Page 240 - 2024-Vol20-Issue2

Received: 14 September 2023 | Revised: 26 November 2023 | Accepted: 21 December 2023

DOI: 10.37917/ijeee.20.2.20 Vol. 20 | Issue 2 | December 2024

Open Access

Iraqi Journal for Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Original Article

The Effect of Quantum Dots on the Performance of the

Solar Cell

Iman Mohsen Ahmed1, Omar Ibrahim Alsaif*2, Qais Th. Algwari1
1Department of Electronic Engineering, College of Electronics Engineering, Ninevah University, Mosul, Iraq

2Computer System Department, Northern Technical University, Mosul, Iraq

Correspondance
*Omar Ibrahim Alsaif
Computer System Department,
Northern Technical University, Mosul, Iraq.
Email: omar.alsaif@ntu.edu.iq

Abstract
Quantum dot solar cells are currently the subject of research in the fields of renewable energy, photovoltaics and
optoelectronics, due to their advantages which enables them to overcome the limitations of traditional solar cells. The
inability of ordinary solar cells to generate charge carriers, which is prevents them from contributing to generate the
current in solar cells. This work focuses on modeling and simulating of Quantum Dot Solar Cells based on InAs/GaAs as
well as regular type of GaAs p-i-n solar cells and to study the effect of increasing quantum dots layers at the performance
of the solar cell. The low energy of the fell photons considers as one of the most difficult problems that must deal with.
According to simulation data, the power conversion efficiency increases from (12.515% to 30.94%), current density rises
from 16.4047 mA/cm2 for standard solar cell to 39.4775 mA/cm2) using quantum dot techniques (20-layers) compared to
traditional type of GaAs solar cell. Additionally, low energy photons’ absorption range edge expanded from (400 to 900
nm) for quantum technique. The results have been modeled and simulated using (SILVACO Software), which proved the
power conversion efficiency of InAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells is significantly higher than traditional (p-i-n) type
about (247%).

Keywords
Solar Cells, Quantum Dots, Intermediate Band, Multi-exciting Generation, Nanoparticles.

I. INTRODUCTION exciton [2]. A performance that is superior to single-gap solar
cell technology is achieved using the photovoltaic ideas of
The self-assemble structure is based on the development of solar cells with the intermediate band and many exciton gener-
coherently strained islands and managing the transition from ations. The basic principles of its operation center on creating
2D to 3D growth, both of which are brought about by an unfit a semiconductor material with an electronic band inside the
strain in the epitaxial structure [1]. One of the most intriguing band gap, for the purpose of capturing and using photons with
topics in science during the last ten years is self-assembled energies below the bandgap, carrier recombination between
nanostructures. Numerous extraordinary features can be at- bands should be much slower than relaxation within the bands.
tained if the dimensions of a semiconductor are shrunk to Alternatively, a semiconductor could be synthesized with ine-
the nanoscale scale. These nanoparticles behave significantly traband transitions equivalent to the semiconductor’s bandgap
differently from normal materials. Many nanomaterials have for increased benefit and use of photons with energies above
been created in the previous 20 years, including quantum the bandgap [3]. The notion of the intermediate band solar
wells, quantum wire, and quantum dots. Quantum dots (QDs), cell (IBSC), first put forth theoretically by Luque and Mart,
a type of nanostructure, are said to have three-dimensional di- has revolutionized the traditional single junction and multiple
mensions that are less than the wavelength of the Do-Broglie

This is an open-access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
©2024 The Authors.
Published by Iraqi Journal for Electrical and Electronic Engineering | College of Engineering, University of Basrah.

https://doi.org/10.37917/ijeee.20.2.20 |https://www.ijeee.edu.iq 236