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Solar cells based on n⁺-AZO/p-BaSi₂ heterojunction: Advanced opto-electrical modelling and experimental demonstration

Yamashita, Yudai (author), Ruiz Tobon, C.M. (author), Santbergen, R. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author), Suemasu, Takashi (author)

We performed advanced opto-electrical simulations on thin-film BaSi₂ solar cells. First, absorption spectra of BaSi₂-pn homojunction solar cells on Si substrate were calculated based on flat and/or pyramidally-textured surfaces, wherein 20-nm-thick n⁺-BaSi₂ was the topmost electron transport layer....

journal article 2021

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Strategy to mitigate the dipole interfacial states in (i)a-Si:H/MoO_x passivating contacts solar cells

Mazzarella, L. (author), Alcañiz Moya, A. (author), Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Kawa, Eliora (author), Zhao, Y. (author), Tiringer, U. (author), Han, C. (author), Yang, G. (author), Taheri, P. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

Molybdenum oxide (MoO_x) is attractive for applications as hole-selective contact in silicon heterojunction solar cells for its transparency and relatively high work function. However, the integration of MoO_x stacked on intrinsic amorphous silicon (i)a-Si:H layer usually exhibits some issues that are still not fully...

journal article 2020

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Doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon oxide layers for high-efficiency c-Si heterojunction solar cells

Zhao, Y. (author), Mazzarella, L. (author), Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Han, C. (author), Yang, G. (author), Weeber, A.W. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon oxide (nc-SiO_x:H) layers exhibit promising optoelectrical properties for carrier-selective-contacts in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. However, achieving high conductivity while preserving crystalline silicon (c-Si) passivation quality is technologically challenging for growing thin...

journal article 2020

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Implantation-based passivating contacts for crystalline silicon front/rear contacted solar cells

Limodio, G. (author), Yang, G. (author), De Groot, Yvar (author), Procel, Paul (author), Mazzarella, L. (author), Weber, Arthur W. (author), Isabella, O. (author), Zeman, M. (author)

In this work, we develop SiO_x/poly-Si carrier-selective contacts grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and boron or phosphorus doped by ion implantation. We investigate their passivation properties on symmetric structures while varying the thickness of poly-Si in a wide range (20-250 nm). Dose and energy of implantation...

journal article 2020

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The long road to universal electrification: A critical look at present pathways and challenges

Narayan, N.S. (author), Vega Garita, V.E. (author), Qin, Z. (author), Popovic-Gerber, Jelena (author), Bauer, P. (author), Zeman, M. (author)

Nearly 840 million people still lack access to electricity, while over a billion more have an unreliable electricity connection. In this article, the three different electrification pathways-grid extension, centralized microgrids, and standalone solar-based solutions, such as pico-solar and solar home systems (SHS)-are critically examined...

journal article 2020

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Point defects in BaSi₂ thin films for photovoltaic applications studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Bento Montes, A.R. (author), Eijt, S.W.H. (author), Tian, Y. (author), Gram, R. (author), Schut, H. (author), Suemasu, T. (author), Usami, N. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Serra, J. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

Barium di-silicide (BaSi₂) is a very promising absorber material for high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, due to its suitable bandgap, high light absorption coefficient, and long minority-carrier lifetime. In this study, we compare the nanostructure, layer composition, and point defects of BaSi₂ thin films deposited by...

journal article 2020

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Optical characterization of poly-SiO_x and poly-SiC_x carrier-selective passivating contacts

Singh, M. (author), Santbergen, R. (author), Mazzarella, L. (author), Madrampazakis, A. (author), Yang, G. (author), Vismara, R. (author), Remes, Z. (author), Weeber, A.W. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

The optical modelling for optimizing high-efficiency c-Si solar cells endowed with poly-SiO_x or poly-SiC_x carrier-selective passivating contacts (CSPCs) demands a thorough understanding of their optical properties, especially their absorption coefficient. Due to the mixed phase nature of these CSPCs, spectroscopic...

