A new approach to determine accurately minority-carrier lifetime

• Published in: Physica. B, Condensed matter Vol. 404; no. 1; pp. 167 - 170
• Main Authors: Idali Oumhand, M., Mir, Y., Zazoui, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.01.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Carrier lifetime; Charge carriers: generation, recombination, lifetime, and trapping; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Conductivity phenomena in semiconductors and insulators; Degradation; Electron irradiation; Electronic transport in condensed matter; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Natural energy; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Solar cells; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Degradation; Solar cells; Electron irradiation; Carrier lifetime; Minority carrier; Short circuit currents; Electron beam; Lattice parameters; Gallium Indium Phosphides Mixed; Solar cell; Proton beam; Charge carrier recombination; Radiation effect
• ISSN: 0921-4526; 1873-2135
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physb.2008.10.030

Electron or proton irradiations introduce recombination centers, which tend to affect solar cell parameters by reducing the minority-carrier lifetime (MCLT). Because this MCLT plays a fundamental role in the performance degradation of solar cells, in this work we present a new approach that allows us to get accurate values of MCLT. The relationship between MCLT in p-region and n-region both before and after irradiation has been determined by the new method. The validity and accuracy of this approach are justified by the fact that the degradation parameters that fit the experimental data are the same for both short-circuit current and the open-circuit voltages. This method is applied to the p +/ n-InGaP solar cell under 1 MeV electron irradiation.