Angle-depended photocurrent characteristics of cascade photoelectric converters on

the base of homogeneous semiconductor

Yuri D. Arbuzov, Vladimir M. Evdokimov, and Olga V. Shepovalova

Citation: AIP Conference Proceedings 1968, 030074 (2018); doi: 10.1063/1.5039261

View online: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5039261
View Table of Contents: http://aip.scitation.org/toc/apc/1968/1
Published by the American Institute of Physics
 Angle-depended Photocurrent Characteristics of Cascade
Photoelectric Converters on the Base of Homogeneous
Semiconductor
Yuri D. Arbuzov, Vladimir M. Evdokimov, Olga V. Shepovalovaа)

«VIESH-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES» (VIESH-RES)

1-st Veshnyakovsky proezd, 2, Moscow 109456, Russia
a)
Corresponding author: shepovalovaolga@mail.ru

Abstract. Angle-dependent spectral photoresponse characteristics for theoretically perfect and physically implementable
tunnel cascade (multi-junction) photoelectric converters (PC), for example high-voltage planar PV cells, have been
studied as functions of technological parameters and number of single PCs in cascade. Angle-dependent spectral
photoresponse characteristics values for real cascade silicon structures have been determined in visible and ultraviolet
radiation spectra. Characteristic values of radiation incidence angle corresponding to the twofold photocurrent reduction
in relation to normal incidence have been found depending on the number of single PCs in cascade, ‘dead’ layer
thickness of tunnel junction and photosensitivity of the base PC. The possibility and practicability of solar trackers use in
PV systems with proposed PCs under study have been evaluated.

INTRODUCTION
Developing high-voltage power sources that, unlike conventional PCs having only one p-n junction, would
generate voltages even tens of times higher than 1V belongs to one of the most important problems today in the field
of electromagnetic energy conversion into electricity with the use of radiation in solar, thermal, laser and other
spectra. In photovoltaic technologies, a required voltage level is usually achieved by series connecting separate
planar single-junction PV cells to form a PV module, as well as by that of PV modules to form a PV string.
However this method is associated with inevitable resistive drop and power loss occurring in metal contacts between
interconnected PCs, as well as with commutation loss due to manufacturing tolerance of their photoelectric
parameters, to say nothing about inappropriately large size and weight of entire structure. Application of matrix
silicon PC with, so called, ‘vertical’ p-n junctions in which separate PCs are interconnected into series circuits by
welding or soldering is one of the methods to solve this problem [1–5]. Though, in this case, power sources have
rather bulky structure that makes the module and array design more complicated. For this purpose, it is practically
perspective to use cascade PCs based on semiconductor heterostructures of A3B5 chemical compounds that make it
possible to manufacture high-voltage power sources of high efficiency [5–11]. However such PCs are fabricated of
rather expensive materials that are normally in short supply.
In papers [12–15], a new type of high-voltage PC on the basis of n+-p-p+(t)n+-p-p+(t) … (t)n+-p-p+ tunnel multi-
junction structure in crystalline homogeneous semiconductor has been proposed and was then studied in works [16–
21], primarily for the planar high-voltage PV cells creation. This kind of structure is manufactured on a crystalline
substrate of conventional planar PV cells made of indirect-bandgap material of A4 group in which silicon is the least
expensive and whose technology belongs to the most developed by now. The whole structure is fabricated within an
integrated technological cycle by consequent building a number of thin semiconductor films of various conductivity
type, upon the base PC. The base PC that provides mechanical integrity of the entire structure can be manufactured
using one of conventional semiconductor technologies. Such structures are, factually, homogenous cascade PCs
comprising a number of series-connected single PCs that have a structure of n+-p-p+ type and are illuminated by

Technologies and Materials for Renewable Energy, Environment and Sustainability

AIP Conf. Proc. 1968, 030074-1–030074-13; https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5039261
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1675-8/$30.00

030074-1
radiation that have passed all superjacent semiconductor layers (see Fig. 1). Since p+- and n+- layers in each single
PC in the entire cascade are heavily doped and are, practically, degenerated semiconductor materials they form
transparent metal-type junctions (t) between each other providing high electric conductivity owing to the effect of
charge carrier tunneling through p+-n+ junctions [22, 23].

n+
p Nth single PC
+
p
• n+
• • • • • •
p  3th single PC
p +
n+
p 2th single PC
p+
n+
p substrate base area 1th single PC – base PC
p+

