Evaluation of photovoltaic properties of nanocrystalline-FeSi2/Si heterojunctions

Mahmoud Shaban; Amr M. Bayoumi; Doaa Farouk; Mohamed B. Saleh; Tsuyoshi Yoshitake

doi:10.1016/j.sse.2016.05.006

Evaluation of photovoltaic properties of nanocrystalline-FeSi₂/Si heterojunctions

Mahmoud Shaban
, Amr M. Bayoumi
, Doaa Farouk
, Mohamed B. Saleh
, Tsuyoshi Yoshitake

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this paper, an application of nanocrystalline iron disilicide (NC-FeSi₂) combined with nanocrystalline-Si (NC-Si) in a heterostructured solar cell is introduced and numerically evaluated in detail. The proposed cell structure is studied based on an experimental investigation of photovoltaic properties of NC-FeSi₂/crystalline-Si heterojunctions, composed of unintentionally-doped NC-FeSi₂ thin film grown on Si substrate. Photoresponse measurement of NC-FeSi₂/crystalline-Si heterojunction confirmed ability of NC-FeSi₂ to absorb NIR light and to generate photocarriers. However, collection of these carriers was not so efficient and a radical improvement in design of the device is required. Therefore, a modified device structure, comprising of NC-FeSi₂ layer sandwiched between two heavily-doped p- and n-type NC-Si, is suggested and numerically evaluated. Simulation results showed that the proposed structure would exhibit a relatively high conversion efficiency of 25%, due to an improvement in collection efficiency of photogenerated carriers in the NC-FeSi₂ and NC-Si layers. To attain such efficiency, defect densities in NC-FeSi₂ and NC-Si layers should be kept less than 10¹⁴ and 10¹⁶ cm⁻³ eV⁻¹, respectively. Remarkable optical and electrical properties of NC-FeSi₂, employed in the proposed structure, facilitate improving device quantum efficiency spectrum providing significant spectrum extension into the near-infrared region beyond Si bandgap.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	111-118
Number of pages	8
Journal	Solid-State Electronics
Volume	123
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sse.2016.05.006
Publication status	Published - Sept 1 2016

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Materials Chemistry
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1016/j.sse.2016.05.006

Cite this

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title = "Evaluation of photovoltaic properties of nanocrystalline-FeSi2/Si heterojunctions",

abstract = "In this paper, an application of nanocrystalline iron disilicide (NC-FeSi2) combined with nanocrystalline-Si (NC-Si) in a heterostructured solar cell is introduced and numerically evaluated in detail. The proposed cell structure is studied based on an experimental investigation of photovoltaic properties of NC-FeSi2/crystalline-Si heterojunctions, composed of unintentionally-doped NC-FeSi2 thin film grown on Si substrate. Photoresponse measurement of NC-FeSi2/crystalline-Si heterojunction confirmed ability of NC-FeSi2 to absorb NIR light and to generate photocarriers. However, collection of these carriers was not so efficient and a radical improvement in design of the device is required. Therefore, a modified device structure, comprising of NC-FeSi2 layer sandwiched between two heavily-doped p- and n-type NC-Si, is suggested and numerically evaluated. Simulation results showed that the proposed structure would exhibit a relatively high conversion efficiency of 25\%, due to an improvement in collection efficiency of photogenerated carriers in the NC-FeSi2 and NC-Si layers. To attain such efficiency, defect densities in NC-FeSi2 and NC-Si layers should be kept less than 1014 and 1016 cm−3 eV−1, respectively. Remarkable optical and electrical properties of NC-FeSi2, employed in the proposed structure, facilitate improving device quantum efficiency spectrum providing significant spectrum extension into the near-infrared region beyond Si bandgap.",

author = "Mahmoud Shaban and Bayoumi, \{Amr M.\} and Doaa Farouk and Saleh, \{Mohamed B.\} and Tsuyoshi Yoshitake",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2016",

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doi = "10.1016/j.sse.2016.05.006",

language = "English",

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T1 - Evaluation of photovoltaic properties of nanocrystalline-FeSi2/Si heterojunctions

AU - Shaban, Mahmoud

AU - Bayoumi, Amr M.

AU - Farouk, Doaa

AU - Saleh, Mohamed B.

AU - Yoshitake, Tsuyoshi

PY - 2016/9/1

Y1 - 2016/9/1

N2 - In this paper, an application of nanocrystalline iron disilicide (NC-FeSi2) combined with nanocrystalline-Si (NC-Si) in a heterostructured solar cell is introduced and numerically evaluated in detail. The proposed cell structure is studied based on an experimental investigation of photovoltaic properties of NC-FeSi2/crystalline-Si heterojunctions, composed of unintentionally-doped NC-FeSi2 thin film grown on Si substrate. Photoresponse measurement of NC-FeSi2/crystalline-Si heterojunction confirmed ability of NC-FeSi2 to absorb NIR light and to generate photocarriers. However, collection of these carriers was not so efficient and a radical improvement in design of the device is required. Therefore, a modified device structure, comprising of NC-FeSi2 layer sandwiched between two heavily-doped p- and n-type NC-Si, is suggested and numerically evaluated. Simulation results showed that the proposed structure would exhibit a relatively high conversion efficiency of 25%, due to an improvement in collection efficiency of photogenerated carriers in the NC-FeSi2 and NC-Si layers. To attain such efficiency, defect densities in NC-FeSi2 and NC-Si layers should be kept less than 1014 and 1016 cm−3 eV−1, respectively. Remarkable optical and electrical properties of NC-FeSi2, employed in the proposed structure, facilitate improving device quantum efficiency spectrum providing significant spectrum extension into the near-infrared region beyond Si bandgap.

AB - In this paper, an application of nanocrystalline iron disilicide (NC-FeSi2) combined with nanocrystalline-Si (NC-Si) in a heterostructured solar cell is introduced and numerically evaluated in detail. The proposed cell structure is studied based on an experimental investigation of photovoltaic properties of NC-FeSi2/crystalline-Si heterojunctions, composed of unintentionally-doped NC-FeSi2 thin film grown on Si substrate. Photoresponse measurement of NC-FeSi2/crystalline-Si heterojunction confirmed ability of NC-FeSi2 to absorb NIR light and to generate photocarriers. However, collection of these carriers was not so efficient and a radical improvement in design of the device is required. Therefore, a modified device structure, comprising of NC-FeSi2 layer sandwiched between two heavily-doped p- and n-type NC-Si, is suggested and numerically evaluated. Simulation results showed that the proposed structure would exhibit a relatively high conversion efficiency of 25%, due to an improvement in collection efficiency of photogenerated carriers in the NC-FeSi2 and NC-Si layers. To attain such efficiency, defect densities in NC-FeSi2 and NC-Si layers should be kept less than 1014 and 1016 cm−3 eV−1, respectively. Remarkable optical and electrical properties of NC-FeSi2, employed in the proposed structure, facilitate improving device quantum efficiency spectrum providing significant spectrum extension into the near-infrared region beyond Si bandgap.

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