Effect of dissociation of iron-boron Pairs in crystalline silicon on solar cell properties

authored by
Jan Schmidt
Abstract

The effect of dissociation of interstitial iron-substitutional boron (FeiBs) pairs, as it occurs under illumination in iron-contaminated silicon solar cells, on the solar cell properties has been studied on the basis of numerical device simulations using reported recombination parameters for Fei and FeiBs. Most cell parameters are found to degrade during FeiBs dissociation. However, the open-circuit voltage can also increase within certain ranges of the iron concentration. Critical iron concentrations are determined, giving the threshold contamination level above which a significant degradation in the corresponding cell parameter can be observed. The threshold iron contamination level of the open-circuit voltage degradation is found to be up to two orders of magnitude larger than the threshold iron level of the short-circuit current degradation. As the behaviour of the cell parameters under illumination is specific to the dissociation of FeiBs pairs, the characteristic changes in the cell parameters due to illumination may be used as a simple way of identifying iron contamination problems in silicon solar cells.

External Organisation(s)
Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH)
Type
Article
Journal
Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications
Volume
13
Pages
325-331
No. of pages
7
ISSN
1062-7995
Publication date
06.2005
Publication status
Published
Peer reviewed
Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Condensed Matter Physics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
Electronic version(s)
https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.594 (Access: Unknown)