FIGURE 1. Example of cascade homogeneous photoconverter structure

In paper [24], angle-dependent characteristic of photoresponse for idealized cascade structures have been
studied, and conditions of complete charge carrier collection, as well as those of their loss elimination in junctions
have been determined. In this work, the purpose is set to study angle-dependent photocurrent characteristics that
determine performance of above mentioned PCs in real operation conditions. Studies were made for idealized
structures similar to real ones that comply with the conditions of negligibly low values of charge carrier
recombination rate for both the bulk and the surface of semiconductor material, in photoactive layers of the
structure. Realizability of such conditions is based on the assumption that optimal thickness values of these layers
are reliably small compared to charge carrier diffusion length while surface recombination can be, principally,
eliminated on the stage of layer fabrication by providing sufficiently high potential barriers on n+-p and p-p+
junctions. At the same time, recombination rate in heavily doped p+- and n+- layers is assumed to be very high with
makes it reasonable to consider such layers as ‘dead’ ones i.e. completely non-photoactive.

OPTIMIZATION OF TUNNEL SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE OF CASCADE PC

Characteristics of cascade PCs are discussed optimized for normal incidence angle of monochrome radiation
with quanta flax distribution in distance x, from illuminated surface, corresponding to:

 ( x )   0  e  x , (1)

where 0 is density of incoming photon flax,  is optical absorption coefficient depending on wavelength  and
semiconductor properties.
Density of photocurrent Ji generated in i-th single PC (i = 1, 2, …, N), with the account to light absorption
within upflow layers, equals to:
J  i  q  0  S i ( ); i  1, 2 , ..., N , (2)

where q is electron charge, N is number of single PCs in cascade PC, Si() is photoresponse of i-th single PC in
cascade corresponding to the share of incident monochromatic radiation converted into photocurrent with the
account of radiation absorption in upflow layers integrated in cascade:
 N 
    d k  2 ( N  i )  
S i ( )  e  k  i 1   Qi ( ); i  2,.3,..., N  1 ; (3)

030074-2
  N 
    d k  2 ( N 1) 
S1 ( )  e  k 2   Qb ( )
; (4)

S N ( )  e    Q N ( ) ; (5)

where dk is thickness of lightly doped p-layer of k-th single PC and  is thickness of heavily doped ‘dead’ layer in
tunnel p+-n+ junction (which is a technological parameter of physically viable tunnel structure in semiconductors
whose value is identical for all single PCs in cascade provided that they are fabricated using identical manufacturing
techniques to form epitaxial layers of tunnel structure); Qi () is spectral charge carrier collection efficiency for p-n
junction of i-th single PC.
In accordance with the above described idealized model we assume that the charge carrier collection efficiency
for p-n junction in i-th p-layer is equal to the share of radiation absorbed in this layer, i.e.:

Q i ( )  1  e   d i ; i  2 , 3,..., N , (6)

while that in the base PC (the first single PC) Qb () is defined by characteristics of high-efficiency monocrystalline
PC with optimizes structure fabricated with the use of up-to-date semiconductor technologies.
Proceeding from this assumption, the equations of optimization for cascade structure corresponding to the
condition of photocurrent continuity in series circuit of cascade can be written as:

e  d 2  1  e   Q b ( ) , (7)

 i 1 
    d k  ( 2 i  3 ) 

e d i  1  e  k 2 Q
b ( ); i  3, 4 ,..., N , (8)

 
e  d i 1  1  e  2  1  e   d i ; i  2, 3,..., N  1 . (9)

Solution of these equations yields the value of optimal thickness for photoactive layers depending on their
numbers in the cascade structure:

1 1  e  2  Qb ( )  e   (1  e  2 (i 1) )

di  ln ; i  2,3,..., N . (10)
 1  e  2  Qb ( )  e   (1  e  2 (i  2 ) )

Photocurrent JC and the corresponding photoresponse SC() value of cascade optimized for normal incidence of
monochromatic radiation are given by the following expression:

Q b ( )  e  2 ( N 1) . (11)

J  C  q  0 S C ( )  q  0 
1  Q b ( )
e  
1  e  2 ( N 1)

 2
1 e
Dependence of photoresponse SC() on radiation wavelength is determined by that of charge carrier collection
efficiency Qb() in the base PC, and SC() decreases with total number N of single PCs in cascade, as well as with
‘dead’ tunnel layer thickness  and radiation absorption coefficient .
Today, there is no definite data related to  values for particular techniques used to fabricate tunnel junctions.
The case of  = 0 corresponds to idealized model of PC providing complete collection of charge carriers generated
in epitaxial layers and having photoelectric characteristics of real base PC of cascade structure. In this case,
photoresponse of cascade equals to:
Qb ( )
S С ( )  ;   0, (12)
1  ( N  1)Qb ( )
falling slowly with N, and it gradually tends to become independent on Qb() tending close to value SC() = 1/N.

