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19.2% Efficient InP Heterojunction Solar Cell with Electron-Selective TiO2 Contact
Xingtian Yin1, Corsin Battaglia2, Yongjing Lin3
1Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department, University of California , Berkeley, California 94720, United States ; Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, California 94720, United States ; Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an, 710049 Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
This study presents a new Indium Phosphide (InP) solar cell using a thin titanium dioxide (TiO2) layer. This innovation achieves a high 19.2% power conversion efficiency for improved solar energy harvesting.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Physics
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Indium Phosphide (InP) is a promising semiconductor for solar cells.
- Developing efficient electron-selective contacts is crucial for high-performance InP solar cells.
- Transparent conductive oxides are essential for advanced photovoltaic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate an InP heterojunction solar cell with an ultrathin amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO2) electron-selective contact.
- To investigate the role of TiO2 in charge selectivity and voltage enhancement.
- To improve the device's spectral response and overall power conversion efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of an ultrathin (∼10 nm) amorphous TiO2 layer at 120 °C.
- Fabrication of InP heterojunction solar cells utilizing the TiO2 contact.
- Hydrogen plasma treatment of the InP surface to enhance device performance.
Main Results:
- Achieved a high open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 785 mV due to selective electron extraction and hole blocking by TiO2.
- Observed a significantly improved long-wavelength response after hydrogen plasma treatment.
- Attained a high short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 30.5 mA/cm2 and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.2%.
Conclusions:
- Ultrathin amorphous TiO2 serves as an effective transparent electron-selective contact for InP solar cells.
- The large valence band offset of TiO2 is key to achieving high open-circuit voltage.
- Hydrogen plasma treatment is a viable method for boosting InP solar cell performance, particularly in current density and efficiency.
