Non-toxic, inorganic wide band gap thin films for tandem solar cells

Research question

This project aims to understand the origin of meta-stable opto-electric behavior in thin film solar cells made from wide band gap energy materials such as (Cu,Ag)(In,Ga)Se2. The properties will be investigated by producing single-phase films with varying composition and investigating their chemical, structural, electrical and optical properties. This will be done both in relaxed state and as a function of light exposure, temperature and time. 

Sustainability aspects

Thin film solar cells can reach lower environmental footprint than conventional solar cells due to lower energy and materials consumption during production. Thin film solar cells with wide band gap energy, such as the materials investigated here, can be used to make tandem solar cells with even higher efficiency than standard single junction solar cells. Higher efficiency and longer lifetime are key parameters for lower environmental footprint per produced kWh. Finally, the use of non-toxic elements in the solar cells supports circular materials flows.