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Electron Reflector Strategy for Thin CdTe Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Kuo-Jui Hsiao  and
James R. Sites
Kuo-Jui Hsiao
Affiliation:
[email protected], Colorado State University, Physics, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
James R. Sites
Affiliation:
[email protected], Colorado State University, Physics, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
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Abstract

Incorporation of an electron reflector is a proposed strategy to improve the open-circuit voltage of CdTe thin-film solar cells. An electron reflector is basically a conduction-band barrier at the back surface, which can reduce the recombination resulting from the electron flow to the back surface. It should be particularly beneficial for cells with thicknesses below two microns when the CdTe absorber layer is fully depleted at its typical carrier density, because back-surface recombination is a primary limitation to the performance of fully depleted cells. Cells with thickness below two microns can also benefit from optical reflection at the back interface. One-dimension numerical simulation is used to investigate the electron reflector strategy and optical back reflection for thin CdTe cells. Theoretically, about a 200-mV increase in voltage and 3% in efficiency are achievable for a thin CdTe solar cell with 2×1014-cm-3 hole density, 1-ns lifetime, and a 0.2-eV electron reflector barrier. Furthermore, with the electron reflector, good CdTe cell performance at thicknesses as thin as 0.4 μm should be possible.

Keywords

photovoltaicthin filmsimulation
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1210: Symposium Q – Photovoltaic Materials and Manufacturing Issues II , 2009 , 1210-Q03-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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References

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