Designing Few-layer Graphene Schottky Contact Solar Cell: Theoretical Efficiency Limits and Parametric Optimization

TL;DR

This paper theoretically analyzes the efficiency limits of few-layer graphene-semiconductor Schottky solar cells, identifying optimal stacking configurations and parametric conditions for high-performance energy conversion.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed theoretical model for FGSCs considering non-Richardson thermionic emission and compares stacking configurations to optimize efficiency.

Findings

ABA-stacked trilayer graphene-silicon solar cell exceeds 28% efficiency

Lower reversed saturation current in ABA stacking improves performance

Thermal coefficients of PCE differ between ABA and ABC stacking

Abstract

We theoretically study the efficiency limits and performance characteristics of few-layer graphene-semiconductor solar cells (FGSCs) based on a Schottky contact device structure. We model and compare the energy conversion efficiency of various configurations by explicitly considering the non-Richardson thermionic emission across few-layer graphene/semiconductor Schottky heterostructures. The calculations reveal that ABA-stacked trilayer graphene-silicon solar cell exhibits a maximal conversion efficiency exceeding 28\% due to a lower reversed saturation current when compared to that of the ABC-stacking configuration. The thermal coefficients of PCE for ABA and ABC stacking FGSCs are -0.064\%/K and -0.049\%/K, respectively. Our work offers insights for optimal designs of graphene-based solar cells, thus paving a route towards the design of high-performance FGSC for future nanoscale energy converters.