GC: n
CT: Solar cells made from III-V materials have achieved efficiencies greater than 30%. Effectively ideal passivation plays an important role in achieving these high efficiencies. Standard modeling techniques are applied to Ga0.5In0.5P solar cells to show the effects of passivation. Accurate knowledge of the absorption coefficient is essential (see appendix). Although ultralow (<2 cm/s) interface recombination velocities have been reported, in practice, it is difficult to achieve such low recombination velocities in solar cells because the doping levels are high and because of accidental incorporation of impurities and dopant diffusion. Examples are given of how dopant diffusion can both help and hinder interface passivation, and of how incorporation of oxygen or hydrogen can cause problems.
S: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy99osti/26494.pdf (last access: 28 February 2015)
N: 1. From passivate (v.), to make inactive or less reactive. First Known Use of PASSIVATE: 1913.
2. In the 1980s, advances in the passivation of both cell surfaces led to the first crystalline silicon solar cells with conversion efficiencies above 20%. With today’s industry trend towards thinner wafers and higher cell efficiency, the passivation of the front and rear surfaces is now also becoming vitally important for commercial silicon cells.
S: 1. MW – http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passivate (last access: 29 February 2015). 2. SYN:
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