Optoelectronic design of multijunction wire-array solar cells

Abstract

Microwire solar cells have demonstrated promising optical and photovoltaic performance in arrays of single junction Si wires. Seeking higher efficiencies, we have numerically investigated III-V on Si_(1-x)Ge_x architectures as candidates for tandem microwire photovoltaics via optical and electronic transport modeling. Optical modeling indicates that light trapping is an important design criterion. Absorption is more than doubled by the presence of Al2O3 scattering particles around the wires, leading to high overall light collection despite low wire packing fraction. Texturing of the microwire outer surface, which was found to occur experimentally for GaP/Si microwires, is also shown to enhance absorption by over 50% relative to wires with smooth surfaces, allowing for the use of thinner layers. Finally, full optoelectronic simulations of GaAs on Ge structures revealed that current matching is attainable in these structures and that wire device efficiencies can approach those of planar cells.