Performance Improvement of Graded Bandgap Solar Cell via Optimization of Energy Levels Alignment in Si Quantum Dot, TiO2 Nanoparticles, and Porous Si

Abstract

Charge carriers’ generation from zinc includes silicon quantum dots (ZnSiQDs) layer sandwiched in-between porous silicon (PSi) and titania nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) layer-based solar cell is an efficient way to improve the cell’s performance. In this view, ZnSiQDs layer with various QDs sizes have been inserted, separating the PSi and TiO2NPs layers to achieve some graded bandgap quantum dot solar cells (GBQDSCs). In this process, ZnSiQDs of mean diameter 1.22 nm is first prepared via the top-down method. Next, ZnSiQDs have been re-grown using the bottom-up approach to get various mean diameters of 2.1, 2.7 and 7.4 nm. TiO2NPs of mean diameter in the range of 3.2 to 33.94 nm have been achieved via thermal annealing. The influence of different ZnSiQDs sizes on the designed GBGQDSCs performance has been determined. The proposed cell attains a short circuit current of 40 mA/cm2 and an efficiency of 4.9%. It has been shown that the cell performance enhances by optimizing the energy levels alignment in the PSi, ZnSiQDs, TiO2NPs layers.

Temperature Dependency of Photoelectronic Properties of Group III-V Arsenide Solar Cell

“…The latter are called the hearts of an SC. SCs consisting of silicon are the first generation of solar cells, which are manufactured and used on a large scale and divided into monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon SCs [9][10]. The absorption coefficient of Si decreases with the increasing wavelength of incident light photons.…”

Clarifying the effects of nanoscale porosity of silicon on the bandgap and alignment: a combined molecular dynamics–density functional tight binding computational study

“…[6][7][8][9] Porous silicon is also used in other types of solar cells and in other types of devices important for energy conversion and storage such as batteries. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] In allsilicon solar cells, control of the band gap of the pSi layer is important to optimize the solar cell. It has been estimated that the efficiency of a Si-Si tandem cell can be as high as 41.9% when the pSi layer has a bandgap of 1.7 eV.…”

Structural and Electromagnetic Signatures of Anatase and Rutile NTs and Sheets in Three Different Water Models under Different Temperature Conditions

“…During the last few years, the extraordinary physicochemical properties of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles have aroused the interest of leading researchers in the scientific community and have enabled a breakthrough in major technological applications [1]. TiO 2 nanoparticles have been the subject of extensive research due to their remarkable optical properties, which have led to their application in various fields of technology, including photocatalysis [2][3][4], sensors [5,6], Li + and H 2 storage [7,8], rechargeable batteries [9], biomedical applications [10], photovoltaic power generation [2] and in numerous industrial products, such as paints, sunscreens, cosmetics, food (as a colourant) [11], toothpaste and even pharmaceuticals [12]. In the face of this diversity of application, major concerns have arisen about the serious thermal challenges in the fabrication and utilization of TiO 2 nanotubes (TNTs), resulting from localized electrical, optical, and mechanical overheating.…”