scholarly journals Projected Performance of an InxGa1-xAs Quantum Dot Intermediate Band Solar Cell

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52
Author(s):  
Sayeda Anika Amin ◽  
Md. Tanvir Hasan

Quantum Dot Intermediate Band Solar Cell (QDIBSC) is one of the emerging technologies in the solar photovoltaic arena, which has immense potential to be demonstrated as a high efficiency device. For a QDIBSC to surpass the efficiency of a single junction cell, optimization of design is required. In this work, a QDIBSC model based on In0.53Ga0.47As quantum dots has been designed and evaluated with respect to dot size and spacing. The impact of carrier lifetime on short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage is studied. The conversion efficiency has been enhanced from 27.1% to 32.62% as compared to a conventional single junction cell.

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (04) ◽  
pp. 2050053
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ghavami ◽  
Alireza Salehi

In this paper, the performance of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell, with ZnO window layer, ZnSe buffer layer, CIGS absorber layer and InGaP reflector layer was studied. The study was performed using the TCAD Silvaco simulator. The effects of grading the band gap of CIGS absorber layer, the various thicknesses and doping concentrations of different layers have been investigated. By optimizing the solar cell structure, we have obtained a maximum open circuit voltage of 0.91901 V, a short circuit current density of 39.89910 mA/cm2, a fill factor (FF) of 86.67040% and an efficiency of 31.78% which is much higher than the values for similar CIGS solar cells reported so far.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Abdul Moiz ◽  
A. N. M. Alahmadi ◽  
Abdulah Jeza Aljohani

Among various photovoltaic devices, the poly 3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly styrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and silicon nanowire (SiNW)-based hybrid solar cell is getting momentum for the next generation solar cell. Although, the power-conversion efficiency of the PEDOT:PSS–SiNW hybrid solar cell has already been reported above 13% by many researchers, it is still at a primitive stage and requires comprehensive research and developments. When SiNWs interact with conjugate polymer PEDOT:PSS, the various aspects of SiNW array are required to optimize for high efficiency hybrid solar cell. Therefore, the designing of silicon nanowire (SiNW) array is a crucial aspect for an efficient PEDOT:PSS–SiNW hybrid solar cell, where PEDOT:PSS plays a role as a conductor with an transparent optical window just-like as metal-semiconductor Schottky solar cell. This short review mainly focuses on the current research trends for the general, electrical, optical and photovoltaic design issues associated with SiNW array for PEDOT:PSS–SiNW hybrid solar cells. The foremost features including the morphology, surface traps, doping of SiNW, which limit the efficiency of the PEDOT:PSS–SiNW hybrid solar cell, will be addressed and reviewed. Finally, the SiNW design issues for boosting up the fill-factor, short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage will be highlighted and discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1103 ◽  
pp. 129-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saichon Sriphan ◽  
Suwit Kiravittaya ◽  
Supachok Thainoi ◽  
Somsak Panyakaew

The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of quantum-dot (QD) solar cells under illumination at various temperatures are presented. Stacked of high-density self-assembled InAs/GaAs QDs were incorporated into the Schottky-barrier-type solar cell structure. The I-V characteristics reveal that both short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage of the QD solar cell reduce when the measurement temperature increases. This result is unexpected and inconsistent with a basic solar cell theory where the temperature is believed to cause the enhancement of the short-circuit current. By considering the solar-cell circuit model, we can explain the obtained I-V curves by a high series resistance of the cell structure. Theoretical exclusion of the series resistance shows a substantial improvement of solar cell fill factor and efficiency. This work therefore suggests that reduction of series resistance by properly doping of the epitaxial layers can improve these devices.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aniruddha Singh Kushwaha ◽  
Pramila Mahala ◽  
Chenna Dhanavantri

We have conducted numerical simulation of p-GaN/In0.12Ga0.88N/n-GaN, p-i-n double heterojunction solar cell. The doping density, individual layer thickness, and contact pattern of the device are investigated under solar irradiance of AM1.5 for optimized performance of solar cell. The optimized solar cell characteristic parameters for cell area of 1  × 1 mm2are open circuit voltage of 2.26 V, short circuit current density of 3.31 mA/cm2, fill factor of 84.6%, and efficiency of 6.43% with interdigitated grid pattern.


Author(s):  
Omar Ghanim Ghazal ◽  
Ahmed Waleed Kasim ◽  
Nabeel Zuhair Tawfeeq

Cadmium telluride (CdTe)/cadmium sulfide (CdS) solar cell is a promising candidate for photovoltaic (PV) energy production, as fabrication costs are compared by silicon wafers. We include an analysis of CdTe/CdS solar cells while optimizing structural parameters. Solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS)-1D 3.3 software is used to analyze and develop energy-efficient. The impact of operating thermal efficiency on solar cells is highlighted in this article to explore the temperature dependence. PV parameters were calculated in the different absorber, buffer, and window layer thicknesses (CdTe, CdS, and SnO2). The effect of the thicknesses of the layers, and the fundamental characteristics of open-circuit voltage, fill factor, short circuit current, and solar energy conversion efficiency were studied. The results showed the thickness of the absorber and buffer layers could be optimized. The temperature had a major impact on the CdTe/CdS solar cells as well. The optimized solar cell has an efficiency performance of >14% when exposed to the AM1.5 G spectrum. CdTe 3000 nm, CdS 50 nm, SnO2 500 nm, and (at) T 300k were the I-V characteristics gave the best conversion open circuit voltage (Voc)=0.8317 volts, short circuit current density (Jsc)=23.15 mA/cm2, fill factor (FF)%=77.48, and efficiency (η)%=14.73. The results can be used to provide important guidance for future work on multi-junction solar cell design.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Bailey ◽  
Seth Hubbard ◽  
Stephen J Polly ◽  
David V Forbes ◽  
Ryne P. Raffaelle

