Darius Kuciauskas
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View article: Imaging Power Losses in CdSeTe Solar Cells
Imaging Power Losses in CdSeTe Solar Cells Open
Much of the research on CdSeTe photovoltaics is focused on improving the open‐circuit voltage ( V oc ) of the solar cell. But solar cells operate at the maximum power point (MPP) rather than at V oc . The recombination processes at MPP may…
View article: Arsenic activation and compensation in single crystal CdTe bilayers
Arsenic activation and compensation in single crystal CdTe bilayers Open
In state-of-the art polycrystalline CdTe photovoltaics, group-V dopant activation is about 2%. Low activation can create electronic defects and lead to recombination and band tail losses. To develop methods to overcome this limitation, dop…
View article: In situ formation of pseudohalide anions induced by humid air and light passivates formamidinium‐based halide perovskites
In situ formation of pseudohalide anions induced by humid air and light passivates formamidinium‐based halide perovskites Open
Metal halide perovskites based on formamidinium (FA), or FA‐rich compositions have shown great promise for high‐performance photovoltaics. A deeper understanding of the impact of ambient conditions (e.g., moisture, oxygen, and illumination…
View article: As‐Doped Polycrystalline CdSeTe: Localized Defects, Carrier Mobility and Lifetimes, and Impact on High‐Efficiency Solar Cells
As‐Doped Polycrystalline CdSeTe: Localized Defects, Carrier Mobility and Lifetimes, and Impact on High‐Efficiency Solar Cells Open
The efficiency potential for single‐junction photovoltaics (PV) is described by the detailed balance model, which requires the elimination of nonradiative recombination and perfect minority carrier collection. Improvements in GaAs, Si, and…
View article: Investigation of Sub‐Bandgap Emission and Unexpected n‐Type Behavior in Undoped Polycrystalline CdSe<sub>x</sub>Te<sub>1‐x</sub>
Investigation of Sub‐Bandgap Emission and Unexpected n‐Type Behavior in Undoped Polycrystalline CdSe<sub>x</sub>Te<sub>1‐x</sub> Open
Se alloying has enabled significantly higher carrier lifetimes and photocurrents in CdTe solar cells, but these benefits can be highly dependent on CdSe x Te 1‐x processing. This work evaluates the optoelectronic, chemical, and electronic …
View article: Why Increased CdSeTe Charge Carrier Lifetimes and Radiative Efficiencies did not Result in Voltage Boost for CdTe Solar Cells
Why Increased CdSeTe Charge Carrier Lifetimes and Radiative Efficiencies did not Result in Voltage Boost for CdTe Solar Cells Open
After a focused effort over the last decade, order‐of‐magnitude improvements in doping and electro‐optical characteristics (radiative efficiency, carrier lifetime, and passivation) have been reported for polycrystalline CdSeTe solar cells.…
View article: Band Bending at CdTe Solar Cell Contacts: Correlating Electro‐Optical and X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Analyses of Thin Film Solar Cells
Band Bending at CdTe Solar Cell Contacts: Correlating Electro‐Optical and X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Analyses of Thin Film Solar Cells Open
Thin Film Solar Cells In article number 2300073, Darius Kuciauskas and co-workers present a device model for back contacts of CdTe solar cells, using a combination of electro-optical and surface analysis measurements, developed by research…
View article: Nonradiative Recombination Dominates Voltage Losses in Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub>Solar Cells Fabricated using Different Methods
Nonradiative Recombination Dominates Voltage Losses in Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub>Solar Cells Fabricated using Different Methods Open
Voltage losses reduce the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of thin‐film solar cells and are a primary efficiency limitation in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 . Herein, voltage loss analysis of Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells fabricated at three institutions wi…
View article: Band Bending at CdTe Solar Cell Contacts: Correlating Electro‐Optical and X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Analyses of Thin Film Solar Cells
Band Bending at CdTe Solar Cell Contacts: Correlating Electro‐Optical and X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Analyses of Thin Film Solar Cells Open
With the semiconductor bulk properties reaching target values for highly efficient solar cells, efforts are applied to reduce losses at solar cell interfaces and contacts. Advances in understanding back contacts in thin‐film polycrystallin…
View article: Charge Carrier Lifetime Determination in Graded Absorber Solar Cells Using Time‐Resolved Photoluminescence Simulations and Measurements
Charge Carrier Lifetime Determination in Graded Absorber Solar Cells Using Time‐Resolved Photoluminescence Simulations and Measurements Open
Thin‐film photovoltaic device efficiencies are limited by carrier recombination, thus understanding recombination mechanisms is critical for performance improvements. Bulk minority carrier lifetime ( τ bulk ) is a critical parameter for so…
View article: Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices
Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices Open
A time-resolved photoluminescence-based system providing quality control during manufacture of thin film absorber layers for photovoltaic devices. The system includes a laser generating excitation beams and an optical fiber with an end use…
View article: Investigating the Role of Copper in Arsenic Doped CdSeTe Photovoltaic Devices
Investigating the Role of Copper in Arsenic Doped CdSeTe Photovoltaic Devices Open
As part of NREL's development of arsenic doped CdSeTe devices, co-doping with copper has become a common practice and, despite little difference in carrier concentration (often ~1016 cm-3), co-doped devices regularly show improved Voc. Giv…
