Identification of a boron-oxygen complex as the origin of a non-radiative recombination process in silicon photodetectors and solar cells (Conference Presentation)

The analytical modelling of bulk and quantum well solar cells is reviewed. The analytical approach allows explicit estimates of dominant generation and recombination mechanisms at work in charge neutral and space charge layers of the cells. Consistency of the analysis of cell characteristics in the light and in the dark leaves a single free parameter, which is the mean Shockley-Read-Hall lifetime. Bulk PIN cells are shown to be inherently dominated by non-radiative recombination as a result of the doping related non-radiative fraction of the Shockley injection currents. Quantum well PIN solar cells on the other hand are shown to operate in the radiative limit as a result of the dominance of radiative recombination in the space charge region. These features are exploited using light trapping techniques leading to photon recycling and reduced radiative recombination. The conclusion is that the mirror backed quantum well solar cell device features open circuit voltages determined mainly by the higher bandgap neutral layers, with an absorption threshold determined by the lower gap quantum well superlattice.

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High-Efficiency GaAs-Based Solar Cells

10.5772/intechopen.94365 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Masafumi Yamaguchi

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Radiative Recombination ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Single Junction ◽

Analytical Results ◽

Key Issues ◽

Limiting Efficiency ◽

Compound Materials

The III-V compound solar cells represented by GaAs solar cells have contributed as space and concentrator solar cells and are important as sub-cells for multi-junction solar cells. This chapter reviews progress in III-V compound single-junction solar cells such as GaAs, InP, AlGaAs and InGaP cells. Especially, GaAs solar cells have shown 29.1% under 1-sun, highest ever reported for single-junction solar cells. In addition, analytical results for non-radiative recombination and resistance losses in III-V compound solar cells are shown by considering fundamentals for major losses in III-V compound materials and solar cells. Because the limiting efficiency of single-junction solar cells is 30-32%, multi-junction junction solar cells have been developed and InGaP/GaAs based 3-junction solar cells are widely used in space. Recently, highest efficiencies of 39.1% under 1-sun and 47.2% under concentration have been demonstrated with 6-junction solar cells. This chapter also reviews progress in III-V compound multi-junction solar cells and key issues for realizing high-efficiency multi-junction cells.

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Non-radiative recombination process in BGaAs/GaAs alloys: Two layer photothermal deflection model

Journal of Alloys and Compounds ◽

10.1016/j.jallcom.2013.07.101 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 581 ◽

pp. 358-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

S. Ilahi ◽

M. Baira ◽

F. Saidi ◽

N. Yacoubi ◽

L. Auvray ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Radiative Recombination ◽

Recombination Process ◽

Photothermal Deflection

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Radiative recombination in strain-balanced quantum well solar cells

Conference Record of the Thirty-first IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference 2005 PVSC-05 ◽

10.1109/pvsc.2005.1488222 ◽

2005 ◽

Author(s):

A. Bessiere ◽

J.P. Connolly ◽

K.W.J. Barnham ◽

I.M. Ballard ◽

D.C. Johnson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Quantum Well ◽

Radiative Recombination

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