Efficiency considerations for polycrystalline GaAs thin-film solar cells

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.337665· OSTI ID:5749833

Yamaguchi, M; Itoh, Y

The effect of grain boundaries upon the efficiency of polycrystalline GaAs thin-film solar cells is analyzed. Solar-cell properties are calculated on a simple model where grain boundaries act as recombination centers to reduce the minority-carrier diffusion length in the solar cell's active layer and increase the space-charge layer recombination current. An effective diffusion length is expressed in terms of grain size, allowing the calculation of short-circuit current density and open-circuit voltage. Excellent agreement is obtained between theory and experiment. The fabrication of thin-film GaAs solar cells with an efficiency greater than 18% appears to be possible if the grain size in the thin-film GaAs layer with thickness of 3 ..mu..m is larger than 1000 ..mu..m.

• Research Organization: NTT Electrical Communications Laboratories, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-11, Japan
• OSTI ID: 5749833
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 60:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
EFFICIENCY
FABRICATION
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
RECOMBINATION
CHARGE CARRIERS
CURRENT DENSITY
DIFFUSION LENGTH
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GRAIN SIZE
POLYCRYSTALS
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DATA
DIMENSIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LENGTH
MICROSTRUCTURE
NUMERICAL DATA
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PNICTIDES
SIZE
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion