Solar Cells

Solar cells, or photovoltaic (PV) devices, are at the forefront of renewable energy technology, directly converting sunlight into electricity. As the world seeks sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, solar cells offer a clean, abundant, and environmentally friendly energy source with immense potential to mitigate climate change and meet the growing global demand for power.

At the Academy of Technology (AOT), research in solar cells focuses on improving efficiency, reducing production costs, and enhancing durability through innovative materials and device architectures. Faculty and students work on the development of next-generation PV technologies, including perovskite solar cells, thin-film photovoltaics, and organic solar cells. Emphasis is placed on optimizing light absorption, charge carrier transport, and interface engineering to achieve higher energy conversion efficiencies. Material innovation is a key research priority. AOT investigates nanostructured materials, anti-reflective coatings, and passivation layers that enhance light capture and minimize energy losses. Studies also explore flexible and lightweight solar cells for portable electronics, building-integrated photovoltaics, and wearable energy solutions.

The applications of solar cell research extend across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. From rooftop installations that power homes to large-scale solar farms supplying grid electricity, PV technology enables sustainable energy generation with minimal carbon footprint. In remote and off-grid regions, solar cells provide reliable power for lighting, water pumping, and communication systems. AOT’s solar energy research is supported by specialized laboratories equipped for material synthesis, device fabrication, and performance characterization. Collaborations with renewable energy companies, research institutes, and government agencies ensure that innovations are aligned with real-world deployment needs.

Looking forward, AOT aims to explore tandem solar cells, hybrid renewable systems, and sustainable manufacturing practices to further improve performance and reduce environmental impact. Through its solar cell research, the Academy of Technology is contributing to a cleaner, greener, and more energy-secure future.

Researchers:

Dr. Sukanta Bose (ECE Department)
Dr. Shiladitya Acharyya (ECE Department)
Mr. Dibyendu Kumar Ghosh (EE Department)

Projects:

Development of Transparent conducting oxides and fabrication of solar cells (Both in physical and simulation method)

Semiconductor Devices and Nanoelectronics for High-Efficiency photovoltaics, Optoelectronics and other Applications

Problem Description: The development of Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCOs) is critical for high-performance solar cells due to their dual role of optical transparency and electrical conductivity. This project focuses on synthesizing advanced TCO materials and optimizing their properties through physical fabrication techniques and simulation-based modeling. The study aims to improve light transmission, carrier mobility, and stability, enabling efficient photovoltaic device integration. Additionally, solar cell prototypes will be fabricated using optimized TCO layers, and their performance will be validated against simulated results. The research seeks to bridge experimental and computational approaches for next-generation, cost-effective, and energy-efficient solar technologies.

Focus of Research:

Fabricating high efficiency solar cells
Development of advanced TCO materials having higher figure of merit

Publications:

