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Reduction of solar cell efficiency by edge defects across the back-surface-field junction - A developed perimeter modelMaterial imperfections, impurity clusters and fabrication defects across the back-surface-field junction can degrade the performance of high-efficiency solar cells. The degradation from defects appearing on the circumference of a solar cell is analyzed using a two-region developed perimeter device model. The width of the defective perimeter region is characterized by the range or the distance-of-influence of the defective edge and this width is about two diffusion lengths. The defective edge is characterized by a surface recombination velocity. Family of theoretical curves and numerical examples are presented to show that significant reduction of open-circuit voltage can occur in high-efficiency cells which are thin compared with the diffusion length. In one example, the degradation is decreased from 135 mV to 75 mV when the cell size is increased from 10 to 100 times the diffusion length in a thin cell whose thickness is 1% of the diffusion length.
Document ID
19820062757
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Sah, C. T.
(Illinois, University Urbana, IL, United States)
Yamakawa, K. A.
(Illinois Univ. Urbana, IL, United States)
Lutwack, R.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1982
Publication Information
Publication: Solid-State Electronics
Volume: 25
Subject Category
Energy Production And Conversion
Accession Number
82A46292
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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