Red Phosphorus Nanoparticles in the Silicon Solar Cells for Higher Cell Efficiency and Converting the Ultraviolet to Visible Light Wavelength Range

Abstract

Red phosphorus nanoparticles were synthesized on the surface of the silicon solar cell by PVD technique (condensation on the cell surface from the vapor phase). The red phosphorous deposition on the surface of the cells was repeated several times with different thicknesses of the phosphorous layer, and after each deposition procedure, the efficiency of the silicon solar cell was measured. The obtained results demonstrated that after the deposition of 340 nm of phosphorous, the efficiency of the cell increased from 5.86 to 7.08, and about a 21% relative increase in efficiency was achieved. Moreover, the layers' absorption spectra and photoluminescence spectrum show that red phosphorus nanoparticles absorbed UV light and emitted visible light in addition to UV. In other words, the phosphorous layer has shifted the UV light to the visible light wavelength. In this research, a monocrystalline silicon solar cell was used to increase efficiency, and amorphous red phosphorus was deposited on the surface of the silicon solar cell by the PVD technique. In addition, to perform optical spectroscopy, a glass slide was placed next to the cells in each deposition step. The results of optical spectroscopy of phosphorous layers also showed that the amount of UV light transmission in the sample with a 340 nm phosphorous layer is lower than the sample with a 50 nm phosphorous layer. And vice versa, the amount of UV light absorption is higher, in other words, thicker phosphorous layers pass UV light less and absorb it more.

Keywords

• nanoparticles
• silicon solar cell
• efficiency
• phosphorus