Inorganic perovskite materials (IPMs) seem to overcome the limitation of the stability of organic perovskites to a large extent. Herein, we discuss the design and the development of periodic nanophotonic structure (PNS)-based two-terminal IPM/Si tandem solar cells through the optical optimization process, computed using rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The IPM taken as the top active layer is cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3), as it perfectly matches with the top cell requirements to design with a bottom Si-based tandem cell. The PNS is designed on to the tandem cell’s top layer. The top cell IPM layer thickness is kept fixed at 100 nm to limit the problems associated with thicker perovskite layers’ depositions and all the required tandem cell parameters are then optimized accordingly. To highlight the effectiveness of the proposed design, it is comparatively analyzed with Lambertian limiting values and bare and planar tandem structures. The results predict a notable performance enhancement for the planned design that accounts for around 40% comparative short-circuit current density increase. The complete spectral analysis presented provides insight for quantitative performance enhancement of the CsPbI3 cell due to PNS that leads to overall tandem cell performance improvement. The absorption enhancement is credited to the PNS at the top as it leads to better index matching, reduction in reflections, and better trapping of full-spectrum photons.
The paper demonstrates the design, simulation, fabrication, and analysis of InGaN/GaN superlattice (SL) solar cell with photonic crystal (PhC) structure at the top surface. Ten pairs of In0.18Ga0.82N / GaN structure were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique and had been used as an absorbing layer for solar cell device. PhC light-trapping structure (LTS) was prepared with the top indium tin oxide and p-GaN layers. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that PhC LTS structure considerably enhances the efficiency of solar cells. The simulation parameters were optimized and calculated using rigorous-coupled wave analysis method. The experimental studies under 1-sun illumination at standard test conditions exhibit efficiency enhancement of 59% compared to SL structure without PhC LTS.
The structure of p-i-n InGaN/GaN based solar cell having a photonic crystal (PhC)-based light trapping structure (LTS) at the top assisted by the planar metallic (aluminum) back reflector (BR) is proposed. We propose two different designs for efficiency enhancement: in one we keep the PhC structure etching depth extending from the top antireflective coating (ARC) of indium tin oxide (ITO) up to the p-GaN layer (which is beneath the ITO and above the active layer), whereas in the other design, the PhC LTS etching depth has been extended up to the InxGa1−xN absorbing layer, starting from the top ITO layer. The theoretical optical simulation studies and optimization of the required parameters of the structure, which help to investigate and demonstrate the effectiveness of the LTS in the efficiency enhancement of the structure, are presented. The work also demonstrates the Lambertian light trapping limits for the practical indium concentrations in a InxGa1−xN active layer cell. The paper also presents the comparison between the proposed designs and compares their results with that of a planar reference cell. The studies are carried out for various indium concentrations. The results indicate considerable enhancement in the efficiency due to the PhC LTS, mainly because of better coupling, low reflectance, and diffraction capability of the proposed LTS, although it is still under the Lambertian limits. The performance evaluation of the proposed structure with respect to the angle of incident light has also been done, indicating improved performance. The parameters have been optimized and calculated by means of rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) method.
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