Fabrication and Characterization of Multijunction Solar Cell of Cu/Cu2O/ZnO/FTO Via Spray Pyrolysis Technique
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56919/usci.2434.027Keywords:
spray pyrolysis, multijunction, ZnO, absorption coefficient, conversion efficiencyAbstract
Photovoltaic cells made of silicon and germanium, which are currently in use, eliminate fuel transport and storage issues but are hindered by the current cost of the materials and fabrication. The spray pyrolysis technique was employed to fabricate and characterize multijunction 
solar cell due to its simplicity, reproducibility, and economic factors. Current-voltage characteristics indicated an increase in current and efficiency when a current collection grid was used. The fabricated tandem solar cell showed an open voltage 
of 720 mV, a short circuit 
of 3.25 mA, a fill factor FF of 0.68, a maximum power 
of 1.61 
, and a conversion efficiency 
of 1.57%. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the fabrication process and characterization techniques employed in this study resulted in the successful development of a 
tandem solar cell with enhanced performance. The use of ZnO-Mg films contributed to improved absorption coefficient and energy band gap, leading to higher efficiency.
References
Abdu, Y. and Musa, A. O. (2009). Copper (I) oxide (Cu2O) based solar cells-A review. Bayero journal of pure and applied sciences, 2(2): 8-12.
Adil, B. and Maksym. Y. (2022). Status and challenges of multi-junction solar cell technology: A review. Frotier in Energy. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2022.971918 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2022.971918
Bessek, M., Tumas, S., & Dimitrijevic, O. (2005). From nanocrystalline silicon solar cells to modules: Research and current status. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 7(5), 533-539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-005-2045-3
Chen, Z., Chen, G., Zhou, X., & Tang, J. (2021). Recent progress in cuprous oxide-based solar cells: A review. Solar Energy, 198, 426-438.
Chin, H. S., Chao, L. S., and Wu, C. C. (2016). Crystal, optical, and electrical characteristics of transparent conducting gallium-doped zinc oxide films deposited on flexible polyethylene naphthalate substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Materials Research Bulletin, 79, 90–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.materresbull.2016.03.017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.materresbull.2016.03.017
Dimorth, F. and Kurtz, S. (2007). High-Efficiency Multijunction Solar Cells. MRS Bulletin, 32:230-34. https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2007.27 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2007.27
Fujimoto K., Oku T., Akiyama T. and Suzuki A. (2013). J. Physics Conference. Series 433, 012024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/433/1/012024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/433/1/012024
Gordon R, and Husmann D (2003). “A kinetic model for step coverage by atomic layer deposition in narrow holes or trenches” chemical vapour deposition 9(2): 73-78. https://doi.org/10.1002/cvde.200390005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cvde.200390005
Huang, Y., Cai, Q., Blom, J. P. M., Chen, X., & Yang, P. (2009). Silicon nanowire solar cells. Solar Energy, 83(9), 1558-1570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2008.10.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2008.10.003
Huiling, L., Yongen, L., Ying, H., Yueping, F., Yuehua, X., Li, Z. and Xin, L. (2011). Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to methanol by Cu2O /sic nanocrystallite Under visible light irradiation. Journal of Natural gas chemistry, 20(2011):147-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-9953(10)60166-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-9953(10)60166-1
Katayama, J.K., Ito, M.M. and Tamaki, J. (2004). Performance of Cu2O/ZnO solar cell prepared by two-step electrodeposition. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, 36: 687-692. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JACH.0000031166.73660.c1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JACH.0000031166.73660.c1
Kim, S., Yoon, H. J., Choi, Y., Cho, J., & Lee, Y. (2015). Investigation of interface and recombination properties for high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells using non-ideality factor extracted from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Solar Energy, 121, 200-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2015.04.008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2015.04.008
Kim, Y. S., Kwon, Y. J., & Kim, M. K. (2015). New challenges in solar cell materials. Journal of the Korean Physical Society, 67(2), 369-381.
