Mesoscale modeling of photoelectrochemical devices: light absorption and carrier collection in monolithic, tandem, Si|WO3 microwires

Opt Express. 2014 Oct 20:22 Suppl 6:A1453-61. doi: 10.1364/OE.22.0A1453.

Abstract

We analyze mesoscale light absorption and carrier collection in a tandem junction photoelectrochemical device using electromagnetic simulations. The tandem device consists of silicon (E(g,Si) = 1.1 eV) and tungsten oxide (E(g,WO3) = 2.6 eV) as photocathode and photoanode materials, respectively. Specifically, we investigated Si microwires with lengths of 100 µm, and diameters of 2 µm, with a 7 µm pitch, covered vertically with 50 µm of WO3 with a thickness of 1 µm. Many geometrical variants of this prototypical tandem device were explored. For conditions of illumination with the AM 1.5G spectra, the nominal design resulted in a short circuit current density, J(SC), of 1 mA/cm(2), which is limited by the WO3 absorption. Geometrical optimization of photoanode and photocathode shape and contact material selection, enabled a three-fold increase in short circuit current density relative to the initial design via enhanced WO3 light absorption. These findings validate the usefulness of a mesoscale analysis for ascertaining optimum optoelectronic performance in photoelectrochemical devices.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Absorption, Radiation
  • Computer Simulation
  • Electric Conductivity
  • Electron Transport / radiation effects
  • Light
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Nanocomposites / chemistry*
  • Nanocomposites / ultrastructure
  • Nanowires / chemistry*
  • Nanowires / radiation effects
  • Nanowires / ultrastructure
  • Oxides / chemistry*
  • Oxides / radiation effects
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Semiconductors
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Silicon / radiation effects
  • Tungsten / chemistry*
  • Tungsten / radiation effects

Substances

  • Oxides
  • tungsten oxide
  • Tungsten
  • Silicon