Photovoltaic Devices

Prepared by: K. G. sharma

Photovoltaic devices or Solar cells convert the incident solar radiation energy into electrical energy. Incident photons are absorbed to photo generate charge carriers that pass through an external load to do electrical work. Assemblies of cells used to make solar modules which are used to capture energy from sunlight, are known as solar panels. Photovoltaic device applications cover a wider range from small consumer electronics, such as solar cell calculator using less than a few milli-watts, to photovoltaic power generation by a central plant (generating a few megawatts).

Prepared by: K. G. sharma

Photovoltaic device principles: -

Prepared by: K. G. sharma

The illumination is through the thin n-side. As the n-side is very narrow, most of the photons will be absorbed within the depletion region (W) and within the neutral p-side (lp) and photo generate electron hole pairs (EHPs) in these regions. EHPs photo generated the depletion region will be immediately separated by the built-in field Eo, which drifts them apart. The electron drifts and reaches the neutral n+ side whereupon it makes this region negative by an amount of charge e. similarly holes drifts and reaches the neutral p-side and thereby makes this side positive. Consequently an open circuit voltage develops between the terminals of the device with the p-side positive with respect to the n-side. The electrodes attached to the n-side must allow illumination to enter the device and at the same time result in a small series resistance. Array of finger electrodes on the surface are deposited for this purpose. A thin antireflection coating on the surface reduces reflections and allows more light to enter the device.

Prepared by: K. G. sharma

The electrodes attached to the n-side must allow illumination to enter the device and at the same time result in a small series resistance. Array of finger electrodes on the surface are deposited for this purpose. A thin antireflection coating on the surface reduces reflections and allows more light to enter the device.
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The total current through the solar cell is given by I = Io (eqV/nkT - 1) Iph = -V/R

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Series Resistance and Equivalent Circuit

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The photo generated electron has to traverse a surface semiconductor region to reach the nearest finger electrode. All these electron paths in the n-layer surface region to finger electrodes introduce an effective series resistance Rs into the photovoltaic circuit.

The equivalent circuit of an ideal pn junction solar cell is shown. As apparent, Iph and Id are in opposite directions so that in open circuit the photovoltaic voltage is such that Iph and Id have the same magnitude and cancel each other.

Prepared by: K. G. sharma

A fraction (usually small) of the photo generated carriers can also flow through the crystal surface (edge of the device) or through grain boundaries in polycrystalline devices instead of flowing through the external load RL. These effects that prevent photo generated carriers from flowing in the external circuit can be represented by an effective internal shunt or parallel resistance Rp.Typically Rp is less important than Rs in overall device behavior.

The series resistance can significantly deteriorate the solar cell performance, where Rs=0 is the best solar cell case.
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Solar cells in parallel

Consider one individual solar cell. The voltage Vd across the diode is (V IRs) so that the external current is I is given by I = - Iph + Io (eq(V-IRs)/nkT) Io

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Each device is now delivering a current I/2. The diode voltage for one cell is V-I(Rs/2), thus (1/2)I = - Iph + Io (eq(V-(1/2)IRs)/nkT) Io I = - 2Iph + 2Io (e-q(V-(1/2)IRs)/nkT) 2Io If we were to use the two solar cells in series, then Voc would be doubled. Isc and Iph will remain same. The same output power can be delivered with the double of the load resistance. These simple ideas however do not work when the cell are not identical. The connections of such mismatched cells can lead to much poorer performance than idealized predictions based on series and parallel connections of the matched cells.

Prepared by: K. G. sharma

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