Efficiency improvement of single-junction InGaP solar cells by advanced photovoltaic device modeling

A model to optimize single-junction InGaP based solar cells for soundly high photovoltaic characteristics is proposed. The simulated photovoltaic (PV) characteristics include current density (J-V) plots, open circuit potential (VOC), short circuit photocurrent density (JSC), fill factor (FF), conversion efficiency (η) spectral response and photo generation rates, taking into account different structural parameters. The results are superior to earlier experimental multi-junction InGaP based solar cells, in terms of η and FF values. They are also soundly comparable to earlier simulated PV characteristics. Starting with a single-junction InGaP solar cell, the results are potentially useful in future enhancements of multi-junction (III-V semiconducting materials, with different band gap values, such as InGaP/GaAs/Ge) solar cell models, which involve InGaP as front stack. The design concept of InGaP single-junction solar cells is described here, together with key technologies to achieve high efficiency of 18.55% at AM1.5 Sun, using the numerical modeling TCAD tool Silvaco ATLAS.