Abstract
We present a new thin-film solar cell structure in which the traditional transparent conductive oxide electrode (ZnO) is replaced by a transparent conductive coating consisting of a network of bundled single-wall carbon nanotubes. Optical transmission properties of these coatings are presented in relation to their electrical properties (sheet resistance), along with preliminary solar cell resultsfrom devices made using CuIn1-xGaxSe2 thin-film absorber materials. Achieving an energy conversion efficiency of >12% and a quantum efficiency of80% demonstrate the feasibility of the concept. A discussion of the device structures will be presented considering the physical properties of the new electrodes comparing current-voltage results from the new solar cell structure and those fromstandard ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2/Mo solar cells.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 6 |
| State | Published - 2006 |
| Event | 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC-4) - Waikoloa, Hawaii Duration: 7 May 2006 → 12 May 2006 |
Conference
| Conference | 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC-4) |
|---|---|
| City | Waikoloa, Hawaii |
| Period | 7/05/06 → 12/05/06 |
NREL Publication Number
- NREL/CP-520-39914
Keywords
- carbon nanotubes
- devices
- energy conversion efficiency
- free carrier concentration
- solar cells
- thin films
- transparent conducting oxides (TCO)