Possibilities of improvement of silicon solar cell characteristics by lowering noise

Abstract

Possibilities for the application of solar systems based on photovoltaic conversion of solar energy are very wide, primarily because of their relatively low cost and very important fact that solar energy is most acceptable source of electrical energy from the environmental point of view. However, as every other energy source, PV technology also has some limitations and disadvantages. In the first place, compared to some other sources, the efficiency of PV modules (i.e. solar cells) is relatively small. One of the most limiting factors for all kinds of detectors is their noise, especially frequency dependent generation-recombination noise, burst noise and 1/f noise. It has been suggested that the cause of the 1/f noise is the trapping of electrons at the surface states as well as in the bulk. That is why the improvement of electrical characteristics of contact layers is very important. Silicides are widely investigated as promising reliable and reproducible contacts. The aim of this paper is to present the possibilities of lowering noise in silicides (that could be used as contacts) and in solar cells as a whole.