PEPR project
Multimodal approach: IN-situ, Operando and ex-siTu characterizations and simulAtions for new reliable photovoltaic cEllula generAtions
Dates:
November 2023 – November 2028
Project coordinator:
Laboratoire de Génie Electrique et Electronique de Paris – Centrale Supélec
Partner laboratories:
8 partners grouping 22 laboratories
IMN personnel involved:
Nicolas BARREAU
New solar cell technologies must be able to rely on diagnostics and reliability studies in order to achieve industrialization. While monitoring the performance of cells or modules under real outdoor conditions is obviously relevant, it unfortunately has to be carried out over long periods. This makes it essential to develop methodologies and tools for accelerating degradation, identifying it at an early stage and assessing its kinetics. The aim is then to understand the mechanisms involved, with a view to eliminating degradation by suggesting modifications to technological processes at various levels: material constitution or structure, interface engineering, cell design.
In response to this challenge and the objectives of the call, MINOTAURE brings together a vast array of complementary skills and expertise, both in characterization and modeling of various kinds, in a global and coherent response approach.
We propose a complete set of characterizations enabling the analysis of chemical, physicochemical, structural and mechanical, optical and optoelectronic, and electrical properties. They will be deployed on basic cell bricks, or complete cells, manufactured within the consortium, or coming from the IOTA project of the same PEPR. Our parallel efforts will focus on
– The development of accelerated aging methods based on constraints imposed by temperature, illumination, environment (atmospheric humidity and composition can vary with the introduction of gases or pollutants), and in-situ measurements.
– operando measurements, i.e. under conditions representative of the operation of the object of study, in particular through the application of polarization or illumination and the passage of electric current
– The development of ex-situ measurements
Accelerated aging will be monitored in-situ by complementary measurements: current, voltage, impedance spectroscopy, internal quantum efficiency, luminescence spectroscopy in continuous or modulated mode, Raman spectrometry. We will be coupling several of these measurements on a single bench to ensure simultaneous monitoring. Operando measurements will be carried out using photoemission spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The former are particularly well-suited to the study of complex systems, as they can provide information on both chemical compositions and environments, and on the physics of the devices (e.g. band alignment), while the latter can reveal structural and mechanical modifications. In ex-situ measurements, we will seek to couple the results of complementary characterizations and perform a correlative analysis. We will also be deploying specific tools to analyze degradation of tandem cells, in particular in connection with the IOTA project to develop innovative thin-film tandem cells on silicon.
The consortium also brings together modeling experts at various levels: ab initio calculations at atomic scale, finite element simulations at macroscopic scale, data analysis using various tools including artificial intelligence tools. This modeling unit will naturally complement the experimental unit, enabling in-depth, reliable analysis of characterization results.
This coherent grouping will enable us to carry out a quantitative analysis of degradation mechanisms, transient chemistry in materials and at interfaces, and the impact of the changes highlighted on optoelectronic and electrical properties, and hence on the operation of photovoltaic cells.
