Impedance spectroscopy coupled with voltammetry for quantitative evaluation of temperature and voltage dependent parameters of a silicon solar cell

The techniques of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and impedance spectroscopy (IS) are combined to study the detailed temperature and voltage dependencies of a range of performance-indicator parameters of a mono-crystalline n+–p Si solar cell. The complex nonlinear least square fitting procedure is employed for quantitative evaluation of the IS data. The underlying mechanisms of the observed temperature/ voltage sensitive characteristics of the cell are examined using a collection of currently available theoretical models. The individual roles of minority carrier diffusion and defect-induced charge recombination are manifested in the voltage and temperature dependent signatures of the measured cell parameters. These parameters include the transition layer capacitance and built-in potential of the n+–p interface, the acceptor concentration in the base, the series, shunt and recombination resistances, and the effective diode ideality factor. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.