3D determination of the minority carrier lifetime and the p-n junction recombination velocity of a polycrystalline silicon solar cell

Abstract

This work presents a theoretical and experimental transient tri-dimensional study conducted for the determination of the bulk component of the minority carrier lifetime and the p-n junction recombination velocity of a bifacial polycrystalline silicon solar cell. The theoretical analysis is based on the columnar model of the grains in the polycrystalline silicon solar cell. The boundaries conditions are defined in order to use Green's function to solve the three-dimensional diffusion equation. This leads to a new expression of the transient photovoltage. The value of the constraint coefficients at interfaces of the grain are computed while those of the effective minority carrier lifetime τ_eff is extracted from the experimental curve of transient voltage. The bulk lifetime and the p-n junction recombination velocity are deduced and have been compared to those obtained from transient state by one-dimensional modelling of carrier's diffusion. This comparative study permitted us to show grain effects on the lifetime and consequently the inadequacy of one-dimensional modelling of carrier's diffusion in the polycrystalline silicon solar cells.