Design and modeling of an SJ infrared solar cell approaching upper limit of theoretical efficiency

Abstract

Recent trends of photovoltaics account for the conversion efficiency limit making them more cost effective. To achieve this we have to leave the golden era of silicon cell and make a path towards III–V compound semiconductor groups to take advantages like bandgap engineering by alloying these compounds. In this work we have used a low bandgap GaSb material and designed a single junction (SJ) cell with a conversion efficiency of 32.98%. SILVACO ATLAS TCAD simulator has been used to simulate the proposed model using both Ray Tracing and Transfer Matrix Method (under 1 sun and 1000 sun of AM1.5G spectrum). A detailed analyses of photogeneration rate, spectral response, potential developed, external quantum efficiency (EQE), internal quantum efficiency (IQE), short-circuit current density (J[Formula: see text]), open-circuit voltage (V[Formula: see text]), fill factor (FF) and conversion efficiency ([Formula: see text]) are discussed. The obtained results are compared with previously reported SJ solar cell reports.