The effects of surface potential on surface recombination and the performance of silicon solar cells

This paper describes the effect on the short circuit current of varying the surface potential of the illuminated surface of an Interdigitated Back Contact solar cell. The surface potential of the IBC cell is controlled by means of a transparent conducting field plate. The application of a suitable potential to the conducting layer can modulate the surface potential from strong accumulation through depletion to strong inversion. The results of this experiment are explained in terms of the effects of the varying surface potential on surface recombination and the depletion layer recombination, which occurs in the case of an inverted surface. The results of computer calculations are also presented. A comparison of the relative merits of the Front Surface Field cell, the Interdigitated Back Contact cell, and the Tandem cell is made based on the experimental and theoretical results presented.