Monolithic DSSC/CIGS tandem solar cell fabricated by a solution process.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Single-junction solar cells, such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film cells, have limitations in power conversion efficiency.
• Tandem architectures offer a pathway to overcome these limitations by stacking different solar cell technologies.
• Developing efficient and scalable fabrication methods for tandem solar cells is crucial for advancing renewable energy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a solution-processed tandem solar cell architecture integrating DSSC and CIGS single-junction solar cells.
• To optimize the interfacial layer between the DSSC and CIGS cells to minimize damage and enhance performance.
• To evaluate the overall power conversion efficiency of the fabricated tandem solar cell.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a tandem solar cell by integrating a DSSC top cell with a CIGS thin-film bottom cell using a solution process.
• Utilizing arc-plasma deposition for the platinum (Pt) interfacial layer to protect the underlying CIGS layers.
• Characterization of the individual and tandem solar cell performance, including power conversion efficiency measurements.

Main Results:

• Successful construction of a solution-processed tandem architecture combining DSSC and CIGS solar cells.
• Achieved a power conversion efficiency of 13% for the tandem solar cell.
• Demonstrated significant efficiency improvement compared to individual DSSC (7.25%) and CIGS (6.2%) single-junction cells.

Conclusions:

• The developed solution-processed tandem solar cell architecture effectively integrates DSSC and CIGS technologies.
• The Pt interfacial layer plays a critical role in preserving the integrity of the CIGS bottom cell during fabrication.
• The achieved 13% efficiency represents a substantial advancement, highlighting the potential of tandem configurations for high-performance solar energy conversion.