Low-cost and high-performance ITO/ZnO/ITO multilayer structure for silicon heterojunction solar cells

IF 4.2 3区材料科学 Q2 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Optical Materials Pub Date : 2025-09-26 DOI:10.1016/j.optmat.2025.117565

Emre Kartal , Ayşe Seyhan , Furkan Güçlüer

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are critical for effective light transmission and charge collection in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. While indium tin oxide (ITO) remains the standard choice, its high cost and material scarcity have motivated the search for alternative or complementary materials. Zinc oxide (ZnO), known for its wide bandgap and chemical stability, has emerged as a promising candidate. In this study, an ITO/ZnO/ITO multilayer structure is proposed as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to conventional single-layer TCO configurations in SHJ solar cells. Using OPAL-2 optical simulations and experimental fabrication via magnetron sputtering, the trilayer design demonstrated enhanced light absorption, reduced surface reflectance, and improved charge transport properties. Importantly, the structure achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.5 %, representing a 6 % and 11 % relative improvement over ITO-only and ZnO-only configurations, respectively, while reducing ITO consumption by approximately 14 %. These results highlight the potential of ITO/ZnO/ITO multilayers to optimize device performance and lower material costs, offering a practical pathway toward more sustainable SHJ solar cell technologies.

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用于硅异质结太阳能电池的低成本、高性能ITO/ZnO/ITO多层结构

透明导电氧化物（TCOs）是硅异质结（SHJ）太阳能电池中有效光传输和电荷收集的关键材料。虽然氧化铟锡（ITO）仍然是标准选择，但其高成本和材料稀缺性促使人们寻找替代或补充材料。氧化锌（ZnO）以其宽带隙和化学稳定性而闻名，已成为有希望的候选材料。在本研究中，提出了ITO/ZnO/ITO多层结构作为SHJ太阳能电池中传统单层TCO配置的经济高效替代方案。利用OPAL-2光学模拟和磁控溅射实验制作，三层设计证明了光吸收增强，表面反射率降低，电荷输运性能改善。重要的是，该结构实现了18.5%的功率转换效率（PCE），相对于纯ITO和纯zno配置分别提高了6%和11%，同时减少了约14%的ITO消耗。这些结果突出了ITO/ZnO/ITO多层材料在优化器件性能和降低材料成本方面的潜力，为实现更可持续的SHJ太阳能电池技术提供了一条实用的途径。

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来源期刊

Optical Materials 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

6.60

自引率

12.80%

发文量

1265

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Optical Materials has an open access mirror journal Optical Materials: X, sharing the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review. The purpose of Optical Materials is to provide a means of communication and technology transfer between researchers who are interested in materials for potential device applications. The journal publishes original papers and review articles on the design, synthesis, characterisation and applications of optical materials. OPTICAL MATERIALS focuses on: • Optical Properties of Material Systems; • The Materials Aspects of Optical Phenomena; • The Materials Aspects of Devices and Applications. Authors can submit separate research elements describing their data to Data in Brief and methods to Methods X.