Using measurements of fill factor at high irradiance to deduce heterobarrier band offsets
Subtitle: preprint
By: J.M. Olson, M.A. Steiner, and A. Kanevce
Contributors: Steiner, Myles A.; Kanevce, Ana; National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.); IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (37th : 2011 : Seattle, Wash.)
Series: NREL/CP -- 5200-50737; Conference paper (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.)) -- NREL/CP-5200-50737.
Publisher: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Golden, CO]
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] :
Subjects: Photovoltaic cells; Research; Solar cells; Semiconductor doping
Description: Using a 2D device simulation tool, we examine the high irradiance behavior of a single junction, GaAs concentrator cell as a function of the doping in the back surface confinement layer. The confinement layer is designed to be a barrier for both holes and electrons in the base of the solar cell. For a p-type base we show that the FF of the cell at high concentrations is a strong function of both the magnitude of the valence band offset and the doping level in the barrier. In short, for a given valence band offset (VBO), there is a critical barrier doping, below which the FF drops rapidly with lower doping. This behavior is confirmed experimentally for a GaInP/GaAs double heterostructure solar cell where the critical doping concentration (at 500 suns) in the back surface confinement layer is ~1e18 cm-3 for a VBO of 300 meV.
Notes: Title from title screen (viewed on September 2, 2011).

"July 2011."

"Presented at the 37th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC 37), Seattle, Washington, June 19-24, 2011."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 4).

DE-AC36-08GO28308

Full text available via Internet in .pdf format. Adobe Acrobat Reader required.