D. K. Ghosh, G. Das, S. Bose, S. Mukhopadhyay, and A. Sengupta, Unveiling the Photovoltaic Performance and Thermal Stability of n-TOPCon, p-TOPCon, and TOPCoRE Solar Cells Based on 110 μm Wafers, Energy Technology, vol. 12, no. 8, Jun. 2024. https://10.1002/ente.202400238
D. K. Ghosh, S. Acharyya, S. Bose, G. Das, S. Mukhopadhyay, and A. Sengupta, Analysis of Advanced TiO₂/Si Based Solar Cell Architecture: Improving PV Parameters and Thermal Stability, Silicon, 2024. https:// 10.1007/s12633-024-03063-z
D. K. Ghosh, S. Bose, G. Das, S. Mukhopadhyay, and A. Sengupta, Realization of Performance Enhancement of Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells by Applying ITO/AZO Bilayer TCO Films as Front Electrode, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, vol. 34, art. 2189, 2023. https:// 10.1007/s10854-023-11570-9
D. K. Ghosh, S. Acharyya, S. Bose, G. Das, S. Mukhopadhyay, and A. Sengupta, A Detailed Theoretical Analysis of TOPCon/TOPCore Solar Cells Based on p-Type Wafers and Prognosticating the Device Performance on Thinner Wafers and Different Working Temperatures, Silicon, vol. 15, pp. 7593–7607, 2023. https://10.1007/s12633-023-02606-0
S. Sadhukhan, S. Acharyya, T. Panda, N. C. Mandal, S. Bose, A. Nandi, G. Das, S. Maity, S. Chakraborty, P. Chaudhuri, and H. Saha, Detailed Study on the Role of Nature and Distribution of Pinholes and Oxide Layer on the Performance of Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) Solar Cell, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 2022. https://10.1109/TED.2022.3196327
D. K. Ghosh, A. Nandi, S. Bose, G. Das, A. Kole, S. Mukhopadhyay, V. K. Singh, U. Sharma, S. Das, and N. Mukherjee, Pseudostoichiometric and Oxygen Deficient MoOx for Efficient Sensing of H₂S and CO at Relatively Low Operating Temperature and Analyte Concentrations, Surfaces and Interfaces, vol. 33, Oct. 2022, art. 102261.https://10.1016/j.surfin.2022.102261
T. Panda, S. Sadhukhan, S. Acharya, N. C. Mandal, A. Nandi, S. Bose, G. Das, S. Mukhopadhyay, S. Maity, P. Chaudhuri, and H. Saha, Losses in Bifacial PERC Solar Cell Due to Rear Grid Design and Scope of Improvement, Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, vol. 52, pt. C, Aug. 2022, art. 102280. https:// 10.1016/j.seta.2022.102280
K. Dasgupta, S. Bose, A. Mondal, S. Jana, and U. Gangopadhyay, Fabrication and Mathematical Modelling of a ITO-Al₂O₃-Si SIS Solar Cell, Silicon, 2022. https:// 10.1007/s12633-022-01910-5
D. K. Ghosh, S. Bose, G. Das, S. Acharyya, A. Nandi, S. Mukhopadhyay, and A. Sengupta, Fundamentals, Present Status and Future Perspective of TOPCon Solar Cells: A Comprehensive Review, Surfaces and Interfaces, vol. 30, Jun. 2022, art. 101917. https://10.1016/j.surfin.2022.101917
T. Panda, S. Sadhukhan, S. Acharyya, P. Banerjee, A. Nandi, S. Bose, N. Mondal, G. Das, S. Maity, P. Chaudhuri, and H. Saha, Impact of Multi-Busbar Front Grid Patterns on the Performance of Industrial Type c-Si Solar Cell, Solar Energy, vol. 236, pp. 790–801, 2022. https://10.1016/j.solener.2022.03.051
S. Acharyya, S. Sadhukhan, T. Panda, D. K. Ghosh, N. C. Mandal, A. Nandi, S. Bose, G. Das, D. Banerjee, S. Maity, P. Chaudhuri, and H. Saha, Performance Analysis of Different Tunneling Dielectrics for Solar Cells with TOPCon Structure, Journal of Computational Electronics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 471–490, 2022. https:// 10.1007/s10825-022-01866-0
