This paper numerically explores the possibility of high efficiency, ultrathin, and stable CdTe cells with different back surface field (BSF) using well accepted simulator AMPS-1D (analysis of microelectronics and photonic structures). A modified structure of CdTe based PV cell SnO2/Zn2SnO4/CdS/CdTe/BSF/BC has been proposed over reference structure SnO2/Zn2SnO4/CdS/CdTe/Cu. Both higher bandgap materials like ZnTe and Cu2Te and low bandgap materials like As2Te3 and Sb2Te3 have been used as BSF to reduce minority carrier recombination loss at the back contact in ultra-thin CdTe cells. In this analysis the highest conversion efficiency of CdTe based PV cell without BSF has been found to be around 17% using CdTe absorber thickness of 5 μm. However, the proposed structures with different BSF have shown acceptable efficiencies with an ultra-thin CdTe absorber of only 0.6 μm. The proposed structure with As2Te3 BSF showed the highest conversion efficiency of 20.8% (<svg style="vertical-align:-3.39069pt;width:72.349998px;" id="M1" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 72.349998 15.4" width="72.349998" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><path id="x1D449" d="M730 650l-8 -28q-52 -4 -72 -18t-64 -77q-79 -113 -321 -539h-33l-119 541q-13 59 -29.5 73t-66.5 20l7 28h245l-8 -28l-28 -5q-33 -6 -40.5 -15.5t-0.5 -38.5l102 -450h2q191 320 246 430q21 42 15.5 56t-43.5 19l-31 4l7 28h240z" /></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><path id="x6F" d="M257 449q92 0 154 -65t62 -158q0 -112 -67 -175t-150 -63q-98 0 -158.5 66.5t-60.5 154.5q0 59 21 106.5t54.5 75.5t71 43t73.5 15zM244 416q-48 0 -81 -47t-33 -128q0 -96 38 -158t99 -62q51 0 82 43.5t31 139.5q0 91 -36 151.5t-100 60.5z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,18.85,15.187)"><path id="x63" d="M390 111l17 -21q-34 -45 -80 -73.5t-89 -28.5q-91 0 -146 62t-55 147q0 118 101 195q74 57 149 57h1q59 0 90 -27q16 -14 16 -30q0 -15 -12 -29t-21 -14q-8 0 -19 11q-44 41 -101 41q-52 0 -87.5 -42.5t-35.5 -117.5q0 -49 15 -87t39 -58t49 -30t48 -10q33 0 60.5 12 t60.5 43z" /></g> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,29.225,11.112)"><path id="x3D" d="M535 323h-483v50h483v-50zM535 138h-483v50h483v-50z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,43.929,11.112)"><path id="x30" d="M241 635q53 0 94 -28.5t63.5 -76t33.5 -102.5t11 -116q0 -58 -11 -112.5t-34 -103.5t-63.5 -78.5t-94.5 -29.5t-95 28t-64.5 75t-34.5 102.5t-11 118.5q0 58 11.5 112.5t34.5 103t64.5 78t95.5 29.5zM238 602q-32 0 -55.5 -25t-35.5 -68t-17.5 -91t-5.5 -105 q0 -76 10 -138.5t37 -107.5t69 -45q32 0 55.5 25t35.5 68.5t17.5 91.5t5.5 105t-5.5 105.5t-18 92t-36 68t-56.5 24.5z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,52.088,11.112)"><path id="x2E" d="M113 -12q-24 0 -39.5 16t-15.5 42q0 24 16 40.5t40 16.5t40 -16.5t16 -40.5q0 -26 -16 -42t-41 -16z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,55.964,11.112)"><path id="x39" d="M244 635q90 0 143 -72t53 -177q0 -133 -65 -229.5t-171 -139.5q-79 -32 -140 -32l-5 30q109 18 185 91t101 186l-68 -36q-29 -16 -60 -16q-79 0 -129 51.5t-50 130.5q0 80 57 146.5t149 66.5zM228 602q-52 0 -78 -45.5t-26 -98.5q0 -69 36.5 -115.5t97.5 -46.5 q53 0 90 28q4 31 4 66q0 51 -9.5 95.5t-39 80.5t-75.5 36z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,64.123,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x39"/></g> </svg> V, <svg style="vertical-align:-3.39069pt;width:73.949997px;" id="M2" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 73.949997 15.4" width="73.949997" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><path id="x1D43D" d="M434 650l-5 -28q-60 -8 -75 -20.5t-25 -69.5l-71 -395q-20 -107 -57.5 -168t-106.5 -94q-40 -18 -61 -20l-10 32q77 23 113 108q21 50 41 160l68 377q10 57 -1.5 69.5t-76.5 20.5l6 28h261z" /></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,7.825,15.187)"><path id="x73" d="M319 325l-25 -7q-33 99 -103 99q-29 0 -47 -19.5t-18 -49.5t22 -49.5t62 -36.5q63 -26 95 -57t32 -79q0 -64 -50 -101t-115 -37q-35 0 -67.5 10.5t-46.5 23.5q-5 11 -11 51t-6 67l27 5q14 -53 46.5 -88.5t75.5 -35.5q29 0 50 19.5t21 50.5t-19.5 51.5t-59.5 39.5 q-28 12 -46 22.5t-38.5 27t-30.5 38.5t-10 49q0 54 42.5 92t109.5 38q48 0 88 -18q6 -15 13 -50.5t9 -55.5z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.287,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x63"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,22.675,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x3D"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,37.362,11.112)"><path id="x32" d="M412 140l28 -9q0 -2 -35 -131h-373v23q112 112 161 170q59 70 92 127t33 115q0 63 -31 98t-86 35q-75 0 -137 -93l-22 20l57 81q55 59 135 59q69 0 118.5 -46.5t49.5 -122.5q0 -62 -29.5 -114t-102.5 -130l-141 -149h186q42 0 58.5 10.5t38.5 56.5z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,45.521,11.112)"><path id="x34" d="M456 178h-96v-72q0 -51 12.5 -62.5t72.5 -16.5v-27h-256v27q65 5 78 17t13 62v72h-260v28q182 271 300 426h40v-407h96v-47zM280 225v295h-2q-107 -148 -196 -295h198z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,53.681,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x2E"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,57.556,11.112)"><path id="x37" d="M447 623l8 -12l-283 -613l-74 -10l-7 11q174 283 297 551h-216q-48 0 -62.5 -12t-33.5 -63h-29q10 60 18 148h382z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,65.716,11.112)"><path id="x33" d="M285 378v-2q65 -13 102 -54.5t37 -97.5q0 -57 -30.5 -104.5t-74 -75t-85.5 -42t-72 -14.5q-31 0 -59.5 11t-40.5 23q-19 18 -16 36q1 16 23 33q13 10 24 0q58 -51 124 -51q55 0 88 40t33 112q0 64 -39 96.5t-88 32.5q-29 0 -64 -11l-6 29q77 25 118 57.5t41 84.5 q0 45 -26.5 69.5t-68.5 24.5q-67 0 -120 -79l-20 20l43 63q51 56 127 56h1q66 0 107 -37t41 -95q0 -42 -31 -71q-22 -23 -68 -54z" /></g> </svg> mA/cm2, and <svg style="vertical-align:-0.1638pt;width:65.887497px;" id="M3" height="11.375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 65.887497 11.375" width="65.887497" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><path id="x46" d="M493 503l-29 -4q-13 56 -28 80q-13 22 -35.5 29.5t-78.5 7.5h-76q-22 0 -27.5 -5t-5.5 -27v-238h103q66 0 82.5 12t25.5 62h29v-193h-29q-9 54 -25.5 67t-82.5 13h-103v-181q0 -64 15 -78.5t84 -19.5v-28h-272v28q61 5 74.5 19.5t13.5 78.5v399q0 64 -13 78t-72 19v28 h440q1 -40 10 -147z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,9.055,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x46"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,22.756,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x3D"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,37.46,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x30"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,45.619,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x2E"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,49.495,11.112)"><path id="x38" d="M249 635q70 0 116 -43t46 -105q0 -46 -28 -80q-22 -25 -80 -64q62 -35 97 -75t35 -99q0 -81 -63 -131t-135 -50q-83 0 -137.5 45.5t-54.5 123.5q0 52 45 95q29 28 89 64q-109 62 -109 155q0 66 50.5 115t128.5 49zM238 603q-42 0 -67.5 -31t-25.5 -72q0 -50 32.5 -79.5 t98.5 -62.5q61 48 61 124q0 59 -29.5 90t-69.5 31zM248 20q46 0 76.5 33.5t30.5 89.5q0 50 -39 85.5t-110 71.5q-81 -54 -81 -137q0 -67 35.5 -105t87.5 -38z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,57.654,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x34"/></g> </svg>). Moreover, the proposed structures have shown improved stability in most extents, as it was found that the cells have relatively lower negative temperature coefficient. However, the cell with ZnTe BSF has shown better overall stability than other proposed cells with temperature coefficient (TC) of −0.3%/°C.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Matin et al. (2013) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: