The rigorous coupled-wave approach was implemented in a three-dimensional setting to calculate the chargecarrier-generation rate in a thin-film solar cell with multiple amorphous-silicon p-i-n junctions. The solar cell comprised a front antireflection window; three electrically isolated p-i-n junctions in tandem; and a periodically corrugated silver back-reflector with hillock-shaped corrugations arranged on a hexagonal lattice. The differential evolution algorithm (DEA) was used to maximize the charge-carrier-generation rate over a set of selected optical and electrical parameters. This optimization exercise minimized the bandgap of the topmost i–layer but all other parameters turned out to be uninfluential. More importantly, the exercise led to a configuration that would very likely render the solar cell inefficient. Therefore, another optimization exercise was conducted to maximize power density. The resulting configuration was optimal over all parameters.

Date Published: 25 August 2017
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 10368, Next Generation Technologies for Solar Energy Conversion VIII, 1036809 (25 August 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2274077

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10368:
Next Generation Technologies for Solar Energy Conversion VIII
Oleg V. Sulima; Gavin Conibeer, Editor(s)