journal article 2020

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The role of heterointerfaces and subgap energy states on transport mechanisms in silicon heterojunction solar cells

Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Xu, Haiyuan (author), Saez, Aurora (author), Ruiz Tobon, C.M. (author), Mazzarella, L. (author), Zhao, Y. (author), Han, C. (author), Yang, G. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

The contact resistivity is a key parameter to reach high conversion efficiency in solar cells, especially in architectures based on the so-called carrier-selective contacts. The importance of contact resistivity relies on the evaluation of the quality of charge collection from the absorber bulk through adjacent electrodes. The electrode...

journal article 2020

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Interdigitated back-contacted structure: A different approach towards high-efficiency ultrathin copper indium gallium (di)selenide solar cells

Rezaei, N. (author), Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Simor, Marcel (author), Vroon, Zeger (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

An interdigitated back-contacted (IBC) configuration is proposed for submicron copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS). In a modelling platform, the structure was opto-electrically optimized for maximum efficiency. The results are compared with a reference front/back-contacted (FBC) solar cell with similar absorber thickness and exhibiting...

journal article 2020

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Toward BaSi₂/Si Heterojunction Thin-Film Solar Cells: Insights into Heterointerface Investigation, Barium Depletion, and Silicide-Mediated Silicon Crystallization

Tian, Y. (author), Bento Montes, A.R. (author), Vančo, Ľubomír (author), Čaplovičová, Mária (author), Vogrinčič, Peter (author), Šutta, Pavol (author), Satrapinskyy, Leonid (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

The knowledge of the structural and compositional details of Si/BaSi₂/Si heterostructure annealed at high temperature is a prerequisite for BaSi₂ application in heterojunction thin-film solar cells. For this purpose, Si/BaSi₂/Si heterostructures deposited by magnetron sputtering with different Si layer...

journal article 2020

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A quick-scan method to assess photovoltaic rooftop potential based on aerial imagery and LiDAR

de Vries, Tim N.C. (author), Bronkhorst, Joris (author), Vermeer, Martijn (author), Donker, Jaap C.B. (author), Briels, Sven A. (author), Ziar, H. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

A quick-scan yield prediction method has been developed to assess rooftop photovoltaic (PV) potential. The method has three main parts. For each roof, first (i) virtual 3D roof segments were reconstructed using aerial imagery, then, (ii) PV modules were automatically fitted onto roof segments using a fitting algorithm and finally, (iii) expected...

journal article 2020

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Sub-gap defect density characterization of molybdenum oxide: An annealing study for solar cell applications

Scire, D. (author), Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Gulino, Antonino (author), Isabella, O. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Crupi, Isodiana (author)

The application of molybdenum oxide in the photovoltaic field is gaining traction as this material can be deployed in doping-free heterojunction solar cells in the role of hole selective contact. For modeling-based optimization of such contact, knowledge of the molybdenum oxide defect density of states (DOS) is crucial. In this paper, we...

journal article 2020

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Transparent silicon carbide/tunnel SiO₂ passivation for c-Si solar cell front side: Enabling J_sc > 42 mA/cm² and iV_oc of 742 mV

Pomaska, Manuel (author), Köhler, Malte (author), Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Zamchiy, Alexandr (author), Singh, Aryak (author), Kim, Do Yun (author), Isabella, O. (author), Zeman, M. (author), Li, Shenghao (author)

N-type microcrystalline silicon carbide (μc-SiC:H(n)) is a wide bandgap material that is very promising for the use on the front side of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. It offers a high optical transparency and a suitable refractive index that reduces parasitic absorption and reflection losses, respectively. In this work, we...

journal article 2020

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Realizing the Potential of RF-Sputtered Hydrogenated Fluorine-Doped Indium Oxide as an Electrode Material for Ultrathin SiO _x/Poly-Si Passivating Contacts

