Light management and efficient carrier generation with a highly transparent window layer for a multijunction amorphous silicon solar cell

Abstract

P-layer of a p-i-n type amorphous silicon solar cell helps in creating a built-in electric field inside the cell; it also contributes to parasitic absorption loss of incident light. Here, we report optimization of these two characteristic contributions of the p-layer of the cell. We used a highly transparent p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (p-a-Si 1−x C x ∶H) window layer in an amorphous silicon solar cell. With the increased transparency of the p-type layer, the solar cell showed an improvement in short-circuit current density by 17%, along with improvement in blue response of its external quantum efficiency, although further thinner player showed lower open-circuit voltage. Such a cell shows low light-induced degradation and a promise to be used in high-efficiency multijunction solar cell.

Radio frequency plasma deposited boron doped high conductivity p-type nano crystalline silicon oxide thin film for solar cell window layer

“…Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) [1,2] and hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxides (a-SiO:H) [3e5] are the two such wide band gap materials that have extensively been investigated for its application in a wide band gap solar cell. Higher transparency of the doped window layer allows more light to enter into the active layer of the cell.…”

“…Optically transparent window layer is an important requirement for high efficiency multi junction amorphous silicon solar cell [1]. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) [1,2] and hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxides (a-SiO:H) [3e5] are the two such wide band gap materials that have extensively been investigated for its application in a wide band gap solar cell.…”

Improving Device Efficiency for n-i-p Type Solar Cells with Various Optimized Active Layers

“…Experimental results indicate an increase in short circuit current density and the fill factor is expected while a reduction in open circuit voltage may take place with reduced thickness of the p-type layer [15]. Based on the results of [15], the device efficiency increases from 6.61% to 7.06% and reaches near saturation when the thickness of the p-type layer decreases from 20 nm to 12 nm which is an increase by a factor of 0.0681.…”

“…Based on the results of [15], the device efficiency increases from 6.61% to 7.06% and reaches near saturation when the thickness of the p-type layer decreases from 20 nm to 12 nm which is an increase by a factor of 0.0681. Therefore the Eff max is expected to be higher by a similar factor if thickness of the p-type layer is decreased, and vice versa.…”

Light Trapping in Silicon Based Tandem Solar Cell: A Brief Review

“…Interestingly, the analysis 2) shows that the intensity of this confined light inside a non-absorbing textured film can be larger than the incident light intensity, implying that light absorption in such a film morphology can be enhanced. Since then a large number of investigations have been made on various types of solar cells, like single junction 5,6) , tandem [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] and triple junction solar cells [23][24][25][26] and considered as a state of the art technique to improve device performance.…”