Few-layer p-type phosphorene sheet: An efficient transparent conducting electrode in silicon heterojunction solar cell

Abstract In this article, a structure of heterojunction solar cell configured as Ti (front contact)/p-phosphorene/n-cSi/Ag (back contact) has been simulated by using AFOSR-HET v2.5 software. Here, electronic nature of phosphorene layer which is anisotropic along armchair and zigzag directions has been considered as 3D in nature instead of 2D. After optimizing the parameters of p-type single layer phosphorene and n-type crystalline silicon (n-cSi) maximum power conversion efficiency 15.51% and 14.06% has been achieved for armchair and zigzag phosphorene, respectively. The temperature dependence of the cell performance has been studied and maximum efficiency has been found at 300 K for both armchair and zigzag phosphorene layer. Further, we have studied the effect of metal contact on the cell performance. We have also simulated the solar cell taking experimentally available parameters of n-cSi and efficiencies of 13.29% and 14.06% are found in cases of the armchair and zigzag phosphorene layers, respectively. Finally, we have demonstrated that multilayer p-type phosphorene layer could act as an effective transparent conducting electrode in the silicon heterojunction solar cell.