Journal
SOLAR ENERGY
Volume 108, Issue -, Pages 264-273Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2014.07.010
Keywords
Thermal runaway; Numerical modeling; Amorphous silicon
Categories
Funding
- NSF [1066749]
- Directorate For Engineering
- Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys [1066749] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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We present data exhibiting the spontaneous emergence of hot spots in forward biased thin film photovoltaics based on a-Si:H technology. These spots evolve over time, shrinking in their diameter and increasing in temperature up to approximately 300 degrees C above that of the surrounding area. Our numerical approach explores a system of many identical diodes in parallel connected through the resistive electrode and through thermal connectors, a model which couples electric and thermal processes. The modeling results show that hot spots emerge from a rather large area of nonuniform temperature, then collapse to local entities. Finally, we present a simplified analytical treatment establishing relations between the hot spot parameters. The technological importance of our findings is that they open a venue to improving the large area device performance and reliability by properly scaling the device thickness, substrate material, and thermal insulation. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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