22.4 Solar Cells
633
Table 22.1 Record efficiency of various solar cells (AM1.5, 1000 W/cm 2 , 25 ◦ unless noted otherwise). Most data from
[1871], additional data for 3J (conc.) [1899, 1900]. Date is that of (mostly certified) measurement
Cell material/type
Efficiency
V oc
j sc
FF
date
(%)
(V)
(mA/cm 2 )
(%)
m/y
Si (crystalline)
26.7 ± 0.5
0.738
42.65
84.9
3/2017
Si (multicrystalline)
22.3 ± 0.4
0.6742
41.08
80.5
8/2017
Si (amorphous)
10.2 ± 0.3
0.896
16.36
69.8
7/2014
GaAs (crystalline)
25.9 ± 0.8
1.038
29.4
84.7
12/2007
GaAs (thin film)
29.1 ± 0.6
1.1272
29.78
86.7
10/2018
GaAs (multicrystalline)
18.4 ± 0.5
0.994
23.2
79.7
11/1995
CIGS
22.9 ± 0.5
0.744
38.77
79.5
11/2017
CdTe
21.0 ± 0.4
0.8759
30.25
79.4
8/2014
perosvkite
20.9 ± 0.7
1.125
24.92
74.5
7/2017
dye sensitized
11.9 ± 0.4
0.744
22.47
71.2
9/2012
organic (thin film)
11.2 ± 0.3
0.780
19.3
74.2
10/2015
2J (GaInP/GaAs)
32.8 ± 1.4
2.568
14.56
87.7
9/2017
3J (GaInP/GaAs/Ge)
32.0 ± 1.5
2.622
14.4
85.0
1/2003
3J (GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs) 37.9 ± 1.2
3.065
14.27
86.7
2/2013
5J (bonded)
38.8 ± 1.2
4.767
9.564
85.2
7/2013
2J (conc., 38 suns)
35.5 ± 1.2
10/2017
3J (conc., 240 suns)
40.7 ± 2.4
2.911
3832
87.5
9/2006
3J (conc., 306 suns)
43.5
5/2012
4J (conc., 508 suns)
46.0 ± 2.2
4.227
6498
85.1
10/2014
[1902]. Also CdTe is a viable absorber mostly sputtered on glass with over 16% efficiency demonstrated and 9–10% realistic in production. Thin-film solar cells can be fabricated on glass substrate or
on flexible polymer substrate such as Kapton
11 (Fig. 22.66a, b). Also here, optimization of the grain
size is important (Fig. 22.66b). As the front contact, a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), such as
ITO (InSnO 2 ) or ZnO:Al, is used. If the front surface is given by the glass substrate, as can be the case
for CdTe/glass solar cells, the glass is actually termed ‘superstrate’. Thin-film and amorphous silicon
Fig. 22.64 Theoretical
dependence of the effect of
grain size on efficiency of
polycrystalline solar cells
(solid line) with
experimental data points
(circles). Adapted
from [1897]
11 Kapton is a polyimide and a product and registered trademark of DuPont.
633
Table 22.1 Record efficiency of various solar cells (AM1.5, 1000 W/cm 2 , 25 ◦ unless noted otherwise). Most data from
[1871], additional data for 3J (conc.) [1899, 1900]. Date is that of (mostly certified) measurement
Cell material/type
Efficiency
V oc
j sc
FF
date
(%)
(V)
(mA/cm 2 )
(%)
m/y
Si (crystalline)
26.7 ± 0.5
0.738
42.65
84.9
3/2017
Si (multicrystalline)
22.3 ± 0.4
0.6742
41.08
80.5
8/2017
Si (amorphous)
10.2 ± 0.3
0.896
16.36
69.8
7/2014
GaAs (crystalline)
25.9 ± 0.8
1.038
29.4
84.7
12/2007
GaAs (thin film)
29.1 ± 0.6
1.1272
29.78
86.7
10/2018
GaAs (multicrystalline)
18.4 ± 0.5
0.994
23.2
79.7
11/1995
CIGS
22.9 ± 0.5
0.744
38.77
79.5
11/2017
CdTe
21.0 ± 0.4
0.8759
30.25
79.4
8/2014
perosvkite
20.9 ± 0.7
1.125
24.92
74.5
7/2017
dye sensitized
11.9 ± 0.4
0.744
22.47
71.2
9/2012
organic (thin film)
11.2 ± 0.3
0.780
19.3
74.2
10/2015
2J (GaInP/GaAs)
32.8 ± 1.4
2.568
14.56
87.7
9/2017
3J (GaInP/GaAs/Ge)
32.0 ± 1.5
2.622
14.4
85.0
1/2003
3J (GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs) 37.9 ± 1.2
3.065
14.27
86.7
2/2013
5J (bonded)
38.8 ± 1.2
4.767
9.564
85.2
7/2013
2J (conc., 38 suns)
35.5 ± 1.2
10/2017
3J (conc., 240 suns)
40.7 ± 2.4
2.911
3832
87.5
9/2006
3J (conc., 306 suns)
43.5
5/2012
4J (conc., 508 suns)
46.0 ± 2.2
4.227
6498
85.1
10/2014
[1902]. Also CdTe is a viable absorber mostly sputtered on glass with over 16% efficiency demonstrated and 9–10% realistic in production. Thin-film solar cells can be fabricated on glass substrate or
on flexible polymer substrate such as Kapton
11 (Fig. 22.66a, b). Also here, optimization of the grain
size is important (Fig. 22.66b). As the front contact, a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), such as
ITO (InSnO 2 ) or ZnO:Al, is used. If the front surface is given by the glass substrate, as can be the case
for CdTe/glass solar cells, the glass is actually termed ‘superstrate’. Thin-film and amorphous silicon
Fig. 22.64 Theoretical
dependence of the effect of
grain size on efficiency of
polycrystalline solar cells
(solid line) with
experimental data points
(circles). Adapted
from [1897]
11 Kapton is a polyimide and a product and registered trademark of DuPont.