Analytical Model for Light Modulating Impedance Spectroscopy (LIMIS) in All-Solid-State p-n Junction Solar Cells at Open-Circuit

Abstract

Non-circuit theory drift-diffusion numerical simulation of standard potentiostatic impedance spectroscopy (IS) is a well-known strategy for characterization of materials and electronic devices. It implies the time-dependent solutions from the continuity and Poisson's equations under small perturbation of the bias boundary condition at the electrodes. But in the case of photo-sensitive devices a small light perturbation can be also taken modulating the generation rate along the absorber bulk. In that focus, this work approaches a set of analytical solutions for the signals of IS and intensity modulated photocurrent and photovoltage spectroscopies, IMPS and IMVS respectively, from one-sided p-n junction solar cells at open-circuit. Subsequently, a photo-impedance signal named light intensity modulated impedance spectroscopy (LIMIS equals IMVS over IMPS) is analytically simulated and its difference with respect to IS suggests a correlation with the surface charge carrier recombination velocity. This is an illustrative result and starting point for future more realistic numerical simulations.