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Modeling of Graphene/SiO2/Si(n) Based


Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Solar Cells
1 Muhammad Johirul Islam, 2 Md. Mahmudul Hasan, 3 Rifat Sami and 4 Md.Iqbal Bahar chowdhury
United International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Email: 1 johir021@yahoo.com, 2 m hasan9071@yahoo.com, 3 samirifat@yahoo.com, 4 ibchy@eee.uiu.ac.bd

Abstract—In this work a graphene based MIS structure for thermionic emission current. In order to reduce this thermionic
solar energy conversion has been modeled and analyzed. The MIS current a thin layer of insulator has been inserted between the
structure is formed by inserting an oxide layer in the conventional metal and the semiconductor layers. Called as Metal-Insulator-
graphene/n-Si Schottky structure to obtain improved perfor-
mance. Simulation of the model for this MIS structure shows Semiconductor (MIS) based solar cells, these type of solar
this performance improvement. Using the simulation results this cells have higher open circuit voltage. Till to date, a number
work also analyzes the effects of semiconductor layer width and of research works related to the MIS solar cells are reported
semiconductor doping level on the current-voltage characteristics. in the literature [9]–[13], but none of them explores the use
of graphene.
Index Terms—Graphene, MIS solar cell, Schottky junction In this work an analytical model has been developed for
solar cell, Interface states, Tunneling current. a graphene-SiO2 -Si(N) based MIS solar cell. The developed
model is able to demonstrate the superiority of the MIS solar
cell over Schottky junction and other MIS solar cells. The
I. I NTRODUCTION
model is also employed to investigate the effects of the device
Graphene is a monolayer of carbon atoms which are packed width and the doping level on the performance of the proposed
in a two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb lattice. Because of MIS solar cell.
its monolayer thin body graphene has optimum electrostatic
scaling [1]. Moreover, graphene shows excellent thermal con- II. T HEORY
ductivity, high mobility and high carrier velocity. Therefore,
The graphene-SiO2 -Si(N) based metal-insulator-
researchers find huge interest in using graphene in various
semiconductor (MIS) solar cell analyzed in this work is
electronic and optoelectronic applications, which include MOS
schematically shown in Fig. (1). In this structure, the
transistors, photodetectors and photovoltaic cells.
monolayer graphene replaces the metal electrode, the SiO2
In silicon photovoltaics graphene Graphene can be used as layer is very thin (typically < 10 nm) to increase the
a high-transparent antireflection coating material [2], since efficiency of Schottky junction and n-type doped silicon acts
the transmittance of a single-layer graphene can be as high as as the absorber layer.
97.7% [3]. As a semitransparent electrode, graphene-based an-
odes are widely-reported [4], [5]. In contrast, graphene based
cathodes are less attractive since n-type graphene devices are
thermally and chemically stable in a very limited scope and
are highly sensitive to the change in ambient conditions [6].
Indeed, the requirement of lower work function and higher
conductivity in addition to the stability makes practically
difficult to achieve graphene-based cathodes. However, use of
a graphene as anode leads the possibility of implementation
of graphene-based Schottky junction (SJ) solar cells.
Recently, research works in the p-graphene/n-Si based
Schottky junction solar show significant progress. Liet al. [7] Fig. 1. Proposed structure of graphene-based MIS solar cell.
reported a graphene/Si based SJ solar cell which shows
short circuit current density, open circuit voltage, fill factor Fig. (2) shows the energy band diagram under equilibrium
and efficiency as ∼ 4 − 6.5 mA/cm2 , ∼ 0.42 − 0.48 V , condition for the MIS structure shown in Fig. (1). The var-
∼ 45 − 56% and ∼ 1.0 − 1.7 % respectively under AM1.5 ious terms shown in Fig. (2) represent the work function
illumination. In [8] Kuang et al. mentioned an SJ solar cell of graphene (ϕm ), the electron affinity (χ), the silicon band
based on graphene/GaAs which has short circuit current, open gap (Eg ), the energy level above the valance band to which
circuit voltage, fill factor and efficiency of ∼ 8.191 mA, interface states are filled in an isolated semiconductor (ϕ0 ),
∼ 0.389 V , ∼ 54.8% and ∼ 2.218% respectively under the thickness of the oxide layer (δ), the width of the depletion
AM1.5 illumination. However, SJ solar cells have the problem layer in the semiconductor (w), the built-in voltage (Vbi ) and
of lower open circuit voltage which is due to the higher the Schottky barrier height without the consideration of the
2

