news digest ♦ Solar absorb light.
To develop the design, the researchers began by examining the maximum light absorption efficiency of semiconductor materials using light-trapping techniques. They found that maximising solar absorption requires a design in which the light-trapping efficiency for solar light is equal to the intrinsic absorption efficiency of the semiconductor materials.
In other words, in order to maximise solar absorption, you need to match the amount of solar light trapped inside the structure and the amount of solar light that could be absorbed. The researchers then designed the onion-like structures to match their light-trapping efficiency with the absorption efficiency of the semiconductor materials in thin film solar cells.
“We first theoretically predicted the maximum solar light absorption efficiency in given semiconductor materials, and then proposed a design that could be readily fabricated to achieve the predicted maximum. We developed a new model to do this work, because we felt that existing models were not able to find the upper limit for the solar absorption of real semiconductor materials,” Cao says.
“And if this works the way we think it will, it would fundamentally solve light-absorption efficiency problems for thin film solar
cells.The superabsorbing structure is designed for the convenience of fabrication, and we are looking for partners to produce and test this design,” Cao adds. “The structure should be very easy to produce with standard thin film deposition and nanolithography techniques. We are happy to work with industry partners to implement this design in the production of next- generation solar cells.
The paper, “Semiconductor Solar Superabsorbers,” by Yiling Yu et al was published in the journalScientific Reports.
DOI: 10.1038/srep04107
TSMC CIGS branch out in the U.S.
Aimed at the residential and commercial solar markets Centrosolar will provide the territory covered by the solar energy markets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Centrosolar America and TSMC Solar, a subsidiary of TSMC, have come to an agreement for the deployment of TSMC Solar’s CIGS solar modules across North America.
The agreement names Centrosolar America as the exclusive provider of the TSMC Solar CIGS technology in residential and commercial solar markets. TSMC Solar and Centrosolar America may also collaborate on utility- scale projects.
Centrosolar America will distribute CIGS solar modules from TSMC Solar, whose CIGS (copper, indium, gallium, selenium) technology is cost competitive with silicon based solar modules, and differentiates itself through several key attributes.
Most importantly, the CIGS modules yield more kWh’s per Watt installed over the life of the system due to a lower temperature coefficient, increased power rating due to the “Light Soaking effect” once exposed to light, and less power loss in shaded conditions due to the CIGS cell configuration.
These high performance attributes of the CIGS modules are especially important in high temperature regions, such as the Sun Belt in the United States and in Mexico and the Caribbean. In addition, the CIGS modules have an all black, sleek appearance that is aesthetically pleasing to homeowners.
“With its heritage of manufacturing excellence and as a world leader in CIGS-based solar technology, TSMC Solar is now changing the landscape of the North American solar energy market,” says Ram Akella, Centrosolar America’s Managing Director. “Our robust network of installers and distributors today delivers the most cutting-edge, turn-key solutions on the market and is ideally positioned to bring TSMC Solar’s new high performance CIGS technology to homeowners and commercial projects on a broad scale.”
“For Centrosolar America, this partnership with TSMC Solar means expanded opportunities in serving the larger scale commercial and utility-scale markets and new ways to provide our installers with the latest technology,
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www.compoundsemiconductor.net March 2014
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