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Computational analysis of hybrid perovskite on silicon 2-T tandem solar cells based on a Si tunnel junction

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Abstract

In this study, the optoelectronic properties of a monolithically integrated 2 terminals tandem solar cell are simulated with a particular emphasis on the role of a tunnel junction in silicon. Following the large success of low-cost hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites solar cells, the possibility of using perovskites as absorbers in silicon based tandem solar cells is estimated. The top sub-cell consists in methyl ammonium mixed bromide-iodide lead perovskite, CH3NH3PbI3(1−x)Br3x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), while the bottom sub-cell is made by a single-crystalline silicon bottom sub-cell. A Si-based tunnel junction is used to connect the two sub-cells in series. Numerical simulations are based on a one-dimensional numerical drift–diffusion model. It is shown that a perovskite layer with 20% of bromide and a thickness in the range of 300–400 nm can afford current matching with the silicon bottom cell. Good interconnection between single cells is ensured by standard n and p doping levels beyond 5 × 1019 cm−3 in the tunnel junction. A maximum efficiency of 27% is predicted for the tandem cell, which exceeds the efficiencies of the individual solar cells of silicon (17.3%) and perovskite (17.9%).

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Acknowledgements

The work in France was supported by Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (TRANSHYPERO and SUPERSANSPLOMB ANR projects). The work performed at FOTON and ISCR has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, through a FET Open research and innovation action under the grant agreement No 687008.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSA de Rennes, UMR 6082, CNRS, Fonctions Optiques pour les Technologies de l’Information (FOTON), 35708, Rennes, France

    Alain Rolland, Laurent Pedesseau, Yong Huang, Shijian Wang, Charles Cornet, Olivier Durand & Jacky Even

  2. CNRS, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, INSA de Rennes, UMR 6226, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes (ISCR), Université de Rennes 1, 35042, Rennes, France

    Mickaël Kepenekian & Claudine Katan

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  1. Alain Rolland
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  2. Laurent Pedesseau
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  3. Mickaël Kepenekian
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Correspondence to Alain Rolland.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Numerical Simulation of Optoelectronic Devices, NUSOD’ 17.

Guest edited by Matthias Auf der Maur, Weida Hu, Slawomir Sujecki, Yuh-Renn Wu, Niels Gregersen, Paolo Bardella.

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Rolland, A., Pedesseau, L., Kepenekian, M. et al. Computational analysis of hybrid perovskite on silicon 2-T tandem solar cells based on a Si tunnel junction. Opt Quant Electron 50, 21 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-017-1284-0

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