The Opto-Electronic Physics that Broke the Efficiency Limit in Solar Cells

Eli Yablonovitch; Owen D. Miller; S. R. Kurtz

doi:10.1109/PVSC.2012.6317891

The Opto-Electronic Physics that Broke the Efficiency Limit in Solar Cells

Eli Yablonovitch
, Owen D. Miller
, S. R. Kurtz

Materials Science

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

70 Scopus Citations

Abstract

The internal physics of a solar cell changes as it approaches the fundamental Shockley-Queisser limit. Photonic considerations overtake electronic ones, as an intense internal and external luminescence requires careful photon management. Counter-intuitively, maximizing light extraction increases voltage and therefore efficiency. Until 2010 the one-sun, single-junction efficiency record was set by a GaAs solar cell with an efficiency of 26.4% and an open-circuit voltage V_OC= 1.03 V. Alta Devices recently improved the record with a GaAs cell that achieved 28.8% efficiency and V_OC=1.12V, demonstrating the importance of photon management. Even with the best materials, the highest efficiencies cannot be achieved unless the solar cell is also designed to also be a good light emitting diode (LED). The physics of light extraction will be necessary in the next generation of high-efficiency solar cells.

Original language	American English
Pages	1556-1559
Number of pages	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2012.6317891 https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2012.6317891
State	Published - 2012
Event	38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2012 - Austin, TX, United States Duration: 3 Jun 2012 → 8 Jun 2012

Conference

Conference	38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2012
Country/Territory	United States
City	Austin, TX
Period	3/06/12 → 8/06/12

NLR Publication Number

NREL/CP-5200-57536

Keywords

external luminescence
high efficiency
open-circuit voltage
photovoltaics
Shockley-Queisser

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abstract = "The internal physics of a solar cell changes as it approaches the fundamental Shockley-Queisser limit. Photonic considerations overtake electronic ones, as an intense internal and external luminescence requires careful photon management. Counter-intuitively, maximizing light extraction increases voltage and therefore efficiency. Until 2010 the one-sun, single-junction efficiency record was set by a GaAs solar cell with an efficiency of 26.4\% and an open-circuit voltage VOC= 1.03 V. Alta Devices recently improved the record with a GaAs cell that achieved 28.8\% efficiency and VOC=1.12V, demonstrating the importance of photon management. Even with the best materials, the highest efficiencies cannot be achieved unless the solar cell is also designed to also be a good light emitting diode (LED). The physics of light extraction will be necessary in the next generation of high-efficiency solar cells.",

keywords = "external luminescence, high efficiency, open-circuit voltage, photovoltaics, Shockley-Queisser",

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year = "2012",

doi = "10.1109/PVSC.2012.6317891",

language = "American English",

pages = "1556--1559",

note = "38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2012 ; Conference date: 03-06-2012 Through 08-06-2012",

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T1 - The Opto-Electronic Physics that Broke the Efficiency Limit in Solar Cells

AU - Yablonovitch, Eli

AU - Miller, Owen D.

AU - Kurtz, S. R.

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Y1 - 2012

N2 - The internal physics of a solar cell changes as it approaches the fundamental Shockley-Queisser limit. Photonic considerations overtake electronic ones, as an intense internal and external luminescence requires careful photon management. Counter-intuitively, maximizing light extraction increases voltage and therefore efficiency. Until 2010 the one-sun, single-junction efficiency record was set by a GaAs solar cell with an efficiency of 26.4% and an open-circuit voltage VOC= 1.03 V. Alta Devices recently improved the record with a GaAs cell that achieved 28.8% efficiency and VOC=1.12V, demonstrating the importance of photon management. Even with the best materials, the highest efficiencies cannot be achieved unless the solar cell is also designed to also be a good light emitting diode (LED). The physics of light extraction will be necessary in the next generation of high-efficiency solar cells.

AB - The internal physics of a solar cell changes as it approaches the fundamental Shockley-Queisser limit. Photonic considerations overtake electronic ones, as an intense internal and external luminescence requires careful photon management. Counter-intuitively, maximizing light extraction increases voltage and therefore efficiency. Until 2010 the one-sun, single-junction efficiency record was set by a GaAs solar cell with an efficiency of 26.4% and an open-circuit voltage VOC= 1.03 V. Alta Devices recently improved the record with a GaAs cell that achieved 28.8% efficiency and VOC=1.12V, demonstrating the importance of photon management. Even with the best materials, the highest efficiencies cannot be achieved unless the solar cell is also designed to also be a good light emitting diode (LED). The physics of light extraction will be necessary in the next generation of high-efficiency solar cells.

KW - external luminescence

KW - high efficiency

KW - open-circuit voltage

KW - photovoltaics

KW - Shockley-Queisser

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The Opto-Electronic Physics that Broke the Efficiency Limit in Solar Cells

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Conference

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Keywords

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