Non-Lambertian Reflective Back Scattering and Its Impact on Device Performance of Ultrathin GaAs Single-Junction Solar Cells

Shi Liu; Weiquan Yang; Jacob Becker; Ying Shen Kuo; Yong Hang Zhang

doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2015.2400332

Non-Lambertian Reflective Back Scattering and Its Impact on Device Performance of Ultrathin GaAs Single-Junction Solar Cells

Shi Liu, Weiquan Yang, Jacob Becker, Ying Shen Kuo, Yong Hang Zhang

Engineering, Ira A. Fulton Schools of (IAFSE)

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

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper studies non-Lambertian scattering and its impacts on the optical properties and device performance of the ultrathin GaAs single-junction solar cell with a reflective back scattering layer. The Phong distribution is used to quantify the scattering effectiveness of the textured back surface, as well as its impacts on device absorptance, emittance, photon extraction and recycling factor, short-circuit current density (J_sc), external quantum efficiency (EQE), and power conversion efficiency. Both a general GaAs cell design and the ultrathin cell design are carefully investigated. A Phong exponent m of ∼12 is determined by fitting both simulated (J_sc) and EQE to their experimental values, with a more accurate averaged reflectivity of the textured Al_0.52In_0.48P/Au interface taken into account. Additionally, the measured open-circuit voltage (V_oc) is lower than the best achievable value due to the nonradiative recombination in the device, and a limited lifetime of ∼130 ns is determined by fitting the simulated and measured V_oc; a specific series resistivity of 1.2 Ω·cm² is determined to account for the 77.8% fill factor.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	832-839
Number of pages	8
Journal	IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics
Volume	5
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2015.2400332
State	Published - May 1 2015

Keywords

Gallium arsenide
photovoltaic cell
surface textures
thin-film devices

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1109/JPHOTOV.2015.2400332

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title = "Non-Lambertian Reflective Back Scattering and Its Impact on Device Performance of Ultrathin GaAs Single-Junction Solar Cells",

abstract = "This paper studies non-Lambertian scattering and its impacts on the optical properties and device performance of the ultrathin GaAs single-junction solar cell with a reflective back scattering layer. The Phong distribution is used to quantify the scattering effectiveness of the textured back surface, as well as its impacts on device absorptance, emittance, photon extraction and recycling factor, short-circuit current density (Jsc), external quantum efficiency (EQE), and power conversion efficiency. Both a general GaAs cell design and the ultrathin cell design are carefully investigated. A Phong exponent m of ∼12 is determined by fitting both simulated (Jsc) and EQE to their experimental values, with a more accurate averaged reflectivity of the textured Al0.52In0.48P/Au interface taken into account. Additionally, the measured open-circuit voltage (Voc) is lower than the best achievable value due to the nonradiative recombination in the device, and a limited lifetime of ∼130 ns is determined by fitting the simulated and measured Voc; a specific series resistivity of 1.2 Ω·cm2 is determined to account for the 77.8% fill factor.",

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author = "Shi Liu and Weiquan Yang and Jacob Becker and Kuo, {Ying Shen} and Zhang, {Yong Hang}",

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AU - Zhang, Yong Hang

PY - 2015/5/1

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N2 - This paper studies non-Lambertian scattering and its impacts on the optical properties and device performance of the ultrathin GaAs single-junction solar cell with a reflective back scattering layer. The Phong distribution is used to quantify the scattering effectiveness of the textured back surface, as well as its impacts on device absorptance, emittance, photon extraction and recycling factor, short-circuit current density (Jsc), external quantum efficiency (EQE), and power conversion efficiency. Both a general GaAs cell design and the ultrathin cell design are carefully investigated. A Phong exponent m of ∼12 is determined by fitting both simulated (Jsc) and EQE to their experimental values, with a more accurate averaged reflectivity of the textured Al0.52In0.48P/Au interface taken into account. Additionally, the measured open-circuit voltage (Voc) is lower than the best achievable value due to the nonradiative recombination in the device, and a limited lifetime of ∼130 ns is determined by fitting the simulated and measured Voc; a specific series resistivity of 1.2 Ω·cm2 is determined to account for the 77.8% fill factor.

AB - This paper studies non-Lambertian scattering and its impacts on the optical properties and device performance of the ultrathin GaAs single-junction solar cell with a reflective back scattering layer. The Phong distribution is used to quantify the scattering effectiveness of the textured back surface, as well as its impacts on device absorptance, emittance, photon extraction and recycling factor, short-circuit current density (Jsc), external quantum efficiency (EQE), and power conversion efficiency. Both a general GaAs cell design and the ultrathin cell design are carefully investigated. A Phong exponent m of ∼12 is determined by fitting both simulated (Jsc) and EQE to their experimental values, with a more accurate averaged reflectivity of the textured Al0.52In0.48P/Au interface taken into account. Additionally, the measured open-circuit voltage (Voc) is lower than the best achievable value due to the nonradiative recombination in the device, and a limited lifetime of ∼130 ns is determined by fitting the simulated and measured Voc; a specific series resistivity of 1.2 Ω·cm2 is determined to account for the 77.8% fill factor.

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Non-Lambertian Reflective Back Scattering and Its Impact on Device Performance of Ultrathin GaAs Single-Junction Solar Cells

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Keywords

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