SOLA9101: Advanced PV Technologies — T1/2019

Take-home Assignment 1
Return date: End of Lecture week 5 (by Friday 5:00 PM, 22 March).
Total marks = 25.
Please submit one hardcopy in the assignment box at level 1, TETB (H6)
(near information desk)

Question 1: (a) Calculate the position of the Fermi level with respect to the intrinsic Fermi
level in silicon at 300 K if it is doped with phosphorus atoms at a concentration of 1015 cm-3.
(b) Repeat the calculation if the silicon is doped with boron atoms at a concentration of 1016
cm-3. (c) Calculate the electron concentration in the silicon for (a) and (b).
(3 marks)

Question 2: Consider a bar of homogeneously doped p-type silicon material of doping

concentration NA = 3x1015 cm-3 at 300 K. Without any external bias a light is incident on one
end of the bar as shown in Fig. 2Q. The excess-carrier concentration generated at x = 0 is δp =
δn = 1013 cm-3. (a) Calculate the steady-state excess electron and hole concentrations as a
function of distance into the semiconductor; (b) calculate the electron diffusion current
density as a function of x by assuming µn = 1200 cm2/V-s, µp = 400 cm2/V-s, τno = 5x10-7 s
and τpo = 1x10-7 s. (4 marks)

Fig. 2Q

Question 3: An abrupt silicon p+-n junction is fabricated on an n-type substrate

of doping concentration ND = 1016 cm-3 by doping of p+ region at NA = 1018 cm3.
(a) Calculate the Fermi level positions in n- and p+ - regions; (b) determine the
built-in potential in the diode and (c) the depletion layer widths in n– and p+ -
sides.
(3 marks)
Question 4: Consider a silicon p-n junction solar cell of area 2 cm2. If the
doping of the solar cell are NA = 1.7x1016 cm-3 and ND = 7x1018 cm-3 and given τn
= 10 μs, τp = 0.5 μs, Dn = 9.3 cm2/s, Dp = 2.5 cm2/s and IL = 95 mA, (a) calculate
and plot the I-V characteristics of the solar cell, (b) calculate the open-circuit
voltage and (c) determine the maximum output power of the solar cell, all at
room temperature.
(4 marks)

Question 5: The absorption coefficients α of amorphous Si and CIGS are

approximately 104 cm-1 and 105 cm-1 at hγ = 1.7 eV, respectively. Determine the
amorphous Si and CIGS layer thickness for each solar cell so that 90% of the
photons are absorbed. If the photon flux Φ(x) can be defined at the other end of
the semiconductor layer at x = W by Φ(W ) = Φ 0 exp(−αW ) .
(3 marks)

Question 6: Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of a bulk heterojunction

organic solar cell. Draw the energy band diagram of this device structure if the
highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level and the lowest unoccupied
molecular orbital (LUMO) level values of the layers are ITO (-4.7 eV), ZnO (-
4.4 and -7.7 eV), PC71BM (-3.31 and – 5.15 eV), PTB7 (-3.3 and – 5.15 eV),
MoO3 (-2.3 and -5.1 eV) and Ag (-4.6 eV) relative to vacuum level. Explain the
operation principles of organic solar cell from the energy band diagram of the
device structure. (4 marks)

Fig. 6
Question 7: Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a two-junction tandem solar cell in
series connection. If the band-gap energy of AlInP = 1.9 eV, GaInP = 1.8 eV, AlGaAs = 1.5
eV and GaAs = 1.4 eV, draw the energy band diagram of this tandem solar cell. Draw the
schematic diagram of I-V curves of each single cell as well as tandem cell and briefly explain
them. (4 marks)

Fig. 7