Codesigning Alloy Compositions of CdSe y Te 1− y Absorbers and Mg x Zn 1− x O Contacts to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency

Khan, Imran S.; Ablekim, Tursun; McGott, Deborah L.; Good, Brian; Perkins, Craig L.; Metzger, Wyatt K.; Zakutayev, Andriy

doi:10.1002/solr.202200394

Title: Codesigning Alloy Compositions of CdSe _y Te _{1− y} Absorbers and Mg _x Zn _{1− x} O Contacts to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency

Journal Article · Wed Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Solar RRL

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202200394· OSTI ID:1877314

Khan, Imran S. ^[1]; Ablekim, Tursun ^[1]; McGott, Deborah L. ^[1]; Good, Brian ^[1]; Perkins, Craig L. ^[1]; Metzger, Wyatt K. ^[1];

^[1]

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden CO 80401 USA

Thin‐film solar cells such as CdTe are a major commercial photovoltaic technology, with more than 25 GW installed worldwide and levelized costs of electricity competitive with fossil fuels. Further progress may result from integrating CdSe _y Te _{1− y} absorbers with Mg _x Zn _{1− x} O contacts, but the device efficiency is difficult to maximize due to coupled dependence on chemical composition of both alloys. Herein, a high‐throughput approach is demonstrated to codesign chemical compositions in alloyed Mg _x Zn _{1− x} O/CdSe _y Te _{1− y} thin‐film solar cells, using combinatorial libraries of PV devices with orthogonal composition gradients in CdSe _y Te _{1− y} absorbers and Mg _x Zn _{1− x} O contacts. It is found that the solar cell performance is a strong and coupled function of both elemental compositions, with efficiency up to 17.7% ( V _OC = 836 mV, fill factor = 69%, J _SC = 30.6 mA cm ⁻² ) at atomic compositions of Mg/(Mg + Zn) ≈18% and average Se/(Se + Te) ≈4%. These performance trends among >100 devices are explained by >100 ns lifetime of photoexcited charge carriers at the Mg _x Zn _{1− x} O/CdSe _y Te _{1− y} interface where strong Se accumulation is also observed. This study reports the optimal compositions of the commercially relevant Mg _x Zn _{1− x} O/CdSe _y Te _{1− y} solar cells and demonstrates a general approach to codesigning performance of alloyed thin‐film solar cells and other optoelectronic devices.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; US Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; IAG-16-02002

OSTI ID:: 1877314

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1877073; OSTI ID: 1886744

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5K00-83298; 2200394

Journal Information:: Solar RRL, Journal Name: Solar RRL Vol. 6 Journal Issue: 9; ISSN 2367-198X

Publisher:: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: Germany

Language:: English

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14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
cadmium telluride
combinatorial interface
magnesium zinc oxide
thin film solar cells

Title: Codesigning Alloy Compositions of CdSe y Te 1− y Absorbers and Mg x Zn 1− x O Contacts to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency

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Title: Codesigning Alloy Compositions of CdSe _y Te _{1− y} Absorbers and Mg _x Zn _{1− x} O Contacts to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency