Quadruple-junction thin-film silicon-based solar cells with high open-circuit voltage

We have fabricated a-SiOx:H/a-Si:H/nc-Si:H/nc-Si:H quadruple-junction thin-film silicon-based solar cells (4J TFSSCs) to obtain high spectral utilization and high voltages. By processing the solar cells on micro-textured superstrates, extremely high open-circuit voltages for photovoltaic technology based on thin-film silicon alloys up to 2.91V have been achieved. Optical simulations of quadruple-junction solar cells using an advanced in-house model are a crucial tool to effectively tackle the challenging task of current matching among the individual sub-cells in such devices. After optimizing the optical design of the device and the absorber thicknesses, an energy conversion efficiency of 11.4% has been achieved. The open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, and fill factor were 2.82V, 5.49mA/cm(2), and 73.9%, respectively. Based on this demonstration, strategies for further development of highly efficient 4J TFSSCs are proposed. (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.