Study of temperature on performance of c-Si homo junction and a-Si/ c-Si hetero junction solar cells

Abstract

Silicon hetero junction (SHJ) solar cells, employing a surface junction, combine beneficial effects of c-Si and a-Si solar cell technologies. In this work, we have successfully developed large area (137 Cm2), silicon hetero junction (SHJ) solar cells of efficiencies in the range of 16.0 to 16.5% and investigated variation with temperature of the electrical parameters of these as well as normal, diffused junction, c-Si homo junction solar cells. We have compared the temperature coefficients of parameters such as Isc, Voc, and Pmax and have compared them for both types of devices as these would have direct impact on performance, in field, of modules made out of these cells. We found out that c-Si homo junction cells are more sensitive to temperature changes as compared to SHJ solar cells. Also the presence of intrinsic amorphous silicon layer between p type a-Si and n type c-Si does not affect the power temperature coefficients; however they do affect the performance of the cells.