Title :
Improvements of an up-conversion NaYF4:Er3+ phosphor/silicon solar cell system for an enhanced response in the near-infrared
Author :
Shalav, Avi ; Richards, Bryce S. ; Krame, Karl ; Güdel, Hans
Author_Institution :
Centre of Excellence for Adv. Silicon Photovoltaics & Photonics, Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Abstract :
This study investigates the performance of up-converting rare-earth phosphors doped with different trivalent erbium (Er3+) concentrations: 2%, 20%, 50%, 100%, and with the addition of 20% ytterbium (Yb). The dominant up-conversion (UC) mechanisms within these phosphors are discussed and examined using photoluminescence and the spectral response from a bifacial silicon solar cell. The most efficient phosphor examined had 20% Er doping and gave a maximum external quantum efficiency close to 3.4% with 6 mW 1523 nm laser excitation. The subsequent system internal quantum efficiency (accounting for reflection losses within the cell) is calculated to be over 5.7%.
Keywords :
doping; elemental semiconductors; erbium; phosphors; photoluminescence; silicon; sodium compounds; solar cells; 1523 nm; 3.4 percent; 6 mW; Er doping; Si-NaYF4:Er; bifacial silicon solar cell; doped up-converting rare-earth phosphors; enhanced near-infrared response; internal quantum efficiency; laser excitation; maximum external quantum efficiency; phosphor/silicon solar cell system; photoluminescence; reflection losses; spectral response; trivalent erbium concentration; up-conversion improvement; ytterbium addition; Absorption; Energy exchange; Energy states; Erbium; Laser excitation; Optical reflection; Phosphors; Photonic band gap; Photovoltaic cells; Silicon;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2005. Conference Record of the Thirty-first IEEE
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-8707-4
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.2005.1488082
