “Emission Control Information;” (B) Full corporate name and trademark of manufacturer; (C) Engine...

  11. Advanced tendencies in development of photovoltaic cells for power engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strebkov, D. S.

    2015-01-01

    Development of solar power engineering must be based on original innovative Russian and world technologies. It is necessary to develop promising Russian technologies of manufacturing of photovoltaic cells and semiconductor materials: chlorine-free technology for obtaining solar silicon; matrix solar cell technology with an efficiency of 25-30% upon the conversion of concentrated solar, thermal, and laser radiation; encapsulation technology for high-voltage silicon solar modules with a voltage up to 1000 V and a service life up to 50 years; new methods of concentration of solar radiation with the balancing illumination of photovoltaic cells at 50-100-fold concentration; and solar power systems with round-the-clock production of electrical energy that do not require energy storage devices and reserve sources of energy. The advanced tendency in silicon power engineering is the use of high-temperature reactions in heterogeneous modular silicate solutions for long-term (over one year) production of heat and electricity in the autonomous mode.

  12. Roll-to-roll fabrication of large scale and regular arrays of three-dimensional nanospikes for high efficiency and flexible photovoltaics

    PubMed Central

    Leung, Siu-Fung; Gu, Leilei; Zhang, Qianpeng; Tsui, Kwong-Hoi; Shieh, Jia-Min; Shen, Chang-Hong; Hsiao, Tzu-Hsuan; Hsu, Chin-Hung; Lu, Linfeng; Li, Dongdong; Lin, Qingfeng; Fan, Zhiyong

    2014-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3-D) nanostructures have demonstrated enticing potency to boost performance of photovoltaic devices primarily owning to the improved photon capturing capability. Nevertheless, cost-effective and scalable fabrication of regular 3-D nanostructures with decent robustness and flexibility still remains as a challenging task. Meanwhile, establishing rational design guidelines for 3-D nanostructured solar cells with the balanced electrical and optical performance are of paramount importance and in urgent need. Herein, regular arrays of 3-D nanospikes (NSPs) were fabricated on flexible aluminum foil with a roll-to-roll compatible process. The NSPs have precisely controlled geometry and periodicity which allow systematic investigation on geometry dependent optical and electrical performance of the devices with experiments and modeling. Intriguingly, it has been discovered that the efficiency of an amorphous-Si (a-Si) photovoltaic device fabricated on NSPs can be improved by 43%, as compared to its planar counterpart, in an optimal case. Furthermore, large scale flexible NSP solar cell devices have been fabricated and demonstrated. These results not only have shed light on the design rules of high performance nanostructured solar cells, but also demonstrated a highly practical process to fabricate efficient solar panels with 3-D nanostructures, thus may have immediate impact on thin film photovoltaic industry. PMID:24603964

  13. Roll-to-roll fabrication of large scale and regular arrays of three-dimensional nanospikes for high efficiency and flexible photovoltaics.

    PubMed

    Leung, Siu-Fung; Gu, Leilei; Zhang, Qianpeng; Tsui, Kwong-Hoi; Shieh, Jia-Min; Shen, Chang-Hong; Hsiao, Tzu-Hsuan; Hsu, Chin-Hung; Lu, Linfeng; Li, Dongdong; Lin, Qingfeng; Fan, Zhiyong

    2014-03-07

    Three-dimensional (3-D) nanostructures have demonstrated enticing potency to boost performance of photovoltaic devices primarily owning to the improved photon capturing capability. Nevertheless, cost-effective and scalable fabrication of regular 3-D nanostructures with decent robustness and flexibility still remains as a challenging task. Meanwhile, establishing rational design guidelines for 3-D nanostructured solar cells with the balanced electrical and optical performance are of paramount importance and in urgent need. Herein, regular arrays of 3-D nanospikes (NSPs) were fabricated on flexible aluminum foil with a roll-to-roll compatible process. The NSPs have precisely controlled geometry and periodicity which allow systematic investigation on geometry dependent optical and electrical performance of the devices with experiments and modeling. Intriguingly, it has been discovered that the efficiency of an amorphous-Si (a-Si) photovoltaic device fabricated on NSPs can be improved by 43%, as compared to its planar counterpart, in an optimal case. Furthermore, large scale flexible NSP solar cell devices have been fabricated and demonstrated. These results not only have shed light on the design rules of high performance nanostructured solar cells, but also demonstrated a highly practical process to fabricate efficient solar panels with 3-D nanostructures, thus may have immediate impact on thin film photovoltaic industry.

  14. Photovoltaic system criteria documents. Volume 5: Safety criteria for photovoltaic applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koenig, John C.; Billitti, Joseph W.; Tallon, John M.

    1979-01-01

    Methodology is described for determining potential safety hazards involved in the construction and operation of photovoltaic power systems and provides guidelines for the implementation of safety considerations in the specification, design and operation of photovoltaic systems. Safety verification procedures for use in solar photovoltaic systems are established.

  15. System Dynamics of Polysilicon for Solar Photovoltaics: A Framework for Investigating the Energy Security of Renewable Energy Supply Chains

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sandor, Debra; Fulton, Sadie; Engel-Cox, Jill

    Renewable energy, produced with widely available low-cost energy resources, is often included as a component of national strategies to address energy security and sustainability. Market and political forces cannot disrupt the sun or wind, unlike oil and gas supplies. However, the cost of renewable energy is highly dependent on technologies manufactured through global supply chains in leading manufacturing countries. The countries that contribute to the global supply chains may take actions that, directly or indirectly, influence global access to materials and components. For example, high-purity polysilicon, a key material in solar photovoltaics, has experienced significant price fluctuations, affecting the manufacturingmore » capacity and cost of both polysilicon and solar panels. This study has developed and validated an initial system dynamics framework to gain insights into global trade in polysilicon. The model represents an initial framework for exploration. Three regions were modeled-China, the United States, and the rest of the world - for a range of trade scenarios to understand the impacts of import duties and non-price drivers on the relative volumes of imports and domestic supply. The model was validated with the historical case of China imposing an import duty on polysilicon from the United States, the European Union, and South Korea, which altered the regional flows of polysilicon - in terms of imports, exports, and domestic production-to varying degrees. As expected, the model tracked how regional demand shares and influx volumes decrease as a duty on a region increases. Using 2016 as a reference point, in the scenarios examined for U.S. exports to China, each 10% increase in the import duty results in a 40% decrease in import volume. The model also indicates that, under the scenarios investigated, once a duty has been imposed on a region, the demand share from that region declines and does not achieve pre-duty levels, even as global demand

  16. System Dynamics of Polysilicon for Solar Photovoltaics: A Framework for Investigating the Energy Security of Renewable Energy Supply Chains

    DOE PAGES

    Sandor, Debra; Fulton, Sadie; Engel-Cox, Jill; ...

    2018-01-11

    Renewable energy, produced with widely available low-cost energy resources, is often included as a component of national strategies to address energy security and sustainability. Market and political forces cannot disrupt the sun or wind, unlike oil and gas supplies. However, the cost of renewable energy is highly dependent on technologies manufactured through global supply chains in leading manufacturing countries. The countries that contribute to the global supply chains may take actions that, directly or indirectly, influence global access to materials and components. For example, high-purity polysilicon, a key material in solar photovoltaics, has experienced significant price fluctuations, affecting the manufacturingmore » capacity and cost of both polysilicon and solar panels. This study has developed and validated an initial system dynamics framework to gain insights into global trade in polysilicon. The model represents an initial framework for exploration. Three regions were modeled-China, the United States, and the rest of the world - for a range of trade scenarios to understand the impacts of import duties and non-price drivers on the relative volumes of imports and domestic supply. The model was validated with the historical case of China imposing an import duty on polysilicon from the United States, the European Union, and South Korea, which altered the regional flows of polysilicon - in terms of imports, exports, and domestic production-to varying degrees. As expected, the model tracked how regional demand shares and influx volumes decrease as a duty on a region increases. Using 2016 as a reference point, in the scenarios examined for U.S. exports to China, each 10% increase in the import duty results in a 40% decrease in import volume. The model also indicates that, under the scenarios investigated, once a duty has been imposed on a region, the demand share from that region declines and does not achieve pre-duty levels, even as global demand

  17. A novel restraint spraying-Conform process for manufacturing hypereutectic Al-Si alloy with enhanced properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Y. G.; Yang, H.; Zhang, B. Q.; Liu, Y. L.; Yin, J. C.; Wei, W.; Zhong, Y.

    2017-02-01

    A novel restraint spraying-Conform (RS-C) process, which directly combines spraying with Conform to process metals in one step, has been proposed. Al-20Si alloy selected as experimental material was successfully fabricated by the RS-C process. The microstructures were dominated with fine and uniform primary silicon phases. The tensile strength and elongation to failure of the Al-20Si alloy were 204 MPa and 7.2% respectively after the RS-C process. The wear resistance of the processed Al-20Si alloy was increased significantly, about 1.7 times over the as-cast ingot. The experimental results indicate that RS-C is a promising near net shape forming technology.

  18. RQL Sector Rig Testing of SiC/SiC Combustor Liners

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Verrilli, Michael J.; Martin, Lisa C.; Brewer, David N.

    2002-01-01

    Combustor liners, manufactured from silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) were tested for 260 hr using a simulated gas turbine engine cycle. This report documents the results of the last 56 hr of testing. Damage occurred in one of the six different components that make up the combustor liner set, the rich zone liner. Cracks in the rich zone liner initiated at the leading edge due to stresses resulting from the component attachment configuration. Thin film thermocouples and fiber optic pyrometers were used to measure the rich zone liner's temperature and these results are reported.

  19. Ergonomics intervention in an Iranian television manufacturing industry.

    PubMed

    Motamedzade, M; Mohseni, M; Golmohammadi, R; Mahjoob, H

    2011-01-01

    The primary goal of this study was to use the Strain Index (SI) to assess the risk of developing upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders in a television (TV) manufacturing industry and evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention. The project was designed and implemented in two stages. In first stage, the SI score was calculated and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was completed. Following this, hazardous jobs were identified and existing risk factors in these jobs were studied. Based on these data, an educational intervention was designed and implemented. In the second stage, three months after implementing the interventions, the SI score was re-calculated and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) completed again. 80 assembly workers of an Iranian TV manufacturing industry were randomly selected using simple random sampling approach. The results showed that the SI score had a good correlation with the symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders. It was also observed that the difference between prevalence of signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders, before and after intervention, was significantly reduced. A well conducted implementation of an interventional program with total participation of all stakeholders can lead to a decrease in musculoskeletal disorders.

  20. Photovoltaics: A Solar Technology for Powering Tomorrow.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flavin, Christopher

    1983-01-01

    Photovoltaics, the technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity, may soon be a reliable power source for the world's poor. The one major challenge is cost reduction. Many topics are discussed, including solar powering the Third World, designing the solar building, investing in the sun, and the future of photovoltaics. (NW)

  1. Photovoltaic device and method

    DOEpatents

    Cleereman, Robert J; Lesniak, Michael J; Keenihan, James R; Langmaid, Joe A; Gaston, Ryan; Eurich, Gerald K; Boven, Michelle L

    2015-01-27

    The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device ("PVD") and method of use, more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device with an integral locator and electrical terminal mechanism for transferring current to or from the improved photovoltaic device and the use as a system.