030074-3
 For   0 photoresponse decreases more abruptly with N or . Variable  is a complex optical-technological
parameter describing the loss of incident radiation in real ‘dead’ tunnel layer. For N > 1 this drop has an
exponential form:
Qb ( )
SС ( )   e 2 ( N 1) ;  N  1 . (13)
 Qb ( ) 
 1    
 e e 

ANGLE-DEPENDENT CHARACTERISTICS OF PHOTORESPONSE FOR SINGLE

PCS AND FOR ENTIRE PC

For monochromatic radiation falling at angle  onto illuminated surface, absorption of radiation is determined by
its path within semiconductor structure with deflection angle  along coordinate  depending on distance x from the
surface in accordance with relationship  = x/cos (see Fig. 1). Angle  can be determined from expression
sin = nꞏsin, where n is radiation deflection index in semiconductor material for a given wavelength. In this
assumption, the flux density of radiation quanta has the following form:

 ( x ,  )   0  cos   e  x / cos  , (14)

where cos   1  (sin  ) 2 / n 2 . (15)

Photocurrents through i-th single PC in cascade have the following values:

J  i ( )  q  0  S i ( ,  ); i  1, 2 ...., N , (16)

where photoresponse Si (,ξ) of single PCs can be found from the following general expressions, for arbitrary values di:

  N 
   d k  2  ( N 1) 

cos   k  2 
S 1 ( ,  )  cos   e   Q b ( ,  ) ; (17)

  N  
  d k  2 ( N  i )  
cos   k  i 1

  di
S i ( ,  )  cos   e  (1  e cos  ); i  2 ,..., N  1 ; (18)

 
   dN
S N ( ,  )  cos   e cos   (1  e cos  ). (19)

Generally, charge carrier collection efficiency Qb(,) for p-n junction in the base PC can be represented in form
of integral over coordinates in either b or xb:

dg ( ,  )
Q b ( ,  )   q ( xb )  dx b
dx b , (20)
0

where integral is taken around entire base PC thickness, q(xb) is collection efficiency of charge carriers generated in
the plane with coordinate xb depending on semiconductor structure and photoelectric parameters of base PC while
dg(,) is the share of monochromatic radiation falling at angle  and absorbed in infinitely thin layer db in
vicinity of point with coordinate b corresponding to coordinate xb:

dg ( ,  )    e   b d  b   e  xb / cos  dx b . (21)
cos 
It follows here from that dependence Qb(,) of charge carrier collection efficiency in base PC on incident angle
 can be described by substituting value  by /cos in spectral dependence Qb() for radiation normal incidence,
i. e. Qb(,) = Qb(/cos).

030074-4
 For studied angle-depended characteristics of optimized cascade PC, in conditions of normal incidence of monochromatic
radiation, substitution by values of i-th single PC thickness (10) yields the following expression for photoresponse:

cos   e  2 ( N 1) / cos   Qb ( / cos  )

S1 ( ,  )  1 / cos 
; (22)
 

1  Qb ( )  e (1  e  2 ( N 1) ) 
 1  e  2 
 
1
 ( 2 ( N  i )   )
  1  e  2   Q b ( ) e   (1  e  2  (i 1) )  cos 
S i ( ,  )  cos   e cos  
  2 

1  e  Q b ( ) e   (1  e  2  ( N 1) )  (23)
1
 ( 2 ( N  i )   )
  1  e  2   Q b ( )e   (1  e  2  ( i  2 ) )  cos 
 cos   e cos  ; i  2,3,..., N
  2 

1  e  Q b ( ) e   (1  e  2  ( N 1) ) 

Thus, angle-dependent characteristics of photoresponse for single PCs optimized for normal incidence of
monochromatic radiation can be described with the use of explicit dependence on radiation incidence angle  and its
deflection angle , total number N of single PCs in cascade, number i of particular single PC and ‘dead’ layer
thickness  in PC. Their values are mainly defined by those of charge carrier collection efficiency in the base PC, for
a given radiation wavelength, both for normal incidence Qb() and for radiation falling slantwise Qb(/cos).
For normal radiation incidence, ( = 0,  = 0) values of photoresponse for all single PCs in cascade Si(,0), as
well as that of the entire PC SС(,0), are equal to each other and, in accordance with cascade structure optimization
conditions, are determined by equations:

e 2 ( N 1)  Qb ( )
Si ( , 0)  SC ( , 0)  ; i  1, 2, ..., N (24)
e  (1  e 2 ( N 1) )
1  Qb ( ) 
1  e 2
In the general case, photoresponse values Si(,) grow with number i, for   0. In compliance with current flow
continuity condition for series-connected single PCs in cascade, photoresponse of entire cascade equals to the
minimal value among photoresponse values of all single PCs so that photoresponse SC(,) appears to be equal to
that of the 1st (base) PC S1(,), for any radiationя incident angle  (22):

SC ( ,  )  S1 ( ,  ) . (25)

For conventional PC having only one p-n junction (N = 1), photoresponse dependence on radiation incidence
angle  has the following form:

SC ( ,  )  cos   Qb ( / cos  ); N  1 . (26)

It is also determined by values of spectral dependence of collection efficiency Qb() of generated charge carriers.
Generally, for cascade PCs under consideration, this dependence is given by expression (22) and has a slope-
wise form comprising a maximum for a particular value  whose height decreases with N. Starting from the
maximum point, charge carrier collection efficiency drops smoothly with , and the rate of this drop increases with
the complex parameter .
Radiation incidence angle 0 corresponding to the half of the slope height on the photoresponse curve, as well as
the associated value of refraction angle, can serve as the major angle-dependent characteristic that is determined by
the following relationship:

030074-5
 cos  0  e  2 ( N 1) / cos  0  Q b ( / cos  0 ) e  2 ( N 1)  Q b ( ) . (27)

1 / cos  0
  
(1  e  2 ( N 1) )   e   (1  e  2 ( N 1) ) 
 1  Q b ( )  e 2  1  Q b ( ) 
 
 1  e  2   1  e  2 
 

Characteristic radiation incidence angle 0 defines a required or sufficient tracking accuracy of cascade PC
orientation in relation to the source of radiation. Particularly, for a single base PC (N = 1) characteristic angle 0 can
be found from expression:
cos  0  Q b ( / cos  0 )  Q b ( ) / 2; N 1 . (28)

For idealized base PC (Qb() = 1 for any value of ), this expression yields: 0 = 60°.

ANGLE-DEPENDENT CHARACTERISTICS OF PHOTORESPONSE FOR

PHYSICALLY PERFECT CASCADE PC
For cascade PCs on the base of technologically practicable tunnel structures having physically attainable upper-
limit efficiency corresponding to complete charge carrier collection in the base PC (Qb() = 1 within the entire
band-gap spectral range of semiconductor material), calculated physically upper-limit photoresponse has the
following form:

cos   e 2 ( N 1)/cos . (29)

S C lim ( ,  )  1/cos 
 2 ( N 1)
 e (1  e )
1  
 1  e 2 
Its dependence on radiation incidence angle  in the range of 0 to 90° for, practically efficient cascade PCs with
minimal optical loss in tunnel structures ( << 1), for n = 3,4; that corresponds to silicon, for N = 2 to 5 and for
various values of complex optical-technological parameter  is presented in Fig. 2.

0,5
N=2
0,45 
0;
0,4 0,005;
0,01;
0,015;
0,35 0,02;
Photoresponse S C lim

N=3 0,025;
0,3 0,03

0,25 N=4

0,2

0,15 N=5

0,1

0,05

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Radiation incidence angle ξ, degrees

FIGURE 2. Dependence of physically upper-limit photoresponse for efficient tunnel cascade PC on radiation incidence angle

030074-6
 This dependence has a slope-wise shape with a maximum for  = 0 that decreases with N and it is characterized
by smooth drop with . Slope sharpness grows with complex parameter . As it can be noticed, photoresponse
does not, practically, depend on radiationя incidence angle, for   10° which makes it possible to use cascade PCs
like conventional planar single-junction PCs without special radiation source tracking system. Moreover, angle-
dependent characteristics of cascade PCs appear to be similar to those of conventional PCs even for real practicable
optical-technological parameters  of tunnel structure.
In this case, characteristic radiation incidence angle 0 is defined from expression:

cos  0  e  2 ( N 1) / cos  0 e  2 ( N 1)

 ;
1 / cos  0
  
(1  e  2 ( N 1) )   e   (1  e  2 ( N 1) ) 
1  e 2 1 
 
 1  e  2   1  e  2 
(30)
 
n 2 1 cos 2 t 0
n  n 2 1 cos 2 t 0  e   e 
( 2 cos  0 )  e 2 ( N 1)  1  
 e 2  1  e 2  1

which yields the following relationship between characteristic angle 0 and number N of single PCs in cascade for
different  values in form of explicit function N of 0:
 n 2 1 cos 2  0 
 
 ( 2 cos  ) n  n 2 1 cos 2  0 ( e 2  1)  e  . (31)
1
N  ln  0 
2  1  e  2  e  
 
 
 
Values of characteristic radiation incidence angle 0 for photoresponse of real effective tunnel silicon cascades
(n = 3,4) having different number N of single PCs in the range of N = 1 to 5, for various values of complex
optical-technological parameter of tunnel structure,  << 1 and the corresponding table are presented in Fig. 3.

60
N \ αδ: 0 0,005 0,01 0,015 0,02 0,025 0,03
59,8 1 60 60 60 60 60 60 60
2 59,22 59,21 59,2 59,19 59,18 59,18 59,17
3 58,76 58,76 58,75 58,74 58,73 58,7 58,67
59,6 4 58,43 58,42 58,38 58,37 58,36 58,34 58,31
Photoresponse peak ξ 0, degrees

5 58,19 58,16 58,13 58,1 58,07 58,04 58,03

59,4

59,2
αδ:
59 0;
0,005;
58,8 0,01;
0,01;
0,02;
58,6 0,025;
0,03
58,4

58,2

58
1 2 3 4 5
Number of single PC in cascade N

FIGURE 3. Dependence of incidence angle corresponding to the half of slope height on physical photoresponse curve for real
effective tunnel cascade PC on number of single PCs in cascade

030074-7
 For upper-limit efficient cascade complying with the requirement of complete absence of optical loss in tunnel
junctions, i.e. for  = 0 the obtained in (29) relationship between 0 and number N has the following form [24]:
n 2 1 cos 2  0
n  n 2 1 cos 2  0
N  ( 2 cos  0 ) ;   0 . (32)

For N = 1, this equation describes characteristic angle behavior for theoretically perfect PC with only one p-n
junction and it has the following solution: cos0 = 1/2, 0 = 3.
Value of 0 decreases with N but, for most actual designs of theoretically perfect cascades and for not very high
N values (N  5) deviation of this variable from 0 = 3 will be rather small. The same conclusion follows from
practical need to fabricate sufficiently efficient real cascade PC for which purpose it is necessary to reduce optical-
technological loss in tunnel junctions down to the possibly minimal level corresponding to condition  << 1. For
these conditions having been met it is advisable to solve equation (31) for arbitrary values of N and  using linear
approximation in deviation 0 of characteristic angle 0 from value 3, for limiting case:

cos  0  cos(  / 3    0 )  cos(  / 3)  sin(  / 3)    0  1 / 2  ( 3 / 2 )    0

n n2  3/ 4  e  . (33)
and  0  ( e 2 ( N 1)  1)  1  2 
  1 
3( n 2  3 / 4 )  e

Thus, characteristic deviation angle 0 in linear approximation in 0 for idealized PC with only one p-n junction
(N = 1), for low values of optical-technological parameter of tunnel structure ( < 1), has the following form for N  5:

 n n2  3 / 4  e  
0   ( e 2 ( N 1)  1)  1  2 . (34)
3 2  e  1 
3( n  3 / 4 )  

For idealized structure ( = 0) this expression yields:

 n  n2  3/ 4
0   ( N  1) . (35)
3 2
3( n  3 / 4 )
This dependence of 0 on N shows a very weak linear-wise decrease with N. For real tunnel structure, the slope
of incidence angle curve grows with optical-technological parameter value , and deviation from linear law can be
noticed. This is also can be proved with the use of more accurate data obtained by computational solution of
equation (31) for silicon cascade PC (n = 3,4) in the range of N = 1 to 5 presented in Fig. 3.
In formal mathematical limit N  , solution of equation (31) yields: 0  0, for any  value, and asymptotic
dependence of 0 on N for N   has the form of:

2 ln 2 . (36)
0  n ; N 
     
ln  e 2 ( N 1)  1 
e  e   n 2  1  2  ln 2   2 ln 2
  e 2 
1 e 2
 1   3 
 

Particularly, for idealized cascade ( = 0) this asymptotic dependence can be written as:

2 ln 2 (37)
0  n ;   0; N 
 2 
ln N  n 2  1   ln 2   2  ln 2
 3 
For efficient cascade structures ( << 1), asymptotic dependences 0 on N (36), (37) are rather weak. For low,
yet big enough to provide most efficient up-to-date PCs, values of N (N  5), this dependence does not, factually,
make influence on PC’s characteristics and can be neglected. For high but physically achievable values of N

030074-8
(1 << N  10), 0 appears to be close to 3. That is why equation (30) for above conditions, in initial approximation,
can be solved by linearization in parameter 0 which leads to expression (34).
In case of very high optical loss in tunnel structure ( >> 1), asymptotic expression (36) has the following
form:

