Simulation Study of Schottky Contact Based Single Si Wire Solar Cell

TL;DR

This simulation study explores how nanowire dimensions, contact work function differences, and carrier lifetime affect the performance of silicon nanowire solar cells, revealing saturation effects and potential doping-free designs.

Contribution

It provides a detailed simulation analysis of silicon nanowire solar cells with dissimilar metal contacts, highlighting effects of physical parameters on efficiency and suggesting doping-free configurations.

Findings

ISC and VOC increase with nanowire length but saturate due to recombination.

Larger work function differences improve cell characteristics and may eliminate doping.

Spreading contacts along the nanowire length reduces saturation and degradation.

Abstract

We simulate single silicon nanowire (SiNW) solar cells with dissimilar work function metal contacts. Both short circuit current (ISC) and open circuit voltage (VOC) have been investigated. Effects of nanowire dimension, minority carrier lifetime, and contact metal work function difference are understood through simulations. Both ISC and VOC increase with nanowire length but saturate due to minority carrier recombination. The saturation length is found to be five times the diffusion length. The larger the contact work function difference, the more improved the solar cell characteristics. Large work function differences may also avoid need for any doping in axial p-i-n nanowire solar cells. Saturation in ISC as well as degradation in current density with length can be minimized by spreading the contacts along the length of the nanowire.