Effect of deep-level impurities on the open-circuit voltage of an MIS solar cell

Abstract

The open-circuit voltage of an MIS solar cell is studied considering the presence of deep-level impurities. An expression for open-circuit voltage is proposed, which reduces to the well known expression for open-circuit voltage of an ideal metal-semiconductor solar cell under some limiting conditions. The analysis predicts an enhancement of open-circuit voltage for donor-like deep impurities. However, it is shown that due to recombination at the deep centres a loss in open-circuit voltage might occur. The conditions required to reduce the recombination loss are discussed.