Kim, T.K., VanSaders, B., Moon, J., Kim, T., Liu, C., Khamwannah, J., Chun, D., Choi, D., Kargar, A., Chen, R. Liu, Z., and Jin, S. (2015). Tandem Structured Spectrally Selective Coating Layer of Copper oxide Nanowires Combined with Cobalt oxide Nanoparticles, Nano Energy, 11, 247-259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2014.10.018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2014.10.018
Mohammad, A.T., Darma, T.H. Barde, A., Isyaku, S. and Umar, A.H. (2017). Investigation of the Morphology and Optical Properties of CuAlO2 Thin Film, Journal of Applied and Physical Sciences, 3 (1), 17-25. https://doi.org/10.20474/japs-3.1.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.20474/japs-3.1.3
Muchuweni, E., Sathiaraj, T. S., & Nyakotyo, H. (2016). Effect of gallium doping on the structural, optical and electrical properties of zinc oxide thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis. Ceramics International, 42(8), 10066–10070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2016.03.110 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2016.03.110
Muchuweni, E., Sathiaraj, T. S., & Nyakotyo, H. (2017). Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide thin films for optoelectronic applications. Heliyon, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00285 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00285
Musa, A.O., Akomolafe T. and Carter M.J. (1998). Production of Cuprous Oxide, a Solar Cell Material, by Thermal Oxidation and a Study of its Physical and Electrical Properties (Elsevier): Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 51; 305-316. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0927-0248(97)00233-X DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0927-0248(97)00233-X
Musa A.O. (2010). Principle of Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Ahmadu Bello University Press Ltd, ISBN 978-125-263-4.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2021). The U.S. renewable energy landscape 2021: a facts-based assessment of U.S. renewable energy(Report No. DOE/GO-102021-5461).U.S. Department of Energy. NREL Publications. doi: 10.2172/1736528
Noda S., Shima H, and Akinaga H. (2013). J physics Conference Series 433, 012027. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/433/1/012027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/433/1/012027
Sagol, B. E., Seidel, U., Szabo, N., Schwartzburg, K. Hannaptzburg, K. and Hannappel, T. (2007). Basic concept and interfacial aspects of high efficiency III-IV multifunction solar cells. Transformation and storage of solar energy,61(12):75-779. https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2007.775 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2007.775
Sandcep, S. and Dhananjaya, K. (2012). Effect of annealing temperature of the structure and optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film prepared by spin coating process. Department of sciences, Manipal University. 576, 10k Karnataka, India. International Conference on Material Science and Technology (ICMST).
Sze, S.M. (1981). Physics of Semiconductor Devices. John Wlley and Sons, Inc: 780-835.
Tsakalakos, L., Balch, J., Fronheiser, J., Koevaar, B.A., Sulima, O. and Rand, J. (2010). Applied Physics Letters, 91:233117.
Walter, H.B. (1951). The Copper Oxide Rectifier. Reviews of Modern Physics, 23: pp 203-212. https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.23.203 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.23.203
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
UMYU Scientifica recognizes the importance of protecting authors’ intellectual property while promoting the free exchange of scientific knowledge. The journal adopts a copyright-retention model that empowers authors to maintain ownership of their work while granting the journal rights necessary for publication and dissemination.
1. Copyright Ownership
Authors publishing with UMYU Scientifica retain full copyright and publishing rights to their work. By submitting a manuscript, authors agree to grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, reproduce, distribute, and archive the article in all forms and media for the purpose of scholarly communication.
2. Licensing Terms
All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license.
This license permits others to:
- Share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
- Adapt - remix, transform, and build upon the material.
- For non-commercial purposes only, provided that proper credit is given to the original author(s) and UMYU Scientifica as the source, a link to the license is provided, and any modifications are clearly indicated.
Commercial reuse or distribution of the content requires written permission from both the author and the editorial office.
3. Author Rights
Authors are free to:
- Deposit all versions of their manuscript (preprint, accepted version, and published version) in institutional, disciplinary, or public repositories without embargo.
- Use and distribute their published article for non-commercial scholarly purposes, including teaching, conference presentations, and research sharing.
- Include their work in future books, theses, or compilations, provided proper citation to the journal is made.
4. Publisher’s Rights
Upon publication, UMYU Scientifica retains the right to:
- Host, index, and disseminate the article through the journal’s website and partner databases.
- Archive the content in long-term preservation systems such as the PKP Preservation Network (PKP-PN) and the Umaru Musa Yar’adua University Institutional Repository.
5. Attribution and Citation
Users must give appropriate credit to the author(s), include a link to the article’s DOI or the journal webpage, and indicate if changes were made. Proper citation is required whenever the work is reused or referenced.
6. License Reference
For detailed terms of use, please refer to the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0):
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
