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Photonics
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Photovoltaic Materials and Devices
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Photovoltaic Materials and Devices

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Optoelectronics and Optical Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (12 June 2022) | Viewed by 11224

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Terence K.S. Wong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NOVITAS, Nanoelectronics Centre of Excellence, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Since 2018, the cost of electricity (per kWh) generated by solar energy has become lower than that generated from fossil fuels. When utility scale photovoltaic (PV) systems are combined with energy storage, the electricity generated will become dispatchable and make electricity from PV sytems even more viable. Although commercial PV devices are still mainly based on multicrystalline silicon, there is an increasing market for thin film solar cells, because these devices can be integrated with building facades and can be deposited on flexible substrates. The amount of direct bandgap semiconductors used per unit area is also much smaller than Si cells, and the thin film solar cells can be fabricated by solution processes and printing techniques. 

In order to develop and be widely deployed on a global scale, thin film solar cells must be made from low-cost Earth abundant elements using low carbon footprint processes. Incumbent thin film solar cells based on CdTe and CIGS semiconductors do not meet this requirement. As a result, despite the achievement of high-power conversion efficiencies in commercial devices, both these technologies are not scalable to the generation of renewable electricity at a utility scale. Hence, there is a need to develop sustainable PV devices with a high efficiency, stability, and low manufacturing cost. This Special Issue of Photonics is focused on this theme. Manuscripts solicited will include, but not be limited to, the following topics: 

Kesterite semiconductor absorbers

Perovskite semiconductor absorbers

Application of data-centric techniques for discovery of novel sustainable absorbers

New device architectures (e.g., semi-transparent thin film solar cells)

Fundamental studies of absorber/interface defects and carrier recombination

Novel device fabrication processes (e.g., additive solution processes)

Device degradation mechanisms and passivation techniques

In-situ device characterization techniques (e.g., scanning probe and synchrotron radiation)

Prof. Terence K.S. Wong
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3078 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Hole and Electron Transport Layer for Highly Efficient Lead-Free Cs2TiBr6-Based Perovskite Solar Cell
by Syed Abdul Moiz
Photonics 2022, 9(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9010023 - 31 Dec 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3666
Abstract
The methylammonium lead halide solar cell has attracted a great deal of attention due to its lightweight, low cost, and simple fabrication and processing. Despite these advantages, these cells are still far from commercialization because of their lead-based toxicity. Among lead-free perovskites, cesium-titanium [...] Read more.
The methylammonium lead halide solar cell has attracted a great deal of attention due to its lightweight, low cost, and simple fabrication and processing. Despite these advantages, these cells are still far from commercialization because of their lead-based toxicity. Among lead-free perovskites, cesium-titanium (IV) bromide (Cs2TiBr6) is considered one of the best alternatives, but it faces a lack of higher PCE (power conversion efficiency) due to the unavailability of the matched hole and electron transport layers. Therefore, in this study, the ideal hole and electron transport layer parameters for the Cs2TiBr6-based solar cell were determined and discussed based on a simulation through SCAPS-1D software. It was observed that the maximum PCE of 20.4% could be achieved by using the proper hole and electron transport layers with optimized parameters such as energy bandgap, electron affinity, doping density, and thickness. Unfortunately, no hole and electron transport material with the required electronic structure was found. Then, polymer NPB and CeOx were selected as hole and electron transport layers, respectively, based on their closed electronic structure compared to the simulation results, and, hence, the maximum PCE was found as ~17.94% for the proposed CeOx/Cs2TiBr6/NPB solar cell. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
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14 pages, 11793 KiB  
Article
Function of Porous Carbon Electrode during the Fabrication of Multiporous-Layered-Electrode Perovskite Solar Cells
by Ryuki Tsuji, Dmitry Bogachuk, David Martineau, Lukas Wagner, Eiji Kobayashi, Ryoto Funayama, Yoshiaki Matsuo, Simone Mastroianni, Andreas Hinsch and Seigo Ito
Photonics 2020, 7(4), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics7040133 - 18 Dec 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3767
Abstract
We demonstrate the effect of sheet conductivity and infiltration using the example of two graphite types, showing that, in general, the graphite type is very important. Amorphous and pyrolytic graphite were applied to carbon electrodes in fully printable carbon-based multiporous-layered-electrode perovskite solar cells [...] Read more.
We demonstrate the effect of sheet conductivity and infiltration using the example of two graphite types, showing that, in general, the graphite type is very important. Amorphous and pyrolytic graphite were applied to carbon electrodes in fully printable carbon-based multiporous-layered-electrode perovskite solar cells (MPLE-PSCs): <glass/F-doped SnO2/compact-TiO2/porous-TiO2+perovskite/porous-ZrO2+perovskite/porous-carbon+perovskite>. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) using amorphous graphite-based carbon (AGC) electrode was only 5.97% due to the low short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) value, which was due to the low incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) in the short wavelength region caused by the poor perovskite filling into the porous TiO2-ZrO2 layers. Conversely, using pyrolytic graphite-based carbon (PGC) electrode, Jsc, open-circuit photovoltage (Voc), fill factors (FF), and PCE values of 21.09 mA cm−2, 0.952 V, 0.670, and 13.45%, respectively, were achieved in the champion device. PGC had poorer wettability and a small specific surface area as compared with AGC, but it had better permeability of the perovskite precursor solution into the porous TiO2/ZrO2 layers, and therefore a denser filling and crystallization of the perovskite within the porous TiO2/ZrO2 layers than AGC. It is confirmed that the permeability of the precursor solution depends on the morphology and structure of the graphite employed in the carbon electrode. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
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Review

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32 pages, 3263 KiB  
Review
Double Heterojunction Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells: From Doped Silicon to Dopant-Free Passivating Contacts
by Terence K.S. Wong and Keyi Pei
Photonics 2022, 9(7), 477; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9070477 - 08 Jul 2022
Viewed by 2992
Abstract
Carrier-selective passivating contacts for effective electron and hole extraction are crucial to the attainment of high efficiency in crystalline silicon (Si) solar cells. In this comprehensive review, the principle of carrier extraction and recombination mechanisms in conventional industrial Si solar cells are discussed [...] Read more.
Carrier-selective passivating contacts for effective electron and hole extraction are crucial to the attainment of high efficiency in crystalline silicon (Si) solar cells. In this comprehensive review, the principle of carrier extraction and recombination mechanisms in conventional industrial Si solar cells are discussed first. Passivating contacts based on (i) amorphous hydrogenated Si and (ii) polysilicon/silicon oxide are next reviewed, with emphasis on carrier selectivity mechanisms including contact layer band alignment with silicon, and localized carrier transport in ultrathin oxides. More recent developments in dopant-free passivating contacts deposited by lower-cost fabrication processes with lower thermal budget are then described. This third category of non-Si based electron- and hole-selective passivating contacts include transition metal oxides, alkali/alkali earth metal fluorides and organic conjugated polymers. The photovoltaic performance of asymmetric double heterojunction Si solar cells fabricated using these non-Si passivating contacts and their stability in damp heat conditions are discussed and compared with Si based passivating contacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
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