  2. Photovoltaic device and method

    DOEpatents

    Cleereman, Robert; Lesniak, Michael J.; Keenihan, James R.; Langmaid, Joe A.; Gaston, Ryan; Eurich, Gerald K.; Boven, Michelle L.

    2015-11-24

    The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device ("PVD") and method of use, more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device with an integral locator and electrical terminal mechanism for transferring current to or from the improved photovoltaic device and the use as a system.

  3. Electronic and optical properties of Si and Ge nanocrystals: An ab initio study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pulci, Olivia; Degoli, Elena; Iori, Federico; Marsili, Margherita; Palummo, Maurizia; Del Sole, Rodolfo; Ossicini, Stefano

    2010-01-01

    First-principles calculations within density functional theory and many-body perturbation theory have been carried out in order to investigate the structural, electronic and optical properties of undoped and doped silicon nanostructures. We consider Si nanoclusters co-doped with B and P. We find that the electronic band gap is reduced with respect to that of the undoped crystals, suggesting the possibility of impurity based engineering of electronic and optical properties of Si nanocrystals. Finally, motivated by recent suggestions concerning the chance of exploiting Ge dots for photovoltaic nanodevices, we present calculations of the electronic and optical properties of a Ge 35H 36 nanocrystal, and compare the results with those for the corresponding Si 35H 36 nanocrystals and the co-doped Si 33BPH 36.

  4. Lasers in energy device manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ostendorf, A.; Schoonderbeek, A.

    2008-02-01

    Global warming is a current topic all over the world. CO II emissions must be lowered to stop the already started climate change. Developing regenerative energy sources, like photovoltaics and fuel cells contributes to the solution of this problem. Innovative technologies and strategies need to be competitive with conventional energy sources. During the last years, the photovoltaic solar cell industry has experienced enormous growth. However, for solar cells to be competitive on the longer term, both an increase in efficiency as well as reduction in costs is necessary. An effective method to reduce costs of silicon solar cells is reducing the wafer thickness, because silicon makes up a large part of production costs. Consequently, contact free laser processing has a large advantage, because of the decrease in waste materials due to broken wafers as caused by other manufacturing processes. Additionally, many novel high efficiency solar cell concepts are only economically feasible with laser technology, e.g. for scribing silicon thin-film solar cells. This paper describes laser hole drilling, structuring and texturing of silicon wafer based solar cells and describes thin film solar cell scribing. Furthermore, different types of lasers are discussed with respect to processing quality and time.

  5. Passivation of InSb surface for manufacturing infrared devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simchi, H.; Sareminia, Gh.; Shafiekhani, A.; Valizadeh, Gh.

    2008-01-01

    We studied the reduction of active surface states at the InSb/insulator interface by the reduction of hysteresis in C- V plots and by the performance of InSb diodes operated in photovoltaic mode. The InSb wafers were cleaned with CP4A etchant (HNO 3:CH 3COOH:HF:H 2O at 2:1:1:10). Then layers of 0.4 μm SiO 2, 0.4 μm Si 3N 4 and 0.5 μm Si 3N 4/SiO 2 were deposited on the cleaned surfaced by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). After measuring the surface morphology by atomic force microscopy (AFM) the atomic percentage of each element in each compound (e.g. Si and O 2 in SiO 2 layer) was studied by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). By using photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), we showed that the SiO 2, Si 3N 4 and Si 3N 4/SiO 2 layers include Sb and/or SbO x and the Sb In antisite during deposition occurred and for this reason their etch rates differ from pure SiO 2, Si 3N 4 and Si 3N 4/SiO 2 layers. Then the gold metal was deposited on the samples and capacitance voltage measurement was made on the MIS samples. The results showed hysteresis free curves if the surface has been cleaned correctly. Finally by depositing the 0.4 μm SiO 2, 0.4 μm Si 3N 4 and 0.5 μm Si 3N 4/SiO 2 on diode structure of InSb, the performance of diode in this case was compared with the anodic oxidation method. The results showed the performance of device is better than for the anodic oxidation method.

  6. Apparatus and method for maximizing power delivered by a photovoltaic array

    DOEpatents

    Muljadi, Eduard; Taylor, Roger W.

    1998-01-01

    A method and apparatus for maximizing the electric power output of a photovoltaic array connected to a battery where the voltage across the photovoltaic array is adjusted through a range of voltages to find the voltage across the photovoltaic array that maximizes the electric power generated by the photovoltaic array and then is held constant for a period of time. After the period of time has elapsed, the electric voltage across the photovoltaic array is again adjusted through a range of voltages and the process is repeated. The electric energy and the electric power generated by the photovoltaic array is delivered to the battery which stores the electric energy and the electric power for later delivery to a load.

  7. Pulsed Laser Illumination of Photovoltaic Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yater, Jane A.; Lowe, Roland; Jenkins, Philip; Landis, Geoffrey A.

    1994-01-01

    In future space missions, free electron lasers (FEL) may be used to illuminate photovoltaic array receivers to provide remote power. The induction FEL and the radio-frequency (RF) FEL both produce pulsed rather than continuous output. In this work, we investigate cell response to pulsed laser light which simulates the RF FEL format, producing 50 ps pulses at a frequency of 78 MHz. A variety of Si, GaAs, CaSb and CdInSe2 (CIS) solar cells are tested at average incident powers between 4 mW/sq cm and 425 mW/sq cm. The results indicate that if the pulse repetition is high, cell efficiencies are only slightly reduced by using a pulsed laser source compared to constant illumination at the same wavelength. Because the pulse separation is less than or approximately equal to the minority carrier lifetime, the illumination conditions are effectively those of a continuous wave laser. The time dependence of the voltage and current response of the cells are also measured using a sampling oscilloscope equipped with a high frequency voltage probe and current transformer. The frequency response of the cells is weak, with both voltage and current outputs essentially dc in nature. Comparison with previous experiments shows that the RF FEL pulse format yields much more efficient photovoltaic conversion of light than does an induction FEL pulse format.

  8. One-dimensional zinc oxide nanomaterials synthesis and photovoltaic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weintraub, Benjamin A.

    As humanly engineered materials systems approach the atomic scale, top-down manufacturing approaches breakdown and following nature's example, bottom-up or self-assembly methods have the potential to emerge as the dominant paradigm. Synthesis of one-dimensional nanomaterials takes advantage of such self-assembly manufacturing techniques, but until now most efforts have relied on high temperature vapor phase schemes which are limited in scalability and compatibility with organic materials. The solution-phase approach is an attractive low temperature alternative to overcome these shortcomings. To this end, this thesis is a study of the rationale solution-phase synthesis of ZnO nanowires and applications in photovoltaics. The following thesis goals have been achieved: rationale synthesis of a single ZnO nanowire on a polymer substrate without seeding, design of a wafer-scale technique to control ZnO nanowire array density using layer-by-layer polymers, determination of optimal nanowire field emitter density to maximize the field enhancement factor, design of bridged nanowires across metal electrodes to order to circumvent post-synthesis manipulation steps, electrical characterization of bridged nanowires, rationale solution-phase synthesis of long ZnO nanowires on optical fibers, fabrication of ZnO nanowire dye-sensitized solar cells on optical fibers, electrical and optical characterization of solar cell devices, comparison studies of 2-D versus 3-D nanowire dye-sensitized solar cell devices, and achievement of 6-fold solar cell power conversion efficiency enhancement using a 3-D approach. The thesis results have implications in nanomanufacturing scale-up and next generation photovoltaics.

  9. Fabrication of large aperture SiC brazing mirror

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ang; Wang, Peipei; Dong, Huiwen; Wang, Peng

    2016-10-01

    The SiC brazing mirror is the mirror whose blank is made by assembling together smaller SiC pieces with brazing technique. Using such kinds of joining techniques, people can manufacture large and complex SiC assemblies. The key technologies of fabricating and testing SiC brazing flat mirror especially for large aperture were studied. The SiC brazing flat mirror was ground by smart ultrasonic-milling machine, and then it was lapped by the lapping smart robot and measured by Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM). After the PV of the surface below 4um, we did classic coarse polishing to the surface and studied the shape of the polishing tool which directly effects removal amount distribution. Finally, it was figured by the polishing smart robot and measured by Fizeau interferometer. We also studied the influence of machining path and removal functions of smart robots on the manufacturing results and discussed the use of abrasive in this process. At last, an example for fabricating and measuring a similar SiC brazing flat mirror with the aperture of 600 mm made by Shanghai Institute of Ceramics was given. The mirror blank consists of 6 SiC sectors and the surface was finally processed to a result of the Peak-to-Valley (PV) 150nm and Root Mean Square (RMS) 12nm.

  10. Solar breeder: Energy payback time for silicon photovoltaic systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lindmayer, J.

    1977-01-01

    The energy expenditures of the prevailing manufacturing technology of terrestrial photovoltaic cells and panels were evaluated, including silicon reduction, silicon refinement, crystal growth, cell processing and panel building. Energy expenditures include direct energy, indirect energy, and energy in the form of equipment and overhead expenses. Payback times were development using a conventional solar cell as a test vehicle which allows for the comparison of its energy generating capability with the energies expended during the production process. It was found that the energy payback time for a typical solar panel produced by the prevailing technology is 6.4 years. Furthermore, this value drops to 3.8 years under more favorable conditions. Moreover, since the major energy use reductions in terrestrial manufacturing have occurred in cell processing, this payback time directly illustrates the areas where major future energy reductions can be made -- silicon refinement, crystal growth, and panel building.

  11. Organic Semiconductor Photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sariciftci, Niyazi Serdar

    2005-03-01

    Recent developments on organic photovoltaic elements are reviewed. Semiconducting conjugated polymers and molecules as well as nanocrystalline inorganic semiconductors are used in composite thin films. The photophysics of such photoactive devices is based on the photoinduced charge transfer from donor type semiconducting molecules onto acceptor type molecules such as Buckminsterfullerene, C60 and/or nanoparticles. Similar to the first steps in natural photosynthesis, this photoinduced electron transfer leads to a number of potentially interesting applications which include sensitization of the photoconductivity and photovoltaic phenomena. Examples of photovoltaic architectures are discussed with their potential in terrestrial solar energy conversion. Several materials are introduced and discussed for their photovoltaic activities. Furthermore, nanomorphology has been investigated with AFM, SEM and TEM. The morphology/property relationship for a given photoactive system is found to be a major effect.

  12. Influence of Deposition Pressure on the Properties of Round Pyramid Textured a-Si:H Solar Cells for Maglev.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jaehyeong; Choi, Wonseok; Lee, Kyuil; Lee, Daedong; Kang, Hyunil

    2016-05-01

    HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin-layer) photovoltaic cells is one of the highest efficiencies in the commercial solar cells. The pyramid texturization for reducing surface reflectance of HIT solar cells silicon wafers is widely used. For the low leakage current and high shunt of solar cells, the intrinsic amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) on substrate must be uniformly thick of pyramid structure. However, it is difficult to control the thickness in the traditional pyramid texturing process. Thus, we textured the intrinsic a-Si:H thin films with the round pyramidal structure by using HNO3, HF, and CH3COOH solution. The characteristics of round pyramid a-Si:H solar cells deposited at pressure of 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 mTorr by PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) was investigated. The lifetime, open circuit voltage, fill factor and efficiency of a-Si:H solar cells were investigated with respect to various deposition pressure.

  13. Compendium of photovoltaic degradation rates: Photovoltaic degradation rates

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jordan, Dirk C.; Kurtz, Sarah R.; VanSant, Kaitlyn

    Published data on photovoltaic (PV) degradation measurements were aggregated and re-examined. The subject has seen an increased interest in recent years resulting in more than 11 000 degradation rates in almost 200 studies from 40 different countries. As studies have grown in number and size, we found an impact from sampling bias attributable to size and accuracy. Because of the correlational nature of this study we examined the data in several ways to minimize this bias. We found median degradation for x-Si technologies in the 0.5-0.6%/year range with the mean in the 0.8-0.9%/year range. Hetero-interface technology (HIT) and microcrystalline siliconmore » (..mu..c-Si) technologies, although not as plentiful, exhibit degradation around 1%/year and resemble thin-film products more closely than x-Si. Several studies showing low degradation for copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) have emerged. Higher degradation for cadmium telluride (CdTe) has been reported, but these findings could reflect a convolution of less accurate studies and longer stabilization periods for some products. Significant deviations for beginning-of-life measurements with respect to nameplate rating have been documented over the last 35 years. Therefore, degradation rates that use nameplate rating as reference may be significantly impacted. Studies that used nameplate rating as reference but used solar simulators showed less variation than similar studies using outdoor measurements, even when accounting for different climates. This could be associated with confounding effects of measurement uncertainty and soiling that take place outdoors. Hotter climates and mounting configurations that lead to sustained higher temperatures may lead to higher degradation in some, but not all, products. Wear-out non-linearities for the worst performing modules have been documented in a few select studies that took multiple measurements of an ensemble of modules during the lifetime of the system. However, the

  14. Single Grain Boundary Modeling and Design of Microcrystalline Si Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Lin, Chu-Hsuan; Hsu, Wen-Tzu; Tai, Cheng-Hung

    2013-01-21

    For photovoltaic applications, microcrystalline silicon has a lot of advantages, such as the ability to absorb the near-infrared part of the solar spectrum. However, there are many dangling bonds at the grain boundary in microcrystalline Si. These dangling bonds would lead to the recombination of photo-generated carriers and decrease the conversion efficiency. Therefore, we included the grain boundary in the numerical study in order to simulate a microcrystalline Si solar cell accurately, designing new three-terminal microcrystalline Si solar cells. The 3-μm-thick three-terminal cell achieved a conversion efficiency of 10.8%, while the efficiency of a typical two-terminal cell is 9.7%. The three-terminal structure increased the J SC but decreased the V OC , and such phenomena are discussed. High-efficiency and low-cost Si-based thin film solar cells can now be designed based on the information provided in this paper.

  15. Single Grain Boundary Modeling and Design of Microcrystalline Si Solar Cells

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Chu-Hsuan; Hsu, Wen-Tzu; Tai, Cheng-Hung

    2013-01-01

    For photovoltaic applications, microcrystalline silicon has a lot of advantages, such as the ability to absorb the near-infrared part of the solar spectrum. However, there are many dangling bonds at the grain boundary in microcrystalline Si. These dangling bonds would lead to the recombination of photo-generated carriers and decrease the conversion efficiency. Therefore, we included the grain boundary in the numerical study in order to simulate a microcrystalline Si solar cell accurately, designing new three-terminal microcrystalline Si solar cells. The 3-μm-thick three-terminal cell achieved a conversion efficiency of 10.8%, while the efficiency of a typical two-terminal cell is 9.7%. The three-terminal structure increased the JSC but decreased the VOC, and such phenomena are discussed. High-efficiency and low-cost Si-based thin film solar cells can now be designed based on the information provided in this paper. PMID:28809309

  16. Status and Needs of Power Electronics for Photovoltaic Inverters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Y. C.; Mohan, N.; West, R.; Bonn, R.

    2002-06-01

    Photovoltaics is the utility connected distributed energy resource (DER) that is in widespread use today. It has one element, the inverter, which is common with all DER sources except rotating generators. The inverter is required to transfer dc energy to ac energy. With all the DER technologies, (solar, wind, fuel cells, and microturbines) the inverter is still an immature product that will result in reliability problems in fielded systems. Today, the PV inverter is a costly and complex component of PV systems that produce ac power. Inverter MTFF (mean time to first failure) is currently unacceptable. Low inverter reliability contributes to unreliable fielded systems and a loss of confidence in renewable technology. The low volume of PV inverters produced restricts the manufacturing to small suppliers without sophisticated research and reliability programs or manufacturing methods. Thus, the present approach to PV inverter supply has low probability of meeting DOE reliability goals.

  17. Apparatus and method for maximizing power delivered by a photovoltaic array

    DOEpatents

    Muljadi, E.; Taylor, R.W.

    1998-05-05

    A method and apparatus for maximizing the electric power output of a photovoltaic array connected to a battery where the voltage across the photovoltaic array is adjusted through a range of voltages to find the voltage across the photovoltaic array that maximizes the electric power generated by the photovoltaic array and then is held constant for a period of time. After the period of time has elapsed, the electric voltage across the photovoltaic array is again adjusted through a range of voltages and the process is repeated. The electric energy and the electric power generated by the photovoltaic array is delivered to the battery which stores the electric energy and the electric power for later delivery to a load. 20 figs.

  18. High performance photovoltaic applications using solution-processed small molecules.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yongsheng; Wan, Xiangjian; Long, Guankui

    2013-11-19

    Energy remains a critical issue for the survival and prosperity of humancivilization. Many experts believe that the eventual solution for sustainable energy is the use of direct solar energy as the main energy source. Among the options for renewable energy, photovoltaic technologies that harness solar energy offer a way to harness an unlimited resource and minimum environment impact in contrast with other alternatives such as water, nuclear, and wind energy. Currently, almost all commercial photovoltaic technologies use Si-based technology, which has a number of disadvantages including high cost, lack of flexibility, and the serious environmental impact of the Si industry. Other technologies, such as organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, can overcome some of these issues. Today, polymer-based OPV (P-OPV) devices have achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) that exceed 9%. Compared with P-OPV, small molecules based OPV (SM-OPV) offers further advantages, including a defined structure for more reproducible performance, higher mobility and open circuit voltage, and easier synthetic control that leads to more diversified structures. Therefore, while largely undeveloped, SM-OPV is an important emerging technology with performance comparable to P-OPV. In this Account, we summarize our recent results on solution-processed SM-OPV. We believe that solution processing is essential for taking full advantage of OPV technologies. Our work started with the synthesis of oligothiophene derivatives with an acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) structure. Both the backbone conjugation length and electron withdrawing terminal groups play an important role in the light absorption, energy levels and performance of the devices. Among those molecules, devices using a 7-thiophene-unit backbone and a 3-ethylrhodanine (RD) terminal unit produced a 6.1% PCE. With the optimized conjugation length and terminal unit, we borrowed from the results with P-OPV devices to optimize the backbone. Thus we

  19. Photovoltaic power generation system free of bypass diodes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lentine, Anthony L.; Okandan, Murat; Nielson, Gregory N.

    A photovoltaic power generation system that includes a solar panel that is free of bypass diodes is described herein. The solar panel includes a plurality of photovoltaic sub-modules, wherein at least two of photovoltaic sub-modules in the plurality of photovoltaic sub-modules are electrically connected in parallel. A photovoltaic sub-module includes a plurality of groups of electrically connected photovoltaic cells, wherein at least two of the groups are electrically connected in series. A photovoltaic group includes a plurality of strings of photovoltaic cells, wherein a string of photovoltaic cells comprises a plurality of photovoltaic cells electrically connected in series. The stringsmore » of photovoltaic cells are electrically connected in parallel, and the photovoltaic cells are microsystem-enabled photovoltaic cells.« less

  20. Influence of Mechanical Loading on the Integrity and Performance of Energy Harvesting and Storage Materials at the Micron and Submicron Scales

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-01

    the failure process of photovoltaic ( PV ) amorphous Si thin film solar cells using commercial solar cell modules PT15-300 manufactured by Iowa Thin...this research project and the results and conclusions. This research program focused on the mechanics of materials employed in thin film solar cells...experimental results and references are provided to publications for further details. 1. MECHANICAL DURABILITY OF THIN FILM SI SOLAR CELLS We investigated

  1. Photovoltaic cell module and method of forming

    DOEpatents

    Howell, Malinda; Juen, Donnie; Ketola, Barry; Tomalia, Mary Kay

    2017-12-12

    A photovoltaic cell module, a photovoltaic array including at least two modules, and a method of forming the module are provided. The module includes a first outermost layer and a photovoltaic cell disposed on the first outermost layer. The module also includes a second outermost layer disposed on the photovoltaic cell and sandwiching the photovoltaic cell between the second outermost layer and the first outermost layer. The method of forming the module includes the steps of disposing the photovoltaic cell on the first outermost layer, disposing a silicone composition on the photovoltaic cell, and compressing the first outermost layer, the photovoltaic cell, and the second layer to form the photovoltaic cell module.

  2. Apparatus for encapsulating a photovoltaic module

    DOEpatents

    Albright, Scot P.; Dugan, Larry M.

    1995-10-24

    The subject inventions concern various photovoltaic module designs to protect the module from horizontal and vertical impacts and degradation of solar cell efficiency caused by moisture. In one design, a plurality of panel supports that are positioned adjacent to the upper panel in a photovoltaic module absorb vertical forces exerted along an axis perpendicular to the upper panel. Other designs employ layers of glass and tempered glass, respectively, to protect the module from vertical impacts. A plurality of button-shaped channels is used around the edges of the photovoltaic module to absorb forces applied to the module along an axis parallel to the module and direct moisture away from the module that could otherwise penetrate the module and adversely affect the cells within the module. A spacer is employed between the upper and lower panels that has a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially equivalent to the coefficient of thermal expansion of at least one of the panels.

  3. Real-Time Photovoltaic and Solar Resource Testing | Photovoltaic Research |

    Science.gov Websites

    community toward developing comprehensive PV standards. Each year, NCPV researchers, along with solar performance Bill Marion: Solar radiation resource information, and PV module and system performance modeling NRELA> Real-Time Photovoltaic and Solar Resource Testing Real-Time Photovoltaic and Solar

  4. Semitransparent organic photovoltaic modules with Ag nanowire top electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Fei; Kubis, Peter; Przybilla, Thomas; Spiecker, Erdmann; Forberich, Karen; Brabec, Christoph J.

    2014-10-01

    Semitransparent organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells are promising for applications in transparent architectures where their opaque counterparts are not suitable. Manufacturing of large-area modules without performance losses compared to their lab-scale devices is a key step towards practical applications of this PV technology. In this paper, we report the use of solution-processed silver nanowires as top electrodes and fabricate semitransparent OPV modules based on ultra-fast laser scribing. Through a rational choice of device architecture in combination with high-precision laser patterning, we demonstrate efficient semitransparent modules with comparable performance as compared to the reference devices.

