Sheet resistance component of series resistance in a solar cell as a function of grid geometry

Abstract Most photovoltaic solar cells use some type of light-transmitting grid electrode on the upper surface to reduce series resistance losses as the current is collected. The geometry of this grid is chosen through consideration of optical transparency and series resistance. A method of calculating the series resistance as a function of grid geometry is presented here with the following assumptions: (1) current generation is uniform over the area of the cell; (2) the thickness of the upper semiconductor layer is very much smaller than the lateral dimensions of the cell; (3) the resistance of the grid electrode is much less than the sheet resistance of the upper semiconductor layer, and (4) the current flow in the layer is ohmic. These assumptions will be satisfied for most solar cells of interest. The method is then applied to several representative grid geometries and the results are compared with previous calculations in the literature.