Nanoparticle Scattering for Multijunction Solar Cells: The Tradeoff between Absorption Enhancement and Transmission Loss

Alexander Mellor; Nicholas P. Hylton; Hubert Hauser; Tomos Thomas; Kan Hua Lee; Yahya Al-Saleh; Vincenzo Giannini; Avi Braun; Josine Loo; Dries Vercruysse; Pol Van Dorpe; Benedikt Bläsi; Stefan A. Maier; N. J. Ekins-Daukes

doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2601944

Nanoparticle Scattering for Multijunction Solar Cells: The Tradeoff between Absorption Enhancement and Transmission Loss

Alexander Mellor, Nicholas P. Hylton, Hubert Hauser, Tomos Thomas, Kan Hua Lee, Yahya Al-Saleh, Vincenzo Giannini, Avi Braun, Josine Loo, Dries Vercruysse, Pol Van Dorpe, Benedikt Bläsi, Stefan A. Maier, N. J. Ekins-Daukes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper contains a combined experimental and simulation study of the effect of Al and AlInP nanoparticles on the performance of multijunction (MJ) solar cells. In particular, we investigate oblique photon scattering by the nanoparticle arrays as a means of improving thinned subcells or those with low diffusion lengths, either inherently or due to radiation damage. Experimental results show the feasibility of integrating nanoparticle arrays into the antireflection coatings of commercial InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells, and computational results show that nanoparticle arrays can improve the internal quantum efficiency via optical path length enhancement. However, a design that improves the external quantum efficiency of a state-of-the-art cell has not been found, despite the large parameter space studied. We show a clear tradeoff between oblique scattering and transmission loss and present design principles and insights into how improvements can be made.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1678-1687
Number of pages	10
Journal	IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics
Volume	6
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2601944
Publication status	Published - Nov 2016
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Light trapping
multijunction (MJ) solar cell
nanophotonics
radiation hardness

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10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2601944

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Mellor, A., Hylton, N. P., Hauser, H., Thomas, T., Lee, K. H., Al-Saleh, Y., Giannini, V., Braun, A., Loo, J., Vercruysse, D., Van Dorpe, P., Bläsi, B., Maier, S. A., & Ekins-Daukes, N. J. (2016). Nanoparticle Scattering for Multijunction Solar Cells: The Tradeoff between Absorption Enhancement and Transmission Loss. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 6(6), 1678-1687. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2601944

@article{64ef59abd0ab4bb28dc3c270c3a7b371,

title = "Nanoparticle Scattering for Multijunction Solar Cells: The Tradeoff between Absorption Enhancement and Transmission Loss",

abstract = "This paper contains a combined experimental and simulation study of the effect of Al and AlInP nanoparticles on the performance of multijunction (MJ) solar cells. In particular, we investigate oblique photon scattering by the nanoparticle arrays as a means of improving thinned subcells or those with low diffusion lengths, either inherently or due to radiation damage. Experimental results show the feasibility of integrating nanoparticle arrays into the antireflection coatings of commercial InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells, and computational results show that nanoparticle arrays can improve the internal quantum efficiency via optical path length enhancement. However, a design that improves the external quantum efficiency of a state-of-the-art cell has not been found, despite the large parameter space studied. We show a clear tradeoff between oblique scattering and transmission loss and present design principles and insights into how improvements can be made.",

keywords = "Light trapping, multijunction (MJ) solar cell, nanophotonics, radiation hardness",

author = "Alexander Mellor and Hylton, {Nicholas P.} and Hubert Hauser and Tomos Thomas and Lee, {Kan Hua} and Yahya Al-Saleh and Vincenzo Giannini and Avi Braun and Josine Loo and Dries Vercruysse and {Van Dorpe}, Pol and Benedikt Bl{\"a}si and Maier, {Stefan A.} and Ekins-Daukes, {N. J.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the European Space Agency (4000110969/14/NL/FE), the European Commission (FP7-248154 and H2020-DLV-657359), the Leverhulme Trust, and the Royal Society. The fabrication and characterization of Sample Set 2 and the computational investigation were funded by the European Space Agency under Contract 4000110969/14/NL/FE. The fabrication and characterization of Sample Set 1 were funded by the European Commission under the FP7 project {"}Plasmon Resonance for Improving the Absorption of solar cells (PRIMA){"} Project 248154. Radiation tests were performed at Delft University of Technology and funded by AZUR SPACE. The work of A. Mellor was supported by the European Commission through a Marie Sklodowska Curie International Fellowship. The work of N. J. Ekins-Daukes was supported by the Royal Society through an Industry Fellowship. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2011-2012 IEEE.",

