Optimization of the antireflection coating of thin epitaxial crystalline silicon solar cells
Abstract
In this study we use an effective weighting function to include the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and the effective thickness, Te, of the active cell layer in the optical modeling of the antireflection coating (ARC) of very thin crystalline silicon solar cells. The spectrum transmitted through the ARC is hence optimized for efficient use in the given cell structure and the solar cell performance can be improved. For a 2-μm thick crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cell the optimal thickness of the Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) ARC is reduced by ~8 nm when IQE data and effective thickness are taken into account compared to the standard ARC optimization, using the AM1.5 spectrum only. The reduced ARC thickness will shift the reflectance minima towards shorter wavelengths and hence better match the absorption of very thin cells, where the short wavelength range of the spectrum is relatively more important than the long, weakly absorbed wavelengths. For this cell, we find that the optimal thickness of the ITO starts at 63 nm for very thin (1 μm) active Si layer and then increase with increasing Te until it saturates at 71 nm for Te > 30 μm.
- Authors:
-
- Institute for Energy Technology, Kjeller (Norway)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1225193
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5J00-65120
Journal ID: ISSN 1876-6102
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Energy Procedia (Online)
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Energy Procedia (Online); Journal Volume: 77; Related Information: Energy Procedia; Journal ID: ISSN 1876-6102
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; antireflection coatings; epitaxial silicon solar cell
Citation Formats
Selj, Josefine K., Young, David, and Grover, Sachit. Optimization of the antireflection coating of thin epitaxial crystalline silicon solar cells. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2015.07.035.
Selj, Josefine K., Young, David, & Grover, Sachit. Optimization of the antireflection coating of thin epitaxial crystalline silicon solar cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.07.035
Selj, Josefine K., Young, David, and Grover, Sachit. Fri .
"Optimization of the antireflection coating of thin epitaxial crystalline silicon solar cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.07.035. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1225193.
@article{osti_1225193,
title = {Optimization of the antireflection coating of thin epitaxial crystalline silicon solar cells},
author = {Selj, Josefine K. and Young, David and Grover, Sachit},
abstractNote = {In this study we use an effective weighting function to include the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and the effective thickness, Te, of the active cell layer in the optical modeling of the antireflection coating (ARC) of very thin crystalline silicon solar cells. The spectrum transmitted through the ARC is hence optimized for efficient use in the given cell structure and the solar cell performance can be improved. For a 2-μm thick crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cell the optimal thickness of the Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) ARC is reduced by ~8 nm when IQE data and effective thickness are taken into account compared to the standard ARC optimization, using the AM1.5 spectrum only. The reduced ARC thickness will shift the reflectance minima towards shorter wavelengths and hence better match the absorption of very thin cells, where the short wavelength range of the spectrum is relatively more important than the long, weakly absorbed wavelengths. For this cell, we find that the optimal thickness of the ITO starts at 63 nm for very thin (1 μm) active Si layer and then increase with increasing Te until it saturates at 71 nm for Te > 30 μm.},
doi = {10.1016/j.egypro.2015.07.035},
journal = {Energy Procedia (Online)},
number = ,
volume = 77,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Electrical and Optical Characterization of Sputtered Silicon Dioxide, Indium Tin Oxide, and Silicon Dioxide/Indium Tin Oxide Antireflection Coating on Single-Junction GaAs Solar Cells
journal, June 2017
- Ho, Wen-Jeng; Lin, Jian-Cheng; Liu, Jheng-Jie
- Materials, Vol. 10, Issue 7
Exact ray theory for the calculation of the optical generation rate in optically thin solar cells
journal, January 2019
- Brandsrud, M. A.; Seim, E.; Lukacs, R.
- Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures, Vol. 105