Comparative study of cadmium telluride solar cell performance on different TCO-coated substrates under concentrated light intensities

Abstract

Concentrating photovoltaics is an attractive route for achieving high power output with thin film solar cells, using low-cost optics. In this work, the performance of CdTe:As thin film solar cells on two different transparent conducting oxide (TCO)-coated substrates is investigated and compared under varying concentrated light intensities (1–6.3 Suns). Samples tested had CdZnS/CdTe:As devices deposited atop of either a soda-lime glass with a fluorine-doped tin oxide TCO or an ultra-thin glass (UTG) with an aluminium zinc oxide TCO and ZnO high-resistive transparent (HRT) layer. Device current density was found to increase linearly with increased light intensities, for both sample configurations. Power conversion efficiencies of both device samples decreased with increased light intensity, due to a decrease in fill factor. The fill factor, for both sample configurations, was affected by reducing shunt resistance with increasing illumination intensity. The two device types performed differently at the high illumination intensities due to their series resistance. Light-soaking devices under 6.3 Suns illumination intensity for 90 min showed no significant performance degradation, indicative of relatively stable devices under the highest illumination intensity tested. Efficiency limiting factors are assessed, evaluated and discussed.