View article: CdSexTe1-x /CdTe Devices With Reduced Interface Recombination Through Novel Back Contacts and Doping Strategies
CdSexTe1-x /CdTe Devices With Reduced Interface Recombination Through Novel Back Contacts and Doping Strategies Open
In order to study rear interface recombination in CdSexTe1-x/CdTe solar cells, several back contact structures were fabricated using combinations of tellurium, alumina, amorphous silicon, and indium tin oxide. Film side Time-Resolved Photo…
View article: Large‐Area (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub>Thin‐Film Solar Cells with Increased Bandgap and Reduced Voltage Losses Realized with Bulk Defect Reduction and Front‐Grading of the Absorber Bandgap
Large‐Area (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub>Thin‐Film Solar Cells with Increased Bandgap and Reduced Voltage Losses Realized with Bulk Defect Reduction and Front‐Grading of the Absorber Bandgap Open
The 1.24 eV bandgap, 18.8% power conversion efficiency Ag‐alloyed chalcopyrite (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se 2 (ACIGS) solar cells are characterized to relate voltage and efficiency improvements to electro‐optical (EO) characteristics. Shockley–Read–Ha…
View article: Effect of Diode Field on Time-Resolved Photoluminescence of CdTe-Based Solar Cells
Effect of Diode Field on Time-Resolved Photoluminescence of CdTe-Based Solar Cells Open
Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements with externally applied voltage bias were performed on a variety of thin-film CdTe-based solar cells. These measurements revealed a substantial variation in luminescence decays with the a…
View article: Probing the Origin of the Open Circuit Voltage in Perovskite Quantum Dot Photovoltaics
Probing the Origin of the Open Circuit Voltage in Perovskite Quantum Dot Photovoltaics Open
Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have many properties that make them attractive for optoelectronic applications, including expanded compositional tunability and crystallographic stabilization. While they have not achieved the same photovolta…
View article: Diverse simulations of time-resolved photoluminescence in thin-film solar cells: A SnO2/CdSeyTe1−y case study
Diverse simulations of time-resolved photoluminescence in thin-film solar cells: A SnO2/CdSeyTe1−y case study Open
Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) is widely used to measure carrier lifetime in thin-film solar cell absorbers. However, the injection dependence of data and frequent non-exponential decay shapes complicate the interpretation. Here, w…
View article: Voltage Loss Comparison in CdSe/CdTe Solar Cells and Polycrystalline CdSeTe Heterostructures
Voltage Loss Comparison in CdSe/CdTe Solar Cells and Polycrystalline CdSeTe Heterostructures Open
Cd(Se)Te solar cells have considerable headroom to increase voltage. Voltage losses occur due to incomplete absorption above bandgap E_g and band tail absorption below E_g; such losses are quantified using radiative voltage. The largest vo…
View article: Photovoltaics Research and Development: Device Architecture for Next-Generation CdTe PV. Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-17-00662
Photovoltaics Research and Development: Device Architecture for Next-Generation CdTe PV. Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-17-00662 Open
Despite remarkable efficiency improvements at the cell and module level, thin-film CdTe PV suffers from a significant voltage deficit compared with the ideal. The proposed solution is to build cells with fully depleted absorbers and with e…
View article: Mechanisms for long carrier lifetime in Cd(Se)Te double heterostructures
Mechanisms for long carrier lifetime in Cd(Se)Te double heterostructures Open
II–VI semiconductors are used in numerous electro-optical applications. For example, CdTe-based solar technology is cost competitive with other electricity generation sources, yet there is still significant room to improve. Carrier lifetim…
View article: CdTe‐Based Solar Cells with Variations in Mg Concentration in the MgZnO Emitter
CdTe‐Based Solar Cells with Variations in Mg Concentration in the MgZnO Emitter Open
The optimal fraction of Mg incorporation in sputter‐deposited Mg X Zn 1− X O (MZO) emitters for thin‐film CdTe‐based solar cells is evaluated by varying it over a range of x from 0 to 0.35. This range allows a variation in the conduction b…
View article: Identification of Recombination Losses in CdSe/CdTe Solar Cells from Spectroscopic and Microscopic Time‐Resolved Photoluminescence
Identification of Recombination Losses in CdSe/CdTe Solar Cells from Spectroscopic and Microscopic Time‐Resolved Photoluminescence Open
Thin-Film Photovoltaics In article number 2000775, scientists at NREL and First Solar used charge carrier lifetime spectroscopy and microscopy to quantify grain boundary and back-contact recombination in cadmium telluride solar cells. Abou…
View article: Identification of Recombination Losses in CdSe/CdTe Solar Cells from Spectroscopic and Microscopic Time‐Resolved Photoluminescence
Identification of Recombination Losses in CdSe/CdTe Solar Cells from Spectroscopic and Microscopic Time‐Resolved Photoluminescence Open
Due to the lowest‐cost and best reliability, CdTe solar cells are the leading thin‐film photovoltaic technology. Increasing open‐circuit voltage by reducing recombination represents the most promising path toward further improvements. Anal…
View article: Arsenic Doping of Polycrystalline CdSeTe Devices for Microsecond Life-times with High Carrier Concentrations
Arsenic Doping of Polycrystalline CdSeTe Devices for Microsecond Life-times with High Carrier Concentrations Open
We report seminal advances in fabrication and understanding of group V (As) doped thin-film polycrystalline CdTe-based solar cells. The devices are fabricated using a novel approach, by sublimating layers of CdSeTe and CdSeTe:As. This new …