Tandem Solar Cells from Solution-Processed CdTe and PbS Quantum Dots Using a ZnTe-ZnO Tunnel Junction

Ryan W. Crisp; Gregory F. Pach; J. Matthew Kurley; Ryan M. France; Matthew O. Reese; Sanjini U. Nanayakkara; Bradley A. Macleod; Dmitri V. Talapin; Matthew C. Beard; Joseph M. Luther

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04423

Tandem Solar Cells from Solution-Processed CdTe and PbS Quantum Dots Using a ZnTe-ZnO Tunnel Junction

Ryan W. Crisp, Gregory F. Pach, J. Matthew Kurley, Ryan M. France, Matthew O. Reese, Sanjini U. Nanayakkara, Bradley A. Macleod, Dmitri V. Talapin, Matthew C. Beard, Joseph M. Luther

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

75 Scopus citations

Abstract

We developed a monolithic CdTe-PbS tandem solar cell architecture in which both the CdTe and PbS absorber layers are solution-processed from nanocrystal inks. Due to their tunable nature, PbS quantum dots (QDs), with a controllable band gap between 0.4 and ∼1.6 eV, are a promising candidate for a bottom absorber layer in tandem photovoltaics. In the detailed balance limit, the ideal configuration of a CdTe (E_g = 1.5 eV)-PbS tandem structure assumes infinite thickness of the absorber layers and requires the PbS band gap to be 0.75 eV to theoretically achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 45%. However, modeling shows that by allowing the thickness of the CdTe layer to vary, a tandem with efficiency over 40% is achievable using bottom cell band gaps ranging from 0.68 and 1.16 eV. In a first step toward developing this technology, we explore CdTe-PbS tandem devices by developing a ZnTe-ZnO tunnel junction, which appropriately combines the two subcells in series. We examine the basic characteristics of the solar cells as a function of layer thickness and bottom-cell band gap and demonstrate open-circuit voltages in excess of 1.1 V with matched short circuit current density of 10 mA/cm² in prototype devices.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1020-1027
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nano Letters
Volume	17
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04423
State	Published - Feb 8 2017
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors thank Bobby To for SEM imaging, Al Hicks for aid with graphics, and Reuben Collins and Ashley Marshall for valuable discussions. The solution-processed CdTe technology and recombination layers were supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot program under award no. DE-EE0005312. The PbS QD devices, characterization and modeling were supported by the Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences. J.M.K. and D.V.T. also acknowledge the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Naval Research under grant no. N00014-13-1-0490 and by the II-VI Foundation. G.F.P. and M.C.B. acknowledge support from the Global R&D program (grant no. 1415134409) funded by KIAT and MOTIE. The work used facilities supported by the NSF MRSEC Program under award no. DMR-14-20703

Funders	Funder number
Global R&D program	1415134409
II-VI Foundation
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of Naval Research	N00014-13-1-0490
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-EE0005312
Office of Science
Basic Energy Sciences
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University	DMR-14-20703
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology

Keywords

Multijunction
nanocrystals
photovoltaics
quantum dots
solar cell
tandem

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04423

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title = "Tandem Solar Cells from Solution-Processed CdTe and PbS Quantum Dots Using a ZnTe-ZnO Tunnel Junction",

abstract = "We developed a monolithic CdTe-PbS tandem solar cell architecture in which both the CdTe and PbS absorber layers are solution-processed from nanocrystal inks. Due to their tunable nature, PbS quantum dots (QDs), with a controllable band gap between 0.4 and ∼1.6 eV, are a promising candidate for a bottom absorber layer in tandem photovoltaics. In the detailed balance limit, the ideal configuration of a CdTe (Eg = 1.5 eV)-PbS tandem structure assumes infinite thickness of the absorber layers and requires the PbS band gap to be 0.75 eV to theoretically achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 45%. However, modeling shows that by allowing the thickness of the CdTe layer to vary, a tandem with efficiency over 40% is achievable using bottom cell band gaps ranging from 0.68 and 1.16 eV. In a first step toward developing this technology, we explore CdTe-PbS tandem devices by developing a ZnTe-ZnO tunnel junction, which appropriately combines the two subcells in series. We examine the basic characteristics of the solar cells as a function of layer thickness and bottom-cell band gap and demonstrate open-circuit voltages in excess of 1.1 V with matched short circuit current density of 10 mA/cm2 in prototype devices.",

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AU - Crisp, Ryan W.

AU - Pach, Gregory F.

AU - Kurley, J. Matthew

AU - France, Ryan M.

AU - Reese, Matthew O.

AU - Nanayakkara, Sanjini U.

AU - Macleod, Bradley A.

AU - Talapin, Dmitri V.

AU - Beard, Matthew C.

AU - Luther, Joseph M.

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AB - We developed a monolithic CdTe-PbS tandem solar cell architecture in which both the CdTe and PbS absorber layers are solution-processed from nanocrystal inks. Due to their tunable nature, PbS quantum dots (QDs), with a controllable band gap between 0.4 and ∼1.6 eV, are a promising candidate for a bottom absorber layer in tandem photovoltaics. In the detailed balance limit, the ideal configuration of a CdTe (Eg = 1.5 eV)-PbS tandem structure assumes infinite thickness of the absorber layers and requires the PbS band gap to be 0.75 eV to theoretically achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 45%. However, modeling shows that by allowing the thickness of the CdTe layer to vary, a tandem with efficiency over 40% is achievable using bottom cell band gaps ranging from 0.68 and 1.16 eV. In a first step toward developing this technology, we explore CdTe-PbS tandem devices by developing a ZnTe-ZnO tunnel junction, which appropriately combines the two subcells in series. We examine the basic characteristics of the solar cells as a function of layer thickness and bottom-cell band gap and demonstrate open-circuit voltages in excess of 1.1 V with matched short circuit current density of 10 mA/cm2 in prototype devices.

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Tandem Solar Cells from Solution-Processed CdTe and PbS Quantum Dots Using a ZnTe-ZnO Tunnel Junction

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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