Enhanced conversion efficiencies for pillar array solar cells fabricated from crystalline silicon with short minority carrier diffusion lengths

Radial n(+)-p(+) junction solar cells composed of densely packed pillar arrays, 25-mu m-tall and 7.5 mu m in diameter, fabricated from p-type silicon substrates with extremely short minority carrier diffusion lengths are investigated and compared to planar cells. To understand the two times higher AM 1.5 efficiencies of the pillar array cells, dark and light I-V characteristics as well as spectral responses are presented for the two structures. The higher pillar array cell efficiencies are due to the larger short-circuit currents from the larger photon absorption thickness and the shorter carrier collection length, with a significant additional contribution from multiple reflections in the structure. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3432449]