Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2 (2), P. 42-44 (1999)
https://doi.org/10.15407/spqeo2.02.042


PACS 84.60.J, 72.20.J

On the collection of photocurrent in solar cells with a contact grid

A.V. Sachenko, A.P. Gorban'

Institute of Semiconductor Physics of NASU,45, prospect Nauki, 252028 Kiev, Ukraine

Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. 1999. V. 2, No 2. P.42-44. Eng. Il.: 2. Ref.:7

Abstract. The exact solution for the dependence of specific power of photoconversion in the mode of maximum collected power on distance l between lines of the contact grid has been obtained. It is shown that in an optimized case, when the change of the potential of heavily doped front layer under contacts and between contacts is less than kT/q, the characteristic length L can be introduced with a meaning of the distance at which the photocurrent reduces by a factor of e due to recombination. Variation of the filling factor of SC IVC due to the presence of contact grid is then analytically expressed via this length.

It is found that in unoptimized case, when the distance between contact strips l is much longer than L, the photocurrent collection is determined by lesser, as compared to L, distance, at which the front layer potential changes from the value of Vm under contacts to the open- circuit voltage between the contacts. In this case the change of IVC filling factor due to the presence of contact grid is expressed again analytically via this new characteristic length.

In the intermediate case, when l ğL, the solution of the problem can be found by numerical methods only.

Keywords: photocurrent collection, contact grid, specific power of photoconversion

Paper received 12.05.99; revised manuscript received 06.07.99; accepted for publication 12.07.99.

[Contents]
Full text in PDF (Portable Document Format) are available for free. [PDF 70K]

Back to Volume 2 N2

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.