Efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells
Abstract Ultrathin transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) films show great promise as absorber materials in high-specific-power (i.e., high-power-per-weight) solar cells, due to their high optical absorption, desirable band gaps, and self-passivated surfaces. However, the ultimate performance limits...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01447-y |
| _version_ | 1797376944068624384 |
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| author | Koosha Nassiri Nazif Frederick U. Nitta Alwin Daus Krishna C. Saraswat Eric Pop |
| author_facet | Koosha Nassiri Nazif Frederick U. Nitta Alwin Daus Krishna C. Saraswat Eric Pop |
| author_sort | Koosha Nassiri Nazif |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Ultrathin transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) films show great promise as absorber materials in high-specific-power (i.e., high-power-per-weight) solar cells, due to their high optical absorption, desirable band gaps, and self-passivated surfaces. However, the ultimate performance limits of TMD solar cells remain unknown today. Here, we establish the efficiency limits of multilayer (≥5 nm-thick) MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 solar cells under AM 1.5 G illumination as a function of TMD film thickness and material quality. We use an extended version of the detailed balance method which includes Auger and defect-assisted Shockley-Read-Hall recombination mechanisms in addition to radiative losses, calculated from measured optical absorption spectra. We demonstrate that single-junction solar cells with TMD films as thin as 50 nm could in practice achieve up to 25% power conversion efficiency with the currently available material quality, making them an excellent choice for high-specific-power photovoltaics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:46:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e73bc2ab7bde45b58f590ab631c98476 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:46:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-e73bc2ab7bde45b58f590ab631c984762023-12-24T12:21:15ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502023-12-016111110.1038/s42005-023-01447-yEfficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cellsKoosha Nassiri Nazif0Frederick U. Nitta1Alwin Daus2Krishna C. Saraswat3Eric Pop4Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Stanford UniversityAbstract Ultrathin transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) films show great promise as absorber materials in high-specific-power (i.e., high-power-per-weight) solar cells, due to their high optical absorption, desirable band gaps, and self-passivated surfaces. However, the ultimate performance limits of TMD solar cells remain unknown today. Here, we establish the efficiency limits of multilayer (≥5 nm-thick) MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 solar cells under AM 1.5 G illumination as a function of TMD film thickness and material quality. We use an extended version of the detailed balance method which includes Auger and defect-assisted Shockley-Read-Hall recombination mechanisms in addition to radiative losses, calculated from measured optical absorption spectra. We demonstrate that single-junction solar cells with TMD films as thin as 50 nm could in practice achieve up to 25% power conversion efficiency with the currently available material quality, making them an excellent choice for high-specific-power photovoltaics.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01447-y |
| spellingShingle | Koosha Nassiri Nazif Frederick U. Nitta Alwin Daus Krishna C. Saraswat Eric Pop Efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells Communications Physics |
| title | Efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells |
| title_full | Efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells |
| title_fullStr | Efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells |
| title_short | Efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells |
| title_sort | efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01447-y |
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