Quantum efficiency of a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells in the 250 to 375 K range-insights from defect pool modelling

Author

Eickhoff, Thomas ; Ulrichs, Carsten ; Stiebig, Helmut ; Grünen, Werner ; Reetz, Wilfried ; Wagner, Heribert

Author_Institution

Inst. fur Schicht- und Ionentechnik, Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH, Germany

Volume

1

fYear

1994

fDate

5-9 Dec 1994

Firstpage

622

Abstract

A variation of the temperature T of a p-i-n solar cell shifts the Fermi level and thereby changes the occupation of the defect densities within the device according to the defect model used. Thus the T dependence of the quantum efficiency (QE) promises to give a clearer insight into the defect distribution and recombination within the device. With decreasing T both the red and the blue response of an a-Si:H p-i-n solar cell decrease, the loss in the red being due to the i layer gap shift. The drop on the short wavelength side with decreasing T is attributed to a change of charge state of the D⁺ in the nonequilibrium case within the first 100 nm of the i-layer. This negative space charge diminishes the field spike near the p/i interface and reduces the hole concentration there by recombination

Keywords

Fermi level; amorphous semiconductors; electron-hole recombination; elemental semiconductors; hydrogen; silicon; solar cells; space charge; 250 to 375 K; Fermi level; Si:H; a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells; blue response; defect densities; defect distribution; defect pool modelling; hole concentration reduction; i layer gap shift; negative space charge; p/i interface; quantum efficiency; recombination; red response; temperature dependence; Electrical resistance measurement; Optical buffering; Optical scattering; PIN photodiodes; Photoconductivity; Photovoltaic cells; Radiative recombination; Space charge; Temperature distribution; Thickness measurement;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on

Conference_Location

Waikoloa, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1460-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/WCPEC.1994.520038

Filename

520038