Improved equivalent circuit and analytical model for amorphous silicon solar cells and modules

Author

Merten, J. ; Asensi, J.M. ; Voz, C. ; Shah, A.V. ; Platz, R. ; Andreu, J.

Author_Institution

Dept. de Fisica Aplicada i Electron., Barcelona Univ., Spain

Volume

45

Issue

2

fYear

1998

fDate

2/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

423

Lastpage

429

Abstract

An improved equivalent circuit for hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells and modules is presented. It is based on the classic combination of a diode with an exponential current-voltage characteristic, of a photocurrent source plus a new term representing additional recombination losses in the i-layer of the device. This model/equivalent circuit matches the I(V) curves of a-Si:H cells over an illumination range of six orders of magnitude. The model clearly separates effects related to the technology of the device (series and parallel resistance) and effects related to the physics of the p-i-n junction (recombination losses). It also allows an effective μτ product in the i-layer of the device to be determined, characterizing its state of degradation

Keywords

amorphous semiconductors; electron-hole recombination; elemental semiconductors; equivalent circuits; hydrogen; losses; semiconductor device models; silicon; solar cells; Si:H; a-Si:H solar cells; amorphous Si solar cells; analytical model; diode; equivalent circuit model; exponential I-V characteristic; i-layer; p-i-n junction; photocurrent source; recombination losses; solar cell modules; Amorphous materials; Amorphous silicon; Analytical models; Current-voltage characteristics; Equivalent circuits; Lighting; P-i-n diodes; Photoconductivity; Photovoltaic cells; Physics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/16.658676

Filename

658676