Dear scientists,
Light absorption limitations for some parts in UV and IR regions of the solar spectral irrandiance AM1.5 by silicon based solar cells with SiNx ARC is a well-known problem.
Could anyone help me by providing some typical UV and IR specific wavelenghts (values) that different layers of a standard c-Si based solar cell with SiNx ARC is not absorbing and could be explored for possible integration of down and up-conversion over-layers ?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Spectral response of the standard solar cells are well known and published.
I would like that you look at the absorption coefficient of silicon as a function of the wavelength. Basically all wavelengths greater than the cut off wavelength of the silicon that can be calculated fro the equation Eg= hc/lambda.
In the other side of the spectrum energetic photons will generate only one electron hole pairs. The excess energy more than Eg will be dissipated as heat.
At sufficiently high energy photons they will be absorbed at the surface and the generated electron hole pairs will not be collected but lost by recombination at the surface.
On the light of these facts you can build your photon converting materials.
For more information please see the book chapter: Chapter Solar cells and arrays: Principles, analysis and design
Best wishes
Spectral response of the standard solar cells are well known and published.
I would like that you look at the absorption coefficient of silicon as a function of the wavelength. Basically all wavelengths greater than the cut off wavelength of the silicon that can be calculated fro the equation Eg= hc/lambda.
In the other side of the spectrum energetic photons will generate only one electron hole pairs. The excess energy more than Eg will be dissipated as heat.
At sufficiently high energy photons they will be absorbed at the surface and the generated electron hole pairs will not be collected but lost by recombination at the surface.
On the light of these facts you can build your photon converting materials.
For more information please see the book chapter: Chapter Solar cells and arrays: Principles, analysis and design
Best wishes
Try examining the absorption spectrum expressed not as power per unit wavelength but as number of photons per unit wavelength. You will quickly see that to be of any use a down converting layer operating in the UV area will HAVE to use Auger multiplication to get a decent current. Then of course there is the issue of how you actually collect this current. I wish you well in your research but the problems are formidable and please don't underestimate them.
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