Final PhD Seminar

InP-based Thin Film and Nanowire Solar Cells Using Carrier Selective Contacts

Mr Vidur Raj
ANU

In last few years, passivating charge carrier selective contacts have shown huge potential to overcome the optoelectronic losses of conventional p-n or p-i-n homojunction solar cells. In fact, today most of the high efficiency thin film solar cells incorporate carrier selective contact for improved performance. Conventionally, epitaxial III-V based thin film solar cells used wide band gap III-V materials (known as window layers) for passivation and carrier selectivity. However, in many cases, epitaxial growth of a doped wide band gap III-V material over the active region might be extremely challenging, particularly in nanowires. Therefore, we are looking into a new range of inorganic materials which can be used as electron/hole selective contact for thin film and nanowire III-V solar cells.

In this talk, I will present the work that I did during my PhD. I will show both theoretical and experimental results on ZnO as an electron selective contact for thin film and nanowire InP solar cells. I will also show results on the heterogeneous doping of CuI, a hole selective contact material, for its improved transparency, conductivity and long-term stability. Another key element of my dissertation is to transform an inefficient III-V absorber material into an efficient solar cell by using the nanowire architecture with radial charge carrier separation and an electron selective contact. Furthermore, I will also be showing theoretical results on how a high efficiency thin film solar cell can be fabricated with only 280 nm thick InP using carrier selective contacts and the concept of optical confinement. 

Date & time

Fri 7 Jun 2019, 2pm

Location

Room:

Oliphant Seminar Room (414)

Audience

Members of RSPE welcome

Contact

(02)61250374