EAGER: Flexible Hybrid Solar Cells Using an Inorganic Earth-abundant Absorber

摘要：非技术：当今的许多技术严重依赖于稀有和昂贵的固体材料。由于人口增长和新技术的出现，全球对这类材料的需求正在上升。地壳上的物质资源是有限的，因此，为了可持续发展，需要明智地使用材料。太阳能电池是一种主要的可再生能源技术，当它成为全球电力生产的主要贡献者时，需要大量的材料。在这种情况下，使用稀有材料将使技术成本过高。因此，材料的高可用性，特别是光吸收剂，是一个有影响力的太阳能电池技术的重要标准。材料也应该是环保的，使设备高效、稳定和廉价。目前可用的基于无机或有机材料的太阳能电池技术不能满足这些标准中的一个或多个。例如，硅太阳能电池相对昂贵，而有机太阳能电池则存在稳定性问题。一些由两种或两种以上富土元素组成的无机化合物，如铜、锡、锌和硫，可能符合所有这些标准。然而，使用这些材料的电池还没有产生足够的效率，使这项技术在商业上成功。该项目旨在测试一种基于地球上丰富的无机光吸收材料的太阳能电池的新设备配置，以显着提高效率。这项技术有可能对社会和环境产生非常积极的影响。例如，低成本无害环境的柔性太阳能电池技术将促进太阳能电池在国内部门和消费产品中的使用。在休斯敦大学物理科学教师公平项目下，首席研究员将利用该项目作为培训没有重要物理背景的高中物理教师的平台。来自休斯顿及其周边学区的高中生以及本科生，特别是来自少数民族和弱势群体的学生，也将有机会参与这个项目的不同方面。技术：提出了一种与柔性器件技术兼容的有机-无机混合太阳能电池结构，该结构采用完全由富土元素组成的吸收体。这个EAGER项目的总体目标是测试这样一个假设，即基于纳米结构材料的这种配置可以在这种太阳能电池的性能方面带来突破性的成果。低开路电压（Voc）已被认为是限制由地球富光吸收器组成的电池效率的主要因素。建议的配置主要用于解决这个问题。与柔性太阳能电池兼容的工艺将用于开发所提出的设备结构。还将进行透明柔性基板的可行性研究。将进行基础研究，以了解材料特性和器件性能。这个项目在科学和技术上都很重要。这项技术的重要性在于，它的目标是最终实现一种低成本、高效率的柔性太阳能电池，这种电池由一种由丰富元素组成的无害环境的吸收材料制成。在本项目工作下完成的基本材料和器件特性预计将为地球丰富的光吸收剂以及利用新型纳米材料为基础的有机-无机杂化结构的器件带来宝贵的科学理解。

Abstract:Non-technical: Many of the present day technologies rely heavily on rare and expensive solid materials. The demand for such materials is on the rise globally due to population growth and emergence of new technologies. The material resources on earth's crust are limited and hence, smart use of materials is required for sustainability. Solar cells are a major renewable energy technology that requires tremendous amounts of materials when it becomes a major contributor to global power production. Use of rare materials will make the technology cost prohibitive in such a scenario. Thus, high availability of materials, especially light absorbers, is an important criterion for an impactful solar cell technology. The materials should also be environmentally benign and make the devices highly efficient, stable and inexpensive. Currently available solar cell technologies based on inorganic or organic materials do not satisfy one or more of these criteria. For example, silicon solar cells are relatively expensive while organic solar cells suffer from stability issues. Some inorganic compounds composed of two or more earth abundant elements like copper, tin, zinc and sulfur potentially fulfill all these criteria. Nevertheless, none of the cells employing these materials have yet yielded efficiencies sufficient to make the technology commercially successful. This EAGER aims at testing a new device configuration for solar cells based on earth abundant inorganic light absorbing materials to dramatically enhance the efficiency. The technology has the potential to make very positive impacts on society as well as environment. For example, a low cost environmentally benign flexible solar cell technology will promote use of solar cells in domestic sector and consumer products. The Principal Investigator will use this project as a platform for educating high school physics teachers who do not have a significant background in physics under Physics Science Teacher Equity Project at University of Houston. High school students from school districts in and around Houston as well as undergraduate students, especially those from minority and less privileged groups, will also be given opportunities to participate in different aspects of this project. Technical: A new organic-inorganic hybrid solar cell configuration compatible with flexible device technology employing absorbers composed completely of earth abundant elements has been proposed. The overall objective of this EAGER project is to test the hypothesis that this configuration based on nanostructured materials could bring breakthrough results in the performance of such solar cells. Low open circuit voltage (Voc) has been recognized as a major factor limiting the efficiency of cells consisting of earth abundant light absorbers. The proposed configuration is designed to primarily address this problem. Processes compatible with flexible solar cells will be used to develop the proposed device structure. Feasibility studies on transparent flexible substrates will also be performed. Fundamental studies will be carried out to understand the materials properties and device performance. This project is both scientifically and technologically relevant. The technological importance arises from the fact that it is aimed at ultimately realizing a low cost highly efficient flexible solar cell made of an environmentally benign absorber material composed of plentiful elements. The fundamental material and device characterizations done under this project work is expected to bring invaluable scientific understanding about the earth abundant light absorber as well as the devices that utilize the new nanomaterial based organic-inorganic hybrid configuration.