Optimization of InGaAs/InGaAsP quantum well solar cells with anti-reflection coating

As a key component of next-generation photovoltaic technology, quantum well solar cells (QWSCs) have received great attention in the past few years. The growth characteristics and structure of III/V materials also provide a new choice for QWSCs. In this paper, a novel multi-quantum well solar cell is proposed, in which InGaAs/InGaAsP quantum wells (QWs) are inserted in the intrinsic region of the PIN structure, and the thickness, number and position of the QWs are optimized. Compared with ordinary solar cells, the short-circuit current (J_sc ) increased from 30.25mA/cm² to 42.65mA/cm², and the cell efficiency increased to 27.4%. Then, after adding an anti-reflection layer (ARC) on top of the QWSCs, J_sc has increased another 7mA/cm² on average on the basis of previous one. It is clear that InGaAs/InGaAsP QWSCs absorb more incident sunlight. Furthermore, the influence on J_sc of the different position of QWs in the intrinsic region is also discussed. The results show that placing the QWs on top of the intrinsic region maximizes the efficiency of the solar cell.