JAGANNATH GUPTA INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND

TECHNOLOGY
A
PRESENTATION
ON
INTERMEDIATE BAND QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELL

CONTENTS

Photovoltaic
Conventional solar cell
Introduction
Working
Limitations
Energy bands in solids
Intermediate band solar cell
Quantum dot
Intermediate band quantum dot solar
cell
Introduction
Construction
Working
Advantages
Applications
Limitations

Introduction to Photovoltaic

Generations of voltage
from

photons

Light energy ( photons)

are converted into
electrical energy
( voltage).

This conversion is called

photovoltaic effect.

Photovoltaic Generations

First generation: silicon

wafer-based solar cells

Second generation: thinfilm deposits of semiconductors

Third generation: photoelectrochemical cells

Fourth generation:
composite photovoltaic
technology

Solar Cell

The solar cell (or photovoltaic

cell) is a device that converts
light energy into electrical
energy.

Fundamentally,
the
device
needs to fulfill only two
functions:
1. Photo-generation of charge
carriers (electrons and holes)
in a light-absorbing material.
2. Separation of the charge
carriers
to
a
conductive
contact that will transmit the
electricity.

How Classical Solar Cells Operate ?

.

Energy band in crystals

Intermediate band solar cell

The intermediate band (IB)

is an electronic band located
within the semiconductor
band gap, separated from
the conduction and the
valence band by a null
density of states.

Intermediate
band
cells
(IBSCs)
photovoltaic devices.

Used to exploit the energy

of below band gap energy
photons.

solar
are

Intermediate band
Requirements

Higher photocurrent
Higher efficiency arising from
absorption of 2 sub-band gap photons
to create one electron-hole pair.

High voltage
V=(EF,CB- EF,VB)/q
V~Eg for main semiconductor

Essentials for operation

3 quasi-Fermi levels
IB disconnected from emitters
Need IB half-filled with electrons
Non-overlapping absorption
coefficients

Energy levels

How can we introduce these

intermediate
energy levels in the band gap?
Answer
Introduce Quantum
Dots

Quantum dots

A quantum dot is a nano meter sized

particle of a low band gap material
surrounded by a material with larger
band gap.

Artificial atom with energy levels

depending on the dot size and on the
band gap difference.

If many quantum dots are placed closed

to each other in a lattice one or more
intermediate bands can be formed and a
new semiconductor with tailored
properties has been made.

Quantum Dot

A quantum dot is a portion

of matter (e.g.,
semiconductor) whose
excitons are confined in all
three spatial dimensions.

Quantum dots have

properties combined
between

Those of bulk
semiconductors

Those of atoms

Physical structure
The structure is as follow :

Quantum Dot : Types

Salient characteristics of QDs for IBSC

Dot sized shape,

composition

Dot spacing

Dot regularity

Materials

Doping

ADVANTAGES

Higher Efficiency.
Balance between
the two factors :
(I) Cost/Watt
(II) Efficiency

APPLICATIONS

Photovoltaic devices: solar cells

Biology : biosensors, imaging

Light emitting diodes: LEDs

Quantum computation

Flat-panel displays

Memory elements

Photodetectors

Lasers

What limits performance of these QD IBSC?

Weak absorption of sub-band gap

photons

Low open-circuit voltage

Low currents

Cost

Conclusions

QD SL cells show photo responses

extended to longer
wavelengths than
GaAs control cells, demonstrating current
generation from the absorption of subbandgap photons.

IBSC theoretically offers a way to

significantly
increase
cell
efficiency
compared to that of a single-junction solar
cell.

Conclusions

Much more work needs to be done before

IBSC can
make a major contribution to the PV market.
Miles To Go Before I sleep

Queries