High efficiency triple-junction solar cells employing biomimetic antireflective structures

Meng-Yih Chiu; Chia-Hua Chang; Feng-Yu Chang; Peichen Yu

doi:10.1117/12.876850

21 February 2011 High efficiency triple-junction solar cells employing biomimetic antireflective structures

Meng-Yih Chiu, Chia-Hua Chang, Feng-Yu Chang, Peichen Yu

Proceedings Volume 7933, Physics and Simulation of Optoelectronic Devices XIX; 79330N (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.876850
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2011, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

In this work, we demonstrate a thorough device design, fabrication, characterization, and analysis of biomimetic antireflective structures implemented on a Ga_0.5In_0.5P/GaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cell. The sub-wavelength structures are fabricated on a silicon nitride passivation layer using polystyrene nanosphere lithography followed by anisotropic etching. The fabricated structures enhance optical transmission in the ultraviolet wavelength range, compared to a conventional single-layer antireflective coating (ARC). The transmission improvement contributes to the enhanced photocurrent, which is also verified by the external quantum efficiency characterization of fabricated solar cells. Under one-sun illumination, the short-circuit current of a cell with a biomimetic structures is enhanced by 24.1% and 2.2% due to much improved optical transmission and current matching, compared to cells without an ARC and with a conventional ARC, respectively. Further optimizations of the biomimetic structures including the periodicity and etching depth are conducted by performing comprehensive calculations based on a rigorous couple-wave analysis method.

Citation Download Citation

Meng-Yih Chiu, Chia-Hua Chang, Feng-Yu Chang, and Peichen Yu "High efficiency triple-junction solar cells employing biomimetic antireflective structures", Proc. SPIE 7933, Physics and Simulation of Optoelectronic Devices XIX, 79330N (21 February 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.876850

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