  5. Recent developments in the economic modeling of photovoltaic module manufacturing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chamberlain, R. G.

    1979-01-01

    Recent developments in the solar array manufacturing industry costing standards (SAMICS) are described. Consideration is given to the added capability to handle arbitrary operating schedules and the revised procedure for calculation of one-time costs. The results of an extensive validation study are summarized.

  6. Organic Photovoltaic Multiferroics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-01-14

    Aug-2014 31-Jul-2017 Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited Final Report: ARO-YIP (Materials By Design): Organic Photovoltaic ...Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 Materials design, self-assembly, magnetoelectrics, photovoltaics REPORT...7552 31-Jul-2017 ABSTRACT Final Report: ARO-YIP (Materials By Design): Organic Photovoltaic Multiferroics Report Title In this project, we aim at

  7. Amorphous silicon photovoltaic devices

    DOEpatents

    Carlson, David E.; Lin, Guang H.; Ganguly, Gautam

    2004-08-31

    This invention is a photovoltaic device comprising an intrinsic or i-layer of amorphous silicon and where the photovoltaic device is more efficient at converting light energy to electric energy at high operating temperatures than at low operating temperatures. The photovoltaic devices of this invention are suitable for use in high temperature operating environments.

  8. Room-temperature relaxor ferroelectricity and photovoltaic effects in tin titanate directly deposited on a silicon substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agarwal, Radhe; Sharma, Yogesh; Chang, Siliang; Pitike, Krishna C.; Sohn, Changhee; Nakhmanson, Serge M.; Takoudis, Christos G.; Lee, Ho Nyung; Tonelli, Rachel; Gardner, Jonathan; Scott, James F.; Katiyar, Ram S.; Hong, Seungbum

    2018-02-01

    Tin titanate (SnTi O3 ) has been notoriously impossible to prepare as a thin-film ferroelectric, probably because high-temperature annealing converts much of the S n2 + to S n4 + . In the present paper, we show two things: first, perovskite phase SnTi O3 can be prepared by atomic-layer deposition directly onto p -type Si substrates; and second, these films exhibit ferroelectric switching at room temperature, with p -type Si acting as electrodes. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the film is single-phase, preferred-orientation ferroelectric perovskite SnTi O3 . Our films showed well-saturated, square, and repeatable hysteresis loops of around 3 μ C /c m2 remnant polarization at room temperature, as detected by out-of-plane polarization versus electric field and field cycling measurements. Furthermore, photovoltaic and photoferroelectricity were found in Pt /SnTi O3/Si /SnTi O3/Pt heterostructures, the properties of which can be tuned through band-gap engineering by strain according to first-principles calculations. This is a lead-free room-temperature ferroelectric oxide of potential device application.

  9. Room-temperature relaxor ferroelectricity and photovoltaic effects in tin titanate directly deposited on a silicon substrate

    DOE PAGES

    Agarwal, Radhe; Sharma, Yogesh; Chang, Siliang; ...

    2018-02-20

    Tin titanate (SnTiO 3) has been notoriously impossible to prepare as a thin-film ferroelectric, probably because high-temperature annealing converts much of the Sn 2+ to Sn 4+. In the present paper, we show two things: first, perovskite phase SnTiO 3 can be prepared by atomic-layer deposition directly onto p-type Si substrates; and second, these films exhibit ferroelectric switching at room temperature, with p-type Si acting as electrodes. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the film is single-phase, preferred-orientation ferroelectric perovskite SnTiO 3. Our films showed well-saturated, square, and repeatable hysteresis loops of around 3μC/cm 2 remnant polarization at room temperature, asmore » detected by out-of-plane polarization versus electric field and field cycling measurements. Furthermore, photovoltaic and photoferroelectricity were found in Pt/SnTiO 3/Si/SnTiO 3/Pt heterostructures, the properties of which can be tuned through band-gap engineering by strain according to first-principles calculations. In conclusion, this is a lead-free room-temperature ferroelectric oxide of potential device application.« less

  10. Room-temperature relaxor ferroelectricity and photovoltaic effects in tin titanate directly deposited on a silicon substrate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Agarwal, Radhe; Sharma, Yogesh; Chang, Siliang

    Tin titanate (SnTiO 3) has been notoriously impossible to prepare as a thin-film ferroelectric, probably because high-temperature annealing converts much of the Sn 2+ to Sn 4+. In the present paper, we show two things: first, perovskite phase SnTiO 3 can be prepared by atomic-layer deposition directly onto p-type Si substrates; and second, these films exhibit ferroelectric switching at room temperature, with p-type Si acting as electrodes. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the film is single-phase, preferred-orientation ferroelectric perovskite SnTiO 3. Our films showed well-saturated, square, and repeatable hysteresis loops of around 3μC/cm 2 remnant polarization at room temperature, asmore » detected by out-of-plane polarization versus electric field and field cycling measurements. Furthermore, photovoltaic and photoferroelectricity were found in Pt/SnTiO 3/Si/SnTiO 3/Pt heterostructures, the properties of which can be tuned through band-gap engineering by strain according to first-principles calculations. In conclusion, this is a lead-free room-temperature ferroelectric oxide of potential device application.« less

  11. Thick-film materials for silicon photovoltaic cell manufacture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Field, M. B.

    1977-01-01

    Thick film technology is applicable to three areas of silicon solar cell fabrication; metallization, junction formation, and coating for protection of screened ohmic contacts, particularly wrap around contacts, interconnection and environmental protection. Both material and process parameters were investigated. Printed ohmic contacts on n- and p-type silicon are very sensitive to the processing parameters of firing time, temperature, and atmosphere. Wrap around contacts are easily achieved by first printing and firing a dielectric over the edge and subsequently applying a low firing temperature conductor. Interconnection of cells into arrays can be achieved by printing and cofiring thick film metal pastes, soldering, or with heat curing conductive epoxies on low cost substrates. Printed (thick) film vitreous protection coatings do not yet offer sufficient optical uniformity and transparency for use on silicon. A sprayed, heat curable SiO2 based resin shows promise of providing both optical matching and environmental protection.

  12. Deposition of InP on Si Substrates for Monolithic Integration of Advanced Electronics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-05-01

    radiation resistance of InP has been demonstrated (in terms of solar cell experiments) to be quite superior to that of either GaAs or Si.( 1 , 2) In fact... photovoltaic p/n junction devices irradiated by I MeV electrons have been shown to almost totallv recover their electrical performance by annealing at...in the literature.(l5 2 2) The NTT group has succeeded in growing InP films directly on Si substrates and in fabricating solar cells (approximately 3

  13. A comparison of GaAs and Si hybrid solar power systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heinbockel, J. H.; Roberts, A. S., Jr.

    1977-01-01

    Five different hybrid solar power systems using silicon solar cells to produce thermal and electric power are modeled and compared with a hybrid system using a GaAs cell. Among the indices determined are capital cost per unit electric power plus mechanical power, annual cost per unit electric energy, and annual cost per unit electric plus mechanical work. Current costs are taken to be $35,000/sq m for GaAs cells with an efficiency of 15% and $1000/sq m for Si cells with an efficiency of 10%. It is shown that hybrid systems can be competitive with existing methods of practical energy conversion. Limiting values for annual costs of Si and GaAs cells are calculated to be 10.3 cents/kWh and 6.8 cents/kWh, respectively. Results for both systems indicate that for a given flow rate there is an optimal operating condition for minimum cost photovoltaic output. For Si cell costs of $50/sq m optimal performance can be achieved at concentrations of about 10; for GaAs cells costing 1000/sq m, optimal performance can be obtained at concentrations of around 100. High concentration hybrid systems offer a distinct cost advantage over flat systems.

  14. Thermo-mechanical performance of precision C/SiC mounts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goodman, William A.; Mueller, Claus E.; Jacoby, Marc T.; Wells, Jim D.

    2001-12-01

    For complex shaped, lightweight, high precision opto- mechanical structures that must operate in adverse environments and over wide ranges of temperature, we consider IABG's optical grade silicon carbide composite ceramic (C/SiC) as the material of choice. C/SiC employs conventional NC machining/milling equipment to rapidly fabricate near-net shape parts, providing substantial schedule, cost, and risk savings for high precision components. Unlike powder based SiC ceramics, C/SiC does not experience significant shrinkage during processing, nor does it suffer from incomplete densification. If required, e.g. for large-size components, a fully-monolithic ceramic joining technique can be applied. Generally, the thermal and mechanical properties of C/SiC are tunable in certain ranges by modifying certain process steps. This paper focuses on the thermo-mechanical performance of new, high precision mounts designed by Schafer Corporation and manufactured by IABG. The mounts were manufactured using standard optical grade C/SiC (formulation internally called A-3). The A-3 formulation has a near-perfect CTE match with silicon, making it the ideal material to athermally support Schafer produced Silicon Lightweight Mirrors (SLMs) that will operate in a cryogenic environment. Corresponding thermo- mechanical testing and analysis is presented in this manuscript.

  15. The worldwide market for photovoltaics in the rural sector

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brainard, W. A.

    1982-01-01

    Attention is given to the assessment of results obtained by three NASA studies aimed at determining the global market for stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the village power, cottage industry, and agricultural applications areas of the rural sector. An attempt was made to identify technical, social, and institutional barriers to PV system implementation, as well as the funding sources available to potential users. Country- and sector-specific results are discussed, and marketing strategies appropriate for each sector are suggested for the benefit of American PV products manufacturers.

  16. Experimental investigation to evaluate the potential environmental hazards of photovoltaic panels.

    PubMed

    Tammaro, Marco; Salluzzo, Antonio; Rimauro, Juri; Schiavo, Simona; Manzo, Sonia

    2016-04-05

    Recently the potential environmental hazard of photovoltaic modules together with their management as waste has attracted the attention of scientists. Particular concern is aroused by the several metals contained in photovoltaic panels whose potential release in the environment were scarcely investigated. Here, for the first time, the potential environmental hazard of panels produced in the last 30 years was investigated through the assessment of up to 18 releasable metals. Besides, the corresponding ecotoxicological effects were also evaluated. Experimental data were compared with the current European and Italian law limits for drinking water, discharge on soil and landfill inert disposal in order to understand the actual pollution load. Results showed that less than 3% of the samples respected all law limits and around 21% was not ecotoxic. By considering the technological evolutions in manufacturing, we have shown that during the years crystalline silicon panels have lower tendency to release hazardous metals with respect to thin film panels. In addition, a prediction of the amounts of lead, chromium, cadmium and nickel releasable from next photovoltaic waste was performed. The prevision up to 2050 showed high amounts of lead (30t) and cadmium (2.9t) releasable from crystalline and thin film panels respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Model institutional infrastructures for recycling of photovoltaic modules

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reaven, S.J.; Moskowitz, P.D.; Fthenakis, V.

