The maximum theoretical efficiency of single-junction solar cells is limited by the inability to absorb photons with energy lower than the material bandgap and by the thermalisation of electron-hole pairs produced by photons with energies larger than the bandgap. For GaAs based solar cells, this turns into a Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit of about 33.5% and 40% under unconcentrated and full concentrated light, respectively.<\/p>\n
The TFQD project will develop lightweight GaAs-based thin-film quantum dot solar cells exceeding the Shockley-Queisser limit<\/strong>, based on the following cornerstones: Device technology development will be sustained by an extensive design activity, supported by advanced numerical simulation tools.<\/p>\n The target efficiency of 30%, together with a reduction of weight close to 90%, will make the thin-film light-trapping enhanced quantum dot solar cell to rank record power-to-weight ratios with the potentiality to become a cost-effective, attractive alternative to next generation multi-junction solar cells.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The maximum theoretical efficiency of single-junction solar cells is limited by the inability to absorb photons with energy lower than the material bandgap and by the thermalisation of electron-hole pairs produced by photons with energies larger than the bandgap. For GaAs based solar cells, this turns into a Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit of about 33.5% and … <\/p>\n
\n– Thin-film design<\/strong> to enable low weight, flexibility and advanced design for efficiency optimization
\n– Use of Quantum Dots<\/a> (QD)<\/strong> to overcome the efficiency limit of single-junction cells by harvesting a larger portion of the solar spectrum with respect to the host bulk semiconductor.
\n– Implementation of light trapping<\/a> techniques<\/strong> to increase the photocurrent generation at the GaAs band edge and at the QD wavelengths and of photon recycling<\/strong> to suppress radiative recombination and maximize the open circuit voltage.
\n– Cost-effective and scalable fabrication process, suitable for further industrialization, by adopting epitaxial lift-off (ELO) technology<\/a> <\/strong> and NanoImprint Lithography (NIL)<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n