Author(s)

Bernard Zouma¹, Fabé Idrissa Barro^2*, Prince Abdoul Aziz Honadia¹

¹Department of Physics, Thermal Renewable Energies Laboratory, Training and Research Unit in Exact and Applied Sciences, Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
²Department of Physics, Semiconductors and Solar Energy Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Technique, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.

This paper investigates theoretically the behavior of the space charge region of a silicon solar cell and its associated capacitance under the effect of an external electric field. The purpose of this work is to show that under illumination the solar cell’s space charge region width varies with both operating point and the external induced electric field and how the solar cell capacitance varies with the space charge region width. Based on a 1D modelling of the quasi-neutral p-base, the space charge region width is determined and the associated capacitance is calculated taking into account the external electric field and the junction dynamic velocity. Based on the above calculations and simulations conducted with Mathcad, we confirmed the linear dependence of the inverse capacitance with space charge region width for thin space charge region and we exhibit an exponential dependence for large space charge region.

Solar Cell, Electric Field, Space Charge Region, Capacitance

Zouma, B. , Barro, F. and Aziz Honadia, P. (2021) Silicon Solar Cell Space Charge Region and Capacitance Behavior under Electric Field. Energy and Power Engineering, 13, 41-50. doi: 10.4236/epe.2021.131003.