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access icon openaccess InAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells with quantum dots in the base region

This is an open access article published by the IET under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
Received 01/07/2018, Accepted 13/02/2019, Revised 03/01/2019, Published 18/02/2019

In this work, the influence of quantum dot (QD) position on the performance of solar cells was studied. The presence of QDs within the base regions leads to improved open circuit voltage (V oc) from 0.73 to 0.90 V. Despite a slight reduction in short-circuit current (J sc) due to carrier collection loss, the enhancement of the V oc of QDSCs with QDs in base region is significant enough to ensure that power conversion efficiencies (η) are higher than the reference quantum dot solar cell (QDSC) of which QDs are embedded in the intrinsic region. Moreover, sample with QDs in deep base region achieved the highest η of 9.75%, an increase of 29% with regard to the reference quantum dot solar cell.

Inspec keywords: short-circuit currents; indium compounds; solar cells; semiconductor quantum dots; gallium arsenide; III-V semiconductors

Other keywords: power conversion efficiency; deep base region; InAs-GaAs quantum dot solar cells; open circuit voltage; intrinsic region; reference quantum dot solar cell; InAs-GaAs; quantum dot position; voltage 0.73 V to 0.9 V

Subjects: Photoelectric conversion; solar cells and arrays; Solar cells and arrays

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