Estimation and analysis for modelling of stand-alone graphene/AlGaAs/GaAs schottky solar photovoltaic cell module for power conversion efficiency

With advancement in photovoltaic technology solar devices matured and the current trend indulge a requisite to elevate device performance by power conversion efficiency and is the focus of recent solar research. Present photovoltaic technology is dominated by solar cell based on silicon wafer with active graphene layer, but these conventional devices are not able to deliver required efficiency to meet the global standards to substitute energy sources. Hence, stands the need therefore a stand alone graphene/Al/Ga/GaAs/GaAs schottky junction solar cell device for enhanced efficiency is developed. The solar photovoltaic device is developed for varied thicknesses of active graphene layer from 100 to 700 nm to estimate and analyse carrier confinement effect at the interface. Additional buffer layer (AlGaAs) is sandwiched between active layer and the GaAs substrate to increase photo generation. The recombination rate is reduced within the active layer due to quantum carrier confinement so that photo generation rate increases leading to high current density. An optimal critical thickness of graphene layer is analysed based on modelling and numerical solution to be at 400 nm. Thereafter, solar cell parameters for 400 nm thick graphene layer are compared with other thickness based devices and similar existing conventional devices of graphene based schottky junction solar cell. The 400 nm thick graphene layered solar cell outperformed existing device with enrichment of 5.26% in fill factor and 17.7% in power conversion efficiency, consequently, demonstrating the device to be the future for the green energy domain.