The Design of Advanced Multi-Junction Solar Cells Using Genetic Algorithm for the Optimization of a SILVACO Novel Cell Model
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Michael, Sherif
Bates, Drew
Utsler, James
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2006-05
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May 2006
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Abstract
Multijunction solar cells consisting of series-stacked p-n junction layers offer a significant improvement in efficiency over conventional solar cells by generating power over a larger spectrum of sunlight. The design of multijunction solar cells is complicated by both the desire to have maximally efficient junction layers and the need to match the current produced in each junction layer under optimal load conditions. The ATLAS device simulator from Silvacoreg International has been shown in exclusive research at the Naval Postgraduate School to have the capability to simulate multijunction solar cells. This simulation tool has the ability to extract electrical characteristics from a solar cell based on virtual fabrication of its physical structure and bypass the costly "build-and-test" design cycle. The current-matching problem is especially challenging for cells containing four or more junction layers. This paper proposes a method for using ATLAS data to optimize the power output of individual junction layers of an InGaP/GaAs/InGaNAs/Ge four junction solar cell and to construct these junction layers into a current-matched, optimum power multijunction solar cell. Individual junction layer optimization was accomplished through the use of a genetic search algorithm implemented in Matlab. The final multijunction cell current matching was performed using an iterative optimization routine also implemented in Matlab
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Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on
The article of record may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279850
The article of record may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279850
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.