The ${JV}$ -Characteristic of Intermediate Band Solar Cells With Overlapping Absorption Coefficients

Abstract

An analytic expression for the $\textit {JV}$ -characteristic of intermediate band (IB) solar cells with overlapping absorption coefficients is derived. The characteristic contains six voltage-independent parameters that are calculated from material properties, cell properties, and external conditions. Combined with exponential functions containing the cell voltage, these describe the full $\textit {JV}$ -characteristic. Expressions are also derived for the short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage. The model represents a major simplification compared with the existing model for this type of devices. The simplicity will facilitate the understanding of the operation of such cells. Furthermore, the computation time required when modeling IB solar cells with overlapping absorption coefficients can be shortened considerably. The model also facilitates the incorporation of light trapping schemes. Light trapping with Lambertian surfaces is used as an example.