Optimal design of organic?inorganic hybrid tandem solar cell based on a-Si:H and organic photovoltaics for high efficiency

Abstract

Thin-film solar cells based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and conjugated polymers have been studied extensively. However, organic–inorganic hybrid tandem solar cells incorporating the two materials as subcells are yet to be extensively studied. Here, a computational study on the optimal design of organic–inorganic hybrid tandem solar cells to achieve the maximum possible efficiency is presented. The optical simulations predict the optimal design of an organic–inorganic hybrid tandem solar cell, desirable for a wide range of spectral response and high efficiency. The optimum combination of thicknesses of a-Si:H and organic photovoltaic (OPV) subcells to achieve the highest possible efficiency in terms of short circuit current (Jsc) is determined. Thicknesses of 400 and 140 nm for a-Si:H and OPV subcells, respectively, are suggested for the optimised tandem solar cell to achieve current matching and a maximum power conversion efficiency of 11.57%.