Doped emitters to unlock lowest cost solar electricity
Lead Research Organisation:
LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY
Department Name: CREST
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Clayton A
(2022)
MOCVD of II-VI HRT/Emitters for Voc Improvements to CdTe Solar Cells
in Coatings
Colegrove E
(2022)
Investigating the role of copper in arsenic doped Cd(Se,Te) photovoltaics
in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Fiducia T
(2022)
Selenium passivates grain boundaries in alloyed CdTe solar cells
in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Greenhalgh R
(2022)
Effect of Microstructure on the Photoactivity of Thin Film CdSe
Greenhalgh R
(2021)
The Origins of Void formation in Sputtered CdSe
Greenhalgh R
(2025)
Gas bubbles and blisters in thin film cadmium selenide deposited by magnetron sputtering
in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Hatton P
(2021)
Chlorine activated stacking fault removal mechanism in thin film CdTe solar cells: the missing piece.
in Nature communications
Hatton P
(2022)
Author Correction: Chlorine activated stacking fault removal mechanism in thin film CdTe solar cells: the missing piece.
in Nature communications
Hunwick N
(2024)
The effect of oxygen on NiO as a back buffer layer in CdTe solar cells
in Energy Advances
| Description | We have discovered that ZnO is an excellent emiiter for thin film CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells. We have achieved 21.7% efficiency. The emiiter is environmentally stable. |
| Exploitation Route | Could be implemented in manufacturing by First Solar Inc |
| Sectors | Chemicals Electronics Energy |
| URL | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adfm.202312528 |
| Description | Possible to use in manufacturing solar modules by First Solar Inc or CTF Solar GmbH |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Chemicals,Electronics,Energy |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | EPSRC Energy Theme EDI Workshop |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Member of the Innoivation sub-group of the Solar Task Force at DESNZ |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | Recommendations to increase the use of solar in the UK energy mix. |
| Description | Physics and the green economy |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| URL | https://downloads.iop.org/IOP-Physics-Powering-the-Green-Economy.pdf |
| Description | national centre for high resolution cathodoluminescence of photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices |
| Amount | £2,660,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/X030245/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2023 |
| End | 01/2026 |
| Title | National Cathodoluminesence facility for photovoltaivs and optoelectronics. |
| Description | Cathodoluminescence on an Scanning and a Transmission electron microscope. Technique is able to probe the efficiency of solar cells and other optoelectronic devices. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Facility has just been partially installed. Already showing the impact of crystal defects on the efficiency of PV devices. |
| URL | https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/lmcc/facilities/national-facility-highresolution-cathodolumin/ |
| Title | Supplementary information files for "Development of ZnO buffer layers for as-doped CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells with efficiency exceeding 20%" |
| Description | Supplementary files for article "The front buffer layer plays an important role in CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells and helps achieve high conversion efficiencies. Incorporating ZnO buffer layers in the CdSeTe/CdTe device structure has led to highly efficient and stable solar cells. In this study, the optimization of ZnO buffer layers for CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells is reported. The ZnO films are radio frequency sputter-deposited on SnO2:F coated soda-lime glass substrates. The substrate temperature for the ZnO deposition is varied from 22 to 500 °C. An efficiency of 20.74% is achieved using ZnO deposited at 100 °C. The ZnO thickness is varied between 40 nm and 75 nm. Following the ZnO depositions, devices were fabricated using First Solar's CdSeTe/CdTe absorber, CdCl2 treatment, and back contact. The optimal ZnO deposition temperature and thickness is 100 °C and 65 nm, respectively. The STEM-EDX analysis shows that within the detection limits, chlorine is not detected at the front interface of the devices using ZnO deposited at 22 °C and 100 °C. However, depositing ZnO at 500 °C results in chlorine segregation appearing at the ZnO/CdSeTe boundary. This suggests that chlorine is not needed to passivate the ZnO/CdSeTe interface during the lower temperature depositions. The nanocrystalline ZnO deposited at lower temperatures results in a high-quality interface." ©The Author(s), CC BY 4.0 |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Supplementary_information_files_for_Development_of_Z... |
| Description | Doped emitter project |
| Organisation | First Solar, Inc |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The development of n-type doped emitter layers for thin film CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells. Electrical and materials characterization using hall effect, TEM, EBSD, EDX and XPS. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Swansea: The development of arsenic doped CdSeTe/CdTe absorber layers. Complete devices and J-V performance measurements Pilkington: Supply of glass substrates coated with a transparent conducting oxide. Expertise on glass and high resistance transparent buffer layers First Solar: Allowed Loughborough student to be seconded to the California Technology Center for 3 months. Deposited devices on Loughborough emitters. |
| Impact | 2 Publications to date 19.7% efficient solar cells |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Doped emitter project |
| Organisation | NSG Nippon Sheet Glass Pilkington |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The development of n-type doped emitter layers for thin film CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells. Electrical and materials characterization using hall effect, TEM, EBSD, EDX and XPS. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Swansea: The development of arsenic doped CdSeTe/CdTe absorber layers. Complete devices and J-V performance measurements Pilkington: Supply of glass substrates coated with a transparent conducting oxide. Expertise on glass and high resistance transparent buffer layers First Solar: Allowed Loughborough student to be seconded to the California Technology Center for 3 months. Deposited devices on Loughborough emitters. |
| Impact | 2 Publications to date 19.7% efficient solar cells |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Doped emitter project |
| Organisation | Swansea University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The development of n-type doped emitter layers for thin film CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells. Electrical and materials characterization using hall effect, TEM, EBSD, EDX and XPS. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Swansea: The development of arsenic doped CdSeTe/CdTe absorber layers. Complete devices and J-V performance measurements Pilkington: Supply of glass substrates coated with a transparent conducting oxide. Expertise on glass and high resistance transparent buffer layers First Solar: Allowed Loughborough student to be seconded to the California Technology Center for 3 months. Deposited devices on Loughborough emitters. |
| Impact | 2 Publications to date 19.7% efficient solar cells |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | First Solar Inc |
| Organisation | First Solar, Inc |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Joint research and publications. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint reserach and publications. |
| Impact | Record efficiency for a ZnO/CdSeTe/CdTe device |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Glass coatings |
| Organisation | Pilkington Glass |
| Department | Pilkington Technology Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Development of anti-reflection and anti-soiling coatings. Thin film CdSeTE/CdTe devices |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of coated glass. |
| Impact | Record efficiency for CdSeTe PV devices. Development of durable AR and AS coatings |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Title | COVER SHEET FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL |
| Description | A cover sheet (7) for a photovoltaic panel (4), the cover sheet (7) comprising a transparent substrate (8) and a coating (9) on the substrate (8), the coating (9) being such that the cover sheet (8) is more reflective to light of a first range of wavelengths in the infrared spectrum than to a second range of wavelengths in the visible spectrum; in which the coating (9) comprises alternating layers of first (11, 13) and second (12, 14) materials, with the first material (11, 13) having a higher refractive index than the second material (12, 14) and being a transparent conducting oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO). Methods of manufacture including annealing the first material and/or depositing it at elevated temperatures are also discussed. |
| IP Reference | US2022077337 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2022 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Discussions on licensing progressing |
| Description | Member of the Solar Task Force, Innovation sub-group, DESNZ |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Member of the Innovation sub group of the solar Task Force of DESNZ. To prepare a report on innovation required to achieve 70GW of solar installed in the UK by 2035 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Thin film CdTe photovoltaics workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Workshop hled at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado by invitation only. Thin film CdTe PV is the most important second generation solar technology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Visiting Professor Colorado State University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Collaboration between Loughborough University and Colorado State University |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021,2022,2023 |