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Photovoltaic Effect

The document discusses the photovoltaic effect and its application in solar cells. It describes how the photovoltaic effect was discovered in 1839 and has since led to advances such as the development of the first solar cell in 1954. It also explains how a photovoltaic cell works at a semiconductor level, generating electron-hole pairs when photons are absorbed and using the electric field of a PN junction to separate these pairs to produce a photocurrent.

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Carl Jhonson
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268 views14 pages

Photovoltaic Effect

The document discusses the photovoltaic effect and its application in solar cells. It describes how the photovoltaic effect was discovered in 1839 and has since led to advances such as the development of the first solar cell in 1954. It also explains how a photovoltaic cell works at a semiconductor level, generating electron-hole pairs when photons are absorbed and using the electric field of a PN junction to separate these pairs to produce a photocurrent.

Uploaded by

Carl Jhonson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

SRM INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

21PYB102J- SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS AND COMPUTATIONAL METHODS


Module-III, Lecture-33 and 34

Photovoltaic Effect

Photovoltaic effect in PN Junction


under illumination

1
Photovoltaic effect: It is a process that generates voltage or
electric current in semiconductor device when it is exposed to
sunlight.

The photovoltaic effect was discovered in the year 1839 by


French physicist, Edmond Becquerel. It find’s application in
solar or photovoltaic cell to generate electricity.
2
History of Photovoltaic's
□ In 1839 – French physicist, Edmond Becquerel observed
photovoltaic effect while experimenting with two silver-
coated platinum electrodes immersed in a dilute acid and
observed two electrodes altered their electric power under
illumination.

□In 1876 – William G. Adams and Richard E. Day who


showed that electric power is directly produced under
illumination.

□In 1904 – Albert Einstein described the photoelectric effect


on which photovoltaic technology is based.
3
□ 1918 – A Polish scientist Jan Czochralski discovered a
method for monocrystalline silicon production.

□ 1941 – The first photovoltaic monocrystalline photovoltaic


cell was constructed based on Czochralski method.

□1951 – The first germanium photovoltaic cells was made in


Bell’s Laboratories with 4.5% efficiency.

□1957 – Hoffman Electronics introduced photovoltaic cell


with 8% efficiency and a year later, the efficiency of increased
to 9% .

4
Introduction to solar radiation

Solar radiation is a radiant energy emitted by the sun as a


result of its nuclear fusion reactions.

Over 99% of the energy flux from the sun is in the spectral
region of 0.15 – 4μm, with approximately 50% in the visible
light region of 0.4 – 0.7μm.

Sunlight is composed of photons and the photons contain


different amounts of energy that correspond to the different
wavelengths.

5
Photovoltaic in Semiconductor

The Solar or Photovoltaic cells are composed of two different


types of semiconductor (a P-type and an N-type) that are
joined together to create a PN Junction.

6
When photons strike a photovoltaic cell made by
semiconductor PN junction, they may be reflected, absorbed
or transmitted.

If photons is absorbed by the semiconductor then result is


generation of electron-hole pair across PN Junction.

This electron-hole pair when separated from each other


across the PN junction , results generation of voltage across
the junction.

This voltage can drive a current in an external circuit called


photocurrent

7
Photovoltaic in PN Junction under Illumination

When there is no light falling on the PN Junction, no electron-


hole pair is generated. But when light is illuminated, it
absorbs solar radiation and electron-hole pairs are
generated.

Under the uniform illumination condition, generation of


carrier will occur in the space-charge region as well as quasi-
neutral region.

The carrier that are generated in the space charge region will
be immediately swept away due to the electric field (electron
towards N-region and holes towards P-region).
8
Ln and Lp - Diffusion length of electron and hole in Quasi neutral region, W –
Width of depletion region or Space charge region, Ev – Energy of valence band
and Ei – Fermi energy
9
Due to the electric field, chances of recombination of these
electron pairs are quite less

The electron-hole pairs which are generated in the quasi


neutral region will move around in a random manner.

In their random motion, some of the generated minority


carriers will come near to the space charge region edge,
where they will experience a force due to electric field and
will be pulled at the other side

Only the minority charge carriers will cross the junction

10
Minority electrons from P-side will come to N-side leaving
behind their positive charge called hole.

Similarly minority hole from N-side moves to P-side leaving


behind their negative charge called electrons.

The drift of charge carriers creates a net increase in the


positive charges at P-side and a net increase in negative
charges at N-side.

This buildup of a positive and negative charge causes a


potential difference to appear across the PN Junction under
illumination. The potential difference created across light
illuminated PN junction is called photo voltage.
11
The contribution to the photo voltage is coming only from
the carriers that are generated within the semiconductor
width (Ln + W + Lp)

Light generated Current

In a semiconductor PN Junction, four current components


are present in equilibrium condition: drift current due to
electron and hole, diffusion current due to electron and
hole

In equilibrium condition, net current is zero which


requires the drift and diffusion currents of carriers to be
equal and opposite.
12
When semiconductor PN
Junction is illuminated, there is
large drift current is observed
due to minority electron and
holes carrier.

Therefore in the I-V curve


under dark, I α V is observed
as normally like PN diode.

But on illuminating the PN


junction, large negative current
caused by the light known as Dark I-V curve and I-V curve
light generated current IL is under illuminated P-N Junction
observed
13
The large negative current in illuminated PN junction is due to
voltage which is generated due to light biases the PN Junction in
a forward bias mode, the diffusion current flows opposite to the
direction of light generated current

The light generated current is given by the following equation


I qV / kT
total = I0 (e – 1) - IL

14

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