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Journal of Applied Physics / Volume 111 / Issue 3 / ARTICLES / Nanoscale Science and Design

J. Appl. Phys. 111, 034303 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3679140 (7 pages)

Modeling of silicon nanocrystals based down-shifter for enhanced silicon solar cell performance

F. Sgrignuoli1, G. Paternoster2, A. Marconi1, P. Ingenhoven1, A. Anopchenko1, G. Pucker3, and L. Pavesi1

1Nanoscience Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38123 Povo (Trento), Italy
2Department of Physics, University of Trento and Microtechnologies Laboratory, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Povo (Trento), Italy
3Advanced Photonics and Photovoltaics Group, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Povo (Trento), Italy

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(Received 7 September 2011; accepted 19 December 2011; published online 2 February 2012)

A transfer matrix model of a luminescent down-shifter (LDS) layer, consisting of silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) embedded in a silicon oxide matrix, on a silicon solar cells is presented. To enhance the efficiency of the silicon solar cell, we propose using a SiO2/Si-NCs double layer stack, as an anti-reflection-coating (ARC) and as a LDS material. The optical characteristics of this stack have been simulated and optimized as a front surface coating. The cell performances have been simulated by means of a two-dimensional device simulator and compared with the performances of a reference silicon solar cell. We found a 6% relative enhancement of the energy conversion efficiency with respect to the reference cell. We demonstrate that this enhancement results from the lower reflectance and from the down-shifter effect of the Si-NCs activated coating stack.

© 2012 American Institute of Physics

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. SIMULATION METHOD
    1. Optical simulation
    2. Electrical simulation
  3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
    1. Optimization of the double layer stack
    2. Effect of LDS on the energy conversion efficiency
  4. CONCLUSION

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KEYWORDS, PACS, and IPC

Keywords

antireflection coatings, elemental semiconductors, nanofabrication, nanostructured materials, semiconductor device models, silicon, solar cells

PACS

  • 88.40.jj

    Silicon solar cells

  • 42.79.Wc

    Optical coatings

  • 85.30.De

    Semiconductor-device characterization, design, and modeling

  • 88.40.hj

    Efficiency and performance of solar cells

International Patent Classification (IPC)

  • B82B1/00

    Nano-structures

  • B82B3/00

    Manufacture or treatment of nano-structures

  • H01L21/02

    Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof

  • H01L21/70

    Manufacture or treatment of devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components or integrated circuits formed in or on a common substrate or of specific parts thereof; Manufacture of integrated circuit devices or of specific parts thereof

  • H01L27/142

    Energy conversion devices

  • H01L29/00

    Semiconductor devices specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching and having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier; Capacitors or resistors with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. pn-junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof

  • H01L31/04

    Adapted as conversion devices

  • H02N6/00

    Generators in which light radiation is directly converted into electrical energy

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3679140

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0021-8979 (print)  
1089-7550 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

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Figures (8) Tables (2)

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