S. Acharyya, S. Sadhukhan, T. Panda, D. K. Ghosh, N. C. Mandal, A. Nandi, S. Bose, G. Das, S. Maity, P. Chaudhuri, H. Saha, and D. Banerjee, Dopant-Free Materials for Carrier-Selective Passivating Contact Solar Cells: A Review, Surfaces and Interfaces, vol. 28, Feb. 2022, art. 101687. https:// 10.1016/j.surfin.2021.101687.
S. Sadhukhan, S. Acharyya, T. Panda, N. C. Mandal, S. Bose, A. Nandi, G. Das, S. Maity, P. Chaudhuri, S. Chakraborty, and H. Saha, Evaluation of Dominant Loss Mechanisms of PERC Cells for Optimization of Rear Passivating Stacks, Surfaces and Interfaces, vol. 27, 2021, art. 101496. https:// 10.1016/j.surfin.2021.101496.
Baral, G. Das, A. B. Roy, A. Kole, N. Mukherjee, and S. Bose, Stacked Back Reflector Architecture for Advanced Optical Management in State-of-the-Art Single-Junction μc-Si:H Solar Cells, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 1203–1213, Sep. 2020. https://10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.3008263
N. C. Mandal, S. Biswas, S. Acharya, T. Panda, S. Sadhukhan, J. R. Sharma, A. Nandi, S. Bose, A. Kole, G. Das, S. Maity, P. Chaudhuri, and H. Saha, Study of the Properties of SiOx Layers Prepared by Different Techniques for Rear Side Passivation in TOPCon Solar Cells, Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, vol. 119, 2020, art. 105163. https:// 10.1016/j.mssp.2020.105163
N. C. Mandal, S. Acharya, S. Biswas, T. Panda, S. Sadhukhan, J. R. Sharma, S. Bose, G. Das, A. Kole, A. Nandi, S. Maity, P. Chaudhuri, H. Saha, and S. Guha, Evolution of PERC from Al-BSF: Optimization Based on Root Cause Analysis, Applied Physics A, vol. 126, art. 569, 2020. https:// 10.1007/s00339-020-03747-4.
S. Bose, S. Mandal, A. K. Barua, and S. Mukhopadhyay, Properties of Boron Doped ZnO Films Prepared by Reactive Sputtering Method: Application to Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells, Journal of Materials Science & Technology, vol. 55, pp. 136–143, Oct. 2020. https:// 10.1016/j.jmst.2019.12.004
K. Dikshit, N. C. Mandal, S. Bose, N. Mukherjee, and P. Chakrabarti, Optimization of Back ITO Layer as the Sandwiched Reflector for Exploiting Longer Wavelength Lights in Thin and Flexible (30 μm) Single Junction c-Si Solar Cells, Solar Energy, vol. 193, pp. 293–302, 2019. https:// 10.1016/j.solener.2019.09.017.
G. Das, S. Bose, S. Mukhopadhyay, C. Banerjee, and A. K. Barua, Innovative Utilization of Improved n-Doped μc-SiOx:H Films to Amplify the Performance of Micromorph Solar Cells, Silicon, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 487–493, Feb. 2019. https:// 10.1007/s12633-018-9934-9.
S. Bose, S. Mandal, A. K. Barua, and S. Mukhopadhyay, Sacrificial Layer Assisted Front Textured Glass Substrate with Improved Light Management in Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 2622–2629, Feb. 2019. https://10.1007/s10854-018-0537-4
J. R. Sharma, P. Banerjee, S. Mitra, H. Ghosh, S. Bose, G. Das, and S. Mukhopadhyay, Potential of Zinc Oxide Nanowhiskers as Antireflection Coating in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell for Cost Effectiveness, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, vol. 30, pp. 11017–11026, 2019. https://10.1007/s10854-019-01443-5
J. R. Sharma, G. Das, A. B. Roy, S. Bose, and S. Mukhopadhyay, Design Analysis of Heterojunction Solar Cells with Aligned AZO Nanorods Embedded in p-Type Si Wafer, Silicon, vol. 12, pp. 305–316, 2019. https://10.1007/s12633-019-00134-4
