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Journal of Applied Physics / Volume 110 / Issue 12 / ARTICLES / Lasers, Optics, and Optoelectronics

J. Appl. Phys. 110, 123104 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3671061 (17 pages)

A semi-analytical model for semiconductor solar cells

D. Ding, S. R. Johnson, S.-Q. Yu, S.-N. Wu, and Y.-H. Zhang

Center for Photonics Innovation and School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA

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(Received 4 August 2011; accepted 15 November 2011; published online 23 December 2011)

A semi-analytical model is constructed for single- and multi-junction solar cells. This model incorporates the key performance aspects of practical devices, including nonradiative recombination, photon recycling within a given junction, spontaneous emission coupling between junctions, and non-step-like absorptance and emittance with below-bandgap tail absorption. Four typical planar structures with the combinations of a smooth/textured top surface and an absorbing/reflecting substrate (or backside surface) are investigated, through which the extracted power and four types of fundamental loss mechanisms, transmission, thermalization, spatial-relaxation, and recombination loss are analyzed for both single- and multi-junction solar cells. The below-bandgap tail absorption increases the short-circuit current but decreases the output and open-circuit voltage. Using a straightforward formulism this model provides the initial design parameters and the achievable efficiencies for both single- and multiple-junction solar cells over a wide range of material quality. The achievable efficiency limits calculated using the best reported materials and AM1.5 G one sun for GaAs and Si single-junction solar cells are, respectively, 27.4 and 21.1% for semiconductor slabs with a flat surface and a non-reflecting index-matched absorbing substrate, and 30.8 and 26.4% for semiconductor slabs with a textured surface and an ideal 100% reflecting backside surface. Two important design rules for both single- and multi-junction solar cells are established: i) the optimal junction thickness decreases and the optimal bandgap energy increases when nonradiative recombination increases; and ii) the optimal junction thickness increases and the optimal bandgap energy decreases for higher solar concentrations.

© 2011 American Institute of Physics

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. FUNDAMENTAL LOSS MECHANISMS IN SOLAR CELLS
  3. A SEMI-ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR SOLAR CELLS
    1. Assumptions and basic formula
    2. Short-circuit current density
    3. Radiative recombination current density
    4. Four planar structures
    5. Non-radiative recombination current densities
    6. Loss and extracted power
    7. Application to multi-junction solar cells
  4. MODELING RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
    1. Single-junction solar cells
    2. Multi-junction solar cells
  5. CONCLUSIONS

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

elemental semiconductors, energy gap, gallium arsenide, III-V semiconductors, short-circuit currents, silicon, solar cells, spontaneous emission, surface texture

PACS

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3671061

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0021-8979 (print)  
1089-7550 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

For access to fully linked references, you need to log in.
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