Incorporating photon recycling into the analytical drift-diffusion model of high efficiency solar cells
- The George Washington University, 2121 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
The analytical drift-diffusion formalism is able to accurately simulate a wide range of solar cell architectures and was recently extended to include those with back surface reflectors. However, as solar cells approach the limits of material quality, photon recycling effects become increasingly important in predicting the behavior of these cells. In particular, the minority carrier diffusion length is significantly affected by the photon recycling, with consequences for the solar cell performance. In this paper, we outline an approach to account for photon recycling in the analytical Hovel model and compare analytical model predictions to GaAs-based experimental devices operating close to the fundamental efficiency limit.
- OSTI ID:
- 22402680
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 116, Issue 19; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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