Application of metal, metal‐oxide, and silicon‐oxide based intermediate reflective layers for current matching in autonomous high‐voltage multijunction photovoltaic devices

A logical next step for achieving a cost price reduction per Watt peak of photovoltaics (PV) is multijunction PV devices. In two-terminal devices, the photo-current generated in each subcell should be matched. Intermediate reflective layers (IRLs) are widely employed devices to increase reflection at interface between subcells enhance current generation subcell(s) positioned before IRL, reference incident light. this work, results over 65 presented, order explore effect different matching approaches. The influence variations absorber thickness as well IRLs based on silicon-oxide, various transparent conductive oxides (TCO), and metallic all-silicon studied. Specifically, hybrid, 2-terminal, monolithically integrated silicon heterojunction (SHJ) thin film nanocrystalline (nc-Si:H) amorphous (a-Si:H) tandem triple junction processed. Based these experiments, certain design rules optimal operation formulated. Finally, taking into account, record Conversion efficiencies close 15% V oc ≈ 2 $$ {V}_{\mathrm{oc}}\approx demonstrated SHJ/nc-Si:H/a-Si:H Such conversion wireless, high-voltage wafer-based 2-terminal device opens way efficient autonomous solar-to-fuel synthesis systems other wireless innovative approaches which solar cell used not only photovoltaic current-voltage generator, but also an ion-exchange membrane, electrochemical catalysts, and/or optical transmittance filter.