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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
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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

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