2 ln 2 (38)
0  n  0;   1; N  ,
 2 
2 ( N  1)  n 2  1   ln 2   2  ln 2
 3 
that comprises a stronger dependence of 0 on N. However, this case is of no practical interest since it definitely
describes low-efficiency cascade PCs.
Obtained results show that photoresponse of real cascade on the basis of tunnel semiconductor structure rather
strongly depends on total number of single PCs N in cascade (today, practically acceptable values correspond to
N  5), as well as on wavelength and corresponding absorption coefficient for incident radiation. Besides,
photoresponse depends rather weakly on radiationя incidence angle , in the range of 0° to ~ 10°. This feature of
angle-dependent characteristic of cascades proves good perspectives for various cascade PCs implementation
including high-voltage ones, for small radiationй incidence angles with no need for tracking system.
Moreover, angle dependences of relative photoresponse values for efficient cascades ( << 1) are close to the
corresponding dependence of photoresponse for idealized single PC (N = 1), in conditions of normal radiation
incidence. Particularly, it is defined by the fact that obtained characteristic angle values 0 for tunnel cascades,
approximately equal to 58°, are close to that of idealizedого single PC, i.e. 60°.
Besides, in the range of N values for various cascades (N  2) that has been regarded above, values of 0(N)
corresponding to the range of acceptable radiation deviation from normal incidence angle are very close to each
other which raises the validity of application of identical optical systems for rather high values of radiation incidence
angle, in case that tracking is necessary.

ANGLE-DEPENDENT CHARACTERISTICS OF PHOTORESPONSE FOR

PHYSICALLY IMPLEMENTABLE SILICON CASCADE PC
Characteristics of photoresponse for real cascade PC are determined by optimization development level and by
achievable parameters of multi-layer photoelectric homogeneousого semiconductor structure and, first of all, by
spectral sensitivity of base PC.
Spectral charge carrier collection efficiency of base PC having semiconductor structure of n-p-p+ type can be
written as the sum of collection efficiencies: for the doped n-layer having thickness dn, for the base p-layer having
thickness dp and for rear p+ - layer having thickness dp+ [13, 14]:

Q b ( )  Q n ( )  Q p ( )  Q p  ( ) . (39)

These addends can be expressed using identical functions Q(, d, L, S, D) of radiation absorption coefficient ,
layer thickness d, minor charge carrier diffusion length L, surface recombination rate S on the surface opposite to n-
p (or p-p+)- junction and minor charge carrier diffusion coefficient D [16]:

 SL SL 
 D  1    1  d 
d
L  D  e L  e  d  . (40)
Q ( , d , L , S , D )   e L  e  d
d d 1   L   1  L  
 SL  L  SL   L     
1  e  1  e  
 D   D 
For this case,

Q n ( )  e  d n Q ( , d n , Ln , S n , D n ) ; (41)

Q p ( )  e   d n Q ( , d p , L p , S p , D p ) ; (42)

030074-9
  ( d n  d p )
2e (43)
Q p  ( )  dp dp
Q ( , d p  , L p  , S p  , D p  ).
 S L  Lp  S pLp   Lp
1  p p e  1  e
 Dp   Dp 
   
For surface recombination rate on the rear side of base area, the following effective value shall be used:
S pLp d p
 th
N p D p D p Lp , (44)
Sp 
N p Lp S pLp d p
1 th
D p Lp

where Np and Np+ are impurity levels of base p-layer and heavily doped rear p+-layer, respectively.
Spectral collection efficiency for charge carriers PC Qb() in base silicon depending on radiation absorption
coefficient  for most essential (in terms of photoelectric conversion in PC) radiation spectral ranges, suggested in
this work, has the form shown in Fig. 4. Empiric dependence of radiation absorption coefficient  on radiation
wavelength  for silicon has been presented in collection of scientific articles ‘Solar energy conversion. Issues of
Solid State Physics’ edited by B. O. Serafin [25]. The following typical parameter values related to up-to-date
efficient silicon PCs are applied:
dn =1µ, Ln = 1µ, Sn = 105 cm/s, Dn = 10 cm2/s, for n-layer
dp = 300µ, Lp = 200µ, Sp = 0, Dp = 25 cm2/s, for p-layer
dp+ = 0 (Qp+ = 0) , for p+-layer.

