High-Efficiency Crystalline Silicon-Based Solar Cells Using Textured TiO2 Layer and Plasmonic Nanoparticles

A high-efficiency crystalline silicon-based solar cell in the visible and near-infrared regions is introduced in this paper. A textured TiO2 layer grown on top of the active silicon layer and a back reflector with gratings are used to enhance the solar cell performance. The given structure is simulated using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method to determine the solar cell's performance. The simulation toolbox calculates the short circuit current density by solving Maxwell's equation, and the open-circuit voltage will be calculated numerically according to the material parameters. Hence, each simulation process calculates the fill factor and power conversion efficiency numerically. The optimization of the crystalline silicon active layer thickness and the dimensions of the back reflector grating are given in this work. The grating period structure of the Al back reflector is covered with a graphene layer to improve the absorption of the solar cell, where the periodicity, height, and width of the gratings are optimized. Furthermore, the optimum height of the textured TiO2 layer is simulated to produce the maximum efficiency using light absorption and short circuit current density. In addition, plasmonic nanoparticles are distributed on the textured surface to enhance the light absorption, with different radii, with radius 50, 75, 100, and 125 nm. The absorbed light energy for different nanoparticle materials, Au, Ag, Al, and Cu, are simulated and compared to determine the best performance. The obtained short circuit current density is 61.9 ma/cm(2), open-circuit voltage is 0.6 V, fill factor is 0.83, and the power conversion efficiency is 30.6%. The proposed crystalline silicon solar cell improves the short circuit current density by almost 89% and the power conversion efficiency by almost 34%.

Automated summary

This paper introduces a high-efficiency crystalline silicon-based solar cell that performs well in the visible and near-infrared regions. The performance of the solar cell is enhanced by adding a textured TiO2 layer on top of the active silicon layer and a back reflector with gratings. The optimization of the active layer thickness and the dimensions of the back reflector grating are discussed, as well as the improvement in light absorption through the use of plasmonic nanoparticles. The results show a significant increase in short circuit current density and power conversion efficiency.