Modeling and Design of a New Flexible Graphene-on-Silicon Schottky Junction Solar Cell

Abstract

A new graphene-based flexible solar cell with a power conversion efficiency >10% has been designed. The environmental stability and the low complexity of the fabrication process are the two main advantages of the proposed device with respect to other flexible solar cells. The designed solar cell is a graphene/silicon Schottky junction whose performance has been enhanced by a graphene oxide layer deposited on the graphene sheet. The effect of the graphene oxide is to dope the graphene and to act as anti-reflection coating. A silicon dioxide ultrathin layer interposed between the n-Si and the graphene increases the open-circuit voltage of the cell. The solar cell optimization has been achieved through a mathematical model, which has been validated by using experimental data reported in literature. The new flexible photovoltaic device can be integrated in a wide range of microsystems powered by solar energy.

Design and optimization of the plasmonic graphene/InP thin-film solar-cell structure

“…Semiconductor materials are used to make Schottky junctions with graphene and this junction offers a new platform for photovoltaic devices [12]. Recently, graphene sheets have been used in solar cell devices as an active layer [13][14][15]. Graphene-based photovoltaic devices have been used on various substrates such as CdS [5], CdSe [5], Si [5,16], GaAs [17], and InP [18].…”

Two-Dimensional Electronics and Optoelectronics: Present and Future

“…The modeling and design of a new flexible graphene-on-silicon Schottky junction solar cell with a power conversion efficiency >10% is described in Reference [12]. Reference [13] proposes asymmetric double-well potential on graphene as an electronic waveguide to confine the graphene electrons. The guided modes in this graphene waveguide are investigated using a modified transfer matrix method.…”