Exact analysis of a three-dimensional cylindrical model for a polycrystalline solar cell

Abstract

Analytical expressions for the short-circuit current densities and the spectral response were derived for a thin-film polycrystalline n/p junction solar cell. A three-dimensional model was used for a typical grain. It has the shape of a columnar cylinder. The spectral response and the total short-circuit current density were then evaluated for different values of grain size, grain boundary recombination velocity, and film thickness. The calculations aimed at studying some possible enhancements in the spectral response and the short-circuit current. Such enhancements can result from increasing the grain size or from reducing the grain-boundary recombination velocity. These two parameters can more or less be controlled experimentally through recrystallization and passivation of grain boundary states, respectively.