Researchers in the United States have developed a new type of solar cell technology that can be made by growing upright nanopillars on aluminum foil, and by encapsulating the entire cell in a transparent gelatinous polymer, it can be made bendable. Solar cells cost less than traditional silicon solar cells.
Ali Jade, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, who led the research, said nano-column technology allows researchers to use cheaper and less expensive materials than traditional silicon and thin-film cells. More importantly, the technology is more suitable for making curlable solar panels on thin aluminum foil, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Once successful, its production costs will be as low as one-tenth that of monocrystalline silicon solar panels.
The solar cell is fabricated by embedding a uniform 500 nm high cadmium sulfide into a cadmium telluride film, both of which are commonly used in thin film solar cells. According to a report published by Javier and his colleagues in NatureMaterials, the efficiency of converting such light into electricity is up to 6%. Previously, some scientists also used this column design idea, but the method is more expensive, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency is less than 2%.
In conventional solar cells, silicon absorbs light and produces free electrons that must reach the circuit before being trapped in defects or impurities in the material. This requires the use of extremely pure, expensive crystalline silicon to make efficient photovoltaic devices.
The nanocolumns assume the responsibility of silicon. The material around the nanopillars absorbs light and produces electrons, which transport it to the circuit. This design improves efficiency in two ways: tightly packed nanopillars capture light between the columns, helping the surrounding material absorb more light; electrons traverse the nanocolumns at very short distances, so there is not much chance to get trapped Defects in materials. This means that low quality, inexpensive materials can be used.
Some scientists use different nanostructures to make such solar cells. For example, Harvard University chemistry professor Charles Ripoll developed a nanowire containing silicon cores and concentric silicon layers; Yang Peidong of the University of California at Berkeley developed dye-sensitized solar energy with zinc oxide nanowires. battery. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of these nanowire solar cells has reached 4%.
For the first time, the nano-column cells made by Javier and his colleagues used oxidized aluminum foil to create periodically distributed 200-nanometer wide pores that serve as templates for erect growth of cadmium sulfide crystals. Then, a film of copper and gold is applied to the cadmium telluride and the tip electrode. They are connected to the battery by a glass plate or by bending the top end into a polymer solution.
Wang Zhonglin, a professor of materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech, commented that integrating nanomaterials engineering with various flexible substrate technologies for flexible flexible solar cells is an exciting development. Arthur Nozick, a physical chemist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory responsible for solar cell research, said the battery competes with flexible thin-film solar cells made of silicon, cadmium telluride and other materials. The selling point may not be its flexibility, but the cost advantage.
Researchers are currently exploring the use of materials that increase conversion efficiency. For example, the copper-gold layer on the top is now only 50% transparent, and if all the light is transmitted, its efficiency can be doubled. Therefore, researchers are planning to use transparent conductive materials like indium oxide. In addition, the use of other semiconductor materials as nano-pillars and their surrounding materials is also under consideration by researchers. Such a fabrication process can be adapted to a wider range of semiconductor materials, and other combinations of materials may also improve efficiency. More importantly, It is possible to avoid the toxicity problem of cadmium.
Ali Jade, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, who led the research, said nano-column technology allows researchers to use cheaper and less expensive materials than traditional silicon and thin-film cells. More importantly, the technology is more suitable for making curlable solar panels on thin aluminum foil, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Once successful, its production costs will be as low as one-tenth that of monocrystalline silicon solar panels.
The solar cell is fabricated by embedding a uniform 500 nm high cadmium sulfide into a cadmium telluride film, both of which are commonly used in thin film solar cells. According to a report published by Javier and his colleagues in NatureMaterials, the efficiency of converting such light into electricity is up to 6%. Previously, some scientists also used this column design idea, but the method is more expensive, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency is less than 2%.
In conventional solar cells, silicon absorbs light and produces free electrons that must reach the circuit before being trapped in defects or impurities in the material. This requires the use of extremely pure, expensive crystalline silicon to make efficient photovoltaic devices.
The nanocolumns assume the responsibility of silicon. The material around the nanopillars absorbs light and produces electrons, which transport it to the circuit. This design improves efficiency in two ways: tightly packed nanopillars capture light between the columns, helping the surrounding material absorb more light; electrons traverse the nanocolumns at very short distances, so there is not much chance to get trapped Defects in materials. This means that low quality, inexpensive materials can be used.
Some scientists use different nanostructures to make such solar cells. For example, Harvard University chemistry professor Charles Ripoll developed a nanowire containing silicon cores and concentric silicon layers; Yang Peidong of the University of California at Berkeley developed dye-sensitized solar energy with zinc oxide nanowires. battery. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of these nanowire solar cells has reached 4%.
For the first time, the nano-column cells made by Javier and his colleagues used oxidized aluminum foil to create periodically distributed 200-nanometer wide pores that serve as templates for erect growth of cadmium sulfide crystals. Then, a film of copper and gold is applied to the cadmium telluride and the tip electrode. They are connected to the battery by a glass plate or by bending the top end into a polymer solution.
Wang Zhonglin, a professor of materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech, commented that integrating nanomaterials engineering with various flexible substrate technologies for flexible flexible solar cells is an exciting development. Arthur Nozick, a physical chemist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory responsible for solar cell research, said the battery competes with flexible thin-film solar cells made of silicon, cadmium telluride and other materials. The selling point may not be its flexibility, but the cost advantage.
Researchers are currently exploring the use of materials that increase conversion efficiency. For example, the copper-gold layer on the top is now only 50% transparent, and if all the light is transmitted, its efficiency can be doubled. Therefore, researchers are planning to use transparent conductive materials like indium oxide. In addition, the use of other semiconductor materials as nano-pillars and their surrounding materials is also under consideration by researchers. Such a fabrication process can be adapted to a wider range of semiconductor materials, and other combinations of materials may also improve efficiency. More importantly, It is possible to avoid the toxicity problem of cadmium.
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