skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Solar heating of GaAs nanowire solar cells

Journal Article · · Optics Express
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.23.0a1363· OSTI ID:1369903
 [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Ming Hsieh Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Center for Energy Nanoscience

We use a coupled thermal-optical approach to model the operating temperature rise in GaAs nanowire solar cells. Our findings show that despite more highly concentrated light absorption and lower thermal conductivity, the overall temperature rise in a nanowire structure is no higher than in a planar structure. Moreover, coating the nanowires with a transparent polymer can increase the radiative cooling power by 2.2 times, lowering the operating temperature by nearly 7 K.

Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Energy Nanoscience (CEN); Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0001013
OSTI ID:
1369903
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1240847
Journal Information:
Optics Express, Vol. 23, Issue 24; Related Information: CEN partners with University of Southern California (lead); University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; University of Michigan; University of Virginia; ISSN 1094-4087
Publisher:
Optical Society of America (OSA)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 19 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (40)

Effect of aperiodicity on the broadband reflection of silicon nanorod structures for photovoltaics journal December 2011
Model of patterned self-assisted nanowire growth journal September 2014
Ordered Arrays of Dual-Diameter Nanopillars for Maximized Optical Absorption journal October 2010
Toward Optimized Light Utilization in Nanowire Arrays Using Scalable Nanosphere Lithography and Selected Area Growth journal May 2012
GaAs Nanowire Array Solar Cells with Axial p–i–n Junctions journal May 2014
GaAs nanopillar-array solar cells employing in situ surface passivation journal February 2013
Theoretical consideration of III–V nanowire/Si triple-junction solar cells journal November 2012
Direct-Bandgap Epitaxial Core–Multishell Nanopillar Photovoltaics Featuring Subwavelength Optical Concentrators journal March 2013
Embedded benzocyclobutene in silicon: An integrated fabrication process for electrical and thermal isolation in MEMS journal October 2005
Higher-order incidence transfer matrix method used in three-dimensional photonic crystal coupled-resonator array simulation journal January 2006
Broadband absorption of semiconductor nanowire arrays for photovoltaic applications journal January 2012
High-efficiency calculations for three-dimensional photonic crystal cavities journal January 2006
Erratum: Enhanced absorption and carrier collection in Si wire arrays for photovoltaic applications journal February 2010
Nanoscale thermal transport. II. 2003–2012 journal March 2014
Patterned Radial GaAs Nanopillar Solar Cells journal June 2011
Full-scale measurements of wind-induced convective heat transfer from a roof-mounted flat plate solar collector journal February 1998
Nanowires With Promise for Photovoltaics journal July 2011
Design of Passivation Layers on Axial Junction GaAs Nanowire Solar Cells journal November 2014
Nanowire Solar Cells journal August 2011
Optical absorption enhancement in silicon nanowire arrays with a large lattice constant for photovoltaic applications journal January 2009
Coaxial silicon nanowires as solar cells and nanoelectronic power sources journal October 2007
Experimental broadband absorption enhancement in silicon nanohole structures with optimized complex unit cells journal January 2013
Analysis of Optical Absorption in Silicon Nanowire Arrays for Photovoltaic Applications journal October 2007
Temperature dependence of solar cell performance—an analysis journal June 2012
Silicon Nanowires for Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion journal October 2010
Reduced Thermal Conductivity in Nanoengineered Rough Ge and GaAs Nanowires journal April 2010
Theoretical conversion efficiency of a two-junction III-V nanowire on Si solar cell journal July 2011
Size-dependent thermal conductivity of nanoscale semiconducting systems journal April 2006
Strong broadband optical absorption in silicon nanowire films journal July 2007
Residual lattice absorption in gallium arsenide journal July 1977
Radiative cooling to low temperatures: General considerations and application to selectively emitting SiO films journal June 1981
Radiative cooling of solar cells journal January 2014
Comparison of the device physics principles of planar and radial p-n junction nanorod solar cells journal June 2005
Lattice Absorption in Gallium Arsenide journal October 1961
Silicon Nanowire Radial p−n Junction Solar Cells journal June 2008
Performance-limiting factors for GaAs-based single nanowire photovoltaics journal January 2014
InP Nanowire Array Solar Cells Achieving 13.8% Efficiency by Exceeding the Ray Optics Limit journal January 2013
Optimal design of aperiodic, vertical silicon nanowire structures for photovoltaics journal January 2011
Efficiency Enhancement of InP Nanowire Solar Cells by Surface Cleaning journal August 2013
Nanoscale thermal transport journal January 2003

Cited By (4)

Radiative sky cooling: Fundamental principles, materials, and applications journal June 2019
Self-adaptive radiative cooling based on phase change materials journal January 2018
GaAs Nanowires Grown by Catalyst Epitaxy for High Performance Photovoltaics journal August 2018
Radiative cooling by tailoring surfaces with microstructures preprint January 2018

Figures / Tables (7)