Absence of carrier recombination associated with the defect pool model in intrinsic amorphous silicon layers: Evidence from current–voltage characteristics on p-i-n and n-i-p solar cells

J. Deng (1) , J. M Pearce (2) , R J Koval (1) , V. Vlahos (1) , R. Collins (1) , C R Wronski (1) , R. Wronski

1 Penn State - Pennsylvania State University
2 MTU - Michigan Technological University

Forward bias current-voltage characteristics (J D-V) were studied for both p-in superstrate and n-i-p substrate (a-SiC:H p)/(a-Si:H i) solar-cell structures having different p/i interface layers and different thickness i-layers. Contributions of the p/i interfaces to the J D-V characteristics were separated, and the dependence on the thickness of the i-layers was established. Equivalence was observed in a comparison of the characteristics of p-in and n-i-p cells. The various J D-V characteristics are found to be consistent with uniform densities of defects in the i-layers, and thus inconsistent with the spatially varying large densities of defects predicted for solar-cell structures by the defect pool model.

Domaines: Matériaux; Electronique

J. Deng, J. M Pearce, R J Koval, V. Vlahos, R. Collins, et al.. Absence of carrier recombination associated with the defect pool model in intrinsic amorphous silicon layers: Evidence from current–voltage characteristics on p-i-n and n-i-p solar cells. Applied Physics Letters, 2003, 82 (18), pp.3023-3025. ⟨10.1063/1.1571985⟩. ⟨hal-02120546⟩