Stability of MIS Solar Cells

Before large scale production of MIS solar cells can be contemplated for terrestrial applications it is essential that the long term performance of the cells should be assessed and any mechanisms present that cause the cell efficiency to degrade identified. Because of the thin oxide and barrier metal films 

A systematic study of the reliability of their cromium-MIS p-type cells has been carried out by Anderson and Kim . Over an eighteen month period cells encapsulated in either polystyrene or Sylgard showed reductions of 6-8%, Ig 8-25% 

Al/SiO/pSi solar cells. The cells were on open circuit during illumination. (Ref. 64) 

A subsequent thermal anneal of this cell fully restored V oc.. . oc 

Such a mechanism would clearly be dependent on the photon wavelength and also, because of the change in effective barrier height induced, would lead to an instability primarily in rather than induce changes in I. The temperature dependent restoration process can be seen in terms of thermal ionization leading to reactivation of the unspecified positive charge centres. 

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