Effect of thickness on short-circuit current of silicon solar cells

It has been found that the parameters of present high performance silicon solar cells are such that even small reductions in the thickness of the cells result in noticeable decreases of the short-circuit current due to lower collection efficiency at long wavelengths. Theoretical and experimental results of an investigation into the change of short-circuit current as function of thickness are discussed. This effect is studied in dependence on the spectral distribution of the irradiating light for three commonly used types of light source as well as on the minority carrier lifetime and mobility in the base region of the solar cell. It is noteworthy that the differences in short-circuit current are eliminated by moderate damage due to nuclear particle radiation.