    1996-01-01

    How will photovoltaic modules (PVMS) be recycled at the end of their service lives? This question has technological and institutional components (Reaven, 1994a). The technological aspect concerns the physical means of recycling: what advantages and disadvantages of the several existing and emerging mechanical, thermal, and chemical recycling processes and facilities merit consideration? The institutional dimension refers to the arrangements for recycling: what are the operational and financial roles of the parties with an interest in PVM recycling? These parties include PVM manufacturers, trade organizations; distributors, and retailers; residential, commercial, and utility PVM users; waste collectors, transporters, reclaimers, and reclaimers; andmore » governments.« less

  18. Stepwise mechanism and H2O-assisted hydrolysis in atomic layer deposition of SiO2 without a catalyst.

    PubMed

    Fang, Guo-Yong; Xu, Li-Na; Wang, Lai-Guo; Cao, Yan-Qiang; Wu, Di; Li, Ai-Dong

    2015-01-01

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a powerful deposition technique for constructing uniform, conformal, and ultrathin films in microelectronics, photovoltaics, catalysis, energy storage, and conversion. The possible pathways for silicon dioxide (SiO2) ALD using silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) and water (H2O) without a catalyst have been investigated by means of density functional theory calculations. The results show that the SiCl4 half-reaction is a rate-determining step of SiO2 ALD. It may proceed through a stepwise pathway, first forming a Si-O bond and then breaking Si-Cl/O-H bonds and forming a H-Cl bond. The H2O half-reaction may undergo hydrolysis and condensation processes, which are similar to conventional SiO2 chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In the H2O half-reaction, there are massive H2O molecules adsorbed on the surface, which can result in H2O-assisted hydrolysis of the Cl-terminated surface and accelerate the H2O half-reaction. These findings may be used to improve methods for the preparation of SiO2 ALD and H2O-based ALD of other oxides, such as Al2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, and HfO2.

  19. Stepwise mechanism and H2O-assisted hydrolysis in atomic layer deposition of SiO2 without a catalyst

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Guo-Yong; Xu, Li-Na; Wang, Lai-Guo; Cao, Yan-Qiang; Wu, Di; Li, Ai-Dong

    2015-02-01

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a powerful deposition technique for constructing uniform, conformal, and ultrathin films in microelectronics, photovoltaics, catalysis, energy storage, and conversion. The possible pathways for silicon dioxide (SiO2) ALD using silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) and water (H2O) without a catalyst have been investigated by means of density functional theory calculations. The results show that the SiCl4 half-reaction is a rate-determining step of SiO2 ALD. It may proceed through a stepwise pathway, first forming a Si-O bond and then breaking Si-Cl/O-H bonds and forming a H-Cl bond. The H2O half-reaction may undergo hydrolysis and condensation processes, which are similar to conventional SiO2 chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In the H2O half-reaction, there are massive H2O molecules adsorbed on the surface, which can result in H2O-assisted hydrolysis of the Cl-terminated surface and accelerate the H2O half-reaction. These findings may be used to improve methods for the preparation of SiO2 ALD and H2O-based ALD of other oxides, such as Al2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, and HfO2.

  20. In-situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy observation of silicon nanocrystal nucleation in a SiO{sub 2} bilayered matrix

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, T. C.-J., E-mail: terry.yang@unsw.edu.au; Wu, L.; Lin, Z.

    2014-08-04

    Solid-state nucleation of Si nanocrystals in a SiO{sub 2} bilayered matrix was observed at temperatures as low as 450 °C. This was achieved by aberration corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with real-time in-situ heating up to 600 °C. This technique is a valuable characterization tool especially with the recent interest in Si nanostructures for light emitting devices, non-volatile memories, and third-generation photovoltaics which all typically require a heating step in their fabrication. The control of size, shape, and distribution of the Si nanocrystals are critical for these applications. This experimental study involves in-situ observation of the nucleation of Si nanocrystals inmore » a SiO{sub 2} bilayered matrix fabricated through radio frequency co-sputtering. The results show that the shapes of Si nanocrystals in amorphous SiO{sub 2} bilayered matrices are irregular and not spherical, in contrast to many claims in the literature. Furthermore, the Si nanocrystals are well confined within their layers by the amorphous SiO{sub 2}. This study demonstrates the potential of in-situ HRTEM as a tool to observe the real time nucleation of Si nanocrystals in a SiO{sub 2} bilayered matrix. Furthermore, ideas for improvements on this in-situ heating HRTEM technique are discussed.« less

  1. Why silicon is and will remain the dominant photovoltaic material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Rajendra

    2009-07-01

    Rising demands of energy in emerging economies, coupled with the green house gas emissions related problems around the globe have provided a unique opportunity of exploiting the advantages offered by photovoltaic (PV) systems for green energy electricity generation. Similar to cell phones, power generated by PV systems can reach over two billion people worldwide who have no access to clean energy. Only silicon based PV devices meet the low-cost manufacturing criterion of clean energy conversion (abundance of raw material and no environmental health and safety issues). The use of larger size glass substrates and manufacturing techniques similar to the ones used by the liquid crystal display industry and the large scale manufacturing of amorphous silicon thin films based modules (~ GW per year manufacturing at a single location) can lead to installed PV system cost of $3/Wp. This will open a huge market for grid connected PV systems and related markets. With further research and development, this approach can provide $2/Wp installed PV system costs in the next few years. At this cost level, PV electricity generation is competitive with any other technology, and PV power generation can be a dominant electricity generation technology in the 21st century.

  2. Performance characteristics of a combination solar photovoltaic heat engine energy converter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chubb, Donald L.

    1987-01-01

    A combination solar photovoltaic heat engine converter is proposed. Such a system is suitable for either terrestrial or space power applications. The combination system has a higher efficiency than either the photovoltaic array or the heat engine alone can attain. Advantages in concentrator and radiator area and receiver mass of the photovoltaic heat engine system over a heat-engine-only system are estimated. A mass and area comparison between the proposed space station organic Rankine power system and a combination PV-heat engine system is made. The critical problem for the proposed converter is the necessity for high temperature photovoltaic array operation. Estimates of the required photovoltaic temperature are presented.

  3. Manufacture of high-density ceramic sinters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hibata, Y.

    1986-01-01

    High density ceramic sinters are manufactured by coating premolded or presintered porous ceramics with a sealing material of high SiO2 porous glass or nitride glass and then sintering by hot isostatic pressing. The ceramics have excellent abrasion and corrosion resistances. Thus LC-10 (Si3N2 powder) and Y2O3-Al2O3 type sintering were mixed and molded to give a premolded porous ceramic (porosity 37%, relative bulk density 63%). The ceramic was dipped in a slurry containing high SiO2 porous glass and an alcohol solution of cellulose acetate and dried. The coated ceramic was treated in a nitrogen atmosphere and then sintered by hot isostatic pressing to give a dense ceramic sinter.

  4. Bifacial Si heterojunction-perovskite organic-inorganic tandem to produce highly efficient ( ηT * ˜ 33%) solar cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asadpour, Reza; Chavali, Raghu V. K.; Ryyan Khan, M.; Alam, Muhammad A.

    2015-06-01

    As single junction photovoltaic (PV) technologies, both Si heterojunction (HIT) and perovskite based solar cells promise high efficiencies at low cost. Intuitively, a traditional tandem cell design with these cells connected in series is expected to improve the efficiency further. Using a self-consistent numerical modeling of optical and transport characteristics, however, we find that a traditional series connected tandem design suffers from low J S C due to band-gap mismatch and current matching constraints. Specifically, a traditional tandem cell with state-of-the-art HIT ( η = 24 % ) and perovskite ( η = 20 % ) sub-cells provides only a modest tandem efficiency of η T ˜ 25%. Instead, we demonstrate that a bifacial HIT/perovskite tandem design decouples the optoelectronic constraints and provides an innovative path for extraordinary efficiencies. In the bifacial configuration, the same state-of-the-art sub-cells achieve a normalized output of ηT * = 33%, exceeding the bifacial HIT performance at practical albedo reflections. Unlike the traditional design, this bifacial design is relatively insensitive to perovskite thickness variations, which may translate to simpler manufacture and higher yield.

  5. Photovoltaics as a terrestrial energy source. Volume 1: An introduction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, J. L.

    1980-01-01

    Photovoltaic (PV) systems were examined their potential for terrestrial application and future development. Photovoltaic technology, existing and potential photovoltaic applications, and the National Photovoltaics Program are reviewed. The competitive environment for this electrical source, affected by the presence or absence of utility supplied power is evaluated in term of systems prices. The roles of technological breakthroughs, directed research and technology development, learning curves, and commercial demonstrations in the National Program are discussed. The potential for photovoltaics to displace oil consumption is examined, as are the potential benefits of employing PV in either central-station or non-utility owned, small, distributed systems.

  6. Photovoltaics: The endless spring

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.

    1984-01-01

    An overview of the developments in the photovoltaic field over the past decade or two is presented. Accomplishments in the terrestrial field are reviewed along with projections and challenges toward meeting cost goals. The contrasts and commonality of space and terrestrial photovoltaics are presented. Finally, a strategic philosophy of photovoltaics research highlighting critical factors, appropriate directions, emerging opportunities, and challenges of the future is given.

  7. Photovoltaic fabrics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-04-22

    CLADDING SOLAR CELLS PV (PHOTOVOLTAIC) University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth 285 Old Westport Road Dartmouth, MA 02747...Lowell, MA 01852 14. ABSTRACT This report describes a project to improve photovoltaic fabrics. It had four objectives: 1) Efficiency – make PV wires on...direct sunlight (AM1.5). Over the duration of the project we demonstrated PV efficiency ranging from 5.04% (wire on a black background) to >8

  8. A novel microgrid demand-side management system for manufacturing facilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harper, Terance J.

    Thirty-one percent of annual energy consumption in the United States occurs within the industrial sector, where manufacturing processes account for the largest amount of energy consumption and carbon emissions. For this reason, energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities is increasingly important for reducing operating costs and improving profits. Using microgrids to generate local sustainable power should reduce energy consumption from the main utility grid along with energy costs and carbon emissions. Also, microgrids have the potential to serve as reliable energy generators in international locations where the utility grid is often unstable. For this research, a manufacturing process that had approximately 20 kW of peak demand was matched with a solar photovoltaic array that had a peak output of approximately 3 KW. An innovative Demand-Side Management (DSM) strategy was developed to manage the process loads as part of this smart microgrid system. The DSM algorithm managed the intermittent nature of the microgrid and the instantaneous demand of the manufacturing process. The control algorithm required three input signals; one from the microgrid indicating the availability of renewable energy, another from the manufacturing process indicating energy use as a percent of peak production, and historical data for renewable sources and facility demand. Based on these inputs the algorithm had three modes of operation: normal (business as usual), curtailment (shutting off non-critical loads), and energy storage. The results show that a real-time management of a manufacturing process with a microgrid will reduce electrical consumption and peak demand. The renewable energy system for this research was rated to provide up to 13% of the total manufacturing capacity. With actively managing the process loads with the DSM program alone, electrical consumption from the utility grid was reduced by 17% on average. An additional 24% reduction was accomplished when the microgrid

  9. Reducing Operating Temperature in Photovoltaic Modules

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Silverman, Timothy J.; Deceglie, Michael G.; Subedi, Indra

    Reducing the operating temperature of photovoltaic modules increases their efficiency and lifetime. This can be achieved by reducing the production of waste heat or by improving the rejection of waste heat. We tested, using a combination of simulation and experiment, several thermal modifications in each category. To predict operating temperature and energy yield changes in response to changes to the module, we implemented a physics-based transient simulation framework based almost entirely on measured properties. The most effective thermal modifications reduced the production of waste heat by reflecting unusable light from the cell or the module. Consistent with previous results andmore » verified in this work through year-long simulations, the ideal reflector resulted in an annual irradiance-weighted temperature reduction of 3.8 K for crystalline silicon (c-Si). Our results illustrate that more realistic reflector concepts must balance detrimental optical effects with the intended thermal effects to realize the optimal energy production advantage. Methods improving thermal conductivity or back-side emissivity showed only modest improvements of less than 1 K. We also studied a GaAs module, which uses high-efficiency and high-subbandgap reflectivity to operate at an annual irradiance-weighted temperature 12 K cooler than that of a c-Si module under the same conditions.« less

  10. Reducing Operating Temperature in Photovoltaic Modules

    DOE PAGES

    Silverman, Timothy J.; Deceglie, Michael G.; Subedi, Indra; ...

    2018-01-09

    Reducing the operating temperature of photovoltaic modules increases their efficiency and lifetime. This can be achieved by reducing the production of waste heat or by improving the rejection of waste heat. We tested, using a combination of simulation and experiment, several thermal modifications in each category. To predict operating temperature and energy yield changes in response to changes to the module, we implemented a physics-based transient simulation framework based almost entirely on measured properties. The most effective thermal modifications reduced the production of waste heat by reflecting unusable light from the cell or the module. Consistent with previous results andmore » verified in this work through year-long simulations, the ideal reflector resulted in an annual irradiance-weighted temperature reduction of 3.8 K for crystalline silicon (c-Si). Our results illustrate that more realistic reflector concepts must balance detrimental optical effects with the intended thermal effects to realize the optimal energy production advantage. Methods improving thermal conductivity or back-side emissivity showed only modest improvements of less than 1 K. We also studied a GaAs module, which uses high-efficiency and high-subbandgap reflectivity to operate at an annual irradiance-weighted temperature 12 K cooler than that of a c-Si module under the same conditions.« less

  11. A low temperature co-fired ceramic power inductor manufactured using a glass-free ternary composite material system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yuanxun; Xie, Yunsong; Xie, Ru; Chen, Daming; Han, Likun; Su, Hua

    2018-03-01

    A glass-free ternary composite material system (CMS) manufactured employing the low temperature ( 890 ° C ) co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technique is reported. This ternary CMS consists of silver, NiCuZn ferrite, and Zn2SiO4 ceramic. The reported device fabricated from this ternary CMS is a power inductor with a nominal inductance of 1.0 μH. Three major highlights were achieved from the device and the material study. First, unlike most other LTCC methods, no glass is required to be added in either of the dielectric materials in order to co-fire the NiCuZn ferrite, Zn2SiO4 ceramic, and silver. Second, a successfully co-fired silver, NiCuZn, and Zn2SiO4 device can be achieved by optimizing the thermal shrinkage properties of both NiCuZn and Zn2SiO4, so that they have a very similar temperature shrinkage profile. We have also found that strong non-magnetic elemental diffusion occurs during the densification process, which further enhances the success rate of manufacturing co-fired devices. Last but not least, elemental mapping suggests that strong magnetic elemental diffusion between NiCuZn and Zn2SiO4 has been suppressed during the co-firing process. The investigation of electrical performance illustrates that while the ordinary binary CMS based power inductor can deal with 400 mA DC, the ternary CMS based power inductor is able to handle higher DC currents, 700 mA and 620 mA DC, according to both simulation and experiment demonstrations, respectively.

  12. NREL Photovoltaic Program FY 1995 annual report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1996-06-01

    This report summarizes the in-house and subcontracted R&D activities from Oct. 1994 through Sept. 1995; their objectives are to conduct basic, applied, and engineering research, manage subcontracted R&D projects, perform research complementary to subcontracted work, develop and maintain state-of-the-art measurement and device capabilities, develop PV manufacturing technology and modules, transfer results to industry, and evolve viable partnerships for PV systems and market development. The research activities are grouped into 5 sections: crystalline Si and advanced devices, thin-film PV, PV manufacturing, PV module and system performance and engineering, and PV applications and market development.

  13. Enhanced model of photovoltaic cell/panel/array considering the direct and reverse modes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zegaoui, Abdallah; Boutoubat, Mohamed; Sawicki, Jean-Paul; Kessaissia, Fatma Zohra; Djahbar, Abdelkader; Aillerie, Michel

    2018-05-01

    This paper presents an improved generalized physical model for photovoltaic, PV cells, panels and arrays taking into account the behavior of these devices when considering their biasing existing in direct and reverse modes. Existing PV physical models generally are very efficient for simulating influence of irradiation changes on the short circuit current but they could not visualize the influences of temperature changes. The Enhanced Direct and Reverse Mode model, named EDRM model, enlightens the influence on the short-circuit current of both temperature and irradiation in the reverse mode of the considered PV devices. Due to its easy implementation, the proposed model can be a useful power tool for the development of new photovoltaic systems taking into account and in a more exhaustive manner, environmental conditions. The developed model was tested on a marketed PV panel and it gives a satisfactory results compared with parameters given in the manufacturer datasheet.

  14. Numerical and Experimental Investigation on a Thermo-Photovoltaic Module for Higher Efficiency Energy Generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karami-Lakeh, Hossein; Hosseini-Abardeh, Reza; Kaatuzian, Hassan

    2017-05-01

    One major problem of solar cells is the decrease in efficiency due to an increase in temperature when operating under constant irradiation of solar energy. The combination of solar cell and a thermoelectric generator is one of the methods proposed to solve this problem. In this paper, the performance of thermo-photovoltaic system is studied experimentally as well as through numerical simulation. In the experimental part, design, manufacture and test of a novel thermo-photovoltaic system assembly are presented. Results of the assembled system showed that with reduction of one degree (Centigrade) in the temperature of solar cell under investigation, and about 0.2 % increase in the efficiency will be obtained in comparison with given efficiency at that specified temperature. The solar cell in a hybrid-assembled system under two cooling conditions (air cooling and water cooling) obtained an efficiency of 8 % and 9.5 %, respectively, while the efficiency of a single cell under the same radiation condition was 6 %. In numerical simulation part, photo-thermoelectric performance of system was analyzed. Two methods for evaluation of thermoelectric performance were used: average properties and finite element method. Results of simulation also demonstrate an increase in solar cell efficiency in the combined system in comparison with that of the single cell configuration.

  15. Photovoltaic tests and applications project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1978-01-01

    The activities and accomplishments of the Photovoltaic Tests and Applications Project during the period April 1976 through June 1977 are summarized. Results of efforts to identify potential near-term photovoltaic applications and users are discussed, including the outcome of an extensive survey of Federal government agencies. The status of application experiments is presented. Various general engineering efforts are reported, including the design and construction of a photovoltaic Systems Test Facility. Efforts to develop a high efficiency 10 kVA self-commutated inverter and controller specifically designed for photovoltaic systems are also discussed. The results of a wide variety of activities in the area of photovoltaic measurements and standards are related. Documents generated by the Project during the reporting period are listed in an Appendix.

  16. Performance model for grid-connected photovoltaic inverters.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boyson, William Earl; Galbraith, Gary M.; King, David L.

    2007-09-01

    This document provides an empirically based performance model for grid-connected photovoltaic inverters used for system performance (energy) modeling and for continuous monitoring of inverter performance during system operation. The versatility and accuracy of the model were validated for a variety of both residential and commercial size inverters. Default parameters for the model can be obtained from manufacturers specification sheets, and the accuracy of the model can be further refined using measurements from either well-instrumented field measurements in operational systems or using detailed measurements from a recognized testing laboratory. An initial database of inverter performance parameters was developed based on measurementsmore » conducted at Sandia National Laboratories and at laboratories supporting the solar programs of the California Energy Commission.« less

  17. Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    For more information about solar photovoltaic energy, visit the following resources: Solar PV Photovoltaic Technology Basics Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics Solar cells, also called photovoltaic (PV) cells by scientists, convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV gets its name from the

  18. Symmetry-breaking charge transfer in a zinc chlorodipyrrin acceptor for high open circuit voltage organic photovoltaics.

    PubMed

    Bartynski, Andrew N; Gruber, Mark; Das, Saptaparna; Rangan, Sylvie; Mollinger, Sonya; Trinh, Cong; Bradforth, Stephen E; Vandewal, Koen; Salleo, Alberto; Bartynski, Robert A; Bruetting, Wolfgang; Thompson, Mark E

    2015-04-29

    Low open-circuit voltages significantly limit the power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices. Typical strategies to enhance the open-circuit voltage involve tuning the HOMO and LUMO positions of the donor (D) and acceptor (A), respectively, to increase the interfacial energy gap or to tailor the donor or acceptor structure at the D/A interface. Here, we present an alternative approach to improve the open-circuit voltage through the use of a zinc chlorodipyrrin, ZCl [bis(dodecachloro-5-mesityldipyrrinato)zinc], as an acceptor, which undergoes symmetry-breaking charge transfer (CT) at the donor/acceptor interface. DBP/ZCl cells exhibit open-circuit voltages of 1.33 V compared to 0.88 V for analogous tetraphenyldibenzoperyflanthrene (DBP)/C60-based devices. Charge transfer state energies measured by Fourier-transform photocurrent spectroscopy and electroluminescence show that C60 forms a CT state of 1.45 ± 0.05 eV in a DBP/C60-based organic photovoltaic device, while ZCl as acceptor gives a CT state energy of 1.70 ± 0.05 eV in the corresponding device structure. In the ZCl device this results in an energetic loss between E(CT) and qV(OC) of 0.37 eV, substantially less than the 0.6 eV typically observed for organic systems and equal to the recombination losses seen in high-efficiency Si and GaAs devices. The substantial increase in open-circuit voltage and reduction in recombination losses for devices utilizing ZCl demonstrate the great promise of symmetry-breaking charge transfer in organic photovoltaic devices.

  19. Transparent contacts for stacked compound photovoltaic cells

    DOEpatents

    Tauke-Pedretti, Anna; Cederberg, Jeffrey; Nielson, Gregory N.; Okandan, Murat; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis

    2016-11-29

    A microsystems-enabled multi-junction photovoltaic (MEM-PV) cell includes a first photovoltaic cell having a first junction, the first photovoltaic cell including a first semiconductor material employed to form the first junction, the first semiconductor material having a first bandgap. The MEM-PV cell also includes a second photovoltaic cell comprising a second junction. The second photovoltaic cell comprises a second semiconductor material employed to form the second junction, the second semiconductor material having a second bandgap that is less than the first bandgap, the second photovoltaic cell further comprising a first contact layer disposed between the first junction of the first photovoltaic cell and the second junction of the second photovoltaic cell, the first contact layer composed of a third semiconductor material having a third bandgap, the third bandgap being greater than or equal to the first bandgap.

