In this paper, global optimization techniques are used to design broadband solar absorption enhancement in thin film amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells, using periodic nanostructures on the top and bottom surfaces of the cell. Considering a combination of silver rectangular gratings and indium tin oxide (ITO) coatings on both surfaces of the a-Si, numerical optimization techniques such as Simulated Annealing and a local constrained Quasi-Newton algorithm are used to optimize the surface texture patterns. Numerical results indicate that, unlike the case of metallic gratings on the front surface, a periodic silver grating structure on the back surface results in a modification of the absorption spectrum largely independent of the effect of anti-reflection ITO coatings on the front of the cell. Furthermore, additional improvement can be obtained by using a thin rear surface ITO layers. Therefore, using a combination of metallic gratings and ITO coatings on both sides, a wideband absorption spectrum enhancement is achievable. Simulations predict integrated enhancement factors as high as 2.0 (100% improvement) for the case of metallic grating on the back surface and ITO layers on the front, and as high as 2.2 (120% improvement) when a combination of grating and ITO coatings on both sides is used. Such noteworthy improvements are made possible by efficient multi-parameter optimization supplanting an intractable exhaustive search.
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ASME 2012 Third International Conference on Micro/Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer
March 3–6, 2012
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Nanotechnology Institute
ISBN:
978-0-7918-5477-8
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Broadband Absorption Enhancement in Thin Film Solar Cells Using Inverse Optimization of Light Trapping Mechanisms Available to Purchase
Shima Hajimirza,
Shima Hajimirza
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
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Alex Heltzel,
Alex Heltzel
PC Krause and Associates, Inc., West Lafayette, IN
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John Howell
John Howell
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
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Shima Hajimirza
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Alex Heltzel
PC Krause and Associates, Inc., West Lafayette, IN
John Howell
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Paper No:
MNHMT2012-75065, pp. 559-567; 9 pages
Published Online:
July 18, 2013
Citation
Hajimirza, S, Heltzel, A, & Howell, J. "Broadband Absorption Enhancement in Thin Film Solar Cells Using Inverse Optimization of Light Trapping Mechanisms." Proceedings of the ASME 2012 Third International Conference on Micro/Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer. ASME 2012 Third International Conference on Micro/Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer. Atlanta, Georgia, USA. March 3–6, 2012. pp. 559-567. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/MNHMT2012-75065
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