S. Bose, A. Rayarfrancis, P. B. Bhargav, G. Ahmad, S. Mukhopadhyay, S. Mandal, and A. K. Barua, Optimization of the Texturization of ZnO:Al Surface Using HCl + HNO₃ for Application in Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 3210–3218, Feb. 2018. https://10.1007/s10854-017-8256-9
G. Das, S. Bose, J. R. Sharma, S. Mukhopadhyay, and A. K. Barua, Texturization of ZnO:Al Surface by Reactive Ion Etching in SF₆/Ar, CHF₃/Ar Plasma for Application in Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, vol. 29, no. 8, pp. 6206–6214, Apr. 2018, https:// 10.1007/s10854-018-8596-0
S. Bose, R. Arokiyadoss, P. B. Bhargav, G. Ahmad, S. Mukhopadhyay, S. Mandal, and A. K. Barua, Modification of Surface Morphology of Sputtered AZO Films with the Variation of the Oxygen, Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, vol. 79, pp. 135–143, 2018.https:// 10.1016/j.mssp.2018.01.027
J. R. Sharma, S. Bose, S. Mandal, G. Das, S. Mukhopadhyay, and A. K. Barua, Influence of Acid and Alkali Etching on Sputtered Aluminium Doped Zinc Oxide Films, Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 5, no. 3, pt. 3, pp. 9726–9732, 2018. https://10.1016/j.matpr.2017.10.159
J. R. Sharma, S. Mitra, H. Ghosh, S. Bose, G. Das, S. Mandal, S. Mukhopadhyay, H. Saha, and A. K. Barua, Growth of KOH Etched AZO Nanorods and Investigation of Its Back Scattering Effect in Thin Film a-Si Solar Cell, Physica B: Condensed Matter, vol. 530, pp. 147–156, Feb. 2018. https:// 10.1016/j.physb.2017.10.078
S. Bose, D. Dey, S. Banerjee, G. Ahmad, S. Mandal, A. K. Barua, and N. Mukherjee, Blue and Violet Defect Levels Mediated Absorption Hot Spots in Tapered ZnO Nanorods Toward Improved Photocatalytic Activity, Journal of Materials Science, vol. 52, no. 21, pp. 12818–12825, Nov. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-017-1393-y
G. Das, S. Mandal, S. Dhar, S. Bose, J. R. Sharma, S. Mukhopadhyay, C. Banerjee, and A. K. Barua, Development of Improved n-μc-SiOx:H Films and Its Innovative Application in Silicon Based Single Junction Thin Film Solar Cells, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 892–899, 2017. https://: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2655721
G. Das, S. Mandal, S. Dhar, S. Bose, S. Mukhopadhyay, C. Banerjee, and A. K. Barua, Role of Dual SiOx:H Based Buffer at the p/i Interface on the Performance of Single Junction Microcrystalline Solar Cells, Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, vol. 66, pp. 9–14, 2017. https://10.1016/j.mssp.2017.03.033
G. Das, S. Mandal, S. Dhar, S. Bose, C. Banerjee, S. Mukhopadhyay, and A. K. Barua, Development of n-Type Microcrystalline SiOx:H Films and Its Application by Innovative Way to Improve the Performance of μc-Si:H Solar Cell, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, vol. 28, no. 8, pp. 5746–5753, 2017. https:// 10.1007/s10854-016-6246-y
G. Das, S. Mandal, S. Dhar, S. Bose, J. R. Sharma, S. Mukhopadhyay, C. Banerjee, and A. K. Barua, Influence of Excitation Frequency and Electrode Separation on the Growth of Microcrystalline Silicon Films and Their Application in Single Junction Microcrystalline Solar Cell, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, vol. 28, no. 14, pp. 10382–10390, 2017. https://10.1007/s10854-017-6808-7
J. R. Sharma, S. Mitra, H. Ghosh, S. Bose, S. Mandal, G. Das, S. Mukhopadhyay, H. Saha, and A. K. Barua, Investigation of Optical Absorption Spectra and Scattering Efficiency of ZnO:Al Nanorods on Different Substrates, Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 4, no. 14, pp. 12635–12640, 2017. https:// 10.1016/j.matpr.2017.10.074

