Numerical investigation of a double-junction a:SiGe thin-film solar cell including the multi-trench region

K. Kacha; F. Djeffal; H. Ferhati; D. Arar; M. Meguellati

doi:10.1088/1674-4926/36/6/064004

J. Semicond. > 2015, Volume 36 > Issue 6 > 064004

SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

Numerical investigation of a double-junction a:SiGe thin-film solar cell including the multi-trench region

K. Kacha¹, F. Djeffal^{1, 2}, H. Ferhati¹, D. Arar¹ and M. Meguellati¹

+ Author Affiliations

Corresponding author: F. Djeffal, Email: djeffal@univ-batna.dz;faycaldzdz@hotmail.com

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/6/064004

Abstract: We present a new approach based on the multi-trench technique to improve the electrical performances, which are the fill factor and the electrical efficiency. The key idea behind this approach is to introduce a new multi-trench region in the intrinsic layer, in order to modulate the total resistance of the solar cell. Based on 2-D numerical investigation and optimization of amorphous SiGe double-junction (a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H) thin film solar cells, in the present paper numerical models of electrical and optical parameters are developed to explain the impact of the multi-trench technique on the improvement of the double-junction solar cell electrical behavior for high performance photovoltaic applications. In this context, electrical characteristics of the proposed design are analyzed and compared with conventional amorphous silicon double-junction thin-film solar cells.

Key words: amorphous, efficiency, SiGe, thin-film, solar cell, multi-trench

References

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Fig. 1. Cross sectional view of the investigated amorphous double-junction SiGe thin-film solar cell.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 2. Equivalent electrical circuit of the investigated solar cell.

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Fig. 3. Variation of solar cell efficiency as function of (a) trench doping concentration,(b) trench width and (c) trench thickness.

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Fig. 4. Efficiency of the investigated solar cell as a function of the number of trenches in the frontal intrinsic layer.

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Fig. 5. Efficiency of the investigated solar cell as a function of Ge content in the back amorphous SiGe intrinsic layer (

$N=$ 3).

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Fig. 6. Solar cell performance with different back intrinsic region thickness values,Ge mole fraction

$=$ 0.5 and

$N=$ 3.

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Fig. 7.

$I$ -

$V$ curves of the optimized multi-trench and conventional solar cells (

$N=3)$ .

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Table 1. Optimized design parameters used in our investigation.

DownLoad: CSV

Table 2. Optimized solar cell performances.

DownLoad: CSV

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K. Kacha, F. Djeffal, H. Ferhati, D. Arar, M. Meguellati. Numerical investigation of a double-junction a:SiGe thin-film solar cell including the multi-trench region[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2015, 36(6): 064004. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/6/064004

K. Kacha, F. Djeffal, H. Ferhati, D. Arar, M. Meguellati. Numerical investigation of a double-junction a:SiGe thin-film solar cell including the multi-trench region[J]. J. Semicond., 2015, 36(6): 064004. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/6/064004.

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Received: 15 November 2014 Revised: Online: Published: 01 June 2015

We present a new approach based on the multi-trench technique to improve the electrical performances, which are the fill factor and the electrical efficiency. The key idea behind this approach is to introduce a new multi-trench region in the intrinsic layer, in order to modulate the total resistance of the solar cell. Based on 2-D numerical investigation and optimization of amorphous SiGe double-junction (a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H) thin film solar cells, in the present paper numerical models of electrical and optical parameters are developed to explain the impact of the multi-trench technique on the improvement of the double-junction solar cell electrical behavior for high performance photovoltaic applications. In this context, electrical characteristics of the proposed design are analyzed and compared with conventional amorphous silicon double-junction thin-film solar cells.

Numerical investigation of a double-junction a:SiGe thin-film solar cell including the multi-trench region

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Numerical investigation of a double-junction a:SiGe thin-film solar cell including the multi-trench region

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Numerical investigation of a double-junction a:SiGe thin-film solar cell including the multi-trench region

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