  20. An update on the Department of Energy's photovoltaic program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Benner, John P.; Fitzgerald, Mark

    1994-01-01

    Funding for the terrestrial photovoltaic's program is $78 million in 1994. This is more than double the minimum level reached in 1989 and runs counter to the general trend of decreasing budgets for Department of Energy (DOE) programs. During the past five years, the program has expanded its mission from research and development to also address manufacturing technology and commercialization assistance. These new activities are directed toward revitalizing the market to reinstate the rapid rate of sales growth needed to attract investment. The program is approaching balance among efforts in each of the three areas. This translates to a reduction in some of the R & D activities of most relevance to the space power community. On the other hand, some of the advancements in manufacturing may finally bring thin-film technologies to reality for space arrays. This talk will describe the status and direction of DOE program with an eye toward highlighting its impact on technology of interest for space.

  1. Realization of Quasi‐Omnidirectional Solar Cells with Superior Electrical Performance by All‐Solution‐Processed Si Nanopyramids

    PubMed Central

    Zhong, Sihua; Wang, Wenjie; Tan, Miao; Zhuang, Yufeng

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Large‐scale (156 mm × 156 mm) quasi‐omnidirectional solar cells are successfully realized and featured by keeping high cell performance over broad incident angles (θ), via employing Si nanopyramids (SiNPs) as surface texture. SiNPs are produced by the proposed metal‐assisted alkaline etching method, which is an all‐solution‐processed method and highly simple together with cost‐effective. Interestingly, compared to the conventional Si micropyramids (SiMPs)‐textured solar cells, the SiNPs‐textured solar cells possess lower carrier recombination and thus superior electrical performances, showing notable distinctions from other Si nanostructures‐textured solar cells. Furthermore, SiNPs‐textured solar cells have very little drop of quantum efficiency with increasing θ, demonstrating the quasi‐omnidirectional characteristic. As an overall result, both the SiNPs‐textured homojunction and heterojunction solar cells possess higher daily electric energy production with a maximum relative enhancement approaching 2.5%, when compared to their SiMPs‐textured counterparts. The quasi‐omnidirectional solar cell opens a new opportunity for photovoltaics to produce more electric energy with a low cost. PMID:29201616

  2. Realization of Quasi-Omnidirectional Solar Cells with Superior Electrical Performance by All-Solution-Processed Si Nanopyramids.

    PubMed

    Zhong, Sihua; Wang, Wenjie; Tan, Miao; Zhuang, Yufeng; Shen, Wenzhong

    2017-11-01

    Large-scale (156 mm × 156 mm) quasi-omnidirectional solar cells are successfully realized and featured by keeping high cell performance over broad incident angles (θ), via employing Si nanopyramids (SiNPs) as surface texture. SiNPs are produced by the proposed metal-assisted alkaline etching method, which is an all-solution-processed method and highly simple together with cost-effective. Interestingly, compared to the conventional Si micropyramids (SiMPs)-textured solar cells, the SiNPs-textured solar cells possess lower carrier recombination and thus superior electrical performances, showing notable distinctions from other Si nanostructures-textured solar cells. Furthermore, SiNPs-textured solar cells have very little drop of quantum efficiency with increasing θ, demonstrating the quasi-omnidirectional characteristic. As an overall result, both the SiNPs-textured homojunction and heterojunction solar cells possess higher daily electric energy production with a maximum relative enhancement approaching 2.5%, when compared to their SiMPs-textured counterparts. The quasi-omnidirectional solar cell opens a new opportunity for photovoltaics to produce more electric energy with a low cost.

  3. Mechanical and physical properties of AlSi10Mg processed through selective laser melting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raus, A. A.; Wahab, M. S.; Ibrahim, M.; Kamarudin, K.; Ahmed, Aqeel; Shamsudin, S.

    2017-04-01

    In the past few decade, Additive Manufacturing (AM) has become popular and substantial to manufacture direct functional parts in varieties industrial applications even in very challenging like aerospace, medical and manufacturing sectors. Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is one of the most efficient technique in the additive Manufacturing (AM) which able to manufacture metal component directly from Computer Aided Design (CAD) file data. Accuracy, mechanical and physical properties are essentials requirement in order to meet the demand of those engineering components. In this paper, the mechanical properties of SLM manufactured AlSi10Mg samples such as hardness, tensile strength, and impact toughness are investigated and compared to conventionally high pressure die cast A360 alloy. The results exposed that the hardness and the yield strength of AlSi10Mg samples by SLM were increased by 42% and 31% respectively to those of conventionally high pressure die cast A360 alloy even though without comprehensive post processing methods. It is also discovered that AlSi10Mg parts fabricated by SLM achieved the highest density of 99.13% at the best setting parameters from a previous study of 350 watts laser power, 1650 mm/s scanning speed and hatching distance 0.13 mm.

  4. Photovoltaic array mounting apparatus, systems, and methods

    DOEpatents

    West, Jack Raymond; Atchley, Brian; Hudson, Tyrus Hawkes; Johansen, Emil

    2015-04-14

    A photovoltaic array, including: (a) supports laid out on a surface in rows and columns; (b) photovoltaic modules positioned on top of the supports; and (c) fasteners connecting the photovoltaic modules to the supports, wherein the supports have an upper pedestal surface and a lower pedestal surface such that the photovoltaic modules are positioned at a non-horizontal angle when edges of the photovoltaic modules are positioned on top of the upper and lower pedestal surfaces, and wherein a portion of the fasteners rotate to lock the photovoltaic modules onto the supports.

  5. Photovoltaic array mounting apparatus, systems, and methods

    DOEpatents

    West, Jack Raymond; Atchley, Brian; Hudson, Tyrus Hawkes; Johansen, Emil

    2016-01-05

    A photovoltaic array, including: (a) supports laid out on a surface in rows and columns; (b) photovoltaic modules positioned on top of the supports; and (c) fasteners connecting the photovoltaic modules to the supports, wherein the supports have an upper pedestal surface and a lower pedestal surface such that the photovoltaic modules are positioned at a non-horizontal angle when edges of the photovoltaic modules are positioned on top of the upper and lower pedestal surfaces, and wherein a portion of the fasteners rotate to lock the photovoltaic modules onto the supports.

  6. Influence of Constituents on Creep Properties of SiC/SiC Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bhatt, R.; DiCarlo, J.

    2016-01-01

    SiC-SiC composites are being considered as potential candidate materials for next generation turbine components such as combustor liners, nozzle vanes and blades because of their low density, high temperature capability, and tailorable mechanical properties. These composites are essentially fabricated by infiltrating matrix into a stacked array of fibers or fiber preform by one or a combination of manufacturing methods such as, Melt Infiltration (MI) of molten silicon metal, Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI), Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP). To understand the influence of constituents, the SiC-SiC composites fabricated by MI, CVI, and PIP methods were creep tested in air between 12000 and 14500 degrees Centigrade for up to 500 hours. The failed specimens were analyzed under a scanning electron microscope to assess damage mechanisms. Also, knowing the creep deformation parameters of the fiber and the matrix under the testing conditions, the creep behavior of the composites was modeled and compared with the measured data. The implications of the results on the long term durability of these composites will be discussed.

  7. Self-decorated Au nanoparticles on antireflective Si pyramids with improved hydrophobicity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Saini, C. P.; Barman, A.; Kanjilal, A., E-mail: aloke.kanjilal@snu.edu.in

    2016-04-07

    Post-deposition annealing mediated evolution of self-decorated Au nanoparticles (NPs) on chemically etched Si pyramids is presented. A distinct transformation of Si surfaces from hydrophilic to hydrophobic is initially found after chemical texturing, showing an increase in contact angle (CA) from 58° to 98° (±1°). Further improvement of hydrophobicity with CA up to ∼118° has been established after annealing a 10 nm thick Au-coated Si pyramids at 400 °C that led to the formation of Au NPs on Si facets along with self-ordering at the pyramid edges. Detailed x-ray diffraction studies suggest the evolution of crystalline Au NPs on strained Si facets. Microstructuralmore » studies, however, indicate no mixing of Au and Si atoms at the Au/Si interfaces, instead of forming Au nanocrystals at 400 °C. The improved hydrophobicity of Si pyramids, even with Au NPs can be explained in the light of a decrease in solid fractional surface area according to Wenzel's model. Moreover, a sharp drop in specular reflectance from Si pyramids in the range of 300–800 nm, especially in the ultraviolet region up to ∼0.4% is recorded in the presence of Au NPs by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, reflecting the possible use in photovoltaic devices with improved antireflection property.« less

  8. Fabrication of ordered bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells using nanopatterning and electrohydrodynamic spray deposition methods.

    PubMed

    Park, Sung-Eun; Kim, Sehwan; Kim, Kangmin; Joe, Hang-Eun; Jung, Buyoung; Kim, Eunkyoung; Kim, Woochul; Min, Byung-Kwon; Hwang, Jungho

    2012-12-21

    Organic photovoltaic cells with an ordered heterojunction (OHJ) active layer are expected to show increased performance. In the study described here, OHJ cells were fabricated using a combination of nanoimprinting and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) spray deposition methods. After an electron donor material was nanoimprinted with a PDMS stamp (valley width: 230 nm, period: 590 nm) duplicated from a Si nanomold, an electron acceptor material was deposited onto the nanoimprinted donor layer using an EHD spray deposition method. The donor-acceptor interface layer was observed by obtaining cross-sectional images with a focused ion beam (FIB) microscope. The photocurrent generation performance of the OHJ cells was evaluated with the current density-voltage curve under air mass (AM) 1.5 conditions. It was found that the surface morphology of the electron acceptor layer affected the current and voltage outputs of the photovoltaic cells. When an electron acceptor layer with a smooth thin (250 nm above the valley of the electron donor layer) surface morphology was obtained, power conversion efficiency was as high as 0.55%. The electrohydrodynamic spray deposition method used to produce OHJ photovoltaic cells provides a means for the adoption of large area, high throughput processes.

  9. On the annealing-induced enhancement of the interface properties of NiO:Cu/wet-SiOx/n-Si tunnelling junction solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Xueliang; Liu, Wei; Chen, Jingwei; Sun, Yun

    2018-04-01

    Using metal oxides to form a carrier-selective interface on crystalline silicon (c-Si) has recently generated considerable interest for use with c-Si photovoltaics because of the potential to reduce cost. n-type oxides, such as MoO3, V2O5, and WO3, have been widely studied. In this work, a p-type oxide, Cu-doped NiO (NiO:Cu), is explored as a transparent hole-selective contact to n-Si. An ultrathin SiOx layer, fabricated by a wet-chemical method (wet-SiOx), is introduced at the NiO:Cu/n-Si interface to achieve a tunnelling junction solar cell. Interestingly, it was observed that the interface quality of the NiO:Cu/wet-SiOx/n-Si heterojunction was dramatically enhanced by post-deposition annealing (PDA) at a temperature of 200 °C. Our device exhibits an improved power conversion efficiency of 10.8%, which is the highest efficiency among NiO/Si heterojunction photo-electric devices to date. It is demonstrated that the 200 °C PDA treatment enhances the built-in field by a reduction in the interface density of states (Dit) but does not influence the work function of the NiO:Cu thin layer. This stable work function after the PDA treatment is in conflict with the changed built-in field according to the Schottky model. Thus, the Bardeen model is introduced for this physical insight: the enhancement of the built-in field originates from the unpinning of the Fermi levels of NiO:Cu and n-Si by the interface state reduction.

