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

Abstract

We analyze mesoscale light absorption and carrier collection in a tandem junction photoelectrochemical device using electromagnetic simulations. The tandem device consists of silicon (Eg,Si = 1.1 eV) and tungsten oxide (Eg,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, JSC, of 1 mA/cm2, 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.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Pasadena, CA (United States)
  2. Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Pasadena, CA (United States); California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Pasadena, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1457534
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0004993
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Optics Express
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: S6; Journal ID: ISSN 1094-4087
Publisher:
Optical Society of America (OSA)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Optical design and fabrication; Geometric optical design; Optoelectronics; Photovoltaic; Semiconductor materials

Citation Formats

Fountaine, Katherine T., and Atwater, Harry A. Mesoscale modeling of photoelectrochemical devices: light absorption and carrier collection in monolithic, tandem, Si|WO3 microwires. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1364/OE.22.0A1453.
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Fountaine, Katherine T., & Atwater, Harry A. Mesoscale modeling of photoelectrochemical devices: light absorption and carrier collection in monolithic, tandem, Si|WO3 microwires. United States. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.22.0A1453
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Fountaine, Katherine T., and Atwater, Harry A. Fri . "Mesoscale modeling of photoelectrochemical devices: light absorption and carrier collection in monolithic, tandem, Si|WO3 microwires". United States. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.22.0A1453. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1457534.
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@article{osti_1457534,
title = {Mesoscale modeling of photoelectrochemical devices: light absorption and carrier collection in monolithic, tandem, Si|WO3 microwires},
author = {Fountaine, Katherine T. and Atwater, Harry A.},
abstractNote = {We analyze mesoscale light absorption and carrier collection in a tandem junction photoelectrochemical device using electromagnetic simulations. The tandem device consists of silicon (Eg,Si = 1.1 eV) and tungsten oxide (Eg,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, JSC, of 1 mA/cm2, 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.},
doi = {10.1364/OE.22.0A1453},
journal = {Optics Express},
number = S6,
volume = 22,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Fri Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.22.0A1453
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