Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-p2v8j Total loading time: 0.001 Render date: 2024-05-19T00:14:51.259Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Importance of electron current in p-type CdTe in CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells at forward bias

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Jutta Beier ,
Marc Köntges ,
Peter Nollet ,
Stefaan Degrave  and
Marc Burgelman
Jutta Beier
Affiliation:
ANTEC GmbH, Kelkheim, Germany
Marc Köntges
Affiliation:
ISFH, Hannover, Germany
Peter Nollet
Affiliation:
Ghent University, Dept of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent, Belgium
Stefaan Degrave
Affiliation:
Ghent University, Dept of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent, Belgium
Marc Burgelman
Affiliation:
Ghent University, Dept of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent, Belgium
Get access

Abstract

In previous work [1,2], we modeled the cross-over of the I-V curves of thin film CdS/CdTe solar cells in terms of an electron (minority carrier) current in the vicinity of the back contact. In this work, we focus on the necessary extension of this analytical model based on a series of measurement results. Especially the wavelength and voltage dependence of the current at forward bias is illustrated in these measurements. The various possible causes for this kind of behavior are discussed and modeled. The extensions to the previous model, needed to describe the voltage and wavelength dependent behavior of I-V curves of real CdTe/CdS solar cells, are proposed.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 668: Symposium H – II-IV Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaic Materials , 2001 , H9.5
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Burgelman, M., Nollet, P., Degrave, S. and Beier, J., presented at the 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (Anchorage, AL, september 2000) (in press)Google Scholar
2. Niemegeers, A. and Burgelman, M., Journal of Applied Physics, 81, 2881–2886 (1997)Google Scholar
3. Sze, S. M., ‘Physics of Semiconductor Devices’, 2nd edition (Wiley, New York, 1981)Google Scholar
4. Ponpon, J. P., Solid-State Electronics, 28, No. 7, 689–706 (1985)Google Scholar
5. Sarlund, J., Ritala, M., Leskelä, M., Siponmaa, E., Zilliacus, R., Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 44 177 (1996)Google Scholar
6. Ferekides, C.S., Viswanathan, V., Morel, D.L., 26th PVSEC (Anaheim, USA, 1997), 423–426 Google Scholar
7. Nollet, P., Burgelman, M. and Degrave, S., Thin Solid Films, 361–362, 293–297, (2000); also presented at the E-MRS conference, Strasbourg, France, 1-4 june 1999Google Scholar
8. Engelhardt, F., Bornemann, L., Köntges, M., Meyer, Th., Parisi, J., Pschorr-Schoberer, E., Hahn, B., Gebhardt, W., Riedl, W., Rau, U., Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl. 7, 423–436 (1999)Google Scholar
9. Moutinho, H. et al., 11th European PV Conf. (Montreux, 1992), pp. 991–994 Google Scholar
10. Halliday, D., Potter, M. and Dawson, P., presented at the 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (Anchorage, AL, september 2000) (in press)Google Scholar
11. Edwards, P., Durose, K., Galloway, S., Bonnet, D. and Richter, H., 2nd World PV Conf. (Wien 1998), pp. 472–476 Google Scholar
12. Blood, P. and Orton, J.W., Rep. Prog. Phys. 41, 1978, pp. 227–229 Google Scholar
13. Rhoderick, E. H., ’Metal-semiconductor contacts’, (Clarendon, Oxford, 1978)Google Scholar
14. Werner, J. H. and Güttler, H.H., Journal of Applied Physics, 69, 1522–1533 (1991)Google Scholar
15. Chopra, K. L., Das, S. R., ‘Thin film solar cells’, (Plenum, New York, 1983), p. 127 Google Scholar