A new theoretical approach for the performance simulation of multijunction solar cells

Abstract

A new theoretical approach is proposed for the performance simulation of multijunction (MJ) solar cells, starting from the weakness and strength of the Hovel model and of the transfer matrix method for describing the propagation of electromagnetic waves inside the solar cell structure. It is based on the scattering matrix method (SMM) and on a simplified generation function that allow describing with good accuracy the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the solar cell device, preserving, at the same time, the possibility of getting simple analytical solutions of the continuity equations. The numerical stability of the new theoretical approach is first demonstrated on triple junction InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells, in which the Ge substrate is considered as the last layer (layer N) and then as the N‐1 layer. Further, the new theoretical approach is applied to simulate the performance of thin quadruple junction (QJ) InGaP/InGaAs/SiGeSn/Ge solar cells, in two‐ and three‐terminal configurations. Efficiency values of up to 45.1% and 44.9%, respectively, have been simulated at 1000× concentration, by considering the MJ limited by the InGaAs subcell. Finally, it is estimated that the QJ InGaP/InGaAs/SiGeSn/Ge solar cell has the potential to reach efficiencies over 50% by assuming proper antireflective coatings.

Interplay of Photons and Charge Carriers in Thin-Film Devices

“…As such, they have not previously been reported due to the difficulty to simultaneously account for all underlying physical processes. We expect such spectrally and directionally resolved understanding of photon-recycling processes to be especially beneficial for understanding the internal electrical and optical properties of various thin-film devices, such as the emerging ultrathin GaAs photovoltaic devices [21][22][23][24], and to complement existing advanced modeling and characterization frameworks of multijunction solar cells [25,26].…”

Ultra-low temperature synthesis of Ge-based optical materials and devices on Si using GeH3Cl

“…The solid lines in the figure represent a theoretical model using a recently a developed tool to simulate the effect of multiple reflections in the structure and the absorption in individual layers. 36 We notice that the spectral responsivity of the GeH 3 Cl device is higher than that of Ge 4 H 10 device despite the larger thickness in the latter. The collection efficiency (internal quantum efficiency) of the GeH 3 Cl device is η = 95%, approaching the theoretical limit for an ideal diode, and it is much larger than the value η = 0.65% measured for the Ge 4 H 10 reference device.…”

Monolithic perovskite/c-Si tandem solar cell: Progress on numerical simulation

“…As experiments can be limited by various factors, theoretical aspects can pave the way for experimental studies. Numerical simulation is favored by many theorists as an important tool for analyzing scientific problems, and has numerous advantages [59][60][61][94][95][96]. Firstly, the simulation can disassemble each structure of the cell to study the influence of each part independently, which helps to obtain the optimal detailed parameters in a comprehensive and detailed way.…”