Electrical conduction model for polycrystalline silicon under illumination

Abstract

Considering the grain-boundary scattering effect, a new theoretical model for the electrical conduction in polycrystalline silicon under illumination is presented. A current-voltage relationship is developed which includes the thermionic field-emission and the thermionic-emission across the grain-boundary scattering barrier. The effect of temperature on the resistivity of polycrystalline silicon has also been investigated theoretically. It is found that the actual grain-boundary barrier resistivity increases with decreasing temperature. Excellent agreement has been achieved between available results and theoretical predictions.