Monte Carlo simulation for solar cells incorporating submicron particles to enhance optical absorption

Shilpi Shital^a, Viresh Dutta^a

^aIIT National Institute of Technology, Delhi, India

International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics
Proceedings of International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics 2015 (HOPV15)

Roma, Italy, 2015 May 11th - 13th

Organizer: Filippo De Angelis

Poster, Viresh Dutta, 202
Publication date: 5th February 2015

Dye-sensitized solar cells using scattering from submicron particles, to increase the path length of the photons in the cell are known to have improved efficiency. The shape, size and placement of particles used in the scattering layer are generally random. Most of the studies related to the scattering layer involve experimental optimization of the layer thickness, etc. In this paper an adaptation of a popular Monte Carlo simulation code for light transport in multilayer tissues for approximation of the improvement in light absorption in the cell upon incorporation submicron particles in a solar cell has been reported. The simulation approach used for this paper, traces the path of narrow beam of photons, incident perpendicular on a DSSC which is represented by a stack of layer having layers of different optical properties. The mean free path of the photon was taken as inverse of sum of scattering coefficient and absorption coefficient in that medium. This routine can be easily used to simulate the effect of particles of different shapes and size, using input parameters like scattering coefficient, absorption coefficient, and the asymmetry parameter of these constituent submicron particles. These parameters can be easily calculated by the Mie theory, T-Matrix theory or other methods. The values of optical properties of materials were taken from the published literature. The Monte Carlo model was validated by simulating light absorption by dye-sensitized solar cells reported by Koo et al. The simulated values of light absorption were found to have a reasonable match to the measured values for the corresponding structures especially for 400 nm size particles, as shown in the Figure 1. The difference in experimental and simulated values can be attributed to the fact that values of optical properties taken from literature can differ from that of materials used for the experiment. This Monte Carlo routine was then used to optimize the thickness of scattering layer formed by 400 nm size spherical anatase particles on a TiO₂N719 dye adsorbed DSSC. The optimum thickness for light absorption of the scattering layer was found to be 6µm for a total electrode thickness of 12 µm. This simulation routine described here is quiet generic and can be used to simulate the light absorption in any type of solar cell, i.e. an organic solar cell or a perovskites solar cell.
Figure 1 Percentage of light abortion in DSSC with different size spherical particle in scattering layer
1.Koo, H.-J.; Park, J.; Yoo, B.; Yoo, K.; Kim, K.; Park, N.-G., Size-dependent scattering efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cell. Inorganica Chimica Acta 2008, 361, 677-683. 2.Wang, L.; Jacques, S. L.; Zheng, L., MCML—Monte Carlo modeling of light transport in multi-layered tissues. Computer methods and programs in biomedicine 1995, 47 , 131-146. 3.Wenger, S.; Schmid, M.; Rothenberger, G.; Gentsch, A.; Gratzel, M.; Schumacher, J. O., Coupled optical and electronic modeling of dye-sensitized solar cells for steady-state parameter extraction. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2011, 115 , 10218-10229. 4.Zakeeruddin, S. M.; Klein, C.; Wang, P.; Graetzel, M., 2, 2-bipyridine ligand, sensitizing dye and dye sensitized solar cell. Google Patents: 2013.

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