news digest ♦ Solar employed to reach this efficiency breakthrough.
The new work represents a turnaround for Bawendi, who had spent much of his career working with quantum dots. “I was somewhat of a sceptic four years ago,” he says. But his team’s research since then has clearly demonstrated quantum dots’ potential in solar cells, he adds.
Arthur Nozik, a research professor in chemistry at the University of Colorado who was not involved in this research, says, “This result represents a significant advance for the applications of quantum-dot films and the technology of low- temperature, solution-processed, quantum-dot photovoltaic cells. … There is still a long way to go before quantum-dot solar cells are commercially viable, but this latest development is a nice step toward this ultimate goal.”
This work is described in detail in the papers,
“Improved performance and stability in quantum dot solar cells through band alignment engineering,” by Chia-Hao M. Chuang et al in Nature Materials.
doi:10.1038/nmat3984 and
“Energy Level Modification in Lead Sulfide Quantum Dot Thin Films Through Ligand Exchange,” by Patrick R. Brown et al in ACS Nano. DOI: 10.1021/nn500897c
The work was supported by the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.
This article was adapted from one written by David L. Chandler at the MIT News Office.
Midsummer CIGS cells up the ante with 16.2 percent efficiency
This increased energy efficiency further strengthens the business case and attractiveness of thin film CIGS solar cells
5N Plus to deal with all First Solar`s compound semiconductor needs
The producer of specialty metal and chemical products will benefit from the continued growth associated with the CdTe solar cell manufacturer until 2019
5N Plus, has entered into new supply agreements with First Solar, covering its compound semiconductor needs until March 31st, 2019. The company has renewed its existing CdTe supply agreement and the compounds’ by-products recycling agreement.
In addition, a new supply agreement broadly covering all of First Solar’s other compound semiconductor needs up to March 31st, 2019, has also been concluded.
Under the new agreements, First Solar has agreed to exclusively purchase from 5N Plus, all the CdTe required by
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www.compoundsemiconductor.net June 2014
Swedish solar developer Midsummer, a supplier of production lines for the manufacturing of flexible thin film CIGS solar cells, has increased the efficiency of its solar cells from 15 percent to 16.2 percent aperture area of the full 156 × 156 mm solar cell.
The solar cell was manufactured in a regular production run and the process is already implemented in the production line.
“Considering that the solar cell is made on stainless steel, contains no cadmium and that the production process is an all-dry, all vacuum process where all layers (including the buffer layer) are deposited by sputtering, this achievement by our engineers is truly impressive,” says Sven Lindström, CEO Midsummer.
Inexpensive lightweight flexible modules
With the production system from Midsummer the solar cells are manufactured individually and then stringed together into modules just like crystalline solar cells. This way, lightweight flexible modules can easily be made in any size and shape.
A dry, all-vacuum process has less stringent requirements for cleanrooms. Avoiding cadmium in the manufacturing process is
First Solar on a worldwide basis for the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic modules.
“We are very pleased to have extended our agreements with First Solar until 2019, enabling us to bring our relationship with this important customer to another level. While we conceded competitive pricing, we believe that this will be largely compensated over the course of the next quarters by the increase of sales volume providing us with a solid and predictable revenue stream for the next five years,” says Jacques L’Ecuyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of 5N Plus.
“First Solar remains committed to reducing solar module cost and improving efficiency, and we intend to be their preferred solution for doing so through our close technical and commercial relationship. We strongly believe that these new supply agreements will allow 5N Plus to benefit from continued growth associated with First Solar’s leading position in the solar market,” he adds.
“5N Plus has been and continues to be a critical supplier to First Solar. These agreements support our plans to increase the competiveness of CdTe based solar modules and are in line with our corresponding roadmap aimed at achieving this,” notes Tymen de Jong, Senior Vice President of Global Operations of First Solar, Inc.
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