0,9
Charge carrier collection efficiency Qb(α)

0,8

0,7

0,6

0,5

0,4

0,3
0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2

Radiation absorption coefficient α, 1/мкм

FIGURE 4. Charge carrier collection efficiency in infrared and visible radiation bands for base PC of silicon cascade PC

In vicinity of silicon photoresponse limit (  0), charge carrier collection efficiency grows sharply with 
(with radiation wavelength  decrease) attaining its maximum. Maximum position factually coincides with the long-
wavelength limit of visible radiation spectrum. The wavelength appears to be approximately equal to that of the
most efficient one in solar spectrum s = 0,7744µ (  s = 0,125µ–1), in terms of photoelectric conversion for
silicon PCs. Charge carrier collection efficiency for this wavelength attains its, practically, maximal value Qb(s) =
0,925425.
Charge carrier collection efficiency falls gradually with further growth of . In the short-wavelength spectrum
range of visible radiation limit that corresponds to 0 = 0,.4µ (  0 = 1,995µ–1) related value of charge carrier

030074-10
collection efficiency is Qb(0) = 0,600602. In ultraviolet radiation range, for   , charge carrier collection
efficiency tends to its saturation value: Qb()  Qb() = exp(–dn/Ln) = exp(–1) = 0,367879.
Angle dependence of photoresponse in visible radiation range have been studied for cascades on the basis of real
silicon PCs with total number of single PCs N = 5. In vicinity of long-wavelength limit, charge carrier collection
efficiency of the base PC of silicon cascade is close to unit. That is why, in this range, photoresponse of silicon
cascade for various radiation incidence angles appears to be close to the corresponding physical upper-limit of that
for real tunnel cascade shown in Fig. 2.
For short-wavelength limit of visible range, both charge carrier collection efficiency in the base PC and
photoresponse of cascade have substantially lower values than those for long-wavelength limit. In Fig. 5, these
photoresponse curves are presented for various values of complex optical-technological parameter of tunnel
structure, in the range of 0    0,1.

0,18

0;
0,16
0,005;
0,01;
0,14 0,015;
0,02;
0,12 0,025;
Photoresponse S C

0,03;
0,04;
0,1 0,05;
0,06;
0,08 0,07;
0,08;
0,09;
0,06
0,1

0,04

0,02

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Radiation incidence angle ξ, degrees

FIGURE 5. Dependence of photoresponse SC of real tunnel cascade on the base of silicon PC on radiation incidence angle, in
vicinity of short-wavelength limit of visible spectrum (0 = 0,4µ), for N =5

These data show that in short-wavelength range of visible radiation, photoresponse SC of real tunnel cascade is
not only smaller in value but it also falls more abruptly with radiation incidence angle  compared to physical upper-
limit photoresponse (see Fig. 2).
In ultraviolet radiation range (for   ) charge carrier collection efficiency Qb() in the base PC follows
asymptotic expression:

Q b ( )  Q b (  )  e  d n / Ln
;   . (45)

For parameter values applied in this work (dn = 1µ, Ln =1µ) limiting value equals to Qb() = e–1= 0,367879
while, for  > 1 and  >> 1/µ, photoresponse of cascade exponentially falls with radiation absorption coefficient 
and with total number N of single PCs in compliance with angular dependence:

S C ( ,  )  cos   e 1 2 ( N 1) / cos  ;   1;   1 / μ . (46)

For separate base PC (N = 1) angular dependence (SC ~ cos) corresponds to that of idealized PC and
characteristic angle 0 equals to /3.
For cascade with N  2, characteristic angle 0 decreases sharply with N, for  >> 1, in compliance with the
following expression:

030074-11
 2 ln 2 (47)
0  n ;   1; N 2
2 ( N  1)  n 1  2  ln 2 / 3   2  ln 2
2

and photoresponse appears to be very low, practically negligible.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study makes it possible to define spectral characteristics and photocurrent for cascade photoelectric
converters of radiation in real operation conditions that, in the general case, correspond to radiation incidence angle
variation on the surface of PC. Results obtained in this work show that physical upper-limit spectral photoresponse
of real cascade PCs on the basis of tunnel structure fabricated with the use of up-to-date high-precision
semiconductor technologies fall with radiation incidence angle just like those of idealized single base PC (N=1).
Besides, their values decrease with total number of single PCs N in cascade, radiation absorption coefficient  in
semiconductor material and thickness  of non-photoactive (‘dead’) layer occurring in tunnel junctions in the
process of semiconductor structure formation.
Characteristic radiation incidence angle values 0 corresponding to two-fold photoresponse drop compared to
normal incidence decrease with total number N of single PCs in cascade, as well as with those of complex optical-
technological loss parameter  in the structureе. For efficient cascades ( << 1), these values are close to 60°, i.e.
that of idealized single PC.
For cascade PC on the basis of up-to-date efficient silicon PC with N = 5, in vicinity of long-wavelength limit of
visible radiation, photoresponse of cascade appears to be close to the corresponding physical upper-limit value of
photoresponse of real tunnel cascade, for various radiation incidence angles. Within the entire visible radiation
range, characteristic angle equals to approx. 0 = 58° with a tolerance of about 0,2°, for values of optical-
technological parameter in the range of  = 0÷0,03. In ultraviolet radiation range (  ) photoresponse of
cascade falls exponentially with  and N and is practically negligible, for any radiation incidence angle.
Obtained results prove that it is both possible and practicable to use single PCs along with efficient cascade PCs
of various kind including high-voltage ones in photoelectric systems with different radiation incidence angles with
one and the same concentrator optics and identical radiation source tracking accuracy.