Han, C. (author), Yang, G. (author), Montes, Ana (author), Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Mazzarella, L. (author), Zhao, Y. (author), Eijt, S.W.H. (author), Schut, H. (author), Zhang, Xiaodan (author), Zeman, M. (author), Isabella, O. (author)

In high-efficiency silicon solar cells featuring carrier-selective passivating contacts based on ultrathin SiOx/poly-Si, the appropriate implementation of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers is of vital importance. Considerable deterioration in passivation quality occurs for thin poly-Si-based devices owing to the sputtering damage...

journal article 2020

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Photovoltaic chimney: Thermal modeling and concept demonstration for integration in buildings

Ortiz Lizcano, J.C. (author), Haghighi, Z. (author), Wapperom, Sander (author), Infante Ferreira, C.A. (author), Isabella, O. (author), van den Dobbelsteen, A.A.J.F. (author), Zeman, M. (author)

This work presents the concept of a photovoltaic (PV)-powered solar chimney. We modeled and experimentally studied the integration of a PV system within a naturally ventilated façade (NVF), attempting to use the inherent cavity as a ventilation channel to transfer heat. Thermodynamic models were created to study the thermal and, therefore,...

journal article 2019

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Accurate Soiling Ratio Determination with Incident Angle Modifier for PV Modules

Nepal, Pramod (author), Korevaar, Marc (author), Ziar, H. (author), Isabella, O. (author), Zeman, M. (author)

The deposition of dust, soil, and microfibers resulting from the surroundings, as well as the growth of minute pollens like moss and fungi, contributes toward photovoltaic (PV) module soiling. Soiling is a widely recognized factor that significantly reduces the power production by acting as a barrier for effective light absorption by the...

journal article 2019

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Effective Passivation of Black Silicon Surfaces via Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition Grown Conformal Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Layer

Özkol, E. (author), Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Zhao, Y. (author), Mazzarella, L. (author), Medlin, Rostislav (author), Šutta, Pavol (author), Isabella, O. (author), Zeman, M. (author)

Solar cells based on black silicon (b-Si) are proven to be promising in photovoltaics (PVs) by exceeding 22% efficiency. To reach high efficiencies with b-Si surfaces, the most crucial step is the effective surface passivation. Up to now, the highest effective minority carrier lifetimes are achieved with atomic layer-deposited Al₂O...

journal article 2019

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High-Mobility Hydrogenated Fluorine-Doped Indium Oxide Film for Passivating Contacts c-Si Solar Cells

Han, C. (author), Mazzarella, L. (author), Zhao, Y. (author), Yang, G. (author), Procel Moya, P.A. (author), Tijssen, M. (author), Bento Montes, A.R. (author), Isabella, O. (author), Zeman, M. (author)

Broadband transparent conductive oxide layers with high electron mobility (μ_e) are essential to further enhance crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell performances. Although metallic cation-doped In₂O₃ thin films with high μ_e (>60 cm² V^-1 s^-1) have been extensively...

journal article 2019

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Geometrical optimisation of core-shell nanowire arrays for enhanced absorption in thin crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells

Vismara, R. (author), Isabella, O. (author), Ingenito, A. (author), Si, F.T. (author), Zeman, M. (author)

Background: Elongated nanostructures, such as nanowires, have attracted significant attention for application in silicon-based solar cells. The high aspect ratio and characteristic radial junction configuration can lead to higher device performance, by increasing light absorption and, at the same time, improving the collection efficiency of...

journal article 2019

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A simplified skyline-based method for estimating the annual solar energy potential in urban environments

Calcabrini, A. (author), Ziar, H. (author), Isabella, O. (author), Zeman, M. (author)

Architects, engineers and urban planners have today at their disposal several tools for simulating the energy yield of photovoltaic systems. These tools are based on mathematical models that perform repetitive calculations to determine the annual irradiation received by solar panels; hence when photovoltaic systems are installed in complex...

journal article 2019