Enhanced Photoelectrical Response of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Single-Nanowire Solar Cells by Front-Opening Crescent Design

Numerical modelling is used to confirm experimental and theoretical work. The aim of this work is to present how to simulate ultrathin hydrogenated amorphous silicon- (a-Si:H-) based solar cells with a ITO BRL in their architectures. The results obtained in this study come from SCAPS-1D software. In the first step, the comparison between the J-V characteristics of simulation and experiment of the ultrathin a-Si:H-based solar cell is in agreement. Secondly, to explore the impact of certain properties of the solar cell, investigations focus on the study of the influence of the intrinsic layer and the buffer layer/absorber interface on the electrical parameters ( J SC , V OC , FF, and η ). The increase of the intrinsic layer thickness improves performance, while the bulk defect density of the intrinsic layer and the surface defect density of the buffer layer/ i -(a-Si:H) interface, respectively, in the ranges [109 cm-3, 1015 cm-3] and [1010 cm-2, 5 × 10 13 cm-2], do not affect the performance of the ultrathin a-Si:H-based solar cell. Analysis also shows that with approximately 1 μm thickness of the intrinsic layer, the optimum conversion efficiency is 12.71% ( J SC = 18.95 mA · c m − 2 , V OC = 0.973 V , and FF = 68.95 % ). This work presents a contribution to improving the performance of a-Si-based solar cells.

Download Full-text

Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin Films as Passivation Layers Deposited by Microwave Remote-PECVD for Heterojunction Solar Cells

Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials ◽

10.4313/teem.2009.10.3.075 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 75-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Min-Sung Jeon ◽

Koichi Kamisako

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽

Heterojunction Solar Cells ◽

Silicon Thin Films ◽

Passivation Layers ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous

Download Full-text

Effect of the Quantum Size Effect on the Performance of Solar Cells with a Silicon Nanowire Array Embedded in SiO2

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2012.1154 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 1439 ◽

pp. 145-150

Author(s):

Yasuyoshi Kurokawa ◽

Shinya Kato ◽

Yuya Watanabe ◽

Akira Yamada ◽

Makoto Konagai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Size Effect ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Silicon Nanowire ◽

Nanowire Array ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Quantum Size Effect ◽

Quantum Size ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous

ABSTRACTThe electrical characteristics of silicon nanowire (SiNW) solar cells with p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (Eg=1.9 eV)/n-type SiNWs embedded in SiO2/n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (Eg=1.7 eV) structure have been investigated using a two-dimensional device simulator with taking the quantum size effects into account. The average bandgap of a SiNW embedded in SiO2 increased from 1.15 eV to 2.71 eV with decreasing the diameter from 10 nm to 1 nm due to the quantum size effect. It should be noted that under the sunlight with AM1.5G the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of SiNW solar cells also increased to 1.54 V with decreasing the diameter of the SiNWs to 1 nm. This result suggests that it is possible to enhance the Voc by the quantum size effect and a SiNW is a promising material for the all silicon tandem solar cells.

Download Full-text

Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells with p-Type Silicon Carbon Window Layer

Crystals ◽

10.3390/cryst9080402 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 402 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chia-Hsun Hsu ◽

Xiao-Ying Zhang ◽

Ming Jie Zhao ◽

Hai-Jun Lin ◽

Wen-Zhang Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Band Gap ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Computer Aided Design ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽

Wavelength Region ◽

Window Layer ◽

Solar Cell Performance ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous

Boron-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) thin films are deposited using high frequency 27.12 MHz plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system as a window layer of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. The CH4 gas flow rate is varied to deposit various a-SiC:H films, and the optical and electrical properties are investigated. The experimental results show that at the CH4 flow rate of 40 sccm the a-SiC:H has a high band gap of 2.1 eV and reduced absorption coefficients in the whole wavelength region, but the electrical conductivity deteriorates. The technology computer aided design simulation for SHJ devices reveal the band discontinuity at i/p interface when the a-SiC:H films are used. For fabricated SHJ solar cell performance, the highest conversion efficiency of 22.14%, which is 0.33% abs higher than that of conventional hydrogenated amorphous silicon window layer, can be obtained when the intermediate band gap (2 eV) a-SiC:H window layer is used.

Download Full-text