Detailed balance efficiency limits with quasi-Fermi level variations

Stephen P. Bremner; Richard Corkish; Christiana B. Honsberg

doi:10.1109/16.791981

Detailed balance efficiency limits with quasi-Fermi level variations

Stephen P. Bremner, Richard Corkish, Christiana B. Honsberg

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

A central assumption in detailed balance efficiency limit calculations has been that the light generated carriers are collected by drift transport processes and have an infinite mobility, giving rise to constant quasi-Fermi levels (QFL's) across the solar cell. However, recent experimental and theoretical results for quantum well (QW) devices indicate that the QFL's need not be constant across the device. It is shown in this paper that transport mechanisms which cause a variation in the difference between the electron and hole QFL's give an increase in the limiting efficiency compared to previous detailed balance calculations. Further, QW solar cells which employ hot carrier transport across a well will have an efficiency limit in excess of a tandem solar cell while using the same number of semiconductor materials.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1932-1939
Number of pages	8
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices
Volume	46
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/16.791981
State	Published - 1999
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1109/16.791981

Cite this

@article{bc340438c1f241518c0ac33896945be9,

title = "Detailed balance efficiency limits with quasi-Fermi level variations",

abstract = "A central assumption in detailed balance efficiency limit calculations has been that the light generated carriers are collected by drift transport processes and have an infinite mobility, giving rise to constant quasi-Fermi levels (QFL's) across the solar cell. However, recent experimental and theoretical results for quantum well (QW) devices indicate that the QFL's need not be constant across the device. It is shown in this paper that transport mechanisms which cause a variation in the difference between the electron and hole QFL's give an increase in the limiting efficiency compared to previous detailed balance calculations. Further, QW solar cells which employ hot carrier transport across a well will have an efficiency limit in excess of a tandem solar cell while using the same number of semiconductor materials.",

author = "Bremner, {Stephen P.} and Richard Corkish and Honsberg, {Christiana B.}",

note = "Funding Information: Manuscript received December 18, 1998; revised revised April 21, 1998. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council and a Dean{\textquoteright}s scholarship for S. P. Bremner through the Faculty of Engineering, The University of New South Wales. The Photovoltaics Special Research Centre is supported by the Australian Reseach Council. The review of this paper was arranged by Guest Editor A. Barnett.",

year = "1999",

doi = "10.1109/16.791981",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "46",

pages = "1932--1939",

journal = "IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices",

issn = "0018-9383",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

number = "10",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Detailed balance efficiency limits with quasi-Fermi level variations

AU - Bremner, Stephen P.

AU - Corkish, Richard

AU - Honsberg, Christiana B.

N1 - Funding Information: Manuscript received December 18, 1998; revised revised April 21, 1998. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council and a Dean’s scholarship for S. P. Bremner through the Faculty of Engineering, The University of New South Wales. The Photovoltaics Special Research Centre is supported by the Australian Reseach Council. The review of this paper was arranged by Guest Editor A. Barnett.

PY - 1999

Y1 - 1999

N2 - A central assumption in detailed balance efficiency limit calculations has been that the light generated carriers are collected by drift transport processes and have an infinite mobility, giving rise to constant quasi-Fermi levels (QFL's) across the solar cell. However, recent experimental and theoretical results for quantum well (QW) devices indicate that the QFL's need not be constant across the device. It is shown in this paper that transport mechanisms which cause a variation in the difference between the electron and hole QFL's give an increase in the limiting efficiency compared to previous detailed balance calculations. Further, QW solar cells which employ hot carrier transport across a well will have an efficiency limit in excess of a tandem solar cell while using the same number of semiconductor materials.

AB - A central assumption in detailed balance efficiency limit calculations has been that the light generated carriers are collected by drift transport processes and have an infinite mobility, giving rise to constant quasi-Fermi levels (QFL's) across the solar cell. However, recent experimental and theoretical results for quantum well (QW) devices indicate that the QFL's need not be constant across the device. It is shown in this paper that transport mechanisms which cause a variation in the difference between the electron and hole QFL's give an increase in the limiting efficiency compared to previous detailed balance calculations. Further, QW solar cells which employ hot carrier transport across a well will have an efficiency limit in excess of a tandem solar cell while using the same number of semiconductor materials.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033353965&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033353965&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1109/16.791981

DO - 10.1109/16.791981

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0033353965

SN - 0018-9383

VL - 46

SP - 1932

EP - 1939

JO - IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices

JF - IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices

IS - 10

ER -

Detailed balance efficiency limits with quasi-Fermi level variations

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this