year = "2016",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2601944",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "1678--1687",

journal = "IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics",

issn = "2156-3381",

publisher = "IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers",

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Mellor, A, Hylton, NP, Hauser, H, Thomas, T, Lee, KH, Al-Saleh, Y, Giannini, V, Braun, A, Loo, J, Vercruysse, D, Van Dorpe, P, Bläsi, B, Maier, SA & Ekins-Daukes, NJ 2016, 'Nanoparticle Scattering for Multijunction Solar Cells: The Tradeoff between Absorption Enhancement and Transmission Loss', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 1678-1687. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2601944

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nanoparticle Scattering for Multijunction Solar Cells

T2 - The Tradeoff between Absorption Enhancement and Transmission Loss

AU - Mellor, Alexander

AU - Hylton, Nicholas P.

AU - Hauser, Hubert

AU - Thomas, Tomos

AU - Lee, Kan Hua

AU - Al-Saleh, Yahya

AU - Giannini, Vincenzo

AU - Braun, Avi

AU - Loo, Josine

AU - Vercruysse, Dries

AU - Van Dorpe, Pol

AU - Bläsi, Benedikt

AU - Maier, Stefan A.

AU - Ekins-Daukes, N. J.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the European Space Agency (4000110969/14/NL/FE), the European Commission (FP7-248154 and H2020-DLV-657359), the Leverhulme Trust, and the Royal Society. The fabrication and characterization of Sample Set 2 and the computational investigation were funded by the European Space Agency under Contract 4000110969/14/NL/FE. The fabrication and characterization of Sample Set 1 were funded by the European Commission under the FP7 project "Plasmon Resonance for Improving the Absorption of solar cells (PRIMA)" Project 248154. Radiation tests were performed at Delft University of Technology and funded by AZUR SPACE. The work of A. Mellor was supported by the European Commission through a Marie Sklodowska Curie International Fellowship. The work of N. J. Ekins-Daukes was supported by the Royal Society through an Industry Fellowship. Publisher Copyright: © 2011-2012 IEEE.

PY - 2016/11

Y1 - 2016/11

N2 - This paper contains a combined experimental and simulation study of the effect of Al and AlInP nanoparticles on the performance of multijunction (MJ) solar cells. In particular, we investigate oblique photon scattering by the nanoparticle arrays as a means of improving thinned subcells or those with low diffusion lengths, either inherently or due to radiation damage. Experimental results show the feasibility of integrating nanoparticle arrays into the antireflection coatings of commercial InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells, and computational results show that nanoparticle arrays can improve the internal quantum efficiency via optical path length enhancement. However, a design that improves the external quantum efficiency of a state-of-the-art cell has not been found, despite the large parameter space studied. We show a clear tradeoff between oblique scattering and transmission loss and present design principles and insights into how improvements can be made.

AB - This paper contains a combined experimental and simulation study of the effect of Al and AlInP nanoparticles on the performance of multijunction (MJ) solar cells. In particular, we investigate oblique photon scattering by the nanoparticle arrays as a means of improving thinned subcells or those with low diffusion lengths, either inherently or due to radiation damage. Experimental results show the feasibility of integrating nanoparticle arrays into the antireflection coatings of commercial InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells, and computational results show that nanoparticle arrays can improve the internal quantum efficiency via optical path length enhancement. However, a design that improves the external quantum efficiency of a state-of-the-art cell has not been found, despite the large parameter space studied. We show a clear tradeoff between oblique scattering and transmission loss and present design principles and insights into how improvements can be made.

KW - Light trapping

KW - multijunction (MJ) solar cell

KW - nanophotonics

KW - radiation hardness

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U2 - 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2601944

DO - 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2601944

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85027077236

SN - 2156-3381

VL - 6

SP - 1678

EP - 1687

JO - IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics

JF - IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics

IS - 6

ER -

Nanoparticle Scattering for Multijunction Solar Cells: The Tradeoff between Absorption Enhancement and Transmission Loss

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Keywords

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Nanoparticle scattering for multijunction solar cells

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