Fig. 2. Energy band diagram under under equilibrium condition of the Fig. 3. Energy band diagram under illumination condition for the proposed
proposed MIS solar cell. MIS solar cell.

interface states (ϕbo ). Since the magnitude of the Schottky gap respectively. Under monochromatic illumination condition
barrier height in the MIS solar cells are strongly affected Jdl can be expressed as:
by the oxide thickness (δ) and the density of the interface  w
states (Dss ) [11], a modified Schottky barrier height (ϕbn )
Jdl (λ) = G(x, λ)dx (5)
incorporating these effects can be introduced as [11] 0

ϕbn = γϕbo + (1 − γ)(Eg − ϕ0 ) (1) where, the optical generation rate G(x, λ) can be given as [13]:
1 qDss δ
ϕbo = ϕm − χ, γ = , α=   
1+α ξi α(λ)N (λ) −αx −α(2d−x)
G(x, λ) = e + r b e (6)
where, ξi represents the permittivity of the oxide. The electric 1 − rf rb e−2αd
field that separates the photo-generated electron-hole pairs
has been developed across the depletion region owing to the where ’N’ is the photon flux density of the solar spectrum
work function difference between the graphene and the semi- and α, rf and rb are the absorption coefficient of silicon,
conductor. Under illumination condition the photo-generated the reflection coefficient at the front surface and the reflection
current develops a voltage V across the MIS cell such that coefficient at the back surface respectively. Therefore, the
V = Vi + Vs , where Vi and Vs are the voltages appeared expression for Jdl can be deduced as
across the oxide layer and the depletion region respectively.   
α(λ)N (λ) (−αw) (−α(2d−w)) (−2αd)
Therefore, as shown in Fig. (3), the energy band diagram of the Jdl (λ) = 1−e +r b e −r b e
MIS structure under illuminated condition has been deviated 1 − rf rb e(−2αd)
(7)
from that under equilibrium condition. However, due to Vi
The expression of Jpw (λ) can be obtained by solving the hole
the Schottky barrier height increases and hence, an effective
continuity equation at the depletion layer boundary as
barrier height (ϕ∗bn ) has to be considered as
  
ϕ∗bn = ϕbn + qVi (2) qLp SP G(d, λ) + Lp G (d, λ)
Jpw (λ) = 2 2 − Lp G (w, λ) +
Indeed, ϕ∗bn controls the tunneling current and hence, strongly α Lp − 1 Sp  sinh(vp ) + cosh(vp )
 

affects the current-voltage relation of the MIS solar cells. The G(w, λ)(Sp  cosh(vp ) + sinh(vp ))
total current for a solar cell is given by [13]. −
Sp  sinh(vp ) + cosh(vp )
Jtotal = JLight − JDark (3) (8)
where, for MIS solar cell, the photocurrent JLight is the total where
photocurrent generated in the bulk, Jpw (λ) (calculated at the
depletion layer boundary) and in the depletion region Jdl (λ) ∂G(χ, λ) Sp Lp d−w
given by: G (x, λ) = , Sp  = , vp =
∂χ Dp Lp
 λg
JLight = [Jdl (λ) + Jpw (λ)] dλ (4) JDark in Eqn. (3) is called the dark current. For a MIS solar
λmin cell this current is due to three mechanisms, namely, the tun-
where λmin and λg are the minimum wavelength of the solar neling of the majority carriers (electrons) (Jeto ), the diffusion
spectrum and the wavelength corresponding to the silicon band of the minority carriers (holes) (Jdo ) and the recombination of
3

Cell Type JSC Voc FF η


electron-hole pairs (Jro ) and can be expressed as [11], [12] (mA/cm2 ) (V) (%) (%)
qvs qvs +Δ Graphene-Schottky 28.37 0.114 51.90 1.697
JDark = Jeto e nkT − 1 + Jdo e kT − 1 Graphene-MIS 28.37 0.705 82.78 15.297
 E −E  ITO-MIS 25.24 0.771 83.59 14.658
Fn Fp
+ Jro e 2kT −1 (9) ZnO-MIS 25.21 0.624 70.59 12.358
SnO2 -MIS 25.18 0.533 62.32 10.899
 −qϕ∗ 
√ bn TABLE I
A ∗ T⎧2 e− χδ e
kT
Jeto = ⎫ (10) C OMPARISON TABLE OF DIFFERENT S CHOTTKY JUNCTION AND MIS
 Dp 
SOLAR CELLS .
qn2i ⎨ Sp coth( Lp + Lp ) ⎬
d−w
Jdo =  d−w Sp Lp  (11)
Nd ⎩ ⎭
Lp + Dp
qni w the absorption coefficients for silicon are obtained from [16].
Jro = (12)
2τp Eh ≥ 0.085 V [10] is chosen for Nd = 3 × 1018 cm−3 and
where EF n and EF p are the quasi-Fermi levels for electrons oxide thickness is taken as 1 nm.
and holes respectively, k is the Boltzmann constant, T is the
absolute temperature, n is the ideality factor and
Δ = Eg − ϕ∗bn − Eh (13)
 
ξs δ
n = 1+ + qDss (14)
w ξi
where Eh is the minority carrier quasi-Fermi level, the effects
of the oxide thickness and interface state density on ’n’ are
shown in Eqn. (14) [12], A* is the effective Richardson’s
constant, d is the cell thickness, ni , Nd are the intrinsic
carrier concentration and the doping concentration of the
semiconductor respectively and Dp , τp , Lp , and Sp are the
diffusivity, the lifetime, the diffusion length and the surface
recombination velocity at the back surface respectively for the
minority holes. According to [14], the depletion layer width,
w can be given as
 1
2ξs  kT  2 Fig. 4. JL − VL curves of different Schottky junction and MIS solar cells.
w= vbi − vs − (15)
qNd q
Finally, the performance parameters of a MIS solar cell include Fig. (4) compares the curves of current-voltage relation (JL
the short circuit current density (Jsc ), the open circuit voltage vs. VL ) for a graphene/n-Si based Schottky junction solar cell
(Voc ), the fill factor (FF) and the conversion efficiency (η). All and graphene-SiO2 -n-Si based MIS solar cell. From this figure,
these parameters can be defined as [Voc is defined in [12]] it is evident that the open circuit voltage of the MIS solar cell
   with only a 1 nm thick oxide layer is significantly higher than
kT √ kT Jsc that of Schottky junction solar cell. This is because of the
Voc = n ϕBn + χδ + log (16)
q q A ∗ T2 insertion of the thin oxide layer which increases the barrier
Vm Im height and hence, results in an increase in the open circuit
FF = (17)
Voc Jsc voltage [Eqn. (16)]. This result is also consistent with the
Vm Im results found in the literature [17], [18]. The Fig. (4) also
η = (18) provides a comparative picture of graphene based MIS solar
Pinc
cell with three other MIS solar cells which uses three different
where, Pinc is the incident optical power and Vm , Im corre-
commonly used transparent conducting oxides (TCO) such as
spond to the cell voltage and to the cell current respectively
Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Tin Oxide
under maximum power condition.
(SnO2 ) as metal electrode. Owing to the higher transmittance
(which results in higher JSC ) and higher electron affinity
III. R ESULT AND D ISCUSSION (which causes higher VOC except ITO), graphene shows
In this section the simulation results of the graphene based the better J-V characteristics than others. The performance
MIS solar cells based on the model deduced in this work are improvement of graphene MIS solar cell over all the four solar
presented and analyzed . The device width, the oxide layer cells mentioned in Fig. (4) is also reflected in the performance
thickness and the Si-doping level are chosen as 0.5 μm, 1 nm parameters listed in Table 1. This table shows that graphene
and 3 × 1018 cm−3 respectively. For a given ϕ0 = 0.3 eV MIS solar cells have the highest value in all performance
the interface state density is assumed as 5 × 1012 cm−2 . parameters (except the VOC and the FF for ITO).
The incident photon flux is 1.5 AM global spectrum and Fig. (5) shows the effect of device width on the JL vs. VL .
obtained from the ASTM G-173-03 standard [15], whe eas, From this figure it is evident that when device width increases
4

IV. C ONCLUSION
This work develops a simple analytical model for a
graphene-based MIS solar cell. Simulation results of the model
show that the MIS structure offers higher open circuit voltage,
fill factor and conversion efficiency than the graphene-based
Schottky junction solar cell. Moreover, comparison with three
commonly used transparent conducting oxides (ITO, ZnO
and SnO2 as metal electrode shows the superior performance
parameters of graphene-electrode based MIS solar cells. Model
results also show that increase of the Si layer width has
greater impact on the short circuit density than the open circuit
voltage, whereas, the increase in the Si-doping level results
in large increase in the open circuit voltage compared to the
insignificant decrease in the short circuit current. All these
results are consistent with those obtained in the literature.

Fig. 5. Effects of device width on JL − VL curves of graphene-based MIS R EFERENCES


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