Pyramidal surface textures for light trapping and antireflection in perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells

Opt Express. 2014 Oct 20:22 Suppl 6:A1422-30. doi: 10.1364/OE.22.0A1422.

Abstract

Perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells show potential to reach > 30% conversion efficiency, but require careful optical control. We introduce here an effective light-management scheme based on the established pyramidal texturing of crystalline silicon cells. Calculations show that conformal deposition of a thin film perovskite solar cell directly onto the textured front surface of a high efficiency silicon cell can yield front surface reflection losses as low as 0.52mA/cm(2). Combining this with a wavelength-selective intermediate reflector between the cells additionally provides effective light-trapping in the high-bandgap top cell, resulting in calculated absolute efficiency gains of 2 - 4%. This approach provides a practical and effective method to adapt existing high efficiency silicon cell designs for use in tandem cells, with conversion efficiencies approaching 35%.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calcium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Calcium Compounds / radiation effects
  • Computer Simulation
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Lenses*
  • Light
  • Models, Chemical
  • Oxides / chemistry*
  • Oxides / radiation effects
  • Refractometry / instrumentation
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Silicon / radiation effects
  • Solar Energy*
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance / instrumentation*
  • Titanium / chemistry*
  • Titanium / radiation effects

Substances

  • Calcium Compounds
  • Oxides
  • perovskite
  • Titanium
  • Silicon