Title :
High-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based thin-film solar cells: 16.8% total-area 1-sun and 17.2% total-area 22-sun device performance
Author :
Tuttle, J.R. ; Contreras, M.A. ; Ward, J.S. ; Gabor, A.M. ; Ramanathan, K.R. ; Tennant, A.L. ; Wang, L. ; Keane, J. ; Noufi, R.
Author_Institution :
Nat. Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO, USA
Abstract :
We report here on a confirmed world-record MgF2/ZnO/Cu(In,Ga)Se2/Mo/soda-lime solar cell with a total-area (active-area) efficiency of 16.8% (17.5%) under air mass (AM)1.5 test conditions. Improvements relative to previous record devices are in the short-circuit current (JSC). We additionally report on a 15.3% efficient, 4.85-cm2 cell that confirms good area uniformity. This structure was also utilized in a device fabricated for operation under concentration. The 1-sun, direct spectrum measurement yielded a 15.1% efficient cell. Under 5- and 22-sun concentration, the cell improved to 16.5% and 17.2%, respectively. This achievement is significant in that it proves a compatibility of polycrystalline thin-film and concentrator technologies. Further optimization could yield 1-sun performance in excess of 17% and concentrator performance in excess of 20%. A path to this goal is outlined
Keywords :
copper compounds; indium compounds; semiconductor thin films; short-circuit currents; solar cells; ternary semiconductors; 1-sun direct spectrum measurement; 15.1 to 17.5 percent; 22-sun concentration; 5-sun concentration; AM1.5; Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based thin-film solar cells; Cu(InGa)Se2; MgF2/ZnO/Cu(In,Ga)Se2/Mo/soda-lime solar cell; air mass 1.5; concentrator performance; concentrator technology; high-efficiency; polycrystalline thin-film technology; short-circuit current; Chemical vapor deposition; Glass; Laboratories; Manufacturing industries; Photovoltaic cells; Sputtering; Substrates; Sun; Transistors; Zinc oxide;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on
Conference_Location :
Waikoloa, HI
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-1460-3
DOI :
10.1109/WCPEC.1994.520749
