What limits the efficiency of chalcopyrite solar cells?

  • Tagung:Eingeladener Vortrag
  • Tagungsort:LTI-Hörsaal
  • Datum:Montag, 15.11.10
  • Referent:TDK Europe Professor Susanne Siebentritt
  • Zeit:14:00 Uhr
  • Abstract:
    Thin film solar cells are considered the next generation of photovoltaic cells, because of their enormous cost reduction potentials based on greatly reduced material and energy needs. Among the current thin film technologies solar cells based on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (chalcopyrite) show the highest efficiencies in the lab and in industrial production. To improve the current efficiency level it is necessary to understand the limitations of current devices. Optical and collection losses reduce the short circuit current. Higher losses are, however, due to recombination losses. The role of charged extended defects, like grain boundaries and dislocations, in increasing the recombination losses will be illuminated.