The effect of multi-intermediate bands on the behavior of an InAs_(1-x)N_x/GaAs(1-y)Sb_y quantum dot solar cell

A mathematical model of quantum dot intermediate band solar cells （QDIBSCs） is investigated using two intermediate bands （IBs）. These two IBs arise from the quantum dot （QD） semiconductor material within the bandgap energy. Some parameters such as the width of the QD （WQD） and the barrier thickness or the inter-dot distances between the QDs （BT） are studied to show their influence on the performance of the QDIBSC. The timeindependent Schr6dinger equation, which is solved using the Kronig-Penney model, is used to determine the posi- tion and bandwidth energies of the two IBs. In our proposed model, the cubic shape of the QDs from InAs0.9N0.1 and the barrier or host semiconductor material from GaAs0.98Sb0.02 are utilized. It is shown from the results obtained that changing the parameters WQD and Bx has more influence on the bandwidth energy for the first IB, A 1, than in the case of the second IB, A2. The optimum power conversion efficiencies （PCEs） of the QDIBSCs with two IBs for the model under study are 58.01% and 73.55% at 1 sun and maximum solar concentration, respectively. One can observe that, in the case of the two IBs, an improvement of the PCE is achieved.

Theoretical optoelectronic analysis of intermediate-band photovoltaic material based on ZnY_(1-x) O_x(Y = S,Se,Te) semiconductors by first-principles calculations

The structural, energetic, and electronic properties of lattice highly mismatched ZnY1-xOx （Y = S, Se, Te） ternary alloys with dilute O concentrations are calculated from first principles within the density functional theory. We demonstrate the formation of an isolated intermediate electronic band structure through diluted O-substitute in zinc-blende ZnY （Y = S, Se, Te） at octahedral sites in a semiconductor by the calculations of density of states （DOS）, leading to a significant absorption below the band gap of the parent semiconductor and an enhancement of the optical absorption in the whole energy range of the solar spectrum. It is found that the intermediate band states should be described as a result of the coupling between impurity O 2p states with the conduction band states. Moreover, the intermediate bands （IBs） in ZnTeO show high stabilization with the change of O concentration resulting from the largest electronegativity difference between O and Te compared with in the other ZnSO and ZnSeO.

Detailed balance limit efficiency of silicon intermediate band solar cells

The detailed balance method is used to study the potential of the intermediate band solar cell （IBSC）, which can improve the efficiency of the gi-based solar cell with a bandgap between 1.1 eV to 1.7 eV. It shows that a crystalline silicon solar ceil with an intermediate band located at 0.36 eV below the conduction band or above the valence band can reach a limiting efficiency of 54% at the maximum light concentration, improving greatly than 40.7% of the Shoekley-Queisser limit for the single junction Si solar cell. The simulation also shows that the limiting efficiency of the silicon-based solar cell increases as the bandgap increases from 1.1 eV to 1.7 eV, and the amorphous Si solar cell with a bandgap of 1.7 eV exhibits a radiative limiting efficiency of 62.47070, having a better potential.

Infrared response of the lateral PIN structure of a highly titanium-doped silicon-on-insulator material

The intermediate band （IB） solar cell is a promising third-generation solar cell that could possibly achieve very high efficiency above the Shockley-Queisser limit. One of the promising ways to synthesize IB material is to introduce heavily doped deep level impurities in conventional semiconductors. High-doped Ti with a concentration of 10^20 cm^-3- 10^21 cm^-3 in the p-type top Si layer of silicon-on-insulator （SOI） substrate is obtained by ion implantation and rapid thermal annealing （RTA）. Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements confirm that the Ti concentration exceeds the theoretical Mott limit, the main requirement for the formation of an impurity intermediate band. Increased absorption is observed in the infrared （IR） region by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） technology. By using a lateral p-i-n structure, an obvious infrared response in a range of 1100 nm 2000 nm is achieved in a heavily Ti-doped SOI substrate, suggesting that the improvement on IR photoresponse is a result of increased absorption in the IR. The experimental results indicate that heavily Ti-implanted Si can be used as a potential kind of intermediate-band photovoltaic material to utilize the infrared photons of the solar spectrum.

First-Principles GGA+U Study of Intermediate-Band Characters from Zn_(1-x)M_xO(M=3d Transition-Metal) Alloys Suitable for High Efficiency Solar Cell

The electronic structure characters are calculated for the Zn1-∞MxO alloys with some Zn atoms in ZnO substituted by 3d transition-metal atoms （M）, in order to find out which of these alloys could provide an intermediate band material used for fabricating high efficiency solar cell. Especially, among of these alloys, the electronic structure character and optical performance of Zn1-xCr∞ 0 alloys clearly show an intermediate band filled partially and isolated from the VB and the CB in energy band structure of ZnO host, and the intermediate band characters can be preserved with increasing Cr concentrations no more than 8.33% in Zn1-xCrxO alloys, at the same time, the ratio 0.52 of Eg^FC to EVE in Zn1-xCrxO, （x = 4.16%） alloy is closest to the optimal ratio of 0,57. Besides, compared to the ZnO, the optical absorption does indicate a great improved absorption below the calculated band gap of the ZnO and an enhancement of the optical absorption in the whole solar spectral energy range.

The effect of InAs quantum-dot size and interdot distance on GaInP/GaAs/GaInAs/Ge multi-junction tandem solar cells

A metamorphic GaInP/GaAs/GaInAs/Ge multi-junction solar cell with InAs quantum dots is investigated, and the analytical expression of the energy conversion efficiency on the multi-junction tandem solar cell is derived using the detailed balance principle and the Kronig-Penney model.The influences of interdot distance, quantum-dot size and the intermediate band location on the energy conversion efficiency are studied.This shows that the maximum efficiency,as a function of quantum-dot size and distance,is about 60.15%under the maximum concentration for only one InAs/GaAs subcell,and is even up to 39.69%for the overall cell.In addition,other efficiency factors such as current mismatch,the formation of a quasicontinuum conduction band and concentrated light are examined.

A combined experimental-computational study on nitrogen doped Cu_2O as the wide-spectrum absorption material

Highly-oriented Cu2O thin films were prepared by low temperature thermal oxidation of evaporated Cu thin films. The films were doped with different doses of nitrogen by ion implantation. An absorption peak ap- pears below the absorption edge in the absorption spectrum of highly nitrogen doped Cu2O. The effect of nitrogen doping on the crystal structure, electronic structure and optical properties of Cu2O were investigated systemati- cally by first-principles calculations. The calculation results indicate that an intermediate energy band exists in the forbidden gap of highly nitrogen doped Cu2O. The electron transition from the valence band to the intermediate band is consistent with the absorption peak by experimental observation. Experimental and computational results indicate that nitrogen doped Cu2O could be a suitable absorbing material candidate for wide-spectrum detectors or intermediate band solar cells.