Practical Enhancements in Current Density and Power Generation of Bifacial Semitransparent Ultrathin CIGSe Solar Cells via Utilization of Wide Bandgap Zn‐Based Buffer

Abstract

Abstract Among many building‐integrated semitransparent photovoltaics (BISTPVs), semitransparent ultrathin (STUT) Cu(Inx,Ga1‐x)Se2 (CIGSe) solar cells are distinguishable due to their potential high power conversion efficiency (PCE) among other thin‐film solar cells, versatile applicability based on thin film deposition processes, high stability consisting of all inorganic compositions, and practical expandability to bifacial applications. However, the fundamental trade‐off relationship between PCE and transparency limits the performance of BISTPV because implementing a higher semitransparency lowers the optical budget of incoming light. To expand the available optical budget and to enhance the PCE while maintaining a suitable transparency in STUT CIGSe solar cell with single‐stage coevaporated 500‐nm‐thick absorber, an atomic layer deposited wide bandgap Zn(O,S) buffer is introduced as the replacement of conventional CdS buffer, which partially limits incoming light less than 520 nm in wavelength. As a replacement result, more incoming light becomes valid for power conversion, and the short circuit current density (Jsc) has increased comparatively by 17%, which has directly lead to a large increase in PCE up to 12.41%. Furthermore, Zn(O,S) buffer in the STUT CIGSe solar cell also has enhanced the bifacial compatible efficiency (BCE), which has increased to 14.44% at 1.3 sun and 19.42% at 2.0 sun.

Keywords

• albedo effect
• atomic layer deposition
• bifacial compatible efficiencies
• semitransparent ultrathin Cu(In1‐x,Gax)Se2
• solar cells
• Zn(O,S) buffers