REFERENCES
1. N. S. Lidorenko et al., Gelioteknika. No. 3, 3–17 (1978).
2. D. S. Strebkov, Matrix solar cells (GNU VIESH, Moscow, 2010).
3. E. G. Guk, et al., Zhurnal Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki. Vol. 67, No. 2, 129131 (1997).
4. V. B. Voronkov et al., Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov. Vol. 32, No.7, 886888 (1998).
5. A. L. Fahrenbruch and R. H. Bube, Fundamentals of Solar Cells: photovoltaic solar energy conversion
(Academic Press, NY, 1983).
6. E. S. Hrayshat, Renewable Energy. Vol. 23, No. 3-4, 383-389 (2001).
7. A. Masafumi Jamaguchi, B. Tatsuya Takamoto, C. Kenji Araki, A. Nicholas Ekin Dankes, Solar Energy. No.
79, 78–85 (2005).
8. Frank Dimroth et al., Journal of Photovoltaics. Vol. 6, No. 1, 17 (2015).
9. M. Yamaguchi1, Progress in photovoltaics: Research and applications. Vol. 13, 125 (2005).
10. K. Sasaki et al., “Development of InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs inverted triple junction concentrator solar cells,” in
Proceedings of the 9th Int. Conf. Concentrator Photovoltaic Syst. (Miyazaki, Japan, 2013), pp. 22–25.
11. T. N. D.Tibbits et al.,“New efficiency frontiers with wafer-bonded multijunction solar cells,” in Proceedings of
the 29th Eur. Photovoltaic Sol. Energy Conf. Exhib. (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2014), 1975 - 1978.
12. Y. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov, D. S. Strebkov and O.V. Shepovalova, R.F. Patent No. 2357325 (29
October 2007).
13. Y. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov, D. S. Strebkov and O.V. Shepovalova, R.F. Patent No. 2371811 (6 May
2008).
14. Y. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov, D. S. Strebkov and O.V. Shepovalova, Patent No. 2373607 (6 May 2008).
15. Y. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov, D. S. Strebkov and O.V. Shepovalova, R.F. Patent No. 2371812 (6 May
2008).

030074-12
16. D. S. Strebkov, Y. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov and O.V. Shepovalova, “Planar multijunction photoelectric
generator on the basis of homogeneous semiconductor,” in Proceedings of the 6th International Conference
Power Supply and Energy Saving in Agriculture. Part 4 Renewable Energy Sources, Local Energy Resources,
Ecology. (GNU VIESH, Мoscow, 2008), pp. 133-138.
17. Y. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov, D. S. Strebkov and O.V. Shepovalova, “The planar high-voltage solar cell
on the basis of the homogeneous semiconductor,” in Proceedings of the 30th ISES Biennial Solar World
Congress 2011, SWC 2011, pp. 1681 – 1690.
18. Yu. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov and O. V.Shepovalova, Applied Solar Energy. Vol. 47, No. 4, 263-270
(2011).
19. Yu. Arbuzov, V. Evdokimov and O. Shepovalova, “ Top Limit Characteristics of New Type Cascade PC on
the Basis of Homogeneous Semiconductor,” in Proceedings of the EuroSun2012 ISES-Europe Solar
Conference (Rijeka, Croatia, 18-20 September 2012).
20. Y. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov and O. V. Shepovalova, Energy Procedia. VoI.74, 1533 – 1542 (2015).
21. Yu. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov and O. V.Shepovalova, Applied Solar Energy. Vol. 51, No. 4, 235-244
(2015).
22. V. I. Fistyl, Heavily doped semiconductors (Nayka, Moscow, 1967).
23. G. E. Pikus, Basics of semiconductor devices theory (Nayka, Moscow, 1965).
24. Y. D. Arbuzov, V. M. Evdokimov and O. V. Shepovalova, Energy Procedia. Vol. 119C, 980-989 (2017).
25. Solar Energy Conversion. Solid-State Physics Aspects, edited by B.O. Seraphin (Springer-Verlag Berlin
Heidelberg New York, 1979).

030074-13