Electrical and optical properties of InSb/GaAs QDSC for photovoltaic

This paper focuses on the simulation and optimization of electrical and optical properties such as current density-voltage (J-V), external quantum efficiency (EQE) and the photoluminescence spectra (PL) of InSb/GaAs quantum dot solar cell (QDSC). The InSb QDs have been inserted in the intrinsic region of p-i-n GaAs solar cell. Our results have been shown that 30 InSb/GaAs QD layers provide a relative enhancement of 22.35% and 29.30% of the short-circuit current and the efficiency, respectively. With the same number of the QD layers, the absorption range edge of low energy photons has been extended from 900 to 1400 nm. The electrical features obtained for InSb/GaAs QDSC have been compared with those obtained for InAs/GaAs QDSC in goal to show the better structure. The PL spectra has been also compared with experimental result for the same structure. Moreover, the QDSC has been optimized with respect to the thickness of QDs. The optimal conversion efficiency of 10 QD layers is improved from 14.85% to 18.30% by increasing the thickness of the QDs from 5 nm to 20 nm. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.