Electrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cell
Abstract The electrical characteristics of quad-crescent-shaped silicon nanowire (NW) solar cells (SCs) are numerically analyzed and as a result their performance optimized. The structure discussed consists of four crescents, forming a cavity that permits multiple light scattering with high trapping...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03597-x |
| _version_ | 1798033418684989440 |
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| author | Ramy El-Bashar Mohamed Hussein Salem F. Hegazy Yehia Badr B. M. A. Rahman Kenneth T. V. Grattan Mohamed Farhat. O. Hameed Salah S. A. Obayya |
| author_facet | Ramy El-Bashar Mohamed Hussein Salem F. Hegazy Yehia Badr B. M. A. Rahman Kenneth T. V. Grattan Mohamed Farhat. O. Hameed Salah S. A. Obayya |
| author_sort | Ramy El-Bashar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The electrical characteristics of quad-crescent-shaped silicon nanowire (NW) solar cells (SCs) are numerically analyzed and as a result their performance optimized. The structure discussed consists of four crescents, forming a cavity that permits multiple light scattering with high trapping between the NWs. Additionally, new modes strongly coupled to the incident light are generated along the NWs. As a result, the optical absorption has been increased over a large portion of light wavelengths and hence the power conversion efficiency (PCE) has been improved. The electron–hole (e–h) generation rate in the design reported has been calculated using the 3D finite difference time domain method. Further, the electrical performance of the SC reported has been investigated through the finite element method, using the Lumerical charge software package. In this investigation, the axial and core–shell junctions were analyzed looking at the reported crescent and, as well, conventional NW designs. Additionally, the doping concentration and NW-junction position were studied in this design proposed, as well as the carrier-recombination-and-lifetime effects. This study has revealed that the high back surface field layer used improves the conversion efficiency by $$\sim$$ ∼ 80%. Moreover, conserving the NW radial shell as a low thickness layer can efficiently reduce the NW sidewall recombination effect. The PCE and short circuit current were determined to be equal to 18.5% and 33.8 mA $$/\hbox {cm}^2$$ / cm 2 for the axial junction proposed. However, the core–shell junction shows figures of 19% and 34.9 mA $$/\hbox {cm}^2$$ / cm 2 . The suggested crescent design offers an enhancement of 23% compared to the conventional NW, for both junctions. For a practical surface recombination velocity of $$10^{2}$$ 10 2 cm/s, the PCE of the proposed design, in the axial junction, has been reduced to 16.6%, with a reduction of 11%. However, the core–shell junction achieves PCE of 18.7%, with a slight reduction of 1.6%. Therefore, the optoelectronic performance of the core–shell junction was marginally affected by the NW surface recombination, compared to the axial junction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:30:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3675dc6e773949d6bb65f8cd13d9980a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:30:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-3675dc6e773949d6bb65f8cd13d9980a2022-12-22T04:04:31ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-01-0112112010.1038/s41598-021-03597-xElectrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cellRamy El-Bashar0Mohamed Hussein1Salem F. Hegazy2Yehia Badr3B. M. A. Rahman4Kenneth T. V. Grattan5Mohamed Farhat. O. Hameed6Salah S. A. Obayya7National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo UniversityCentre for Photonics and Smart Materials, Zewail City of Science and TechnologyNational Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo UniversityNational Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo UniversityDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, City, University of LondonDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, City, University of LondonCentre for Photonics and Smart Materials, Zewail City of Science and TechnologyCentre for Photonics and Smart Materials, Zewail City of Science and TechnologyAbstract The electrical characteristics of quad-crescent-shaped silicon nanowire (NW) solar cells (SCs) are numerically analyzed and as a result their performance optimized. The structure discussed consists of four crescents, forming a cavity that permits multiple light scattering with high trapping between the NWs. Additionally, new modes strongly coupled to the incident light are generated along the NWs. As a result, the optical absorption has been increased over a large portion of light wavelengths and hence the power conversion efficiency (PCE) has been improved. The electron–hole (e–h) generation rate in the design reported has been calculated using the 3D finite difference time domain method. Further, the electrical performance of the SC reported has been investigated through the finite element method, using the Lumerical charge software package. In this investigation, the axial and core–shell junctions were analyzed looking at the reported crescent and, as well, conventional NW designs. Additionally, the doping concentration and NW-junction position were studied in this design proposed, as well as the carrier-recombination-and-lifetime effects. This study has revealed that the high back surface field layer used improves the conversion efficiency by $$\sim$$ ∼ 80%. Moreover, conserving the NW radial shell as a low thickness layer can efficiently reduce the NW sidewall recombination effect. The PCE and short circuit current were determined to be equal to 18.5% and 33.8 mA $$/\hbox {cm}^2$$ / cm 2 for the axial junction proposed. However, the core–shell junction shows figures of 19% and 34.9 mA $$/\hbox {cm}^2$$ / cm 2 . The suggested crescent design offers an enhancement of 23% compared to the conventional NW, for both junctions. For a practical surface recombination velocity of $$10^{2}$$ 10 2 cm/s, the PCE of the proposed design, in the axial junction, has been reduced to 16.6%, with a reduction of 11%. However, the core–shell junction achieves PCE of 18.7%, with a slight reduction of 1.6%. Therefore, the optoelectronic performance of the core–shell junction was marginally affected by the NW surface recombination, compared to the axial junction.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03597-x |
| spellingShingle | Ramy El-Bashar Mohamed Hussein Salem F. Hegazy Yehia Badr B. M. A. Rahman Kenneth T. V. Grattan Mohamed Farhat. O. Hameed Salah S. A. Obayya Electrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cell Scientific Reports |
| title | Electrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cell |
| title_full | Electrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cell |
| title_fullStr | Electrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cell |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cell |
| title_short | Electrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cell |
| title_sort | electrical performance of efficient quad crescent shaped si nanowire solar cell |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03597-x |
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