AbstractImproving the production of photocurrent in the middle junction of a InGaP/Ga(In)As/Ge triple-junction solar cells (TJSC) can improve the overall conversion efficiency of cell. One possible method to improve the middle junction photocurrent is inserting a quantum dot (QD) superlattice (SL) into the stack. It has been predicted that QD-SL enhanced TJSCs have an efficiency ceiling of 47% under a one-sun AM0 illumination spectrum. Additionally, QD array enhanced GaAs cells have the added benefit of possible intermediate band effects, anisotropic absorption and enhanced radiation tolerance. Embedding InAs quantum dots (QDs) in a single junction GaAs solar cell can increase sub-GaAs bandgap photocurrent generation. This method has been shown to improve the short circuit current density (Jsc) of single junction cells under simulated 1 sun air mass zero (AM0) illumination. However, the increase in strain due to the InAs QD self-assembly may cause defects that reduce the minority carrier lifetime resulting in losses in the cell open circuit voltage (Voc) on the order of 300-500 mV. The introduction of strain compensation (SC) layers into the superlattice (SL) structure of a QD solar cell has previously been shown to improve the device performance, including the partial recovery of Voc. Strain compensation can be used effectively to balance the residual strain, impede dislocation formation, and improve the solar cell characteristics. The effect of GaP strain compensation on the solar cell electrical and material properties was investigated. High resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) scans along the symmetric (004) Bragg peak show weak intensity and wide FWHM at the zero order SL peak (SL0) for non-SC samples. Optimum SC thickness was theoretically determined using a zero in plane stress method and experimentally verified using HRXRD. Optimal strain compensation was then used to increase the QD SL stacking from 5x to 10x and 20x. Use of SC resulted in shifting of the SL0 peak toward the substrate peak as well as reduced FWHM and improved SL peak definition. Kinematical diffraction modeling of the QD structures using numerical simulation indicated this peak shift resulted from reduced overall strain in the SL stack up to 5ML of SC. The material quality improvement in the SC QD solar cells was manifested in an improved spectral response and Jsc. The optoelectronic results for GaAs solar cells with QD SL’s demonstrate a strong dependence on GaP SC layer thickness. In addition, comparison of multi junction (MJ) solar cells which incorporate the SC QD SL’s demonstrate the utility of additional sub-GaAs bandgap current contribution as a tool for additional current-matching optimization in MJ solar cells.


Nanoscale ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (13) ◽  
pp. 7248-7256 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Varghese ◽  
M. Yakimov ◽  
V. Tokranov ◽  
V. Mitin ◽  
K. Sablon ◽  
...  

The quantum dot solar cell with nanoengineered suppression of photoelectron capture show the same open circuit voltage as the GaAs reference cell together with some improvements in the short circuit current.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Hassan ◽  
Z. H. Z. Abidin ◽  
F. I. Chowdhury ◽  
A. K. Arof

The objective of this work is to investigate the performance of chlorophyll sensitized solar cells (CSSCs) with gel electrolyte based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with single iodide salt (potassium iodide (KI)) and double salt (KI and tetrapropylammonium iodide (TPAI)). Chlorophyll was extracted from the bryophyteHyophila involuta. The CSSC with electrolyte containing only KI salt produced a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 4.59 mA cm−2, open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.61 V, fill factor (FF) of 0.64, and efficiency (η) of 1.77%. However, the CSSC with double salt electrolyte exhibitedJscof 5.96 mA cm−2,Vocof 0.58 V, fill factor FF of 0.58, andηof 2.00%. Since CSSC with double salt electrolyte showed better efficiency, other cells fabricated will use the double salt electrolyte. On addition of 0.7 M tetrabutyl pyridine (TBP) to the double salt electrolyte, the cell’s efficiency increased to 2.17%,Jsc=5.37 mA cm−2,Voc=0.55 V, and FF = 0.73. With 5 mM chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) added to the chlorophyll, the light to electricity efficiency increased to 2.62% withJscof 8.44 mA cm−2,Vocof 0.54 V, and FF of 0.58.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-100
Author(s):  
Sobhan Abasian ◽  
Reza Sabbaghi-Nadooshan

The present study was undertaken to examine the structure and performance of hetero junctions on the fill factor, short circuit current and open circuit voltage of aInGaP/GaAsdual-junction solar cell. This goal of this work was to reduce recombination in the bottom cell so that the electrons and holes produced in the top cell with the lowest recombination participate in the output current. Semiconductors with a high bandwidth from the ?? group were studied in order to obtain a high open circuit voltage. By observing mobility and lattice constant semiconductors (Al0.52In0.48P, GaAs and In0.49Ga0.51P), it was concluded that the semiconductor Al0.52In0.48P has high electron mobility and hole mobility and that the lattice constant matched to the GaAs semiconductor can be effective in reducing recombination. The cathode current and absorbed photons show that the composition InGaP/AlInP increased the number of charge carriers in the top cell. The structure of InGaP-AlInP/GaAs-AlInP was obtained by inserting an InGaP-AlInP heterojunction at the top and GaAs-AlInP heterojunction at the bottom of aInGaP/GaAs dual-junction cell. For this structure, short circuit current (JSC) = 22.96 mA/cm2, open circuit voltage (Voc) = 2.72 V, fill factor (FF) = 93.26% and efficiency(?)= 58.28% were obtained under AM1.5 (1 sun) of radiation.


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