  10. 78 FR 9939 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-U.S. Photovoltaic...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Antitrust Division Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993--U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, Inc. Notice is hereby given that, on January 15, 2013, pursuant to Section 6(a) of the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993, 15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq. (``the Act'')...

  11. Economically sustainable scaling of photovoltaics to meet climate targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Needleman, David Berney; Poindexter, Jeremy R.; Kurchin, Rachel C.

    To meet climate targets, power generation capacity from photovoltaics (PV) in 2030 will have to be much greater than is predicted from either steady state growth using today's manufacturing capacity or industry roadmaps. Analysis of whether current technology can scale, in an economically sustainable way, to sufficient levels to meet these targets has not yet been undertaken, nor have tools to perform this analysis been presented. Here, we use bottom-up cost modeling to predict cumulative capacity as a function of technological and economic variables. We find that today's technology falls short in two ways: profits are too small relative tomore » upfront factory costs to grow manufacturing capacity rapidly enough to meet climate targets, and costs are too high to generate enough demand to meet climate targets. We show that decreasing the capital intensity (capex) of PV manufacturing to increase manufacturing capacity and effectively reducing cost (e.g., through higher efficiency) to increase demand are the most effective and least risky ways to address these barriers to scale. We also assess the effects of variations in demand due to hard-to-predict factors, like public policy, on the necessary reductions in cost.Lastly, we review examples of redundant technology pathways for crystalline silicon PV to achieve the necessary innovations in capex, performance, and price.« less

  12. Economically sustainable scaling of photovoltaics to meet climate targets

    DOE PAGES

    Needleman, David Berney; Poindexter, Jeremy R.; Kurchin, Rachel C.; ...

    2016-04-21

    To meet climate targets, power generation capacity from photovoltaics (PV) in 2030 will have to be much greater than is predicted from either steady state growth using today's manufacturing capacity or industry roadmaps. Analysis of whether current technology can scale, in an economically sustainable way, to sufficient levels to meet these targets has not yet been undertaken, nor have tools to perform this analysis been presented. Here, we use bottom-up cost modeling to predict cumulative capacity as a function of technological and economic variables. We find that today's technology falls short in two ways: profits are too small relative tomore » upfront factory costs to grow manufacturing capacity rapidly enough to meet climate targets, and costs are too high to generate enough demand to meet climate targets. We show that decreasing the capital intensity (capex) of PV manufacturing to increase manufacturing capacity and effectively reducing cost (e.g., through higher efficiency) to increase demand are the most effective and least risky ways to address these barriers to scale. We also assess the effects of variations in demand due to hard-to-predict factors, like public policy, on the necessary reductions in cost.Lastly, we review examples of redundant technology pathways for crystalline silicon PV to achieve the necessary innovations in capex, performance, and price.« less

  13. Corrosion Behavior of Heat-Treated AlSi10Mg Manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

    PubMed

    Cabrini, Marina; Calignano, Flaviana; Fino, Paolo; Lorenzi, Sergio; Lorusso, Massimo; Manfredi, Diego; Testa, Cristian; Pastore, Tommaso

    2018-06-21

    This experimental work is aimed at studying the effect of microstructural modifications induced by post-processing heat treatments on the corrosion behavior of silicon-aluminum alloys produced by means of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The manufacturing technique leads to microstructures characterized by the presence of melt pools, which are quite different compared to casting alloys. In this study, the behavior of an AlSi10Mg alloy was evaluated by means of intergranular corrosion tests according to ISO 11846 standard on heat-treated samples ranging from 200 to 500 °C as well as on untreated samples. We found that temperatures above 200 °C reduced microhardness of the alloy, and different corrosion morphologies occurred due to the modification of both size and distribution of silicon precipitates. Selective penetrating attacks occurred at melt pool borders. The intergranular corrosion phenomena were less intense for as-produced specimens without heat treatments compared to the heat-treated specimens at 200 and 300 °C. General corrosion morphologies were noticed for specimens heat treated at temperatures exceeding 400 °C.

  14. Publications | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Publications Publications The scientists in the National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV) at NREL publish a variety of documents related to photovoltaic and related research, including journal articles

  15. III-Vs at Scale: A PV Manufacturing Cost Analysis of the Thin Film Vapor-Liquid-Solid Growth Mode

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zheng, Maxwell; Horowitz, Kelsey; Woodhouse, Michael

    The authors present a manufacturing cost analysis for producing thin-film indium phosphide modules by combining a novel thin-film vapor-liquid-solid (TF-VLS) growth process with a standard monolithic module platform. The example cell structure is ITO/n-TiO2/p-InP/Mo. For a benchmark scenario of 12% efficient modules, the module cost is estimated to be $0.66/W(DC) and the module cost is calculated to be around $0.36/W(DC) at a long-term potential efficiency of 24%. The manufacturing cost for the TF-VLS growth portion is estimated to be ~$23/m2, a significant reduction compared with traditional metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The analysis here suggests the TF-VLS growth mode could enablemore » lower-cost, high-efficiency III-V photovoltaics compared with manufacturing methods used today and open up possibilities for other optoelectronic applications as well.« less

  16. Photovoltaic test and demonstration project for the National Photovoltaic Conversion program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deyo, J. N.

    1975-01-01

    Proposed are photovoltaic system tests and demonstrations covering a wide range of applications in order to develop low cost photovoltaic cells suitable for terrestrial applications. Program objectives are: (1) tests and model system demonstrations; (2) device performance and diagnostics; and (3) endurance of solar cell modules and arrays.

  17. Bis(tri-n-hexylsilyl oxide) silicon phthalocyanine: a unique additive in ternary bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices.

    PubMed

    Lessard, Benoît H; Dang, Jeremy D; Grant, Trevor M; Gao, Dong; Seferos, Dwight S; Bender, Timothy P

    2014-09-10

    Previous studies have shown that the use of bis(tri-n-hexylsilyl oxide) silicon phthalocyanine ((3HS)2-SiPc) as an additive in a P3HT:PC61BM cascade ternary bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic (BHJ OPV) device results in an increase in the short circuit current (J(SC)) and efficiency (η(eff)) of up to 25% and 20%, respectively. The previous studies have attributed the increase in performance to the presence of (3HS)2-SiPc at the BHJ interface. In this study, we explored the molecular characteristics of (3HS)2-SiPc which makes it so effective in increasing the OPV device J(SC) and η(eff. Initially, we synthesized phthalocyanine-based additives using different core elements such as germanium and boron instead of silicon, each having similar frontier orbital energies compared to (3HS)2-SiPc and tested their effect on BHJ OPV device performance. We observed that addition of bis(tri-n-hexylsilyl oxide) germanium phthalocyanine ((3HS)2-GePc) or tri-n-hexylsilyl oxide boron subphthalocyanine (3HS-BsubPc) resulted in a nonstatistically significant increase in JSC and η(eff). Secondly, we kept the silicon phthalocyanine core and substituted the tri-n-hexylsilyl solubilizing groups with pentadecyl phenoxy groups and tested the resulting dye in a BHJ OPV. While an increase in JSC and η(eff) was observed at low (PDP)2-SiPc loadings, the increase was not as significant as (3HS)2-SiPc; therefore, (3HS)2-SiPc is a unique additive. During our study, we observed that (3HS)2-SiPc had an extraordinary tendency to crystallize compared to the other compounds in this study and our general experience. On the basis of this observation, we have offered a hypothesis that when (3HS)2-SiPc migrates to the P3HT:PC61BM interface the reason for its unique performance is not solely due to its frontier orbital energies but also might be due to a high driving force for crystallization.

  18. Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing geometric multicrystalline cast silicon and geometric multicrystalline cast silicon bodies for photovoltaics

    DOEpatents

    Stoddard, Nathan G

    2015-02-10

    Methods and apparatuses are provided for casting silicon for photovoltaic cells and other applications. With such methods and apparatuses, a cast body of geometrically ordered multi-crystalline silicon may be formed that is free or substantially free of radially-distributed impurities and defects and having at least two dimensions that are each at least about 10 cm is provided.

  19. Photovoltaic Performance Enhancement of Silicon Solar Cells Based on Combined Ratios of Three Species of Europium-Doped Phosphors.

    PubMed

    Ho, Wen-Jeng; You, Bang-Jin; Liu, Jheng-Jie; Bai, Wen-Bin; Syu, Hong-Jhang; Lin, Ching-Fuh

    2018-05-18

    This paper presents a scheme for the enhancement of silicon solar cells in terms of luminescent emission band and photovoltaic performance. The proposed devices are coated with an luminescent down-shifting (LDS) layer comprising three species of europium (Eu)-doped phosphors mixed within a silicate film (SiO₂) using a spin-on film deposition. The three species of phosphor were mixed at ratios of 0.5:1:1.5, 1:1:1, or 1.5:1:0.5 in weight percentage (wt %). The total quantity of Eu-doped phosphors in the silicate solution was fixed at 3 wt %. The emission wavelengths of the Eu-doped phosphors were as follows: 518 nm (specie-A), 551 nm (specie-B), and 609 nm (specie-C). We examined the extended luminescent emission bands via photoluminescence measurements at room temperature. Closely matching the luminescent emission band to the high responsivity band of the silicon semiconductor resulted in good photovoltaic performance. Impressive improvements in efficiency were observed in all three samples: 0.5:1:1.5 (20.43%), 1:1:1 (19.67%), 1.5:1:0.5 (16.81%), compared to the control with a layer of pure SiO₂ (13.80%).

  20. A Magnetic Bead-Integrated Chip for the Large Scale Manufacture of Normalized esiRNAs

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Zhao; Huang, Huang; Zhang, Hanshuo; Sun, Changhong; Hao, Yang; Yang, Junyu; Fan, Yu; Xi, Jianzhong Jeff

    2012-01-01

    The chemically-synthesized siRNA duplex has become a powerful and widely used tool for RNAi loss-of-function studies, but suffers from a high off-target effect problem. Recently, endoribonulease-prepared siRNA (esiRNA) has been shown to be an attractive alternative due to its lower off-target effect and cost effectiveness. However, the current manufacturing method for esiRNA is complicated, mainly in regards to purification and normalization on a large-scale level. In this study, we present a magnetic bead-integrated chip that can immobilize amplification or transcription products on beads and accomplish transcription, digestion, normalization and purification in a robust and convenient manner. This chip is equipped to manufacture ready-to-use esiRNAs on a large-scale level. Silencing specificity and efficiency of these esiRNAs were validated at the transcriptional, translational and functional levels. Manufacture of several normalized esiRNAs in a single well, including those silencing PARP1 and BRCA1, was successfully achieved, and the esiRNAs were subsequently utilized to effectively investigate their synergistic effect on cell viability. A small esiRNA library targeting 68 tyrosine kinase genes was constructed for a loss-of-function study, and four genes were identified in regulating the migration capability of Hela cells. We believe that this approach provides a more robust and cost-effective choice for manufacturing esiRNAs than current approaches, and therefore these heterogeneous RNA strands may have utility in most intensive and extensive applications. PMID:22761791