Welcome to the InfoSci Platform
Reference Hub2
Analytical Models of Bulk and Quantum Well Solar Cells and Relevance of the Radiative Limit

Analytical Models of Bulk and Quantum Well Solar Cells and Relevance of the Radiative Limit

James P. Connolly
Copyright: © 2013 |Pages: 19
ISBN13: 9781466619272|ISBN10: 1466619279|EISBN13: 9781466619289
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-1927-2.ch005
Cite Chapter Cite Chapter

MLA

Connolly, James P. "Analytical Models of Bulk and Quantum Well Solar Cells and Relevance of the Radiative Limit." Advanced Solar Cell Materials, Technology, Modeling, and Simulation, edited by Laurentiu Fara and Masafumi Yamaguchi, IGI Global, 2013, pp. 59-77. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-1927-2.ch005

APA

Connolly, J. P. (2013). Analytical Models of Bulk and Quantum Well Solar Cells and Relevance of the Radiative Limit. In L. Fara & M. Yamaguchi (Eds.), Advanced Solar Cell Materials, Technology, Modeling, and Simulation (pp. 59-77). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-1927-2.ch005

Chicago

Connolly, James P. "Analytical Models of Bulk and Quantum Well Solar Cells and Relevance of the Radiative Limit." In Advanced Solar Cell Materials, Technology, Modeling, and Simulation, edited by Laurentiu Fara and Masafumi Yamaguchi, 59-77. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-1927-2.ch005

Export Reference

Mendeley
Favorite

Abstract

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.

Request Access

You do not own this content. Please login to recommend this title to your institution's librarian or purchase it from the IGI Global bookstore.