Current Trends in Technology and Science

ISSN: 2279-0535. Volume: 5, Issue: 6

Capacitance Voltage Characterization of Bifacial Silicon Solar Cell:

Effect of External Electric Polarization
*Marcel Sitor DIOUF, *Gokhan SAHIN, *Amary THIAM, *Moussa Ibra NGOM, *Khady FAYE, **Doudou
GAYE, #*Grégoire SISSOKO
*University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar/Senegal, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Physics Department.

**University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar/Senegal, Polytechnic High School

#[email protected]

Abstract In this paper, we propose a study on the

electric field effect resulting from a silicon solar cell
external polarization on the thickness diffusion
capacitance. From both excess minority carrier density
and photo voltage, the diffusion capacitance is carried
out, either as function of the voltage or the junction
surface recombination velocity. Electric polarization
effects are shown through different C-V plots.

Keywords: silicon solar cell - electric field -

capacitance - voltage - characterization. Figure 1: Bifacial solar cell structure to the n+-pp+ type
under electric polarization and polychromatic
I. INTRODUCTION illumination
The solar cells are the basis of the conversion of
sunlight energy into electrical energy. Because of their
modest performance, it is advisable to improve their
performance and to monitor all their qualities
E represents the polarization electric field, μ carriers’
throughout their development. The quality of the solar
cell is, however, limited by the recombination mobility. D and L are respectively the diffusion
processes by volume [1-2] (Shockley-Read-Hall, and coefficient and the diffusion length of minority
Auger Irradiative) and by surface related of the carriers. δ(x) is the minority charge carriers density
imperfections crystal lattice. So many studies have photogenerated in the base G (x) is the rate of
been conducted in order to minimize this
generation given by [7]:
recombination and raise the conversion efficiency.
Related to the operating conditions, solar cell
characterization methods lead to the electrical and
recombination parameters (bulk and surfaces) [3, 4].
Then solar cell is either under steady state condition ai and bi are coefficients from modeling of the
[5] or under dynamic state [6] (i.e. transient decay and
frequency) generation rate overall radiations in the solar
II. THEORETICAL ASPECT spectrum [8]. The expression of the minority carrier’s
We present in Figure 1 the solar cell structure of a type density is given by equation (1) resolution:
np-p +, under polychromatic illumination. In order to
study the influence of an external electric field on the
behavior of the charge carriers in the base, we polarize
by applying a voltage, and work in theory quasi-
neutral base (QNB). The solar cell was reverse biased,
the resulting electric field oriented zone n to the p with:
region, will provide additional energy to the charge ai  L2
carrier to push each other to the junction. This electric ci  
field is the sum of the external field resulting D  [ L2  b 2 i  LE  bi  1]
polarization and the solar cell internal electric field. and
Under these conditions, the equation of the charge
carrier’s distribution in the base is given by equation .E.L2
LE 
(1) below. D
A and B are obtained with the boundary conditions at
the emitter – base junction(x = 0) and at the back
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 Current Trends in Technology and Science
ISSN: 2279-0535. Volume: 5, Issue: 6

surface(x = H) of the cell [9, 10] expressed as: -at the

junction (x=0):

If we introduce the excess minority carrier

recombination velocity at the junction in equation (8)
we obtain following expression of the capacitance:
-at the back surface (x=H):

Sf and Sb are respectively the junction and back

surface recombination velocity [10, 11]. To Or:
understand the electric field effect on extended
junction space charge region, we illustrate in Figure 2
junction thickness extension under electric field effect
Figure 2 shows a reverse polarization of the solar cell. And:
The resulting electric field after this polarization is
E0'= E0 + E. E0 is the electric field in the space charge
region without polarization and E is the electric field
from the solar cell external polarization.

Therefore:

Figure 2: schematic illustration of the junction thickness

extension under electric field effect

Vext and V0 are respectively voltage from the space

charge region in the absence of polarization and
external circuit voltage. Thus, the minority charge
carriers will be returned to the junction by the
resulting electric field. These carriers reinforce the
diffusion capacitance at the junction and contribute to
junction thickness extension. Thus,

III. CAPACITANCE STUDY

Diffusing capacitance of the solar cell is considered as
the ability of the resulting charge variation during the
process of diffusion within the solar cell [11]. It is
given by the following equation:

With:

Let:
By injecting (9) in (8), we have

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670
 Current Trends in Technology and Science
ISSN: 2279-0535. Volume: 5, Issue: 6

Equation (16) allows us to observe the capacitance

evolution versus the photo voltage for different values
of electric field. It is represented in Figure 6

Co is the intrinsic capacitance under dark.

Replacing CO by its expression, equation (15) becomes:

Considering the expression of the photo voltage from

equation (10), solar cell capacitance can be expressed
as:
Figure 6: C-V characteristics for different values of
electric field (µ=103cm2V-1s-1, L=0.02cm, H=0.03cm,
D=26cm2.s-1)
Figure 6 enables us to observe an increase of the
capacitance when the photo voltage increases. Thus,
for low values of the photo voltage (V< 0.5 volts),
corresponding to operation of the solar cell in short
circuit situation, the capacitance is very low. This is
With equation (16), we obtain due to the massive crossing of minority charge carriers
at the junction. Similarly , for large values of the photo
voltage (V > 0.5 volts) , corresponding to operation of
the solar cell in open circuit situation, the capacitance
increases exponentially as a function of the photo
With the logarithmic function, equation (17) becomes: voltage which is explained by a significant carrier
storage at the junction . Thereafter, whatever the value
of the electric field, we get the same value of the dark
capacitance. We also observed an increase in the
characteristic when the electric field decreases.
The curve of the logarithm of the capacity versus the Indeed, an increase in the electric field leads a
voltage is plotted in figure 3 versus photo voltage for reduction the minority carriers stored in the junction
different values of the bias electric field and therefore a decrease in diffusion capacitance. We
represent in Figure 7 the capacitance versus junction
recombination velocity for different values electric
field:

Figure 3: Log(C) versus the photo voltage for different

values of electric field (µ=103cm2V-1s-1, L=0.02cm,
H=0.03cm, D=26cm2.s-1)
In Figure 3, we see that whatever the capacitance
under darkness Co is independent of the electric field
polarization. The intercept point obtained with the
capacitance axis is the dark capacitance value [11]. Figure 7: Capacitance verus junction recombination
The obtained value with this method is: velocity for different values of electric field (µ=103cm2V-
1s-1, L=0.02cm, H=0.03cm, D=26cm2.s-1)

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671
 Current Trends in Technology and Science
ISSN: 2279-0535. Volume: 5, Issue: 6

Figure 7 shows that the diffusion capacitance is a grained polycrystalline silicon cells », J. App. Phys.
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