Solar cells internal electric field

Electrons and holes generated in the i-layer by incident light are driven to the n- and p-layer by the internal electric field, respectively. The material quality of the intrinsic layer and the strength and distribution of the electric field are responsible for the charge carrier collection and mainly determine the electrical solar cell performance. Defects affect the charge carrier collection in two different ways On the one hand they act as recombination centers, and on the other hand their charge state modifies the electric field distribution in the i-layer. 

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