On the potential of light trapping in multiscale textured thin film solar cells

Tamang, Asman; Hongsingthong, Aswin; Sichanugrist, Porponth; Jovanov, Vladislav; Gebrewold, Habtamu T.; Konagai, Makoto; Knipp, Dietmar

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2015.09.008

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(104 reference statements)

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“…Because of the low absorption coefficient of amorphous silicon for longer wavelength (k = 700 nm), light needs to finish numerous path in the solar cell. The approaching light achieves the back contact of the sunbased cell, where it gets reflected and completed different paths inside the solar cell (Dewan et al 2012;Jovanov et al 2013c;Tamang et al 2016b). From Fig.…”

Section: Solar Cell With Pyramid Texture Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…From now on, four various contact arrangements (ZnO:Al/air, ZnO:Al/Ag, ZnO:Al/Al, and ZnO:Al/PEC) were inspected for the simulation study. The material properties (n and k values) for the distinct layers in solar cell structure were taken from the reported literature (Zeman et al 2000;Green 2006;Konagai 2011;Dewan et al 2011;Tamang et al 2016b). At that point, the real complex interface morphologies were considered for the textured solar cell simulation (Sai and Kondo 2009b;Dewan et al 2012Dewan et al , 2015b.…”

Section: Design and Optical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The power loss profiles were exhibited while silver back reflector was utilized. The power loss in the amorphous silicon layer is overwhelmed by the productive and ruinous (Muller et al 2004) and b corresponding simulated interface texture morphology Appl Nanosci (2017) 7:489-497 491 obstructions of the forward and in reverse spreading waves (Dewan et al 2012;Palanchoke et al 2012;Tamang et al 2016b). It is surveyed that the light with a shorter wavelength (400 nm) is retained inside a couple of many nanometers of the solar cell, since amorphous silicon displays a high absorption coefficient for shorter wavelengths, where light does not reach to the back reflector (Dewan et al 2012;Tamang et al 2016b, c).…”

Section: Solar Cell With Smooth Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is surveyed that the light with a shorter wavelength (400 nm) is retained inside a couple of many nanometers of the solar cell, since amorphous silicon displays a high absorption coefficient for shorter wavelengths, where light does not reach to the back reflector (Dewan et al 2012;Tamang et al 2016b, c). Because of the low absorption coefficient of amorphous silicon for longer wavelengths, a huge part of the light is reflected from the back contact prompting the development of a standing wave before the terminal contact (Tamang et al 2016b). For this situation, 45% of the incoming light was reflected, though the amorphous silicon layer absorbed just 49% of the light and rest of the light was considered as a parasitic loss.…”

Section: Solar Cell With Smooth Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of back reflectors on photon absorption in thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells

et al. 2017

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In thin-film solar cells, the photocurrent conversion productivity can be distinctly boosted-up utilizing a proper back reflector. Herein, the impact of different smooth and textured back reflectors was explored and effectuated to study the optical phenomena with interface engineering strategies and characteristics of transparent contacts. A unique type of wet-chemically textured glasssubstrate 3D etching mask used in superstrate (p-i-n) amorphous silicon-based solar cell along with legitimated back reflector permits joining the standard light-trapping methodologies, which are utilized to upgrade the energy conversion efficiency (ECE). To investigate the optical and electrical properties of solar cell structure, the optical simulations in three-dimensional measurements (3D) were performed utilizing finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. This design methodology allows to determine the power losses, quantum efficiencies, and short-circuit current densities of various layers in such solar cell. The short-circuit current densities for different reflectors were varied from 11.50 to 13.27 and 13.81 to 16.36 mA/cm 2 for the smooth and pyramidal textured solar cells, individually. Contrasted with the comparable flat reference cell, the short-circuit current density of textured solar cell was increased by around 24%, and most extreme outer quantum efficiencies rose from 79 to 86.5%. The photon absorption was fundamentally improved in the spectral region from 600 to 800 nm with no decrease of photocurrent shorter than 600-nm wavelength. Therefore, these optimized designs will help to build the effective plans next-generation amorphous silicon-based solar cells.

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Section: Solar Cell With Pyramid Texture Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Design and Optical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Solar Cell With Smooth Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Solar Cell With Smooth Substratementioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of back reflectors on photon absorption in thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells

et al. 2017

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“…Instead of boosting the photocurrent via processes like MEG, it appears that minimising losses to the photovoltage maybe a more important factor for advancing solar cell technology in the mid-term. That is due to recently emerging concepts based on rigorous light-trapping techniques [140], solar photon concentration [141] and highly luminescent semiconductors [132,142], which are already being introduced in present day's PV market [143]. Similarly, techniques to reduce photovoltage losses in QD-based solar cells are put in the research focus of an increasing number of groups [95,104].…”

Section: Future Directions and Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple exciton generation in quantum dot-based solar cells

et al. 2017

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Multiple exciton generation (MEG) in quantumconfined semiconductors is the process by which multiple bound charge-carrier pairs are generated after absorption of a single high-energy photon. Such charge-carrier multiplication effects have been highlighted as particularly beneficial for solar cells where they have the potential to increase the photocurrent significantly. Indeed, recent research efforts have proved that more than one chargecarrier pair per incident solar photon can be extracted in photovoltaic devices incorporating quantum-confined semiconductors. While these proof-of-concept applications underline the potential of MEG in solar cells, the impact of the carrier multiplication effect on the device performance remains rather low. This review covers recent advancements in the understanding and application of MEG as a photocurrent-enhancing mechanism in quantum dot-based photovoltaics.

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A Review of Integrated Systems Based on Perovskite Solar Cells and Energy Storage Units: Fundamental, Progresses, Challenges, and Perspectives

Zhang

Song

et al. 2021

Advanced Science

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With the remarkable progress of photovoltaic technology, next-generation perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have drawn significant attention from both industry and academic community due to sustainable energy production. The single-junction-cell power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs to date has reached up to 25.2%, which is competitive to that of commercial silicon-based solar cells. Currently, solar cells are considered as the individual devices for energy conversion, while a series connection with an energy storage device would largely undermine the energy utilization efficiency and peak power output of the entire system. For substantially addressing such critical issue, advanced technology based on photovoltaic energy conversion-storage integration appears as a promising strategy to achieve the goal. However, there are still great challenges in integrating and engineering between energy harvesting and storage devices. In this review, the state-of-the-art of representative integrated energy conversion-storage systems is initially summarized. The key parameters including configuration design and integration strategies are subsequently analyzed. According to recent progress, the efforts toward addressing the current challenges and critical issues are highlighted, with expectation of achieving practical integrated energy conversion-storage systems in the future.

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On the potential of light trapping in multiscale textured thin film solar cells

Cited by 22 publications

References 40 publications

Effect of back reflectors on photon absorption in thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells

Effect of back reflectors on photon absorption in thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells

Multiple exciton generation in quantum dot-based solar cells

A Review of Integrated Systems Based on Perovskite Solar Cells and Energy Storage Units: Fundamental, Progresses, Challenges, and Perspectives

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