Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T19:07:25.346Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of the Quantum Size Effect on the Performance of Solar Cells with a Silicon Nanowire Array Embedded in SiO2

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2012

Yasuyoshi Kurokawa ,
Shinya Kato ,
Yuya Watanabe ,
Akira Yamada ,
Makoto Konagai ,
Yoshimi Ohta ,
Yusuke Niwa  and
Masaki Hirota
Yasuyoshi Kurokawa
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S9-10 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan PRESTO, JST, 4-1-8 Honcho Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
Shinya Kato
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S9-10 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
Yuya Watanabe
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S9-10 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
Akira Yamada
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S9-10 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan Photovoltaics Research Center (PVREC), Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S9-10 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
Makoto Konagai
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S9-10 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan Photovoltaics Research Center (PVREC), Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S9-10 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
Yoshimi Ohta
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Laboratory, Nissan Research Center, 1 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa 237-8523, Japan
Yusuke Niwa
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Laboratory, Nissan Research Center, 1 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa 237-8523, Japan
Masaki Hirota
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Laboratory, Nissan Research Center, 1 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa 237-8523, Japan
Get access

Abstract

The electrical characteristics of silicon nanowire (SiNW) solar cells with p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (Eg=1.9 eV)/n-type SiNWs embedded in SiO2/n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (Eg=1.7 eV) structure have been investigated using a two-dimensional device simulator with taking the quantum size effects into account. The average bandgap of a SiNW embedded in SiO2 increased from 1.15 eV to 2.71 eV with decreasing the diameter from 10 nm to 1 nm due to the quantum size effect. It should be noted that under the sunlight with AM1.5G the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of SiNW solar cells also increased to 1.54 V with decreasing the diameter of the SiNWs to 1 nm. This result suggests that it is possible to enhance the Voc by the quantum size effect and a SiNW is a promising material for the all silicon tandem solar cells.

Keywords

nanostructurephotovoltaicsimulation
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1439: Symposium N/AA – Nanowires and Nanotubes-Synthesis, Properties, Devices, and Energy Applications of One-Dimensional Materials , 2012 , pp. 145 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Yamada, S., Kurokawa, Y., Miyajima, S., Yamada, A., and Konagai, M., Proc. 35th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conf. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 2010, p. 766.Google Scholar
Kurokawa, Y., Tomita, S., Miyajima, S., Yamada, A., and Konagai, M., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 46, L833 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsakalakos, L., Balch, J., Fronheiser, J., Korevaar, B. A., Sulima, O., and Rand, J., Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 233117 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sivakov, V., Andrä, G., Gawlik, A., Berger, A., Plentz, J., Falk, F., and Christiansen, S. H., Nano Lett. 9, 1549 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, M. L., Peng, K. Q., Fan, X., Jie, J. S., Zhang, R. Q., Lee, S. T., and Wong, N. B., J. Phys. Chem. C 112, 4444 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, M. A., Tech. dig. 15th Int. Photovoltaic Science & Engineering Conf. Shanghai, China, 2005, p. 7.Google Scholar
Shockley, W. and Queisser, H. J., J. Appl. Phys. 32, 510 (1961).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kurstjens, R., Vos, I., Dross, F., Poortmans, J., and Mertens, R., J. Electrochemical Society 159, H300 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kato, S., Watanabe, Y., Kurokawa, Y., Yamada, A., Ohta, Y., Niwa, Y., and Hirota, M., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 51, 02BP09 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hu, L. and Chen, G., Nano Lett. 7, 3249 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, R. R., Sinton, R. A., Swanson, R. W., and Ciszek, T. F., Proc. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conf., New Orleans, 1987, p. 1168.Google Scholar
Zhao, J. H., Wang, A. H., Green, M. A., and Ferrazza, F., Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 1991 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kato, S., Watanabe, Y., Kurokawa, Y., Yamada, A., Ohta, Y., Niwa, Y., and Hirota, M., Tech. dig. 21st Int. Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conf. Fukuoka, 2011, p. 5C-5O-02.Google Scholar
Roulston, D. J., Arora, N. D., and Chamberlain, S. G., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 29, 284 (1982).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Law, M. E., Solley, E., Liang, M., and Burk, D. E., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 12, 401 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fossum, J. G. and Lee, D. S., Solid-State Electron 25, 741 (1982).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bohm, D., Phys. Rev. 85, 180 (1952).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bohm, D., Phys. Rev. 85, 166 (1952).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iannaccone, G. C. G., Fiori, G., Proc. Int. Conf. Simulation of Semiconductor Processes and Devices Munich, Germany, 2004, p. 275.Google Scholar
Delle Site, L., Physica B 349, 218 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christopher Urban, J. E. M., Mukund, P. R., Semicond. Sci. Technol. 25, 115011 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renato Giacomini, J. A. M., J. Electrochemical Society 155, H213 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kurokawa, Y., Yamada, S., and Konagai, M., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. To be pubished (2012).Google Scholar
Neophytou, N., Paul, A., Lundstrom, M. S., and Klimeck, G., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 55, 1286 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luisier, M., Schenk, A., Fichtner, W., and Klimeck, G., Phys. Rev. B 74, 205323 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gnani, E., Reggiani, S., Gnudi, A., Parruccini, P., Colle, R., Rudan, M., and Baccarani, G., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 54, 2243 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aoyama, T., Sugii, T., and Ito, T., Appl. Surf. Sci. 41–42, 584 (1989).Google Scholar
Miyajima, S., Irikawa, J., Yamada, A., and Konagai, M., J. Appl. Phys. 109, 054507 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mickevicius, R. and Zhao, J. H., J. Appl. Phys. 83, 3161 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miyajima, S., Sawamura, M., Yamada, A., and Konagai, M., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 46, L693 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miyajima, S., Yamada, A., and Konagai, M., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 46, 1415 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miyajima, S., Irikawa, J., Yamada, A., and Konagai, M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 023504 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar