Ukraine, Kyiv, V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, NAS of Ukraine.

The task of reducing the cost of a unit of photoelectric-generated electricity is still relevant today. One of the most effective ways to do that is to use concentrator photovoltaic energy conversion systems with cheaper, small-area silicon solar cells (SC), because they require significantly less semiconductor material to make. In this study, the authors develop solutions to optimize the design and improve the manufacturing technology of silicon SCs of the combined diffusion-field type. Such SCs are used to concentrate solar irradiation. The authors propose design and technological solutions for the development and manufacture of a concentrator unit based on the Fresnel lens, which is designed to measure the photoelectric characteristics of SCs when concentrating solar irradiation. Next, the photoelectric characteristics of the combined diffusion-field type SCs were investigated under concentrated solar irradiation in natural sun conditions. The degree of concentration varied from 1X to 100X. Measuring the light I –V characteristics allowed determining photoelectric parameters of the cells — shortcircuit current, open-circuit voltage, fill factor and photoconversion efficiency. The obtained experimental results are in good agreement with the results of theoretical modeling. It is shown that due to the minimization of the specific series resistance, the samples of such SCs have high values of operational parameters in the range of natural solar irradiation concentration K=1X–100X.

Keywords: silicon solar cells, concentrated solar irradiation, photoelectric parameters, equipment.

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