Photovoltage decay in p-n junction solar cells including the effects of recombinations in the emitter

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.332257· OSTI ID:5647261

Jain, S C; Ray, U C

The expressions for the open circuit photovoltage decay in a p-n junction solar cell are derived, including the effects of recombinations in the emitter. It is shown that for a cell with base thickness w/sub B/>>L/sub B/, the base diffusion length, the voltage decay rate for small values of time depends on the emitter dark saturation current J/sub E/0; the larger the value of J/sub E/0 , the faster is the initial rate of voltage decay. For large values of time, the rate of voltage decay is solely determined by the minority carrier lifetime in the base tau/sub B/ and is independent of J/sub E/0 . However, for a cell with w/sub B/< or approx. =L/sub B/, the voltage decay is linear from the very beginning and the decay rate is of the form (kT/e)((1/tau/sub B/) +(1/t/sub 1/)). The time constant t/sub 1/ is independent of tau/sub B/ . It, however, depends on the base thickness, the effective back surface recombination velocity, and the emitter dark saturation current J/sub E/0 . The value of J/sub E/0 depends on emitter thickness, front surface recombination velocity, drift field in the emitter, band-gap narrowing, and Auger recombinations in the emitter.

• Research Organization: Solid state Physics Laboratory, Lucknow Road, Delhi-110007, India
• OSTI ID: 5647261
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 54:4; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
AUGER EFFECT
CARRIER LIFETIME
CHARGE CARRIERS
CURRENTS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIMENSIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ENERGY GAP
EQUATIONS
EQUIPMENT
JUNCTIONS
LENGTH
LIFETIME
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
P-N JUNCTIONS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
RECOMBINATION
SATURATION
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
THICKNESS