The temperature dependence of the characteristics of crystalline-silicon-based heterojunction solar cells

Temperature dependences of the photovoltaic characteristics of $(p)a$-Si/$(i)a$-Si:H/$(n)c$-Si singlecrystalline- silicon based heterojunction-with-intrinsic-thin-layer (HIT) solar cells have been measured in a temperature range of 80–420 K. The open-circuit voltage $(V_{\mathrm{OC}})$, fill factor $(FF)$ of the current–voltage (I–U) characteristic, and maximum output power $(P_{\mathrm{max}})$ reach limiting values in the interval of 200–250 K on the background of monotonic growth in the short-circuit current $(I_{\mathrm{SC}})$ in a temperature range of 80–400 K. At temperatures below this interval, the $V_{\mathrm{OC}}$, $FF$, and $P_{\mathrm{max}}$ values exhibit a decrease. It is theoretically justified that a decrease in the photovoltaic energy conversion characteristics of solar cells observed on heating from 250 to 400 K is related to exponential growth in the intrinsic conductivity. At temperatures below 200 K, the I–U curve shape exhibits a change that is accompanied by a drop in $V_{\mathrm{OC}}$. Possible factors that account for the decrease in $V_{\mathrm{OC}}$, $FF$, and $P_{\mathrm{max}}$ are considered.