Book Chapters:

Sourav Sadhukhan, Shiladitya Acharya, Tamalika Panda, Nabin Chandra Mandal, Sukanta Bose, Anupam Nandi, Gourab Das, Santanu Maity, Susanta Chakraborty, Partha Chaudhuri, Hiranmay Saha, Evolution of high efficiency passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells, Chapter 4, Sustainable Developments by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Renewable Energies, Elsevier, 2022, Pages 63-129, ISBN 978-0-323-91228-0, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91228-0.00007-0(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323912280000070)
Dibyendu Kumar Ghosh, Arijit Pangas, Shiladitya Acharyya, Sukanta Bose, Gourab Das, Sumita Mukhopadhyay, Anindita Sengupta, Introduction to Characterization and Fabrication Techniques Employed for Advanced Solar Cell Structures, Chapter 2, Revolutionizing Solar Energy Harvesting: Advanced Semiconductor Devices and Technology with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Integration (1st ed.), CRC Press, 2025. https://doi.org10.1201/9781003515784

Problem Description: The semiconductor industry is continually evolving to meet the global demands for sustainable energy, miniaturized electronics, and high-performance optoelectronic systems. A major bottleneck in the advancement of photovoltaic and nanoelectronic technologies is the increasing complexity of carrier transport and interface phenomena at the nanoscale.

Developing energy-efficient, scalable, and reproducible fabrication techniques for carrier-selective contacts, low-defect passivation layers, and advanced junction architectures remains a challenge—especially in resource-constrained academic environments. Simultaneously, the push toward photodetectors, GaN and SiC-based light emitters, and device-circuit co-optimization demands a strong grasp of both quantum mechanics and classical device behavior.
Additionally, fabrication of optoelectronic devices like photodetectors and LEDs requires understanding of quantum carrier transport, material interfaces, and optical-electronic coupling — all of which present substantial technical and economic barriers in Indian research environments due to limited access to MOCVD/MBE-grade equipment.

Focus of Research:

Physics of semiconductor devices: solar cells, LEDs, LASER diodes, photo detectors, tunnel junctions, MOSFETs, and gas sensors. Experimental realization of advanced silicon-based photovoltaic devices (PERC, TOPCon, HIT) with carrier-selective layers like a-Si:H, Al₂O₃, NiO, ZnO and ITO. Nanoelectronics with nanometer-scale junction control using PECVD, ALD, and sputtering. Fabrication of PERC, TOPCon, and HIT solar cell architectures with nanometer-scale control.
Optical characterization of materials using FTIR, UV-Vis-NIR, and bandgap extraction for thin film stacks. Exploration of photoluminescence and electroluminescence in silicon carbide-based devices using CVD-grown structures and comparison with GaN-based devices.
Device simulation using Sentaurus TCAD, AFORS-HET, DFT and PC1D for performance prediction.

Publications:

Shiladitya Acharyya, Dibyendu Kumar Ghosh, Dipali Banerjee, Santanu Maity, Analyzing the operational versatility of advanced IBC solar cells at different temperatures and also with variation in minority carrier lifetimes, Journal of Computational Electronics, 2024. https://10.1007/s10825-024-02232-y
S. Acharyya, P Mandal, S. Maity, D. Banerjee, Statistical analysis of cost-effective silicon solar cell with SnSe as BSF layer and metal oxide emitters, Indian J Phys 98, 99–107 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12648-023-02781-1

Arindam Kole, Shiladitya Acharyya, Partha Chaudhuri, Hiranmay Saha, Self-assembled silicon quantum dots embedded within amorphous silicon carbide matrix: Nanophase control by hydrogen dilution, Conference: IWPSD 2019, Springer Proceedings. https:// 10.13140/RG.2.2.28723.25124

Savita Kashyap, Shiladitya Acharyya, Durga Prasad Khatri, Pradeep Padhamath, Anil Kottantharayil, Numerical Analysis of Metal Poly Si Contact in TOPCon Solar Cells through Device Simulations using Sentaurus TCAD, PVSilicon 2025.