Improved design of InGaP/GaAs//Si tandem solar cells

Abstract

Optimizing any tandem solar cells design before making them experimentally is an important way of reducing development costs. Hence, in this work, we have used a complete analytical model that includes the important effects in the depletion regions of the III-V compound cells in order to simulate the behavior of two and four-terminal InGaP/GaAs//Si tandem solar cells for optimizing them. The design optimization procedure is described first, and then it is shown that the expected practical efficiencies at 1 sun (AM1.5 spectrum) for both two and four-terminal tandem cells can be around 40% when the appropriate thickness for each layer is used. The optimized design for both structures includes a double MgF2/ZnS anti-reflection layer (ARC). The results show that the optimum thicknesses are 130 (MgF2) and 60 nm (ZnS), respectively, while the optimum InGaP thickness is 220 nm and GaAs optimum thickness is 1800 nm for the four-terminal tandem on a HIT silicon solar cell (with total tandem efficiency around 39.8%). These results can be compared with the recent record experimental efficiency around 35.9% for this kind of solar cells. Therefore, triple junction InGaP/GaAs//Silicon tandem solar cells continue being very attractive for further development, using high efficiency HIT silicon cell as the bottom sub-cell.