Carrier induced degradation in compensated n-type silicon solar cells: Impact of light-intensity, forward bias voltage, and temperature on the reaction kinetics

We analyze the formation kinetics of the boron-oxygen defect in compensated n-type upgraded metallurgical-grade (UMG) silicon solar cells. Through time-resolved open-circuit voltage measurements, we explore the influence of temperature, forward bias, and light intensity on the formation kinetics of the defect. Our results confirm that the boron-oxygen defect forms more slowly in compensated n-type silicon than in p-type silicon. We present evidence which suggests that the slower kinetics in n-type silicon may be due to a lower frequency factor for defect formation.